ITC proudly announces the keynote speakers for this year’s conference. Each of these integral leaders will inspire us with their experience and insight into the impact of integral on some of the most important issues currently facing humanity.
Friday, July 17
Karen O’Brien, PhD
Professor of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo, Norway
Integral in Action: Climate Change and Transformations to Sustainability
What do we mean by transformation in the context of climate change, and why is it both personal and political? This talk discusses the importance of framing climate change as an adaptive challenge rather than merely as a technical problem, and considers the implications for science and society. It explores the impacts of an integral approach on the types of responses that we prioritize when responding to global environmental challenges. In particular, it draws attention to the importance of adapting to climate change from the inside out.
Karen O’Brien has been working on climate change impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation research for more than 25 years. In the 2007 she shared in the Nobel Peace Prize award to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. She is interested in how transdisciplinary and integral approaches to global change research can contribute to a better understanding of how societies both create and respond to change, and in particular how beliefs, values, and worldviews influence human responses to climate change and transformations to sustainability.
Saturday, July 18
Bill Torbert, PhD
Principal, Action Inquiry Associates
The Kinds of Inquiry, Power, and Love Required for Timely, Developmentally Transforming Practice
Timely, developmentally transforming practice requires a combination of first-, second-, and third-person inquiry into the past, present, and future that generates single-, double-, and triple-loop feedback. Such practice also requires the exercise of less and less unilateral power and more and more of the four kinds of mutually transforming power, along with non-possessive love. What do all these words mean? And how is our impact as change leaders increased with these kinds of inquiry, power, and love? Let's find out together on July 18!
Bill Torbert is an award-winning teacher, international consultant, board member, and author of a dozen books. He taught at Southern Methodist University, Harvard, and Boston College, where he is now Professor Emeritus of leadership. In 2013, he received the Center for Creative Leadership’s Walter F. Ulmer Lifetime Award for Applied Leadership Research, and in 2014, the Chris Argyris Career Achievement Award for his work on Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry.
Sunday, July 19
Elza Maalouf, CEO and Co-founder
Center for Human Emergence Middle East
Integral Design in the Midst of Chaos, Bloodshed, and Revolution
How does one navigate the treacherous landscape of Middle Eastern politics and corporate practice? This talk reviews the crucial design elements of large-scale systems in Israel/Palestine, informed by hands-on experiences with feudal and tribal leaders, who hold the key to the future development of the region. Learn how the impact of integral principles in a mid-size Middle Eastern corporation elevated consciousness levels and empowered key individuals to redefine responsible profit while simultaneously capturing higher market share.
Elza S. Maalouf is a Lebanese-American futurist, theorist, author, and public speaker. She is one of the foremost experts on the memetics of the Middle East and pioneered the use of the value systems framework and Integral Theory practices in Middle Eastern politics and business. Her newest book is Emerge! The Rise of Functional Democracy and the Future of the Middle East. She is president of the international consulting firm Integral Insight.
SPECIAL EVENT
Sunday, July 19
Ken Wilber, Founder
Integral Institute
At the Frothy Edge of Geopolitical Impact: Nation Building in Ukraine (and a Brief Look at Pluralistic Ontology)
For the last eighteen months a select group of integral leaders representing the Integral Institute has been working closely with a team in Ukraine to develop applied integral materials across a range of civil and government contexts to support the development of rebuilding the nation of Ukraine. Learn the latest updates about the leadership role that Integral Institute is taking in this historic initiative and the kinds of impact it will have not only in Ukraine but around the globe. Ken will also discuss the ontology problem and how Integral Theory resolves it and the role that developmental studies plays in addressing a number of issues facing various forms of realism. (Via video)
Ken Wilber is the author of over twenty books. He is the chief architect of integral theory and is founder of Integral Institute, a think-tank for studying integral theory and practice. His most recent book, The Religion of Tomorrow, will be available in late 2015.
WELCOME ADDRESS
Thursday, July 16
Sean Esbjörn-Hargens, PhD
Founder and Executive Director, MetaIntegral Foundation
Integral Impacts: Using Integrative Metatheories to Catalyze Effective Change
Discover the top ten integral projects on the planet and learn about the kind of impact they have had and what they tell us about the future of integral applications. This talk frames the theme of this year’s conference and its keynote addresses. An emphasis is placed on the kinds of questions the integral community must ask itself and how we can learn from the successes and failures of integral approaches over the last 20 years. Particular attention is paid to the issues of how integral approaches can have more impact, what unique kinds of impact we can have, and how we might not only measure those impacts, but actually change the conversation around designing and assessing for impact.
Sean Esbjörn-Hargens is founder of MetaIntegral, a purpose-driven virtual and physical global network of professionals and visionary organizations collaborating to create a thriving planetary civilization. Sean is a leading scholar-practitioner in integral metatheories. His most recent book is the co-edited volume Metatheory for the 21st Century: Critical Realism and Integral Theory in Dialogue.
