Newsletter archive
Winter 2025
Offering a new vision with “What if…?”
Offering a new vision with “What if…?”
We really do have a crying need for a more human and humane response to the many challenges currently experienced in our social world. Robyn Penman’s substack series, “What if…?” offers …
A Legacy Fund for Marit Eikaas Haavimb
A Legacy Fund for Marit Eikaas Haavimb
Marit Eikaas Haavimb was central to our ongoing vision of the Cosmo line of educational activities. Start with very young children and teach them how to have thoughtful, meaningful, and relationship-ce…
Register Now—Co-Creating Social Worlds Symposium
Register Now—Co-Creating Social Worlds Symposium
We are excited to join our friends at the Taos Institute for their first in-person event since the pandemic. This event will be held in New York City, USA, on February 27 & 28, 2026. It wil…
Quarterly report from Abbie VanMeter
Quarterly report from Abbie VanMeter
Join Abbie VanMeter as she reflects on the previous three months at the CMM Institute and looks forward to all the exciting goings-on of our near future as well!
Fall 2025
Register now for Upcoming Webinar!
Register now for Upcoming Webinar!
Join John Burnham and Barbara McKay to explore CMM as a “conversational scaffold” with therapeutic potential in “Creating Magic Moments: Embodying CMM as a Practical Theory and a Theory for Practice.”
Celebrating 15 years
Celebrating 15 years
Take a walk down memory lane with CMM Institute President, Kim Pearce. In her letter to our CMM community she describes some of the highlights of how the CMM Institute has spent it’s time and resources these past year…
Checkout CMM at the Relating Systems Thinking and Design Conference!
Check out CMM at the Relating Systems Thinking and Design Conference!
The CMM Institute is taking over a day at the RSD Conference to explore the relationship between a communication perspective and systems thinking and design this October.…
What if…? A new series of ideas for a better social world
What if…? A new series of ideas for a better social world
Robyn Penman has started a new publication, What if…?, on Substack. This new series of posts is her response to the almost overwhelming problems in our social world that challeng…
Summer 2025
A dedication to the enduring memory of Marit Eikaas Haavimb
A dedication to the enduring memory of Marit Eikaas Haavimb
Marit Eikaas Haavimb, the heart and soul of the CMM Institute, passed away 6 months ago. She is still sorely missed. Ilene Wasserman and Stewards from the Institute have prepared a…
How can we respond in a climate of cruelty?
How can we respond in a climate of cruelty?
The CMM Institute is dedicated to making social worlds better and at the moment it feels as if we are needed more than ever. There seems to be such a climate of cruelty and lack of care for other …
Sound-based interventions: Exploring “conversational jazz” and improvisation for co-creating healing spaces between lifeworlds
Sound-based interventions: Exploring “conversational jazz” and improvisation for co-creating healing spaces between lifeworlds
CMM Institute Stewards Rik Spann and Bart Buechner have designed an exciting interactive workshop on the use …
Democracy for the future
Democracy for the future
Sergej van Middendorp, one of our valued Stewards, has started an essay series on Substack in response to the enormity of the polycrisis we are currently experiencing. In his first essay he calls for the need for a …
Communication is everything: Abbie VanMeter’s talk at CSCA
Communication is everything: Abbie VanMeter’s talk at CSCA
In March, Abbie VanMeter was invited to talk at the Undergraduate Honors Research Luncheon during the Central States Communication Association Annual Conference. She captured the …
Interpersonal Communication has won a McGuffey Longevity Award
Interpersonal Communication has won a McGuffey Longevity Award
The 8th edition of Arthur Jensen and Sarah Trenholm’s Interpersonal Communication textbook has been awarded the McGuffey Longevity Award by the Textb…
Quarterly report from Abbie VanMeter
Quarterly report from Abbie VanMeter
The past three months have been busy for Abbie VanMeter in her role as Executive Director for Innovative Collaborations. In her quarterly report she describes how she is helping to get CMM on the road an…
A review of Justice in the Making: Relating, Participating, Communicating
A review of Justice in the Making: Relating, Participating, Communicating
Robyn Penman’s ground breaking new book, Justice in the Making: Relating, Participating, Communicating was published last month and is alr…
Spring 2025
Honoring Stephen Littlejohn
Honoring Stephen Littlejohn
A special panel was convened at the Western States Communication Association Annual Convention in Albuquerque in February, to honor Stephen Littlejohn, a founding Director of the CMM Institute—amongst many othe…
New Collaborations: A report from Abbie VanMeter
New Collaborations: A report from Abbie VanMeter
Our new Executive Director of Collaborative Innovations, Abbie VanMeter, writes about the exciting new things happening at the CMM Institute—including the line-up for our fourth podcast sea…
Winter 2024
New parenting resources coming soon!
New parenting resources coming soon!
