What we’re about
project:beacon creates better living through activities and conversations about values in action. project:beacon aims to become a “health and happiness factory” by restoring lost connections* in the greater Seattle area.
project:beacon is a social experiment, an ongoing conversation, a community of values, a place to help you meet goals, volunteer, and have fun. We will use an evidence-based approach to discover and put into action what optimizes the health and happiness of individuals and communities. This approach incorporates a core curriculum of materials (books, videos, conversation tools, etc.), values, and ideas centered around “re-connections” in contemporary times: Connections to self (mind and body), others, meaningful values and work, nature, an integrated past and a future worth looking forward to*. *See Lost Connections by Johann Hari.
Some project:beacon Community Values:
- CIA: The "first rule" of project:beacon, and the opposite of "CYA". CIA stands for "Clear agreements, Integrity, and Accountability". Give your word to someone about something specific, have your words match your actions with positive intent and honesty, and be responsible for the consequences of your actions. (You can talk about this rule).
- Diversity & Individual Sovereignty (DIS): Everyone has their own unique way of being in the world, physically and mentally, and it should be respected. You can sacrifice your time and resources to contribute to a community, but a sense of belonging should never come at the cost of losing your sense of self, violating your boundaries, or being coerced to abandon your strongly held values, culture, and practices. We maintain that ideas and beliefs can be challenged respectfully while respecting the individual.
The other values, materials, and objectives will be posted at a later time.
Additional Notes: project beacon is part of a larger, city-wide Meetup network in Seattle. However, by design, project beacon is not affiliated with or sponsored by any political, religious, or spiritual organization, nor any for-profit enterprise. That means we'll never sell you anything, or make you sacrifice your autonomy or good conscience in order to participate in your community. project beacon champions certain actions, methods of inquiry, and values we believe based on research, and that some values are effective and necessary for making a community work "best". While we recognize that humans are biased and flawed, we aim to never discriminate on the basis of age, gender/sex, race, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, or any other demographic or status.
