Pari Center

Our philosophy is quite simple: To provide a space where people can gather together, to learn from one another, to discuss, to reflect, to work on a project and, most importantly, to meet and talk with others at the human and personal level.

The Pari Center for New Learning was founded in 2000 as a haven of peace and gentle action in a world increasingly gripped by turmoil—climate change, environmental disasters, injustice, inequality, destructive artificial intelligence, biosecurity, and more recently the pandemic and war in Europe. Above all the Pari Center is dedicated to the principle of ‘the spirit of place.’ Housed in a medieval village it is the ideal location to pause and think about the future and the values, meaning, and direction of contemporary society. In adopting Carlo Levi’s maxim that ‘the future has an ancient heart’ we look to the future while bearing in mind the wisdom of the past.

We promote an open and continuing dialogue on the role of science and technology, the marriage of science and the arts, ethics, community, the work of C.G. Jung, the importance of Indigenous knowledge, and the place of the sacred. We are dedicated to David Bohm’s vision of wholeness and encourage a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to learning. The Center also draws upon the idea of David Peat’s Gentle Action—a new form of intelligent, compassionate and mild action that flows from the entire field of meaning in which a particular individual, society or organization is a part.

We have no ‘mission statement’ as we are not on a mission. David Peat saw Pari as an ‘alchemical vessel’; a place where people could meet and express themselves freely within the safe atmosphere of this vessel; a place of transformation. When we get together, we throw everything into the alchemical pot and then wait to see what happens; what extraordinary things might emerge.

https://paricenter.com/philosophy/

Theory of Change

• They take an "an interdisciplinary approach linking science, the arts, ethics, community, the role of Indigenous knowledge and the place of the sacred." (https://paricenter.com/what-we-do/)
• "Gentle Action" is a key part of their approach

Learning Resources

Articles on Gentle Action: https://paricenter.com/library-new/gentle-action/

Keywords

holistic; sacred; gentle action