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about the tla network

mission

To support individuals and organizations in promoting all forms of the spoken, written and sung word as a tool for personal and community transformation. 

vision

To provide a gathering place where people interested in Transformative Language Arts can share resources, network, learn, and enhance Transformative Language Arts as Right Livelihood in their communities.

guiding values 

Whatever we do is guided by values that mirror the nature of TLA: 
*Cooperation -- collaborating for the good of all.     
*Community-building -- fostering community among those of us in the field, and sharing tools and for strengthening our local communities. 
* Empowerment -- working in ways that help people, organizations, businesses, institutions and communities further empower themselves.     
* Sustainability -- developing sustainable ways to do this work we love, build community, and sustain our individual and collective health.
* Collective Wisdom -- recognizing that we each hold a piece of the truth, and together, we can best honor the love and wisdom guiding us.

emphases

Network: Through providing opportunities for individuals and groups to meet, share resources, teach and learn from each other, and help enhance one another's work, we bridge many fields and traditions, groups and institutions. Such a network allows all involved to make informed decisions about the direction of their TLA work, and provides opportunities for alliances, joint projects, education, and inspiration.

Grow the Field and Profession of TLA: In coming together to amplify TLA, we can both grow the field of study that is TLA and the profession of making a living from TLA.  Such growth also helps those who have been doing TLA without a way to name their work in a larger context.

Right Livelihood through TLA: Right Livelihood, a Buddhist term connoting the work we do in the world to serve our communities and make the most of our gifts, when applied to TLA encompasses the art of facilitation, ethics, engaging diversity, the business of TLA, and self-care.

tla network council

The TLA Network is governed by a council, consensed upon at the annual Power of Words conference.

In council, we come together as equals, all drawing on our gifts and working with our challenges cooperatively. In council, we work together as a team, sharing tasks, thoughts, visions. Being part of a council can be a nurturing, life-giving experience that helps us model, as it models for us, ways to work together in a sustainable community. 

Council members for 2008-09: Kathleen Connolly and Karen Heywood (co-facilitators), Scott Youmans, Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Valerie Harris, Victoria Levitt, Adele Nieves, Lynn O'Connell,and Heather Mandell, TLA Network Coordinator, is an ex-officio member.

Staff Extraordinaire: Heather Mandell

For more information on how you can get involved or contribute, please email Info at TLA Network.

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