Our CosmoActivities line of resources is getting a new addition. CosmoParenting is designed to support parents by enriching their parenting toolbox. This toolbox is added to through one short podcast epi…
CosmoKidz at gifted conferences across USA
CosmoKidz at gifted conferences across USA
Our recent presentation at the Tennessee Association for the Gifted conference was well received and we are now kicking off a renewed effort to promote our CosmoActivities at other Gifted conferenc…
Don Waisanen: Public Dialogue and Deliberation division leadership
Don Waisanen: Public Dialogue and Deliberation division leadership
Don Waisanen is starting his four-year leadership term of the Public Dialogue and Deliberation division of the National Communication Association (NCA), beginning as vice-ch…
Interpersonal Communication: Award nomination
Interpersonal Communication: Award nomination
Earlier this year we announced that the 8th edition of Arthur Jensen and Sarah Trenholm’s interpersonal communication textbook had been published. Now the publishers, Cognella, have nominated …
Meeting of the Waters: At the Relating Systems Thinking and Design conference
Meeting of the Waters: At the Relating Systems Thinking and Design conference
Abbie VanMeter and Sergej van Middendorp, together with colleagues George Fedha, Laurence Habib, Dewi Hartkamp, Flavio Mesquita da Silva, and Fred Steier, recentl…
End-of-year reflections: Kim Pearce
End-of-year reflections: Kim Pearce
In this year’s end-of-year reflections, Kim Pearce draws on the song of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as inspiration for a way of being in the world. In these turbulent and uneasy times, she calls on a…
Marit Eikaas Haavimb: Heart and soul of the CMM Institute
Marit Eikaas Haavimb: Heart and soul of the CMM Institute
With tremendous sadness, we need to let you know that Marit Eikaas Haavimb, CMM Institute board member, colleague, and friend, passed on November 8. Marit has been the heart and soul…
A Letter from Abbie VanMeter on new CMMi role
A letter from Abbie VanMeter on new CMMi role
Abbie VanMeter has made a wonderful contribution to many activities of the CMM Institute over the past few years. In recognition of her contribution and her potential for so much more, we have c…
Fall 2024
Replicability and fraud: Unintended consequence of modernity
Replicability and fraud: Unintended consequence of modernity
We often take the idea of forms of communication to indicate different ways of engaging with others. However, different forms can go beyond the interpersonal level to impact on so…
Stephen W. Littlejohn: Dedicated to making better social worlds
Stephen W. Littlejohn: Dedicated to making better social worlds
It is with much sadness we want to let you know that Stephen Littlejohn died in July. Stephen has such a special place in our hearts and our community. He was a founding Direct…
Special CMM webinar: Showcasing the 2024 fellows’ projects
Special CMM webinar: Showcasing the 2024 fellows’ projects
We are holding a special-subject CMM webinar on December 11th, 2024 from 1 to 3:00 PM (Eastern US time). This webinar will showcase the projects of our five 2024 CMMi Fellows. All…
Exploring the relationship between CMM and Theory of Positive Disintegration
Exploring the relationship between CMM and Theory of Positive Disintegration
Our relationship with the Dabrowski Center and their Theory of Positive Disintegration continues to grow. Sergej Van Middendorp and Abbie VanMeter describe the evo…
CosmoActivities at the upcoming TAG conference
CosmoActivities at the upcoming TAG conference
Our outreach program for our CosmoActivities resource kits continues to grow. The latest development will be a session at the upcoming 2024 Tennessee Association for the Gifted (TAG) Fall confe…
Summer 2024
CosmoActivities has a new home
CosmoActivities has a new home
CosmoKidz, CosmoTweenz, CosmoTeenz, and our SOAR Resources have a new home! Here you will find all of our resource sets and they are available for free.
We have a Substack!
We have a Substack!
We now have a Substack that holds all of our CMMi created resources, including infographics, podcasts, videos, books and more. We invite you to learn more about this new website and to participate in the opportunities of…
Stories of destiny
Stories of destiny
What is destiny and to what extent do we have a role to play in controlling the events of our lives? How much we can be effective in shaping our fate, life and death? These are the central questions explored in a new book…
Inner Jazz: An allegorical tale
Inner Jazz: An allegorical tale
And for something completely different…Rik Spann offers us a delightful allegorical story about our inner rhythms and taking turns.
Stories Lived. Stories Told. : A testament to emergence
Stories Lived. Stories Told. : A testament to emergence
The Stories Lived. Stories Told podcast is well into Season 3. This is beyond our initial expectation and, on reflection, it is yet again another testament to the value of emergence. A…
CosmoParents: Have you a story to share?
CosmoParents: Have you a story to share?
