Eleventh Symposium on Spirituality, Values, and Business

March 27, 2009

As a way of build a feeling of community, we will encourage active engagement at the Symposium and ask that participants be present for the whole day. The highly interactive agenda will feature:

• Small group discussions in every session
• Significant time for questions and answers
• Facilitated Working Groups that focus on a specific core value
• Two unstructured meals and additional time for casual conversation and networking
• Community-building activities with a spirit of joy throughout

You will:

• Learn specific and practical ways to grow your business by integrating core values into the operation of your business
• Be encouraged to make a short list of specific action items that will help integrate your core values into your business in the next 30 days 
• Receive a Symposium Report will list key ways to integrate your core values into the management of your company

For ten years, the Symposium on Spirituality, Values, and Business has presented an annual event dedicated to having personal, in depth conversations on how spirituality impacts the core values of a business and how those values can be successfully incorporated into the life of a business.

The Symposium defines spirituality as the invisible forces and values that form the essence of being human and of all human endeavors. They are the core values of a business that provide a set of principles that guide the development of its product, its facilities, its customer service, and all of the other things that define a business. At the Symposium, successful entrepreneurs and business leaders share their personal stories, describe the source of their core values, and reveal how they have struggled and succeeded to integrate their values into their businesses. During these gatherings almost two thousand people of all backgrounds and faiths, including those not connected to a formal spiritual tradition, have listened, discussed, and thought about the link between spirituality and business in a space that is open and inviting.

The theme of this year's Symposium is How to Grow Your Business by Integrating the Gandhian Philosophy of Satyagraha. Satyagraha is the word Gandhi chose to describe his philosophy for change and it refers to "the power and strength born of truth, love, and nonviolence." Many of us already endeavor to practice the Gandhian principle, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." But, there is much more to learn from the life's work of this revered spiritual and political leader. The Symposium offers us an extraordinary opportunity for authentic dialogue and personal exploration.

Our intention is that our time together will help build a more peaceful world and promote doing business in a way that serves the common good. Please consider joining us for a day of dialogue, inspiration, and hands-on learning about how to bring the practices of our business in alignment with our core values.