Physics Conferences

In 1977 the Werner Erhard Foundation brought together a relatively small group of renowned physicists working closely together in a supportive congenial environment outside of a university. The topic of discussion, representing the frontier of theoretical physics at the time, was "Novel Configurations in Quantum Field Theory" Richard Feynman, Leonard Susskind, Sidney Coleman and David Finkelstein were among the notable physicists in attendance. Read more about how the Werner Erhard (est) Foundation created this event.

Werner Erhard's est Training inspired est participants to fulfill humanitarian objectives. Creating a number of not-for-profit organizations, founded by Werner Erhard along with other original est staffers, notably Gonneke Spits, literally hundreds of thousands of people illustrated that the power of "the little individual" can improve communities and the world. 'The Breakthrough Foundation' gave 'Youths At Risk' a new opportunity in their lives, and fostered and funded development in Africa; people committed to work to end hunger in the world through 'The Hunger Project' and its many offshoots; the 'Community Workshop' gave ordinary citizens a new opportunity to contribute to their communities. These organizations, along with the Werner Erhard Foundation, played a hand in inspiring est Training participants to go out and make a difference in their lives, contribute to humanity, and give back to their communities, in addition to providing forums for the individual to make a difference worldwide. For more information about the Werner Erhard Foundation visit http://www.wernererhardfoundation.org.

Werner Erhard Foundation Website

"What we create together is a relationship in which we work on making a difference in people’s lives. I welcome the unprecedented opportunity for us to work globally on that which concerns us all as human beings." Werner Erhard

The Werner Erhard Foundation was committed to bettering the human condition through non-profit, voluntary action. Many of the projects founded by the Werner Erhard Foundation have evolved into independent self-sustaining organizations that continue their work in bringing about a transformation in the quality of life on our planet.

Read more at the new Werner Erhard Foundation Website

Werner Erhard, Buckminster Fuller and John Denver

Werner Erhard, John Denver and Buckminster Fuller in September 1980.

Presentation of His Holiness the XVI Gyalwa Karmapa

As head of the Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhism, which is the medium of transmission of the meditative teachings known as the mahamudra, His Holiness performed the ancient ceremony of the Vajra Crown during five presentations in four U.S. cities to more than 10,000 people in 1977. The sixteenth in an unbroken succession of Karmapas dating back to the 12th century, His Holiness heeded the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and embodied, represented and guideed its accumulated spiritual energy.

Werner Erhard made a special trip to Sikkim, a small Himalayan province, to visit with the Karmapa. He was greeted with unreserved enthusiasm, inspired by His Holiness' boundless joy and

enlightenment and the wayswhich these qualities manifested in the people he serves. Werner invited him to be with est graduates and their friends during his upcoming visit to America. The Karmapa accepted with delight.

Werner Erhard introduced the Karmapa on four evenings sponsored by the Werner Erhard Foundation. As a special acknowledgement for est graduates, the Karmapa performed the 14th century Black Crown ceremony, in which few westerners have participated and that only he is empowered to perform. Tibetan tradition holds that a glimpse of the Black Crown ensures getting off "the wheel of life and death" in this lifetime.

The Werner Erhard Foundation in support of the world's rich spiritual and cultural heritage of transformation, presented His Holiness the XVI Gyalwa Karmapa in San Francisco on Feb 22, 1977, Los Angeles on February 26, 1977, New York on April 27, 1977, and in Boston on May 1, 1977.

The Hunger Project

The Hunger Project was formed in 1977 as a grass roots organization to generate and build a consensus to bring about the end of chronic, persistent hunger. Today, ending hunger is no longer an obscure issue championed only by a compassionate few. It is now squarely on the global agenda, recieving the attention of leaders and citizens the world over. The Hunger Project recently honored it's 30th anniversary. Watch their moving tribute to the work and dedication of people all around the world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43h_rUpp1ng

The Werner Erhard Foundation and the USSR

The support of the Foundation made possible groundbreaking conversations between leaders, scholars and officials from virtually all parts of the world in the field of human achievement and transformation. As a result of this support, exchange programs were launched that provided new ground for international cooperation.

One such program was the US/USSR Project, launched in 1979 and designed as an educational exchange to explore the principles of communication, management, and creative thinking with the people of what was then the Soviet Union. After several delegate exchanges, Werner Erhard was invited to conduct the first of many courses and lectures in Moscow, under the auspices of the Znaniye (All Union Knowledge) Society—the prime vehicle for education in the (former) Soviet Union.

