Heart Politics Gatherings have been a regular fixture in the lives of a wide variety of New Zealanders concerned about current issues such as peace, social justice, community,  family, education, indigenous and environmental issues. Our next gathering will be in Port Waikato, south west of Auckland, from 3-7 January 2018.

Gatherings began in 1989 with a wish to create a space for people to engage in inspiring and affirming conversations relevant to their lives – whether they were:

• raising children at home
• raising organic vegetables
• raising uncomfortable truths about social, environmental and economic concerns
• raising awareness of our own personal health and wellbeing
• raising understanding about how we can make a difference by collective and individual action
• raising the roof in theatre or music
• raising our artistic and creative juices
• raising challenging issues in local or national forums.

Heart Politics is also a place for people who work for the common good in a variety of ways and who sometimes need a nurturing place to rejuvenate with a tribe they feel they belong to.

Gatherings are places where all are welcome, young and old, into a co-creative experience where “whoever turns up are the right people”.

Gatherings grew from the recognition that many of our political and social problems could not be solved at the same level of thinking that has caused these problems. Such a shift on thinking is politics in so far as it is ‘of the people’. It is both personal and collective. Personal since it asks each of us to make a fundamental step-change in consciousness to find collective, shared solutions to these problems – and such a step-change in consciousness comes from the heart.

Heart Politics Gatherings seek to provide participants with opportunities for heart-filled personal and shared experiences, arising through the individual and collective presence of all who attend. Whether we take the learnings, yearnings, insights or ideas back to households or to parliament, and no matter how they manifest in whatever we are doing with our lives, a Heart Politics Gathering invites us into connection, conversation, creativity, community and renewal.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT A GATHERING

We meet in locations chosen for a combination of beauty, ease, comfort, and cost.  Accommodation is mostly in shared rooms, occasional singles, in dorms, or tenting.  Some people choose to stay nearby off-site. Catering is provided and is wholesome and predominantly vegetarian.  We seek to accomodate specific dietary requirements.

We offer a varied programme of facilitated and spontaneous events.  There are usually parallel activities at any time and the beach or bush is never far away! Two people work alongside parents to ensure that young people are cared and catered for.

Heart Politics Gatherings are an opportunity to live in and engage with the many elements and themes of community.

This programme shows the usual structure of the gathering and explains what happens in each section.

Heart Politics Gathering contributions are designed to cover accommodation, all meals and other costs.

In 2017 there was a sliding scale so that participants could choose what to pay, taking into account their personal circumstances and the level of contributions needed for the gathering to “break even” (see below).

Sliding scale of contributions:

Adult $120 to $320

Teenager $60 to $160

Child $30 to $80 (free if under 5)

To “break even” we needed 48 adults averaging $220 each, 6 teenagers averaging $110 each, and 6 children averaging $55 each.

We understand that some participants will need to pay less than the average and hope that others will pay more than the average in order to make this possible. All contributions are much appreciated and the contributions needed are lower than last year because of generous donations by our supporters.

Contact Donald Joyce (dcjoyce@xtra.co.nz) for further information.

Registration will open mid-year for the 2018 Heart Politics Gathering.  More information about what will happen, accommodation details and how to register, will be posted on the website.