Thank you for your interest in hosting an Earthrise Dinner!
EarthRISE50 dinners help you connect with your community, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the moment that humans first saw planet Earth, from space. Consider hosting or participating in an EarthRISE50 dinner to:
Reflect as a group on the beauty, strength, and fragility of our shared home, planet Earth. Build meaningful connections and deeper trust with current and future friends, neighbors, collaborators. Kick off a year of supporting others to live up to their highest potential. EarthRISE50 dinners are inspired by the “Jeffersonian Dinner” format: intimate, themed, one-table conversations, originally held at Jefferson’s house during the Revolutionary War. The goal? To build trust and community in the new republic, as fast as possible. It is in this spirit that we invite you to gather, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the historic Earthrise photo, to connect with others, recognize our interdependence, and build community.
INVITATIONS
We have created EarthRISE50 Dinner Invitations that you can personalize with information about your event and print out or email to your guests if you like. Just go to Canva.com, log in as earthrisedinners@gmail.com password: Earthrise50. Click on “Shared with You” and you will see the invitation. Click on the small speech bubble icon under the invite. Click on “Use as Template” (so your address won’t be saved to the template file for all to see!). Modify the information to suit you and download, share or print. There will not be a saved version of your personal invitation to go back to to make sure it is the way you want it before you leave. Click HERE for a visual guide! You are also welcome to add your own groups logo or message to the invitations. Feel free to use these dinners to forward your dreams and ideas!
TIMING
We invite you to host your dinner any time it works for you. EarthRISE50 dinners will continue into 2019. If you want to connect it to the Apollo 8 mission in December, you can consider the day Apollo 8 launched, December 21 (also Winter Solstice), or you can do it the day the Earthrise picture was taken, December 24th.
FOOD
EarthRISE50 dinners can take any form, from ordering a pizza or hosting as a potluck, to hiring your favorite local caterer. Feel free to choose whatever works best with your style, resources, and space. The only important thing is to ensure that people are nourished.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Please share photos of your gathering and insights from your guests with the hashtag #EarthRISE50 on social media platforms.
COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS
Facilitating conversation can be easier with a few simple agreements, at the outset. One good guideline is to ask people to consider a “device-free” evening, leaving phones in another room or on Do Not Disturb (most phones will let persistent callers through in case of an emergency). This will help everyone focus on what others share, and stay present in the conversation. Try to ensure that everyone has a chance to speak a few times over the course of the evening, helping to balance all voices. The goal is to create a comfortable environment for everyone to drop into deep reflection, active listening, and vulnerability. At the end of the evening, ask people if they are comfortable being included in photos of the gathering, and confirm whether everyone is comfortable sharing email addresses with other participants. See more under Facilitation Tips.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
Open by sharing with your guests the intention to have a one-table conversation. From there you can be as light or as intimate as you like. Encourage people to be vulnerable and say more by setting the tone. Go first and be as honest and open as you hope they will be; allowing yourself to feel a little uncomfortable and present thoughts in a simple, unpolished way is a great place to start.
Ask people to reflect on what “Home” means to them; if they have brought an object representing home have them share that with the group. Consider watching some coverage of Earthrise like this or the 19mins mini-documentary The Overview Effect to inspire people. Reflect on 50 years from now: what do participants hope to see and say, in the future? Ask each person to share a moment when they felt most strongly connected with the Earth, and how that impacted them. If the group feels safe and positive, invite people to share difficult or personal stories, and encourage vulnerability, as they consider our interdependence on our shared home, planet Earth.
FACILITATION TIPS
One of the goals for EarthRISE50 dinners is to create or deepen bonds, connecting with people like you, and bridging with others, across difference backgrounds and beliefs.
To ensure an environment where people feel safe bringing their concerns, and their hopes, be sure that people speak in a manner that is respectful of all people and their beliefs. If you are more comfortable having someone else facilitate feel free to identify another participant to take on this role. You can have people go in order around the table, or just speak up as they are ready. Consider a “one diva, one mic” rule that allows each person to speak without interruption, until they have completed their thoughts. Support participants who might be more introverted by giving them space to be ready to share, without being forced. Always allow someone to pass on sharing and come back to them later. If someone is taking too much time or space, going off topic, of shutting down connections, it is your role to graciously interrupt: “Sam, thank you for your perspective. You’ve given us a lot to think about! Louisa, where do you hope to see humanity in 50 years?”
FOLLOW UP