Cosmoparents is the latest development in our CosmoActivities resource sets. We hope to share stories from parents about their own parenting experiences and invite you to participate in the next roun…
CMMi Fellows 2024: A diversity of issues
CMMi Fellows 2024: A diversity of issues
We have five new Fellows for 2024 and their projects cover a diversity of issues: from stories of merit in Malaysia, through to disability accommodation, trauma-informed systemic practice, spirituali…
Don Waisanen: Democracy Renewal award
Don Waisanen: Democracy Renewal award
Don Waisanen, one of our Stewards, is an inaugural grantee for the Democracy Renewal Project. This project is part of a new program of research funding offered by Public Agenda, a research-to-action non…
Spring 2024
A great new interpersonal communication text: Review
A great new interpersonal communication text: Review
John Chetro-Szivos reviews Arthur Jensen’s and Sarah Trenholm’s newly published interpersonal communication text. This is a significantly revised eighth edition of their undergraduate…
Revealing the narratives of peace-building in Colombia: A CMM perspective
Revealing the narratives of peacebuilding in Colombia: A CMM perspective
Joan Camilo López, the Youth, Peace, and Society program manager in the AC4-Climate School at Columbia University gives us an overview of the ways Colombians have nar…
Help us co-create CosmoParents
Help us co-create CosmoParents
CosmoParents will be the next development in our CosmoActivities line. “What is CosmoParents?” you might ask. Well, us too! In the true spirit of CMM, we hope to co-create CosmoParents with parents and car…
Great achievements of our Teen Fellows
Great achievements of our Teen Fellows
Our Teen Fellows joint publication, Life in Our Garden: Anthology of Youth, was launched on March 15. This is a fantastic achievement for them and we will have more to say about it in our …
Winter 2023
Applied social construction and design thinking: Implications for military contexts
Applied social construction and design thinking: Implications for military contexts
Two of our Stewards, Susan Steen and Barton Buechner, recently participated in the 2023 Language, Regional Expertise and Culture (LREC) Symposium held annua…
End-of-year reflections
End-of-year reflections
The Stewards of the CMM Institute met at the end of November to reflect on our hopes and goals for the work that we do individually and as an Institute. Kim Pearce reports on our reflections and outlines some of the …
Welcome to new steward: Don Waisanen
Welcome to new steward: Don Waisanen
We are delighted to welcome Don Waisanen to our Board of Stewards. Don is a Professor in the Baruch College, CUNY Marxe School of Public and International Affairs and is committed to supporting CMM in it…
Communities of practice: An important peace-building role
Communities of practice: An important peace-building role
Beth Fisher-Yoshida is continuing her work supporting the peace-building initiatives in Medellin, Colombia. She has found that the ongoing organic development of a CMM community of p…
Fall 2023
Is co-construction an answer to moral injury?
Is co-construction an answer to moral injury?
One of the themes of the 5th annual Hero’s Journey symposium was the creation of “better pathways from wounds to wellness.” It included a panel discussion that reviewed the history and tra…
CMM Institute 2021 Fellow completes dissertation
CMM Institute 2021 Fellow completes dissertation
Congratulations to Lilya Shienko, PhD, for the recent completion of her dissertation, “The relationship between personal use of social media at work and job satisfaction”, as part of her do…
CosmoTeenz comic book
CosmoTeenz comic book
Navigating mental health as a teen is hard, so we asked our teen Fellows for their help in figuring out the mess. They’ve led us to better understand mental health by sharing their heartfelt stories and we hope to pass…
The Sisanda FunDaytion: Connecting and building resilience through play in Cape Town, South Africa
The Sisanda FunDaytion: Connecting and building resilience through play in Cape Town, South Africa
The CMM Institute is honored to partner with Sisanda. We have donated CosmoKidz activities for their use and we recently learned about some …
Better ways of negotiating
Better ways of negotiating
Following on from the success of her latest book, New story, new power: A woman’s guide to negotiation, Beth Fisher Yoshida has contributed to a number of specific publications addressing different aspects of he…
Changing our way of understanding communication to align with a quantum paradigm
Changing our way of understanding communication to align with a quantum paradigm
John and Susan Parrish-Sprowl have just published an exciting new article, A case for a quantum informed approach to health communication research…
Summer 2023
Reflections on Season 2: Stories Lived. Stories Told. podcast
Reflections on Season 2: Stories Lived. Stories Told. podcast
Our Podcast series, Stories Lived. Stories Told. is now well into its second season. Abbie VanMeter has talked with some amazing people, all with such wonderful and different sto…
Rituals that sustain and nurture relationships: Honoring Ed Schein
Rituals that sustain and nurture relationships: Honoring Ed Schein
Emeritus Professor Edgar H. Schein, a social psychologist who bridged the academic and practical sides of culture and organization by practicing his own tenets on humble pre…
New introductory CMM videos
New introductory CMM videos
Abbie VanMeter, our wonderful podcaster, has produced three brief CMM educational videos. These videos support the minisodes from Season 1 of the Stories Lived. Stories Told. podcast. They are just perfect for in…
“What Now”—a film project in the making
“What Now”—a film project in the making
Returning home from war is a challenging experience for veterans. Film maker, Terry Strauss, and CMMi Steward, Bart Buechner, are capturing their stories of pain, isolation, loneliness, loss of …
Exploring the role of transitions in building resilience
Exploring the role of transitions in building resilience
Lauren Mackenzie, Barton Buechner, John Parrish-Sprowl and Susan Steen participated in a panel discussion at the 93rd annual Southern States Communication Association conference in St…
Cosmoghan: A research-based education project
CosmoAfghan: A research-based education project
The CosmoKidz educational package developed by the CMM Institute has been translated and adapted for use with Afghanistan children. Dr. Hossein Kaviani describes how the package was adapted an…
Spring 2023
Partnering with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation
Partnering with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation
We recently formed a partnership with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa. They will be using our CosmoKidz educational resource sets for strengthening the social …
CMM-informed perspectives on creating online learning environments
CMM-informed perspectives on creating online learning environments
Lilya Shienko, a 2021-2022 CMM Institute Fellow, has co-authored two book chapters with CMM Institute Board member Barton Buechner. These chapters are extensions of her Fell…
New Story, New Power: An exciting new publication
New Story, New Power: An exciting new publication
Beth Fisher Yoshida has just published an exciting new book, New Story, New Power: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiation. Her book draws on 30 years of negotiation research and practice, offering…
Narrative Timelines in Negotiation Preparation
Narrative Timelines in Negotiation Preparation
Following on from the successful publication of her new book on negotiation strategies for women, Beth Fisher-Yoshida describes some of the conceptual background to negotiation practices. In th…
Winter 2022-34
Love, Fear, and CMM—A Truly Transformative Trio
Love, Fear, and CMM—A Truly Transformative Trio
Paige Marrs, PhD, & Don Marrs are about to launch an exciting new online tutorial-based program based on The Extraordinary Relationship Formula®. We invited Paige and Don to tell us more ab…
Positive Disintegration Theory and CMM
Positive Disintegration Theory and CMM
We held a webinar on the patterns connecting Positive Disintegration Theory and CMM in November. There are some exciting interconnections and you can find out more by listening to the recording of the …
Stories Lived. Stories Told: Your guide to Season 1
Stories Lived. Stories Told: Your guide to Season 1
The first season of our podcasts, Stories Lived. Stories Told. is drawing to a close. This has been an exciting new venture for all of us and our listeners have been growing accor…
Fall 2022
New Working Paper: Restorying the “white problem”
New Working Paper: Restorying the “white problem”
We have just published our third paper in the Working Paper series: “Restorying the ‘white problem’: Working towards racial justice, Part 2”, authored by Robyn Penman. T…
CosmoKidz program: New developments
CosmoKidz program: New developments
The CosmoKidz program grows and changes and is being recognized as a valuable program for helping to raise caring kids. In our recent news we can report on a significant review of the program, a new websi…
Summer 2022
A cosmopolitan sensibility: Compelling stories from a communication perspective: A review
A cosmopolitan sensibility: Compelling stories from a communication perspective: A review
A cosmopolitan sensibility: Compelling stories from a communication perspective was published towards the end of last year. Gitte Ha…
Highlights and replays of the 2021 Joint Conference
Highlights and replays of the 2021 Joint Conference
The 2021 joint conference held with the AFT, the CMM Institute and Friends of KCC, was a special conference in many ways. The collaboration between our three organisations led to an exciti…
Call for proposals: CMMi Working Paper series
Call for proposals: CMMi Working Paper series
The CMMi Working Papers is a new publishing venture. We have already published two papers in our new Working Paper series and have a third in production. We are now calling for proposals from ou…
Newest Steward: Daniel Walters
Newest Steward: Daniel Walters
We are delighted to announce that Daniel Walters was recently appointed a Steward of the CMM Institute. While Daniel might be our newest Steward, he is by no means new to CMM. You can find out more from his bi…
Making CosmoKidz history in Louisiana
Making CosmoKidz history in Louisiana
The CosmoKidz program at the Independence Leadership Academy in Louisiana is making news. We were recently sent a newspaper clipping of developments under the header of “Cosmic Character” and have …
Stories Lived. Stories Told: New podcast series
Stories Lived. Stories Told: New podcast series
We have started a new podcast series in conjunction with an Inspired young graduate student, Abbie VanMeter. Abbie gives us the background for the series and what she is hoping to achieve. We …
CosmoTeenz fellowships announced
CosmoTeenz fellowships announced
We are excited to announce the appointment of five inspiring young women as CosmoTeenz Fellows. These new Fellows will be working together over the next year, using their talents, skills, and creativity to b…
Spring 2022
New CMMi Working Paper: Racial justice, relational responsivity and responsibility
New CMMi Working Paper: Racial justice, relational responsivity and responsibility
This is the first paper to emerge from discussions in the CMMi Social Justice Working Group. In this paper, Robyn Penman considers the issue of racial justic…
CMM as a community of practice: Organic growth
CMM as a community of practice: Organic growth
Beth Fisher-Yoshida and Joan Camilo Lopez, as part of their ongoing project with youth community leaders in Medellin, Columbia, have observed how these community leaders have taken to the langu…
CosmoTeenz Fellows: Call for proposals
CosmoTeenz Fellows: Call for proposals
Do you know a teen or young adult, ages 15-21, who wants to make a difference in the lives of younger people? We are offering junior fellowship to 7-10 teens or young adults from different countries to…
Special webinar showcasing Fellows’ projects
Special webinar showcasing Fellows’ projects
We will be holding a special webinar on Friday, March 18, 1-3:30 pm (US EDT), featuring projects created by the 2021-22 Fellows of the CMM Institute. This will be open to all members of the CMM…
Is CMM transformative? An invitation for exploration
Is CMM transformative? An invitation for exploration
Bart Buechner, Sergej van Middendorp and Rik Spann will be hosting a roundtable discussion at the International Transformative Learning Conference to be held in April They will be explori…
Community Webinars 2022
Community Webinars 2022
We are planning a series of community webinars for 2022. The first meeting is planned for 28 April and you will need to register in advance.
