('80, NY) 80 Residents

An urban experiment in open dialogue based on full disclosure and commitment to exploring applications of Feedback Learning (a process they are pioneering, to learn to focus attention, hear, and respond). They hope to create a replicable model that brings reason and emotion together in daily problem solving based on dialogue and consensus--learning how to give up competitive power plays and to live cooperatively while caring deeply for each other. They occupy nine large, mainly adjacent residences on Staten Island in a racially mixed, lower middle class, suburban neighborhood. Many of them work in their four nearby businesses, where they recycle and resell a wide range of merchandise. They also operate the G.R.O.W. II conference and retreat center in the nearby Catskill Mountains. Ganas residents include people of many nationalities, religions, educational backgrounds, personalities, and life views. The 13 members of the core group serve as the board of directors and pool all their time, talents, and material resources. They're also committed to exchanging thoughts and feelings. An extended core group of about 20 additional people do not share resources and are not necessarily committed to exchange feedback (however, mostly they do opt to participate). A third tier consists of 30 to 35 people who may stay for years. Some work in the community, most are employed elsewhere. They are not committed to join any discussions or other community activities.

Contact Info:
Ganas
135 Corson Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10301-2933 USA

phone: (718)720-5378
fax: (718)448-6842
email: User="info" [at] Domain="ganas.org"

http://www.ganas.org