THE SHORT STORY

2002: In response to an invitation from the Millionth Circle Initiative, over fifty women from around the world retreated to the small Isle of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland . Sacred space was created in circle with no set agenda - to listen, share and discover the emerging personal and collective wisdom of women for our times.

2003:  Following Iona, one of the participants, Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen, accepted an invitation from Malaspina University College–Cowichan, B.C., Canada , to present at a Women and Wisdom Conference. She encouraged participants to attend a conference in San Francisco called WEAVING A WORLD THAT WORKS. It was to be hosted by a newly created international women's movement called Gather the Women.

October: A small delegation from Vancouver Island traveled to the First GTW Conference in San Francisco . The GTW vision of 6 congresses on 6 continents emerged. Following the congress, a working circle was created for grassroots support for a possible 5th Women's World Conference.

2004: Clare Peterson of Canada , and Ann Smith of Florida , represented The Millionth Circle, as NGO Delegates to the United Nations Commission on Status of Women (UN-CSW) in New York , presenting grassroots support for a 5th Women's World Conference.

  The Second GTW Congress was held in Dallas Texas . Six women from Vancouver Island attended. The Canadian delegates were asked to consider hosting a North American GTW congress, the first of the international congresses envisioned on 6 continents through 2006-2007 and building towards a possible 5 the World Women's Conference before 2012.

2005: GTW from the United States were invited to a cross border retreat at Glenairley, in Victoria , B.C., to meet Canadian women who were interested in learning more about the GTW movement and to explore the possibility of hosting the first international GTW Congress

in 2006. Following a year of local consultations and discernment, a volunteer planning team stepped forward, a website was created and Gather the Women Canada was born . (GTWC) A relationship began with the newly formed 5 th World Women's Conference planning circle. (5WWC)

2006: GTWC hosted the first of the GTW international congresses! Over 200 women from Canada and the USA participated in the Weaving a World That Works Congress in June, at the University of Victoria ; B.C. Key note speakers included Dr. Margaret Fulton O.C., Dr.Jean Bolen M.D., Jean Crowder M.P., and Kathe Schaaf, co founder of GTW. Jean Bolen seeded the idea of Canada being a possible host for a 5 th Women's World Conference in 2015.

November: ‘CONTINUING THE WEAVING… SEEDING THE CONVERSATIONS “Gender Equality' Conversation with Dr. Margaret Fulton O.C. PhD. Dr. Cecilia Benoit, PhD. Professor of Sociology, University of Victoria .

December: GTWC sent congress greetings to the successful Grassroots African Women's Conference... Women Building Communities.

2007: January: GTWMatrix CORE LEADERSHIP RETREAT : Phoenix , Arizona . Clare Peterson represented GTWC.

GTWC hosted three monthly well attended open circles in Victoria- Introducing GTW and continuing Women in Leadership conversations.

June: The Margaret Fulton Leadership Series ~ Deepening and making visible…women's wisdom for peace'. Theme was leadership experience as seen through the eyes of CRONE, MOTHER and MAIDEN. Women of different generations shared their realities, wisdom and hopes for new ways of leading.

July: The third international GTW conference was held in Sidney , Australia . GTWCanada created a video with the Victoria congress planning team introducing the Canadian and Australian cores.

October: A second CROSS BORDER RETREAT at the Glenairley Centre, brought Canadian and American GTW cores together for deepening of relationships and threading stories from the history of our groups over the past few years 

A close relationship is maintained with GTW Global Matrix with conference calls, and leadership retreats. One GTWC member sits on the GTW MATRIX core.