In looking back 8 years to the origins of ITP, I continue to be inspired by how my twin visions:  (i)offering a pause in busy professionals’ lives in a place of natural beauty for reflection and development of initiatives about some aspects of climate change combined with (ii) the power of working collaboratively and even among cross-disciplines -- continue to be validated in work on this enormous planetary issue.  » Read More

The two-day ITP retreat was a very wonderful way to connect to a large network of really outstanding people from many different fields and backgrounds in a beautiful location in Sonoma.

Most grants partners we have worked with require a post-grant report. The ITP method offered a more interesting opportunity to actually spend several days with all the other ITP grant recipients and mentors in order to share findings and make presentations to over 40 collaborators and leaders, with follow-up discussions.  » Read More

Intro by Maggie Kaplan, Founder/Executive Director Invoking the Pause:  Last week, on October 26-27th, Invoking the Pause brought together almost 40 people at the Westerbeke Ranch for its first ever 2-day Gathering!  In addition to  current 2015 ITP and "Seeding Possibilities" Grant Partners attending, several "outsider allies" from various business and non-profit organizations were invited to add some flavorful additions to the diverse group of grant partners.  

We inaugurated a theme for the first time, too -- Joseph Campbell's  "S/hero's Journey", a 12 step process, which all of us undertook individually and collectively. 

Starting in ordinary reality with " meeting and greeting"  each other on the first afternoon through a series of fun exercises, we followed the "call to adventure" culminating in a festive evening at the outdoor firepit -- complete with s'mores, music and singing.  The next morning, we "crossed the threshold" into challenges and ordeals, which eventually leading to our return at the end of the day with the "elixir" of inspiration and renewal for the dedicated efforts of so many working to make significant contributions in the field of climate change/disruption!  

One of our "outsider allies" William Shutkin, President and CEO of the Presidio Graduate School of Sustainability, was  moved to write the following blog: 

My Presidio Graduate School colleague Ryan Cabinte and I had the pleasure of attending the Fall 2015 Invoking the Pause Retreat in Sonoma last week as ITP “Allies.” True to form, the event was a welcome opportunity for me and Ryan to take some time out of our usual schedules to gather with inspiring people, engage in thoughtful conversations and return to our day-to-day routines refreshed and reinvigorated. » Read More

Lisa Morehouse, a 2015 Invoking the Pause Grant Partner and independent radio journalist, will be honored with a Radio Arts & Culture award by the Northern California Society of Professional Journalists for her “California Foodways” series, which goes far beyond the food on our plates and tells us about the people who put it there.  Way to go Lisa!! 

How wonderful to see one ITP Grant Partner Mark Schapiro's article in Mother Jones about financial troubles in the oil industry quoting another ITP Grant Partner Danielle Fugere, president of As You Sow!!  What incredible synergy and "ROR" (Return on Relationship) since meeting at last year's ITP Grant Partner Gathering!! 

ITP Grant Partner The Bureau of Linguistical Reality is hosting their Public Participatory Word Salons during the ARTCOP21 events in Paris. Check out the details here.

When given the opportunity to “Pause” oftentimes it doesn’t really register that a pause was needed. This was exactly the case for our team from Earthseed Consulting and the Black Permaculture Network. » Read More

As You Sow began our Breaking Up with Fossil Fuels campaign with the twin goals of, first, debunking the fossil fuel industry’s self-serving myths about the impossibility of achieving a clean energy economy and, second, moving public opinion toward the realization that ending our reliance on fossil fuels is feasible, possible, beneficial and, in fact, the low carbon economy is well under way and will be dramatically implemented in the U.S. in the next 15 years. » Read More

Invoking the Pause is always looking to support innovative ideas to mitigate the effects of climate change.  One of the more exciting projects to come our way is Rainforest Connection.  See Rainforest Connection co-founder Topher White's recent Ted Talk and then read more about the group's novel approach to address rainforest destruction with used cell phones.  » Read More