Kaospilots: They actually *fly entropy* (Jutland part 2 of 4)

We went into a large meeting room where two recent alumnae gave us a short presentation about who the Kaospilots are. It's a leadership development program for young people aged 18-30, although most do it after going to college then seeing the world for a bit, putting them in the 24-28 range. It's a 3-year program with about 30 students per class, so there are about 100 people enrolled at any given time. The first year, everyone works on a hypothetical project. The second year, the 30-person group does some sort of social action project together, and the third year everyone does an individual project as sort of a thesis.

The central theme of the Kaospilot philosophy is the idea that people with a strong vision, understanding of their own strengths, and capacity for leadership will end up doing solid work for the world. They went over a few projects that Kaospilots alums have worked on. One started a bike donation program, one started a psychological well-being program for kids who recently immigrated to help them adjust. We were introduced to a lot of projects, terminology and definitions, not all of which I had time to write down. However, my favorite slide was one that showed four kinds of leadership:

1. Top-down leadership. I'd call this "classical" leadership. This is the leader running a group (a CEO, a general, a manager, etc.)
2. Lateral leadership. Leading a group that you are also a part of. For example, showing leadership during a group project.
3. Outward leadership. Influencing the larger world through your example.
4. Internal leadership. Literally "leading" your life. Being in control of your actions, choosing what you want to do and where you want to be at any given time.
   

By the end of the initial presentation, I was already starting to think that Kaospilots was something I'd like to do after college. This feeling only became stronger as the afternoon continued.

After a short break, our 50-person group split in half and we did a short workshop to get a sense of what an afternoon of discovering our purpose in life might feel like (spoiler: it feels pretty damn good). The room we were in was clearly the third-year HQ. There were 30 large sheets of paper on the wall around the room, each with a name on it. On them were written things such as "interests" and "possible contacts" with text below. It was clear that several people had written on each one. Everyone does their own project, but I get the feeling that people pretty heavily support and advise each other. My favorite wall chart looked like this:

It wasn't filled in yet, but it was large enough to fill half the wall of the room, so I suspect there would be plenty of time in the next four months to work on it.

The workshop started with each of us sharing our favorite experience in Denmark so far, then we went on a "dream journey," which was more or less a guided meditation. Here's where I realized Kaospilots was the thing for me. I've tried meditation a few times, but never really been able to focus or get much out of it. I find it relaxing, but I've never had any powerful realizations or spiritual moments while meditating.

I preface this excessively only to drive home the following point: the woman told us all to open our third eye, and my third eye opened. And those italics aren't strong enough. I can't really explain it any other way. I felt a physical sensation in my lower forehead/eyebrow region where the third eye is said to be. I've never had my third eye even sort of open the previous times I've tried meditation. Then this time, it was really freakin' open. I had an incredibly clear sense of where I wanted to be in four months at the end of DIS, and where I wanted to be a couple years from now, which is at Kaospilots. That spiritual experience, coupled with the fact that I enjoyed the afternoon and agree with the pedagogy of the organization... I don't think there's a heck of a lot of question. Then again, who knows what the next two years will bring. However, Kaospilots tops my list until proven otherwise.

We spent the rest of the workshop making lists and sharing them. Things we dislike about the current state of the world, things we are good at, things we are passionate about, things that block us from doing what we really want to do. At the end, we all went around and said what we'd take with us and what we'd leave behind due to the workshop. I took with me a renewed understanding of why I'm in Peace Studies, as well as a renewed desire to meet people. I'm leaving behind my cynicism and insecurity, at least for the time being.

We drove south to Vejle (see map in previous post) to a hostel where we spent the night. We had some delicious food, then did an art project. We all painted our idea of happiness on a small canvas. Due to the size of the canvas and my own logical deduction skills, I knew what would become of these; the next day we laid them all out in a mural formation. I anticipated this, and said to the people around me that my idea of happiness is community, and asked if anyone would like to create two halves of an image and put them next to each other. My friend Caitlin jumped at the opportunity.


(Can you spot Eli and Caitlin's collaboration? Eli's is the left half)

After dessert, six of us went out to play on a playground just outside the hostel. Then we took a long walk down a bike path leading away from the hostel. I got to know some of my American cohorts a little better. I'm trying not to spend all my time with them so I can experience being in a new culture a little more, but making friends has been great. I spent the night with the four other guys in our group of 25 (sounds like Goucher, right?) Got a decent 5-6 hours of sleep, ate some pancakes, then got on the bus to head south.