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“In countries descending into authoritarianism, one of the first things to go is the right to assemble. Why? Because of what can happen when people come together, exchange information, inspire one another, test out new ways of being together.” – Priya Parker When Priya Parker’s book The Art of Gathering came out in 2018, I remember reading it obsessively – someone had distilled in exquisite form the power and wisdom of gathering well. Parker’s insights mirrored and clarified much of what I’ve learned over decades as a professional facilitator and gathering designer focused on social impact and action. The Art of Gathering sits within arms’ reach of my desk and is dog-eared and underlined almost beyond recognition. Parker sends out a regular email newsletter to her list, and on February 25th, I received one titled, “How to move from apathy to action” in which she reflected on what she wrote on the very first page of The Art of Gathering: “In countries descending into authoritarianism, one of the first things to go is the right to assemble. Why? Because of what can happen when people come together, exchange information, inspire one another, test out new ways of being together.” That inspiration, the exchange of information, the power in testing out new ways of being together is exactly what I saw happening at Gathering Ground’s 2025 Movement-Building Call to Collaboration last month, where over 100 activists, organizers, nonprofit leaders, policy advocates, funders and faith leaders from across NJ gathered for a day of connection building, generative ideas and action. This room of incredible people gathered in a self-generated, self-organized, self-directed model that we use, and because of that we saw an incredible array of topics proposed and led by the people, for the people under the central guiding question for the day. [PROUD PLUG (instead of shameless plug)] If you missed it, you’re in luck: because we were snowed out for one of the two days, we’re holding the Call to Collaboration again on Monday, April 7th from 8:30am-4:00pm (learn more here and email me for the registration link). My favorite part of my vocation as a gatherer is watching people, when they gather well, transform – the energy shifts, spaciousness somehow billows from within, ideas pour forth, hands are clasped and sleeves are rolled, ready to join in the work ahead. Now, more than perhaps ever before in my lifetime, I know we must gather privately, publicly, for joy, for grieving, for action, for change. We must figure out the next step, and the next, in community and solidarity with one another because together we are strong and resourceful. We have to remember this: Never give up our right to gather. Never obey in advance. Never stop exchanging inspiring acting resisting advocating testing breaking innovating building reaching Parker closes her email with the following reminder: “It’s important to gather in good times. It’s even more crucial to gather in bad. Gatherings remind us that even in despair, we’re not alone. That what feels too big might get broken into the next viable, visible step. That we don’t need all of the answers to do something. Often, just simply putting words around a shared, urgent question can open the world.” In Solidarity and Collaboration, |
Kacy O’Brien Director of Programming |