Global Social Witnessing

Be present

Feel what you see

Become a global witness

Be present

Feel what you see

Become a global witness

These two units are parts of Master of Arts in Global Social Witnessing at Ubiquity University

Global Social Witnessing is the emergent human capacity to mindfully attend to global events with an embodied awareness, thereby creating an inner world space mirroring these events.

You want to explore global social realities though science and art?
You want to generate compassion, awareness and feel more interconnected?
You want to be able to stay in touch with your natural sense of possibility and vision?
You want to be able to hold the tension between reality and possibility?
You want to be able to trust in your visions beyond your personal lifetime?
You want to lean into an embodied practise of compassionate global citizenship?

Goal of the GSW_Conference.Lab 2021

The GSW_Conference.Lab 2021 will provide a space where diverse perspectives/experiences from artists, scientists, spiritual practitioners, and political activists will inspire participants to better understand and embody GSW within their mind, heart, and body. Throughout the lab, we will co-create new ideas, strategies, tools, and energy to help us become mature global citizens in our times of disruption and transformation.

Explore global social realities with international artists and scientists
Generate compassionate awareness and interconnectedness while deepening your felt sense as a global human
Stay in touch with a natural sense of possibility and vision to tune into the sweet spot between awareness, change and activism
Hold the tension between reality and possibility to unfold your potential in the world
Witness that some possibilities may not be realized in one’s own lifetime to enable a deep trust and commitment regardless of outcomes
Lean into an embodied practice of compassionate global citizenship
…. Let’s co-create global social witnessing!

Join us at the Global Social Witnessing_Conference.Lab 2021 in Witten/Herdecke University!

Messages from Scientists, Artists and Activists

Kazuma Matoba & Tom Steininger in a dialogue about GSW

Ingrid Pickel about GSW

Otto Scharmer & Thomas Hübl about GSW

Daniel auf der Mauer about GSW & Photography

Alex Perinchery & Martin Bruders about GSW

Thomas Hübl & Otto Scharmer in a dialogue about GSW

Prof. Stefan Hälfinger about GSW & Organisations

About Global Social Witnessing

Kazuma, why do we need GSW?

We want to be mentally, emotionally and physically present with all human and living beings who experience intense and profound moments of struggling, doubting, and suffering.

When we see people on the news – children in famine in Africa or a crying mother with her dead child in Syria – we feel touched and empathetic with these people. This often happens, but the impression is not permanent, because it is just too much for us and we do not always want to deal with it. These everyday thoughts are deeply rooted in an individualistic dualism: I and the world (the Other) are separated. Through climate change and refugee crisis, we have begun to realise that we are interconnected. So we can testify to suffering people with belief that we are not separate from them, but we and they are part of a great system.

Kazuma Matoba

Witten/Herdecke University

Sergej, what is GSW for you?

GSW is “contemplative social cognition”

I experienced GSW in an online workshop presented by Adrian Wagner and Lukas Herrmann. It feels like a powerful technique and method that can help us address some of the toughest issues facing us as humans in a simple, yet profound way.
As a practice of contemplative social cognition (Singer et al., 2015) GSW involves a sequence of micro-actions (Petitmengin et al., 2017): An active choice to pay attention to world events, to allow oneself to be affected by them, to become aware of phenomenal impressions on various levels (mental, emotional, somatic, relational…) and to attentively stay with these impressions and their unfolding within one’s awareness.

Sergej van Middendorp

CMM Institute

Lukas, how can we practice GSW?

GSW can be practiced individually and collectively

GSW can be practiced individually or by a collective entity. The potential collective practices are two-fold: Firstly, initiated through a shared intention of a collective entity, a particular global event is mirrored simultaneously within each individual member. Secondly, the collective entity’s social field may mirror the complex systemic dynamics of global events and their potential unfolding (Hübl, 2017). To this end, the elements of a global event get represented by group members. Examples for the second type of practice are Social Presencing Theater (Hayashi, 2015), Process Work (Mindell, 2010) and Systemic Constellation Work.

