Update 7 September 2009
The community of practice has not taken off. This friendly wiki is hibernating due to lack of friends.
Update 27 March 2009
The Community of Practice for friendly learning circle facilitators has been initiated at http://www.friendlylearning.webs.com . Please go and take a look. This Wiki may be inactive for a while as we focus on the community of practice.
Update: 12 March 2009
I mentioned below that this Friendly Wiki project may take directions we did not anticipate. An opportunity for something like a community of practice for facilitators of Friendly Learning Circles may emerge. I invite people to use these pages to explore this idea. click on CoP Discussion ForumCoP Discussion Forum in the left margin.
What is it?
Friendly Wiki is a project in formation. We don't know what Friendly Wiki will become, but are starting off with two intentions:
- Friendly inquiry into friendship, including friendship as an element in social process and spiritual friendship.
- To collaborate in providing resources to support friendship.
The Friendly Wiki project is emergent. It may grow in directions we do not anticipate at the start. It was inspired by the Buddha’s saying that ‘friendship is the whole of spiritual life’ and the possibility that friendship is something like a “strange attractor” in complex human systems. Maybe 'being friendly' can serve as a simple guide in our increasingly complex lives
The Wiki will grow organically and that takes time.
Friendly Inquiry
Friendly Inquiry is both a method and a topic. In this Wiki and in face-to-face meetings, reflection, library research and other strategies we collaborate as friends (in a friendly way) to inquire into friendship, including (but not limited to) spiritual friendship.
People of goodwill of any faith or none are invited to visit this site and consider contributing to the inquiry through this Wiki or in other ways.
Our inquiry includes science, art, literature and religion.
Invitation
Hi. I'm Ian Hughes. I facilitate this friendly inquiry into spiritual (and other) friendship, and I administer this Wikidot site. My interest springs from reading, life experience and membership of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). While I am a Quaker and non-theist (that is, I do not believe in a supernatural creator), I welcome friendly people of goodwill with any or no faith to join our inquiry. People may contribute to the Wiki as individuals or as members of face-to-face or virtual groups.
To leave me a message or ask a question, click 'Site Members' on the left menu, then click on my name and look for 'Leave a message'. Include your email address if you would like a reply.
Ian
