HOME >> Find Your Interests >> Individuals

Individuals, find your interests!

Interests indicate where our attention is attracted. Such attractions show up when something seems to meet a need. Only you know your interests and can answer the question, What’s the attraction with ARINA? To help you consider it, here are some different angles that might be useful.

•  If you have been asking these kinds of questions on behalf of yourself, your organization or institution, or other endeavors, you may be attracted to ARINA because it is designed to respond to them.

• If your efforts are aimed at addressing these types of complex issues, ARINA’s new paradigm will inform how you understand them, work on them, and engage others to do likewise.

• If you are engaged in one of these types of professions or activities, you may find that there are personal and professional development opportunities you find only with ARINA.

• Here is a sampling of scenarios to give you some concrete ideas about the variety of ways ARINA might further your new or existing efforts. Imagine . . .

With your interests in mind, we suggest you look into the pages available from our top menu navigation. An amazing number of common interests can be met by learning integral approaches to questions and challenges. In particular, we suggest you consider the learning & integrating processes, and investigate pertinent benefits of being an Associate with access to our network oasis, Our ARINA Room. And as always, feel free to contact us with any questions or suggestions!

 Interests may include...

• Have you been feeling alone in trying to change the part of the world you care about and work in? 

• Do you have a passion for working for peace, justice, sustainability, and a more pluralistic world?

• Are you weary of pretending you have all the answers?

• Are the issues you try to address in your work unresponsive to your best efforts?

• Do you sense there is a qualitatively different way to operate but have no idea what it might be?

• How come learning different theories doesn't really give me practical new ways to do things? What else is needed?

• Are you finished with pretending you have answers, yet don’t know how or where to develop them?

• Are you wondering why so few people seem to understand the way you think about and value certain things?

• Do you wonder how to find and connect with others who struggle with the sorts of challenges you do and ask the kinds of questions you do?

• Do you want to find more effective ways to accomplish your mission, but are not interested in more “business as usual” approaches?

• Would you appreciate networking with kindred thinkers to explore cases and questions, and help you further develop how you do your work?

• Is your organization exploring how to introduce new approaches and wondering how to avoid common pitfalls in such change efforts?

• Are you looking for venues to test your ideas on a broader scale?

• Do you want to get your theory into practice on a broader scale?

• Do you want to introduce your work to new audiences?

• Do you want to “get the word out” about your work and its effectiveness?

• Are you looking for colleagues or project partners that share your philosophy about your line of work?

• Would your project proposals for funding benefit from peer consultation and advice?

• Do your ideas for projects need and merit publicly-supported funding? Are you willing to learn, if necessary, how to ensure they reflect integral approaches that will make them socially effective?

How do you word your own unmet dream or tangible need? What resources—internal or external—do you need that you do not currently have access to? As you digest our website, we hope you keep comparing your real-world needs with the variety of opportunities available through ARINA! Please feel free to contact us if you have questions that are not answered here.

to top --^

Some General kinds of Complex Issues

Why is it so hard to "make change happen"?

Why doesn't anything seem to "work"?

Why don't some of the most promising things we try, not really work as intended?

Why are people so resistant to change?

What is the real nature of the obstacles we face?

Why do issues always descend into pitted debates with no good solutions?

Is "wheeling & dealing" really the only way to get things done? (And if so, why doesn't it work, either?)

Why don't people get involved?

How can we make this more democratic, really?

Why can't "they" see another point of view?

Why do we fear those who are different from us?

to top --^

Types of Professions & Activities

Academic researchers

Action researchers

Activists

Change agents

Citizens

Coaches (personal and organizational)

Consultants

Community development and community change work

Conflict management

Developers of group process methods

Dialogue and deliberation practitioners and sponsors

Education professionals

Employees

Executives

Governmental officials

Legislators

Managers

Mediators

Organizational consultants

Peace workers

Personal development specialists

Philanthropists

Program officers in international development agencies

Program officers in philanthropic institutions

Public officials and administrators

Public policy analysts

Theorists

Workshop designers

Workshop presenters

Writers

to top --^

We will be adding to this page progressively; so come back periodically to see what's here. In the meantime, please know your specific questions will help us aim specific material to your interests when you tell us about them. Please write to us!

t no