Fall 2021
Fielding Graduate University: Alumni conference
Fielding Graduate University: Alumni conference
We led a panel dialogue on “Overcoming polarized narratives” as part of the Fielding Alumni Conference at the beginning of this year. The slides and video of the session are now available.…
Congratulations to our 2021 Fellows
Congratulations to our 2021 Fellows
We have offered a total of 13 Fellowships for 2021: four CMMi Fellowships, five AC4/CMMi Graduate Fellowships and four special UK CMMi Fellowships to mark our joint conference on Making Better Social Worlds…
Summer 2021
New publication
New publication
Sergej van Middendorp, one of our Board members, has just co-authored a chapter on collaborative support networks as a form of organizing that can help address issues of sustainability leadership in a variety of contexts. The …
New Working Papers series
New Working Papers series
We have started a new series of Working Papers, to highlight new developments in CMM and stimulate conversation. Our first paper, The Elephant in the Room: Righteous Minds and Cosmopolitan Communication, evaluates the moral ps…
Stories told and stories to be told: Going down memory lane and looking ahead to the Learning Exchange September 2021
Stories told and stories to be told:
Going down memory lane and looking ahead to the Learning Exchange September 2021
Marit Eikaas Haavimb tells us about her journey down memory lane as she browsed the CMMi website videos. As she found, the v…
A must-read new book Resounding: introducing an alternative metaphor for organization change
A must-read new book Resounding: introducing an alternative metaphor for organization change
Beth Fisher-Yoshida, Columbia University and board member of CMMi, reviews a must-read new book by Rik Spann (another board member) and Simon Marti…
CosmoKidz is growing up: Here comes CosmoTeenz
CosmoKidz is growing up: Here comes CosmoTeenz
Our Cosmo resources for children and youth continues to grow. We are now moving on to developing creative, relevant, fun and reflexive activities based on building awareness and capacity in rel…
More exciting CosmoKidz developments
More exciting CosmoKidz developments
While CosmoKidz is growing up into CosmoTweenz and Teenz it is also continuing to expand its activities for younger children. We have a new set of activities under development on race, culture and identity and ano…
Spring 2021
Just published: A Cosmopolitan Sensibility
Just published: A Cosmopolitan Sensibility
A Cosmopolitan Sensibility, edited by Robyn Penman, is a collection of compelling stories from a communication perspective. This is the third book in our Making Better Social World series and build…
Special Joint Learning Exchange
Special Joint Learning Exchange
Our Learning Exchange this year will be held in a few weeks, in conjunction with the Association for Family Therapy and Friends of KCC in the UK. This is a very special conference focusing on Making Better So…
Call for proposals: 2021 Fellowship program
Call for proposals: 2021 Fellowship program
“When family, work & community merge: Learning and growing from the pandemic experience” is the theme for this year’s fellowship program. We are seeking innovative proposals for projects or…
Cosmoteenz
Cosmoteenz
Are you in any way connected with teenagers (13-17)? Can you ask them to help us by completing a survey on communication issues important to them?
New publications
New publications
Four new CMM related publications have recently been released: on cosmopolitan communication, health, CosmoKidz, and a special Cosmokidz book for children.
Global Social Witnessing Lab: Conference and interviews
Global Social Witnessing Lab: Conference and interviews
The Global Social Witnessing lab to be held last year is now rescheduled as an online event to be held from March 15 to 18, 2021. Join 11 artists and social activists and listen to 1…
Fielding Graduate University: Alumni conference
Fielding Graduate University: Alumni conference
We led a panel dialogue on “Overcoming polarized narratives” as part of the Fielding Alumni Conference at the beginning of this year. The slides and video of the session are now ava…
Reviews of A Call to Cosmopolitan Communication
Reviews of A Call to Cosmopolitan Communication
Arthur Jensen’s book, A Call to Cosmopolitan Communication, was published at the end of last year by CMMi Press. It has already started to receive glowing reviews: it’s a “must…
Moral injury webinar March 31, 6 to 8pm EST (USA)
Moral injury webinar March 31, 6 to 8pm EST (USA)
This is the third special webinar that we have held on moral injury and conflict. It is a follow up from our successful one late last year and is being held in conjunction with the Australa…
Making better social worlds for the 21st century: Legacies and expanding horizons
Making better social worlds for the 21st century:
Legacies and expanding horizons
This year’s Learning Exchange is being held as an online event in conjunction with the Association of Family Therapy and Friends of the KCC in London on …
Winter 2020-21
Reflections on 2020
Reflections on 2020
Kim Pearce reflects on a range of emotions and perspectives about our lives, the lives of others and the planet as a whole in the year 2020.
Review: Special volume of Human Systems: CMM: Extensions and applications
Review: Special volume of Human Systems: CMM: Extensions and applications
We invite you to explore this rich collection of ideas, examples, and innovative applications with an appreciation for the depth and breadth of CMM circa 2004 and fo…
Amplifying disruption: How to get back on track when the power is off
Amplifying disruption: How to get back on track when the power is off.
Rik Spann riffs on reality by welcoming the unexpected and moving into rapid prototyping without a safety net or a predictable outcome.
CosmoKidz in Romania: Small steps, large impact
CosmoKidz in Romania: Small steps, large impact
Iulia Georgescu and Carmen Greab have been working with teachers and students in Romania using CosmoKidz and have now translated the work into Romanian in order to make it even more accessibl…
New publication on moral injury
New publication on moral injury
Bart Beuchner examines one of the best potential sources for learning about social systems and communication in conflict buried in “unheard” stories of returning military veterans—many of whom also suff…
Communication at the Crossroads: 2020 NCA Conference
Communication at the Crossroads: 2020 NCA Conference
This year’s conference explored the intersection of the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) theory with other disciplines and areas of scholarship and practice: including mental heal…
Next year’s Learning Exchange: September, 23-25, 2021
Next year’s Learning Exchange: September, 23-25, 2021
The CMM Institute is partnering with the Association of Family Therapy in the UK and the Friends of KCC in London to provide three days of inspiring presenters from around the world.<…
Webinars in 2021
Webinars in 2021
Upcoming webinars include “CMM, circular questioning and cosmopolitan communication” led by Vern Cronen and Barbara McKay; and “Moral dilemmas and moral injury” to build on the previous moral webinar with particular attent…
Fall 2020
Learning exchange follow up space
Learning exchange follow up space
We have set up a special project space using Basecamp for all registered participants of the 2020 LE. You can watch recordings of the Learning Exchange and participate in unfolding developments from the LE…
Special webinar: Moral foundations, moral conflict & moral injury
Special webinar: Moral foundations, moral conflict & moral injury
Wednesday November 4 2020, 12 noon to 1:30 pm EST
We are having a special webinar in November on how a communication perspective can be used t…
Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Living beyond difference
Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Living beyond differencewords
The death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg is a sad loss to the judiciary and to the American people. Beth Fisher-Yoshida reflects on one of RGB’s many virtues: her capacity to see beyond di…
Our first virtual LE: captured in words
Our first virtual LE: captured in words
Everyone felt our first virtual Learning Exchange was a great success. Our pictured word art above captures all the words participants used to sum up their experience and our resident muse, Rik…
Summer 2020
When does a critical moment become an inflection point?
When does a critical moment become an inflection point?
Up until now, we have heard many stories about racial injustices, and systemic inequality. Yet, despite all the stories, personal and public, all the books, articles, lectures, …
Humanity Rising
Humanity Rising
Humanity Rising’s goal is to being communities together to empower young people to change the world, especially in matters to do with our climate crisis. Sergej van Middendorp describes his experience in participati…
Musing between the spaces
Musing between the spaces
Rik Spann uses music as a frame for understanding all manner of things. Here he offers some of his recent musings, provoked by the impact of the pandemic, on being, playing and talking in the spaces.
Congratulations to our 2020 CMMi fellows
Congratulations to our 2020 CMMi fellows
Our theme of “going beyond polarized narratives” attracted a number of timely proposals this year. It was hard to choose from such an exciting array and, in the end, we selected 11 new CMMi Fellows for 202…
Spring 2020
Meet Susan Steen: our new board member in 2020
Meet our newest board member: Susan Steen
Susan Steen has recently joined the Board of the CMM Institute. She is an Assistant Professor of Cross-Cultural Communication at the Air Force Culture and Language Center (AFCLC) and has written an introducti…
Call for Proposals: 2020 CMMi Fellows program
Call for Proposals: 2020 CMMi Fellows program
We are seeking innovative proposals for projects which show or create the potential for “making better social worlds” by going beyond the polarized narratives that have served to divide, rather than u…
Winter 2018-19
Reflecting on our year
Reflecting on our year
We are excited about how we have responded to significant social challenges this year. Our end-of year reflection highlights our activities and invites your contribution.
CosmoKidz in a Whole-of-School Trial
CosmoKidz in a Whole-of-School Trial
Independence Leadership Academy in Louisiana has whole-heartedly embraced the CosmoKidz ethos, implementing CosmoKidz and deliberation activities throughout the school from pre-kindergarten to 4th grade.