In 1988, the Znaniye Society took steps to extend the availability of these programs in the U.S.S.R. A brochure describing the project work stated:

“Radically new, non-traditional solutions will need to play a big role in the perestroika of our economic, social and political systems. Only solutions of this class will allow us to reach our goals. But solutions at this level demand that we break through the habitual contours of our thinking so that we can see new possibilities and new methods of addressing theses issues…

“In this regard, the technology offered by (The Werner Erhard Foundation) is of immediate and practical interest to a broad audience of Soviet people and it would be valuable to study and master its methodology and practice.”

To this end, independent of the Foundation, avenues for continuing this exchange between the people and organizations of the U.S. and the new Commonwealth of Soviet Republics were expanded. These included a series of videotapes designed to make this work widely available to the Soviet public, over a sustained period of time.

The Werner Erhard Foundation Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the Werner Erhard Foundation was to encourage and support research, communication, education, and scholarly endevors in the fields of human well-being and transformation, both individual and social.

The Werner Erhard Foundation provided financial and organizational support for individuals, organizations, and institutions that are contributing to the process of transformation and to the creation of the reality of a world that works for everyone.

Health and Well Being

To encourage and support practices and perceptions that enable people to become more responsible for and to expand their mental and physical health and well-being.

Education and Society

To support the art and science of education so that people are empowered by the teaching and learning process to fulfill their potential for making a difference.

Cultural and Spiritual Exchange

To support the study of the diversity of cultural and theological/philosophical approaches to human values and to make that knowledge available to the public.

Scientific Research and Conferences

To support scientific inquiry and dialogue regarding the nature of reality, understanding, and human experience.

Global Transformation

To expand the awareness of the reality of a world that works for everyone with no one and nothing left out, and to encourage individuals to participate in bringing about a transformation in the quality of life on our planet.

WERNER ERHARD FOUNDATION GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND SPECIAL PROJECTS

A Symposium:

Issues of Consciousness and Survival

Act Together, Inc.

Alaska Oil Spill

Alia Carl, Institute for Humane Studies

American Conservatory Theatre

American Red Cross

Amigo de las Americas

Marin County Chapter

Annual Science Conferences

Physics Conference

Science Conference IV

Science Conference V

Science Conference VI

Science Conference VII

Science Conference IX

Science Conference X

Apple Family Center

Armenian Earthquake Relief

Art Nierenberg and Arthur Rittmaster

Art Against Aids

Artists for Humanity

Association for Humanistic Psychology

Bangladesh Flood Relief

Behavioral Sciences Institute

Black American Response to the African Crisis

Bodhi Community

Joseph E. Bogen, M.D.

Bread and Roses

G. Spencer Brown

Buckminster Fuller Memorial

Buckminster Fuller Presentations

California Institute of Asian Studies

California Institute of Transpersonal Psychology

California Narcotic Officers Association

CARE—Bangladesh

Carol Vaness Documentary

Center for Psychological Studies in the Nuclear Age

China Study Tour Group

Cogswell College

Community Environmental Education Program

Conference Team Development

Congressional Human Rights Foundation

Contemplative Outreach

Conversations with Buckminster Fuller

Corby Collins

Coro Foundation

Dalai Lama Presentations

Dartmouth College

Katharine DaSilva-Jain

Paul Dell, Ph.D.

Rodney Donaldson

Douglas Harding Presentations

Professor Hubert Dreyfus, University of California

Drepung Aid Project

East Bay Men’s Center Conference

East West Foundation Education Fund

Education Network

Effectiveness Training

Joan Erikson

Esalen Institute

Esalen Institute Center for Theoretical Studies

Arturo Escobar

Ethiopia Famine Relief

Exploratory Meeting on the Nuclear Deadlock

Exploratorium

Family Light Music School

Farallones Institute

Richard Feinbloom, M.D.

Film Institute of Northern California

Fernando Flores

Food for the Poor

Heinz Von Foerster and Humberto Maturana

Foundation for Mideast Communication

Friends of Buckminster Fuller Foundation

Friends of Conservation

Friends of the Marina Green

David Galin, M.A.

General Studies Theory Conference

U Golomi Govinda

Grace Cathedral

Groundswell

Guild for Psychological Studies

--in memory of Leo Zeff

Michael Harris and Harold Burszlain

Harvard Community Health Plan

Harvard University School of Medicine

Beresford Hayward, Ph.D.,

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Ronnie Heifetz, M.D.

