Transpartisan Events

BACKGROUND

From September 18-21, 2007, over the three day conference, 41 leaders gathered at Wye River for a retreat facilitated by two experts in political dialogue, Mark Gerzon and Donna Zajonc.

Lead Facilitators

Aspen Wye River, Queenstown, Maryland
September 6-8, 2007

A group of high-level foreign policy leaders from across the political spectrum gathered at Wye River to discuss the serious issue of US relations with Iran.

A private retreat among women leaders as divergent as Joan Blades, Co-founder, MoveOn.org and Roberta Combs, Chairperson, Christian Coalition. Out of the retreat among 30 women leaders from across the political spectrum emerged working groups to include -- Ground Rules for Democracy, Energy Security and Climate Change, Foreign Policy and Civil Liberties, Health and Wellness, and Family Centered Policies.

Gold Lake Mountain Resort and Spa, Ward, Colorado

June 4-7, 2006

A private retreat on long term national energy security and climate change among leaders and experts as divergent as Vice President Al Gore and Fred Smith, President, Competitve Enterprise Institute. See video.

Participants:

Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo, Michigan
May 18-21, 2006

“A Trans-Partisan Leadership Retreat”
Gold Lake Mountain Resort and Spa, Ward, Colorado

RETREAT PURPOSE

According to Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835 author of Democracy in America, political and civil associations are the guarantors of freedom in a democracy. The three day gathering December 1-4 among leaders of national political and civil associations -- approximately 1/3 generally perceived to be left of center, 1/3 generally perceived to be right of center, and 1/3 generally perceived to be unaligned -- was intended to build bridges of trust, respect and communication by engaging in facilitated dialogue about the values that unite us as Americans, and areas of mutual concern and potential transpartisan cooperation.

Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo, Michigan
June 11-13, 2004

Dave Keene, Chairman, American Conservative Union talks with Bob Barr, former member U.S. Congress for Georgia and Board member of the NRA, Gary Aldrich, Founder, Patrick Henry Center, and Laura Chasin, Founder, Public Conversations Project.