CosmoTweenz D’Club kids open their hands to help others
CosmoTweenz D’Club kids open their hands to help others
We are already starting to observe the positive impacts of using our latest educational resource kit for tweens. Read how tweens in the D’Club, an after-school deliberation club based on Cos…
Making Better Social Worlds: Reviews
Making Better Social Worlds: Reviews
“Probably the most important book of our era!”
“Makes dense concepts and technical vocabulary accessible.”
“Clear, useful and written for anyone who wants to expand their horizons and develop practices for m…
Reconciliation and Graffiti in Medellín
Reconciliation and Graffiti in Medellín
Beth Fisher-Yoshida offers an inspiring account of how CMM has been used in Medellin, Columbia, to capture stories about community experiences with violence, displacement and hope for brighter futures and how …
Using CMM in military contexts
Using CMM in military contexts
In November of this year, a conference session was held on how CMM can be used as a practical tool for helping military students and veterans manage complex intercultural interactions.
Fall 2018
Final reminder 7th Annual Learning Exchange October 26-28, 2018
Final reminder 7th Annual Learning Exchange October 26-28, 2018
Creating is a central theme in a CMM framework: we create meanings, we create relationships, we create our social worlds. In this year’s Learning Exchange we want to pay particular atte…
Summer 2018
Camp CosmoKidz: Bigger and better
Camp CosmoKidz: Bigger and better
Last year we were excited to tell you about our first ever CosmoKidz Camp. This year we have more good news to report. The Camp has continued and it has become bigger and better with the generous support of the Louis…
Cosmopolis opens its doors
Cosmopolis opens its doors!
Cosmopolis2045 is now sufficiently evolved to throw open its doors to visitors. The website is up and running and we invite you to come and explore our imagined city of the future.
Meet Rik Spann: one of our new board members
Rik Spann: one of our new board members
Rik joined us an advisor to the board last year and this year he has become a full member. Here Rik introduces himself by way of a short biographical note around the theme of “And jam, of course”.
Meet Barbara McKay: one of our new board members
Meet Barbara McKay: one of our new board members
Barbara has just joined the CMMI Board and will be with us at the Learning Exchange. Here she tells us about her professional background and how CMM has inspired her in her work and personal life.
2018 Learning Exchange: less than 7 weeks to go
2018 Learning Exchange: less than 7 weeks to go
The special focus of this year’s Learning Exchange is on creating communities of practice that help us in being better at what we are and do. We’d love to have you with us as we explore how CMM helps in…
On starting a dialogue with Robert Kegan
On starting a dialogue with Robert Kegan
Sergej van Middendorp reviews another article from the W.B.Pearce Archive at Fitchburg University, “On Starting a Dialogue with Robert Kegan, on Reading ‘In Over our Heads: the Mental Demands of Modern Life'”
Our 2018 AC4-CMMI Graduate Fellows
Our 2018 AC4-CMMI Graduate Fellows
This year we have four new AC4-CMMI Graduate Fellows who will be participating in our Learning Exchange in October: Akri Cipa, Kjerstin Pugh, Sarah Stone and Tamara Smiley Hamilton.
CosmoKidz in Louisiana: An inspiring first year
CosmoKidz in Louisiana: An inspiring first year
We have just completed our first year of the CosmoKIdz program in Louisiana and it was truly inspiring. Our research data clearly show that the program is instrumental in cultivating invaluable social s…
Cosmogrooves in Amsterdam
Cosmogrooves in Amsterdam
One of our two new CMMI Board Members, Rik Spann, is a musicologist in Amsterdam. That is an intriguing background for someone who is also so enthusiastic about all things CMMish. How does a musicologist hear CMM? How does a…
Spring 2018
Coordinated management of meaning (CMM): A research manual.
A new focus book on CMM research methods
Three post-graduate students from Columbia University, Filippa Naka, Adrian Jofre Bosch, Shengjie Ma, review the second book in the CMM Focus book series: Natasha A. Rascon’s and Stephen W. Littlejohn’s …
Meet the new CMMI Fellows for 2018
Meet the new CMMI Fellows for 2018
We are delighted to announce the appointment of two CMMI Fellows for 2018: Adrian Wagner and Lukas Herrmann.
2018 Learning Exchange: “Creating Magical Moments” Across Space and Time: Building CMM Communities
2018 Learning Exchange: “Creating Magical Moments” Across Space and Time: Building CMM Communities
The 7th Annual CMMI Learning Exchange will be held on October 26-28, 2018. Once again you are invited to join us and other like-minded scholars and p…
Improv, democracy & CMM: Don Waisanen, 2017 CMMI Fellow
Improv, democracy & CMM: Don Waisanen, 2017 CMMI Fellow
The connections between CMM and improvisation run deep, and a major part of Don Waisanen’s fellowship experience has involved discovering the host of links between improv and concepts such as co-c…
Women who work: Meaning-making in Indonesian culture
Women who work: Meaning-making in the Indonesian culture and its impact on career advancement
Cornelia Patsy Budiman uses a CMM lens to investigate the interplay of culture, gender roles and communication on the meaning-making of Indonesian career wome…
Beyond CosmoKidz: We need your help!