His Holiness the XVI Gyalwa Karmapa

Homeless Community Project

Human Dolphin Foundation

Indian Society for Community Education

ISHK, Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge

Institute for Advanced Pastoral Studies

Institution of Open Education

International Center for Development Policy

Erik Jansen, Doctoral Candidate, University of Southern California

John Hopkins University Press

KCTS Channel 9 Public TV, Seattle

KQED—New Perspectives

KQED—TV Public Television, San Francisco

Robert Kriegel, Director SAGAS

Latin America & North America:

Confrontation or Cooperation—

An International Conference

Living Tao Foundation

Lomi School Bulletin

Joanna Macy

Mar Vista Family Center

Margie Jenkins Dance Troupe

Marshall McLuhan Center on Global Communication

Julian Melzak, Philosopher

Metanola

Mexico Relief

Mills College

Missionaries of Charity, Mother Theresa

Michael Murphy and James Hickman

Professor Hu Mon-Yu,

Beijing Normal University

Mozambique Project

Naropa Institute

National Association for the Poor

Neuropsychology Fund of Stanford University

New Dimensions Foundation

North Bay Secondary School

North Charles Mental Health Foundation

Northern California Grantmakers

Nyingma Center

OCCUR Oakland Citizens Committee

Organize Training Center

Our Lady of Sorrow School

Outcome Study

PTV Production, Inc.

Pacific News Service

Pacific Primary

Paradigms for Research Conference

Rennie-Payne Ayers

George Pegelow

Planet Earth Foundation

Police Officers Research Association

John Poppy

Curtiss Porter

Prarambha Trust

Dr. Karl Pribram

Professor Roy L. Prosterman

Program for Public Advocates

Project Participar

Public Advocates

Rajineesh Meditation Center

Research Study on Outcome of Transformation

Daniel Rohrlich

Rolf Institute

Clinica Msr. Oscar A. Romero

Charles Rosen, Researcher

Kobori Nanrei Roshi

Richard Baker Roshi

Tachibana Dalid Roshi

Rural Development Institute

San Francisco Art Institute

San Francisco Ballet

San Francisco Chamber Orchestra

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

San Francisco Opera

San Francisco Performing Arts Center Foundation

San Francisco Symphony

Saul-Paul Sirag, Physicist

John Searle, Ph.D.

Search for Common Ground

Charlette Seiver

Shakespeare and Company

Sidney Rittenberg

Si Hai Li

Sovianut

Dr. Frederic Spiegelberg

Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship

St. Francis Center

Stanford Research Institute

Swami Dayananda Saraswali

Swami Muktananda World Tour

Synergy Seminars

The Breakthrough Foundation

The Cambridge Friends School

The Capp Street Foundation

The CareGivers Project

The Center for Visual Arts

The Holiday Project

The Hunger Project

The Hungry Planet, LDT.

The Improvement Association of the 8th District

The John Davis Lodge Center for International Studies

The Laughing Man Institute

The Mastery Foundation

The Point Foundation

The Spiritual Institute of America

The Tides Foundation

The Windstar Foundation

Theodore Roszak, Ph.D.

Tibetan Orphan Project

Transpersonal Psychology Institute

U.C. Regents, Phillip Lee Scholarship

University of California

University of California and Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge

University of California, French studies Program

University of California, Lawrence Hall of Science

University of California, San Francisco, Dept. of Medicine

University of California, San Francisco, J. Donald Cohon, Ph.D.

University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing

University of California, Santa Barbara, Dept. of Religious Studies

University of California, Davis

University of Massachusetts Medical Center Committee for the Arts

University of Oregon

University of the Philippines

University of the World

University of Washington, Law School Foundation

US/Costa Rica Presidential Advisory Commission

US/USSR Exchange, Jim Terr

Vajradhatu

Visual Communications

Volunteer Centers of California

Volunteer Project

Washington, D.C. Youth at Risk

Jeffrey A. Weiss, Ph.D.

Wharton International Films

Michael Wiese

Windstar Journal

World Institute on Disability

World Without War Council, Inc.

Zen Center, San Francisco

ABOUT THE WERNER ERHARD FOUNDATION--OVERVIEW

Founded by Werner Erhard in 1973

More than $3.9 million in grants were distributed. The work supported includes projects which have:

-Provided emergency relief to Mexican earthquake victims.

-Supported shipment of more than $5 million worth of famine relief supplies to Mozambique

-Provided $90,000 in relief for Cambodian famine victims.

-Provided funding for Professor Hu Mon-Yu’s work in China in establishing a new model for elementary education.

-Made possible high-level educational exchanges and work with leading management institutions in Russia.

-Provided funding for the World Institute on Disability to support handicapped participation in the 1984 Olympics.

-Supported Project Participant.. to increase voter participation of the Hispanic community in California.

-Provided financial support for Dr. Humberto Maturana’s work on human cognition.

-Provided funding for Dr. Roy Prosterman’s work at the University of Washington on development and hunger issues.

-Provided funding to carry on the work of R. Buckminster Fuller.

-Produced and funded 10 annual science conferences for leading international scientists.

-Raised $56,000 for the Red Cross relief effort for San Francisco earthquake victims.