Lukas Herrmann

Institute for Global Integral Competence

Source of Inspiration

Unit 1: “The Science of Witnessing” by Activists & Scientists (Recorded Dialogue online available from February 15th)

Thomas Hübl

Contemporary Mystics, Academy of Inner Science / Germany

Aftab Omer

Psychology, Meridian University / USA

Ovidiu Brazdau

Consciousness Quotient Institute, Bucharest / Romania

Stefan Haefliger

Strategic Management, City University of London / UK

Claus Otto Scharmer

Theory U, The Presencing Institute / USA

Wendelin Küpers

Organisation and Leadership, Karlshochschule / Germany

Barton Buechner

Military Psychology, Adler University, Chicago / USA

Axel Perinchery

Co-founder of “The Citizen is Present”, Freiburg / Germany

Beth Fisher-Yoshida

Conflict resolution, CMMI, Columbia University / USA

Niko Schäpke

Interdisciplinary Social Science / Germany

Georg Müller-Christ

Sustainable Management, University Bremen / Germany

Ilene Wasserman

CMM Institute for Personal & Social Evolution, Philadelphia / USA

Thomas Steininger

Conscious research / Germany

Roman Huber

Integral Democracy, Mehr Demokratie e.V. / Germany

Unit 2: “Art as GSW by Artists” (Livestream-Studio Workshops from March 15th to 18th from 2:00 to 9.30 pm in CET)

Qais Assali

Visual Artist, Michigan / USA

Stephanie Miracle

Choreographer & Performer, California / USA

Darius Matthies

Poetry and Movement, Witten / Germany

Angela von Rotz

Performer / Switzerland

Keval Kaur Khalsa

Practice of Dance, Duke University / USA

Rik Spann

Musicologist & Jazz Musician, Amsterdam / Netherland

Kerstin Strauß

Visual Artist, Augsburg / Germany

Daniel Auf der Mauer

Photography & Conflict transformation, Zurich / Switzerland

Laura Beaubrun

Dancer, Choreographer, Lausanne / Switzerland

Ingrid Pickel

Theater director & Performer, Darmstadt / Germany

Philip Stoll

Visual Art, Witten / Germany

Ayse Kalmaz

Film maker, Dortmund / Germany

Schedule

In these four days 11 artists and social activists invite you to experience yourself as a “global social witnessing” and explore your related inner feelings through authentic artistic dialogue. The artists and activists are curious to see what might emerge through global social witnessing. Finally 10 facilitators will lead GSW sessions to witness what is happening in the world.

Registration

There are five types of tickets.

WE-Ticket: €600 (including scholarship for young participants)
I-Ticket: €400 (the standard)
YOUTH-Ticket: €150 (students, young activists younger than 28)
IfGIC-, CMMI-Member: €300
AIS-Ticket: €150 (only for Unit 1, 2)

Buy your ticket here

Venue

Witten/Herdecke University

Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50
58455 Witten, Germany

Global Social Witnessing

Be present

Feel what you see

Become a global witness

Global Social Witnessing

Be present

Feel what you see

Become a global witness

Global Social Witnessing_Conference.LabUnit 1 “The Science of Witnessing”: recorded dialogues available from February 15thUnit 2 “Art as GSW”: March 15th – 18th in 2021

These two units are parts of Master of Arts in Global Social Witnessing at Ubiquity University

Global Social Witnessing is the emergent human capacity to mindfully attend to global events with an embodied awareness, thereby creating an inner world space mirroring these events.

Goal of the GSW_Conference.Lab 2021

Messages from Scientists, Artists and Activists

Kazuma Matoba & Tom Steininger in a dialogue about GSW

Ingrid Pickel about GSW

Otto Scharmer & Thomas Hübl about GSW

Daniel auf der Mauer about GSW & Photography

Alex Perinchery & Martin Bruders about GSW

Thomas Hübl & Otto Scharmer in a dialogue about GSW

Prof. Stefan Hälfinger about GSW & Organisations

About Global Social Witnessing

Kazuma, why do we need GSW?

Sergej, what is GSW for you?

Lukas, how can we practice GSW?

Source of Inspiration

Unit 1: “The Science of Witnessing” by Activists & Scientists (Recorded Dialogue online available from February 15th)

Unit 2: “Art as GSW by Artists” (Livestream-Studio Workshops from March 15th to 18th from 2:00 to 9.30 pm in CET)

Schedule

Registration

Venue

Global Social Witnessing_Conference.Lab
Unit 1 “The Science of Witnessing”: recorded dialogues available from February 15th
Unit 2 “Art as GSW”: March 15th – 18th in 2021