Beyond CosmoKidz: We need your help!
We created CosmoKidz to help young children develop relational awareness and related skills. We have more than four years’ worth of research to confirm it works. Now we want to go beyond CosmoKidz and we need your…
Grief work, continuing bonds and co-creating new stories: Tracey Johnston & Peter Robinsons, 2017 CMMI Fellows
Grief work, continuing bonds and co-creating new stories
Tracey Johnston and Peter Robinson describe how they used the LUUUUTT model to develop an innovative approach to grief work. The LUUUUTT model guided them in co-creating new stories and understan…
Sources of inspiration: The On Being project
Sources of inspiration
We are part of a broad community of practitioners, researchers, scholars and students concerned with exploring what it means to be human and how we can make better social worlds. Here we offer an introduction to another member of…
Call for Proposals 2018 CMMI Fellows Program
Call for Proposals 2018 CMMI Fellows Program
We are seeking innovative proposals for projects that “take a communication perspective” on one or more of the social issues facing our increasingly complex social worlds. This year we are looking for p…
Winter 2017-18
Understanding Holding Environments: Enabling Conditions for Collective Learning
Understanding Holding Environments: Enabling Conditions for Collective Learning
First trials completed
First trials completed
The first trial of Cosmopolis2045 was completed at the end of 2017. Revisions are underway and the public release will happen in 2018. Watch this space!
New models and metaphors for communication
New models and metaphors for communication
Sergej van Middendorp discusses an unpublished paper on new models and metaphors of communication from the Barnett Pearce Collection at Fitchburg State University’s digital library.
CMM Learning Exchange 2017: Reflection from AC4 Fellow, Laura Peters
CMM Learning Exchange 2017: Reflection from AC4 Fellow, Laura Peters
Attending the Learning Exchange (LE) was a completely wonderful and somewhat unexpected experience. As a PhD student, I attend a variety of academic conferences and workshops and pres…
Fall 2017
Hurricane Harvey as one metaphor for our current political climate and the role of CMM as a first responder
Hurricane Harvey as one metaphor for our current political climate and the role of CMM as a first responder
The months of August and September, 2017 will go down in history as months of fierce world-wide natural disasters that will not be forgotten any…
CosmoKidz goes to Louisianna
CosmoKidz goes to Louisianna, October 31, 2017
We have sports camps, art camps, scholastic camps, but have you ever heard of a camp that focuses on helping kids develop better communicating skills? Well, this year there was one. We held our first ever…
CMM theory helping to elevate military cultural competence
CMM theory helping to elevate military cultural competence
We don’t often think of CMM theory being used in military contexts but three military educators are doing just that. This is an exciting application and if you are interested you can read an ov…
Intercultural transitions
Intercultural transitions and migrant-host relationships in Germany: An example of activist scholarship
Versha Anderson has given us an overview of her PhD research in which she engaged in activist scholarship to understand the intercultural transition…
Meet the 2017 AC4-CMMI Graduate Fellows
Meet the 2017 AC4-CMMI Graduate Fellows
Laura Peters conducts research on post-conflict transformations in Nepal, Julianne Parayo focuses on choral music and political reflections in the Philippines, and Tahleen Wright looks at bridging barriers betwee…
2017 CMM Learning Exchange
2017 CMM Learning Exchange: “Minding the Gap – Creating New Space for Coherence”
Given the current climate in different contexts and public discourses we are interested in ideas for acknowledging and transforming the patterns of communication in ways…
Older posts
Robyn Penman named Honorary Life Associate of the CMM Institute
Robyn Penman named Honorary Life Associate of the CMM Institute
The CMM Institute celebrates Robyn’s outstanding scholarly achievements, consulting practice, and tireless service to the CMM community.
Interview from the 2015 CMM Learning Exchange
Interview from the 2015 CMM Learning Exchange
The 2015 Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) Learning Exchange, also known as the FUGIC Forum, took place in Munich, Germany, from September 17-20. Hosts of the Learning Exchange were the CMM Institute …
The Manager’s Dilemma, a new book by Jesse Sostrin
The Manager’s Dilemma: Balancing the Inverse Equation of Increasing Demands + Shrinking Resources
Offers solutions to anyone feeling undermined by the impossible expectation of producing more and better work with less time and fewer resource…
2011-2012 CMM Global Survey Results
We are pleased to present the results of the inaugural survey on CMM research and practice. The Global Survey Project was sponsored by the CMM Institute for Personal & Social Evolution whose mission is to preserve, cultivate, and promote worldwide work based on the the…
2011 Global Ethics Case Competition
The Fox School of Business and Management (FSBM) hosted the 2011 Global Ethics Case Competition. It was held in memory of Dr. W. Barnett Pearce on November 17, 2011 at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the spirit of Dr. Pearce’s seminal work, a new ge…
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