Recreate More

Patricia Arenas from Cuba and Diana Whitney from the US are in Puerto Vallarta the week of January 22 to collaborate with other US and Cuban authors on the publication of “Cultures of Participation at Work in Cuba and the US”. What the two women do not know (unless they read this), is that they have been selected as the first recipients of the Vallarta Institute’s Annual 2X2 (Two by Two) Recreate the World Award.

The 2X2 Recreate the World Award comes with a $2,222.22 donation that the Vallarta Institute will donate in their honor to one or two non-profit service organizations. An award reception will take place on Friday, January 27.

“Both Patricia and Diana embody the spirit of what we created the award for” says Maurice Monette, part-time Puerto Vallarta resident. His work/life partner Jeff Jackson continues, “we want to celebrate how any two people, from any two countries, who speak any two languages, coming from any two walks of life can come together to recreate the world in a way that they could not do by themselves”.

Patricia Arenas is the Director of the Human Change Project of the Center for Psychological and Sociological Research in Havana, Cuba. Diana Whitney is the President for the Corporation for Positive Change in Taos, New Mexico, USA.

Patricia and Diana are receiving the first 2X2 Recreate the World Award for no less than two reasons. First, they were the first two of ten co-authors to offer to co-write the groundbreaking book “Cultures of Participation at Work in Cuba and the US”, which will be published in both the US (OD Network) and Cuba (CIPS) in the fall of 2006. The publication will highlight 10 examples, 5 from Cuba and 5 from the US, of how businesses and organizations are successfully building cultures of participation.

Second, adds Monette, “both Diana and Patricia were two of the strongest inspirations behind our move to Puerto Vallarta and the creation of the Vallarta Institute.” Diana, a world leader in the art of Appreciative Inquiry, coined the name “Vallarta Institute” after the popular Cape Cod Institute in the US.

“The work of Patricia, a Cuban leader in the development of more human organizations, motivated us to create our own human organization”, said Jackson. Especially for the second reason, it’s fitting that we honor them with this first award”.

The Vallarta Institute (vallartainstitute.com) was “recreated” by Jackson and Monette in 2005 to “recreate more of what’s best in the world”. Through the Vallarta Institute, Jackson and Monette invite small groups (such as the book-writing project) to enjoy the “living room” of their private villa compound for week-long Salon discussions on a variety of topics. Salons, hosted by leaders from around the world will be open to the public starting in November, 2006. Other Vallarta Institute services include consulting, facilitation, training, coaching and retreats for work teams, individuals and the community.

Jackson and Monette plan to engage their Vallarta Institute Salon participants in not only nominating future award recipients, but in helping to achieve their united vision of the 2X2 Recreate the World Award.