Dear Syntony Quest friends,

As the Winter Solstice approaches and we near the end of 2008, we would like to share with you some reflections that can be summed up in the three words: Gratitude, Hope and Commitment.

Gratitude

In 2008 we celebrated ten years of creating new ways of working, learning and living that embody social and environmental integrity. Syntony is dynamic harmony, consciously evolving, and this first decade as Syntony Quest has been quite a journey.

The lessons learned have prepared us to grow and evolve into a more mature organization. We have successfully expanded our educational programs and embraced an orientation of social entrepreneurship. Our workshops on Evolutionary Leadership for Sustainability and Championing Sustainability have been well received by business and non-profit leaders.

This year we also launched a “business adventures” experiential learning program for international business leaders and welcomed a group of Polish executives to the Bay Area in our Leadership for Sustainable Business Innovation workshop.

We are very close to the launch our new hybrid “social profit” enterprise Syntony Creations designed to address poverty and environmental degradation by supporting the craft of a marginalized community in Mexico.

We are also currently engaged in an action-research project to promote sustainable social development in Mexico. In the process, we are expanding the famous “Integrated Triple Bottom Line” to include not only social, environmental, and economic considerations, but cultural ones, as well – all from a living systems perspective, of course!

The pragmatic insights we are gaining help us do our bit in the evolution of capitalism as part of the bigger shift in consciousness that Syntony Quest is all about. What a fabulous time to be alive!!

Through our projects and activities, we have forged beautiful and powerful partnerships, making new friends and nurturing the web of relationships that make our work possible and meaningful. Thank you for being a part of our lives!

Hope

Breakdown, breakthrough: two phases of the current global transformation. The financial crisis brings uncertainty and exposes the failure of certain social structures. Change is in the air and the possibilities for redesigning businesses, communities and our relationships with each other and with Earth abound. This is a time to take stock, to question, and to chart new paths.

Hope arises not from ungrounded idealism, but from an understanding of complex dynamic systems that reveals how ordinary people are co-authoring a new narrative. It is time to use our knowledge and technology to connect and to enable collaboration. This is what our work is all about! More than ever, Syntony Quest is here to support you, to learn with you, to partner with you, to co-create with you.

Commitment

Complex problems call for complex solutions, and we are committed to facilitating the emergence of an ecology of solutions. Here, at the threshold of conscious evolutionary consonance, we need to step back, take a look at what is happening in the “big picture,” and carefully evaluate our place.

How are we contributing to the big picture? Are we heedlessly stamping down Earth's web of life, or are we walking mindfully, listening, gathering and sharing insight? We all need to be leaders—of our own lives, our families, organizations and communities. And more than ever, we are committed to exploring the path of syntony through inquiry and practice. You can join us, too! Here are three ways to affirm your commitment to the Syntony Quest:

1. Invest in us. Technically, that’s a donation, since we are a 501(c)3. For us, your offer of financial support serves as an investment that generates direct social and environmental benefits as well as supporting the viability of the organization itself. You can make your tax-deductible contribution online here — or you can mail a check payable to Syntony Quest at 810-A Quarry Road, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129.

2. Collaborate with us. Consider joining our Board of Directors! We are seeking three new members. Send an email to info@syntonyquest.org. Or contact us with your ideas on how we can support your organization or community to be more healthy, sustainable and vibrant. Remember: Dancing the path of syntony is part art, part science, and 100% life-affirming, future-orienting and opportunity-increasing!

3. Connect us. Forward this letter to someone you think will resonate with our work. Recommend us. We are always interested in expanding our playscape.

Warmest wishes for a peaceful and joyful holiday season,

Alexander & Kathia Laszlo