The term “Deep Democracy” was first used by Arnold Mindell, an American psychotherapist and physicist. Deep Democracy is the idea that awareness is needed to bring democracy’s most cherished beliefs and ideals to life. Power without awareness will never solve our interactional problems. Mindell teaches that all people, all views, all feelings are needed for sustainable resolutions; that is the ‘deep’ addition to democracy. Deep Democracy provides methods for listening deeply to, learning from, and working with difference.
The Lewis Method of Deep Democracy is based on the work of Arnold Mindell. Its concepts and principles have been demystified and adapted for organizations by Myrna and Greg Lewis. A cutting-edge facilitation and conflict resolution methodology developed during the post-apartheid era in South Africa, the Lewis Method of Deep Democracy offers concrete, proven methods that surface undercurrents, engage all voices, and work through differences in order to achieve breakthroughs in seemingly impossible-to-solve issues. Today, the Lewis Method of Deep Democracy is practiced on six continents through a network of certified trainers and practitioners.