We are involved in a number of works in progress, many are not public, some even confidential. These activities always aim at conciliation defined as follows:
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- To overcome distrust or animosity.
- To gain goodwill.
- To attempt to make compatible.
Mediation
Generally speaking, disputes are rarely entirely unique. Often times, there are helpful precedents, people and ideas exist that could contribute to a solution. Our network enables to access such resources when disputants are unable to see such possibilities in the heat of the moment.
We have successfully advised both individuals as well as organisations. However, some endeavours end in failure. One particular intervention between a Reiki school and an inclusive organisation ended in public disarray despite conciliatory efforts over two years.
Talk-show ‘RTalk’
In 3 weekly intervals personalities are presented with their stories, opinions and experiences. They represent the many facets of the preciousness that the global Reiki community holds. Each of these videos is translated into various languages building bridges across language divides.
As of 2022 RTalk appeares in a new image and as of 2023 offers new transcription features.
Think Tank
New ideas often come from outside the existing frame-work.
Initial entrepreneurial enthusiasm carries endeavours for a certain distance. Gradual stagnation can set in and potentially this is the end of many a great idea. Often times this is because solutions are being sought from within the same environment that has caused the problems in the first place.
reiki-conciliation has successfully helped to brake such vicious circles. In one particular incident we introduced a new concept (the ‘Source-principle’) and within less than an year the global organisation was striving. Other times we merely introduced people who helped to unravel stale-mates and rekindle enthusiasm and creativity.
Introductions
This is a particularly joyful activity. Having made an active effort since 2010 to reach out to people all over the world naturally brought about many contacts. To then hear of a need somewhere and knowing someone someplace else who might have the answer offers great opportunities to create win-win all round. Although the video shown here is not showing people whom we introduced, it stands exactly for the spirit in which we aspire to operate.
Consultation
We are getting consulted by organisations – be that inclusive organisations such as national professional associations or individual schools of Reiki. Such mandates can be very sensitive if they deal with disputes or re-organisations. Participation in global on-line discussions or personal meetings are regular activities nowadays.
Some of these endeavors are proactively initiated by ourselves and have included overseas journeys graciously sponsored by third parties.
Working Groups
Certain topics last for an extended period of time. While ‘slow and steady may win the race’ size and duration of a working group are no guarantee for success. Agile and swift collaborations can yield proud achievements, too. As such, we have been involved in a working group that kept meeting monthly over 2 ½ years including up to 40 people from all over the world. On the other hand, there have been relatively short involvements such as in mediation, foundation of organisations or film-productions.
Academia
It is a relatively modern development that scholars make Reiki the subject of their academic work. By definition their work aims at an unbiased and non-partisan approach, sometimes even developing new expressions or definitions. This opens fertile ground on which the varying interest-groups within Reiki can meet with a fresh attitude and free of relics from the past.
The conciliatory potential of such contributions is immense and thus we support the development of, for example, a glossary or data bank of case-studies. We introduce scholars because we believe in the value of inter-disciplinary collaborations particularly betwen so called ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ sciences. We help to disseminate scholarly work (e.g. Beeler-Horowitz-Jonker, Initation 2019) and encourage individual researchers (see RTalk “COHERENCE” due in summer 2020).
Presentations
Since reiki-conciliation started we were invited to give presentations on the subject of ‘reconciliation’ in various countries. With the outbreak of Corona in the first half of 2020 this work has shifted online. An example is the presentation in March 2020 for the French Federation which was filmed. See Reconciliation is personal. Always. Another example is the interview Reconciling the Reiki community.
As of summer 2022 presentations in person are possible again and we partake regularly both online and in persona, as for example in the symposium-vienna-2022/.
Supporting other presenters
In the wake of our initial work, national inclusive meetings were planned in Israel and Russia. Presenters approached reiki-conciliation for support of the work-shops they wanted to hold with the topic ‘reconciliation’. We supported them both with information about the global development as well as film material.
An example of a ‘third-party’ project is reiki-rays-healing-summit in which a Rumanian organization presents annually different speakers in their online summit. Or sacred-equals-secret, a compilation of articles in a magazine in different languages by a French organization.
Collaborations
We are very happy to support reconciliation projects organised by others in the Reiki community. A primary example of this is the 100 year of Reiki celebration in 2022. See 2022-global-celebration-events/.
Supporting third parties’ projects
The sharing of information brings people together. We support efforts to share databases (e.g. documentation of history) or, more recently, the global survey of Reiki’s efficacy. See Survey 2020.
With the re-design of our website we intend to increasingly grant space to have such projects shown on our Site.
Making mistakes
The RTalk ‘AUTHENTICITY’ (to be released in August 2020) touches on the highly explosive subject of racism. A conclusion is that no matter how sensitive this topic is, it is vital we dare to speak about it. This is not the time to be ruled by political correctness at the cost of speaking up and taking a stance.
Furthermore, it is in the nature of work with people that biases blind perceptions, that misunderstandings occur and mistakes happen, the author included. We take painstaking care to clarify ill feelings and to life up to our credo as expressed, for example in the video Elements of Reconciliation.
Freedom
To build bridges sometimes a real structure is the most future orientated solution. The European Reiki Group (see ERG) is a good example. It aims at facilitating the exchange among the professional bodies on a multilateral level. Inclusive professional organisations serve the same purpose on a national level. Early 2023 ERG restructured its organisation.
René Vögtli has been a co-founder and council member of ERG as well as ProReiki in Germany. In order to preempt potential conflicts of interests and to focus with no strings attached on his reconciliation efforts, he has resigned from both these organisations. He continues to hold both organisations and their purpose in high esteem and still supports them and similar organisations but without direct membership.
René Vögtli – July 2020 / updated 2023
