International Caritas Consortium — ICC
The International Caritas Consortium (ICC) is a two-day interactive and collaborative professional practice gathering that brings together individuals who are actively engaged in applying Caring Science and the Theory of Human Caring. This includes care providers from various health and community-oriented institutions and non-profit organizations as well as individuals on their own personal journey who wish to restore and deepen their commitment to sustaining and radiating authentic practices of human caring-healing in our life, work and world.
Coming together to share inspired scholarly practices through personal, stories, insights and inspiration is at the heart of our International Caritas Consortium (ICC) gathering. Participants learn from each other through shared work of original scholarship, diverse forms of caring inquiry and exploration of caring-healing practices. Through interactive teaching and learning sessions, the ICC has proven to be an intimate forum that enables participants to delve into meaningful dialogue on the values, ethic, and moral ideals of human caring and heart-centered living.
UPDATE: After the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to reformat the ICC and offer an annual conference available to the Caritas community at large. We hosted the first and second Caritas Community Conference in Boulder, CO in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Our next conference is tentatively scheduled in Miami, Florida in the Fall of 2024.
Conference Objectives
The main purpose of the International Caritas Consortium is to:
- Explore diverse ways to bring the caring theory to life in academic and clinical practice settings by supporting and learning from each other
- Share knowledge and experiences so that we might help guide self and others in the journey to live the caring philosophy and theory in our personal/professional life
The ICC is a safe refuge and forum to:
- Restore and deepen a commitment to sustaining and radiating authentic practices of human caring-healing in our life, work and world
- Learn from each other through shared work of original scholarship, diverse forms of caring inquiry and exploration of caring-healing practices
- Advance Caring Science as a source of cultural-professional transformation toward authentic person-centered, theory-guided, caring-healing practices
- Explore, expand and translate practices of caring science as sacred science to strengthen emotional-spiritual health and elevate higher dimensions of health, healing and human flourishing
- Cultivate authentic love, presence and compassion as we foster helping-trusting-nurturing relationships and co-create caring-healing environments
- Renew self and system through personal reflection and connection with community
History
The first ICC gathering was held in 2004 and grew, from its grass roots origin, to an expanding organic gathering of those devoted to this deeper work. For nearly a decade, the gathering was held twice a year, in the Spring (April) and Fall (October). In 2013, the decision was made to hold the ICC once a year (October) due to the increasing size of the event and the desire to encourage one cohesive gathering.
As a reflection of the historic, collaborative, community-building focus and motivation of the gathering, the event has always been graciously and lovingly sponsored by an organization dedicated to exploring the possibilities that the Theory of Human Caring has to transform Self, System and Society. WCSI extends its immense gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to the following organizations: