The Philosopher’s Stone Collective is such a community. Below you will find all you need to know in order to decide if this is a place you would like to join and participate in.
Community Purpose
The words and images below express together the ways in which we envisage our purpose as a community. This expression of our purpose was developed collectively out of a process of appreciative enquiry.
Our Mission
The PSC lives to creates a ‘third space’ of freedom to playfully explore the unity and difference in our diverse humanity away from the violence of the culture wars, nurturing our social justice work and pro-liberation as a way of being.
Our Values Stance
Our values stance is set by our desire to embody Pluriversality. Pluriversality is capacity for many different worlds to coexist in mutual respect and interconnection abiding by the pro-liberation imperative represented by the isiZulu greeting Sawubona and the response Sikhona. Sawubona = we/I are ready to see you as you truly are in your richness and complexity, ancestry, and fullness, this is my commitment to you. Sikhona = I am here to be seen as I really am, to show up without my mask, this is my commitment to you. This is the commitment we make to each other.
The Art of Convening
Our vision of the community lives through this visualisation of our community as a Kraal. At the centre sits the Roundtable where we meet bi-monthly to explore in creative discomfort the complexities of our colonised minds bodies and emotions as we work toward the ‘other ways of being opened by decoloniality as a process not a destination.
Our Community KRAAL
Fellowship
We think of our community members as a fellowship of likeminded people who come together from diverse backgrounds and traditions for a common purpose. The majority of us share a professional background in coaching but we welcome anyone who is seeking the path of decoloniality. All talents are welcome.
What is Decoloniality?
Decoloniality – is the recognition that our current world (Modernity) is defined by the Coloniality of Knowledge, Power and Being associated with the history of capitalist empire building known as Colonialism. Coloniality is the darker side of Modernity in that after the end of the period of direct rule by the colonialists, forms of indirect rule and control replaced them. At the centre of Coloniality/Modernity is the capitalist form of economy and economic relations and the forms of rule and ideologies that sustain it. Racist, Supremacist (i.e. sexist, cis-gender heteronormative, neuronormative, classist, Ablest etc) thinking of any kind, plus Neoliberalism, & Performativity all fall into the ideological realm of coloniality.
The Aim of Decoloniality is to decentre, disrupt and replace Coloniality by Decolonising Knowledge, Power and Being. Through the ethical framework and system of values called Pluriversality.
Other core concepts
- Pluriversality starts with the premise that other worlds and ways of knowing, power and being are possible and challenges the universality and normalisation of coloniality and its assumptions. It is an imperative that rules out any form of oppression and oppressive practice. On this basis it allows for different world views to interact, sit alongside each other, in dialogue and shared endeavour toward a world where there is equity. Equity includes a relationship with our planetary home based on our dependence on it and interaction with it.
- Borders or Borderlands exist where there is resistance to coloniality and modernity as oppression. they exist where the ‘othered’ and marginalised find their life, expression, creativity and generative spirit. Where the values of Pluriversality are the ongoing aspiration and basis for collaboration across difference and within our common humanity.
- Fugitivity is a refusal to remain within the confines of how discourse is conducted within Modernity e.g. To jump the ship of the current system rather than become the ship’s captain or crew with the privileges that come with it, while the ‘slaves’ remain in the ship’s hold from which you have been promoted.
- Storytelling as Resistance is the telling of Stories, Histories, Observations, Research, Deconstructions of coloniality, Artistic and Creative works, from the multiple perspectives of our diverse humanity.
- ‘Third Space’ is a transformative, non-utopian, non-hierarchical space where the potential for an expanded form of learning and the development of new knowledge are heightened by facilitating the creative clash and conflict of cultures, and different ways of knowing and being. A place of both discomfort and pleasure.
- Glocal represents community organizing that sees social problems as neither local nor global but interdependent and interconnected; necessitating organizing practices that concurrently address local problems and global issues
- Radical Compassion means total compassion – every form of being in Gaia is included, we aim to alleviate the suffering of all and build joyful relationships grounded on our values. This also embraces unlearning the extractive and destructive relationship with nature established by coloniality and relearning ancestral indigenous Kincentric Ecology as radical compassion for all being.
Community Governance
We aspire to come together in this space as a decentralised, autonomous collective. This is a work in progress, and we welcome the contribution of all our members/fellows in bringing this aspiration into fruition.
We are working toward a relaunch of the community to represent this form of governance later in 2022. A small number of hosts convene our hosts events we are in the process of widening participation and invite you to step into convene as and when you are inspired to do so. Watch out for updates in the community.
Our Constitution
Legal status
PSC is a non-profit unincorporated association that exists to explore decoloniality as a critical and creative force for change.
Governance
The PSC is governed according to the principles of a de-centralised autonomous, self-leading collective. Fellows/Members who step into the roles that keep the community alive will be community catalysts/builders and community ambassadors. The Playbook Hut events will be facilitated by a community fellow working in the role of catalyst with a core of regular attendees. These meetings can be attended by any member who wishes to participate or witness. The role of community ambassador will be the means by which we organically grow our membership. They will invite and steward new members into the community.
Resourcing
An annual donation will be raised for our October KRAAL from our PSC fellows/members to cover costs and fund projects based on proposals made and voted on by our fellows/members.
Proposals can include offers to host events that are free to fellows/members but paid out of the fund to support the facilitators.
Members can offer paid events via circles which are charged for at a discount to PSC fellows/members and full price to non PSC fellows/members. A share of the income from such events will go to PSC.
All events will be charged on a sliding scale to ensure equity in terms of access to all events offered.
Charmaine