Appreciative Inquiry Newsletter Issue 10, August 2000

PURPOSE OF THE NEWSLETTER
This Newsletter is a forum for people interested in making the world a better place using Appreciative Inquiry and developing themselves and others to do even more wonderful things. 

The Newsletter is designed to complement other Ai resources such as web sites, hard copy journals and the Ai listserv, and to support the whole tapestry of Ai.


WELCOME TO ISSUE 10, AUGUST 2000
The lead article is by David Cooperrider. His involvement with the United Religions Initiative and his relationship with Dee Hock have provided important 'how to' lessons in developing a chaordic alliance. David Cooperrider identifies three things that make it work, practical rules of thumb, and the special contribution of the AI summit.

Matthias zur Bonsen writes about the powerful event in Riccione, Italy that released much energy for new AI initiatives in Europe including more country contacts for the newsletter. Welcome to Andrea Bumharter (Austria), Charlotte Dalsgaard (Denmark), Christopher Beck and Dorothe Liebig (Northern Germany) and Sven Sandstrom and Lesen Kebbe (Sweden).

There is a call for articles for a website, information of training events, new books and a new series of videos from the Taos Institute, and an invitation to come to the next meeting of the European AI Practitioners Group looking at AI in and with healthcare.

And finally, please renew your subscription to the newsletter for 2000/2001. In November, you can find out about "Chickies and Duckies"! Steve Cato and colleagues will be writing about "little Appreciative Inquiry"-the smaller ways that have made a difference.

All good wishes from a bright, sunny London


Anne
Anne Radford
Editor/co-ordinator of the newsletter

==========================
CONTENTS OF THE NEWSLETTER

1. AI AND THE CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION OF CHAORDIC ORGANIZATIONS
by David L. Cooperrider, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA
1.1 INTRODUCTION
*New forms of organization need equally powerful means
1.2 EXPANDING OUR VISION OF THE WORLD’S COOPERATIVE CAPACITY
*Infinite organizational diversity like fractals
*A few simple things make it work
1.3 PRACTICAL RULES OF THUMB TO CREATE SUCH AN 'ENTITY'
1.3.1 Intense commitment to organizational conceptualization
* A two year commitment
* Beyond command and control to new models
1.3.2 A vital interweaving of conversations in and through 3 modalities
* Simultaneously co-creating concepts and building commitment
* Essential Large Group (LG) Planning Conference
* Small group (SG) meetings create depth of content
1.4 THE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION OF THE AI SUMMIT (LG)
* Experience of wholeness
* Bringing together a wide range of people
* Surfacing the best in human beings
* Other success factors for an authentic arena for co-creation
* The 4Ds in a typical summit meeting
* Indra's net
2. IMAGINE RICCIONE by Matthias zur Bonsen, Oberursel, Germany

3. NEW COUNTRY CONTACTS
3.1 AUSTRIA Andrea Bumharter
3.2 DENMARK Charlotte Dalsgaard
3.3 NORTHERN GERMANY Christopher Beck and Dorothe Liebig
3.4 SWEDEN Sven Sandstrom and Lesen Kebbe
3.5 NEW DUTCH AI NETWORK

4. AI TRAINING ACTIVITIES 2000 and 2001
4.1 EUROPE -THE NETHERLANDS August 2000
4.2 NEPAL August 2000
4.3 USA Events in September and October 2000
4.4 EUROPE-AUSTRIA April and November 2001

5. BOOKS, ARTICLES, GERMAN NEWSLETTER, REPORTS AND VIDEOS
5.1 BOOKS
* Birth of the Chaordic Age by Dee Hock
* Open Space in German by Carole Maleh
* What Color Is Your Parachute? The job Hunters Manual in German by Madeleine Leitner
* The Thin Book of 360 Feedback from Sue Hammond's Thin Book Company
5.2 ARTICLE "How to bring your personal values to the workplace" Article about Anne Radford in the launch edition of a new e-commerce publication
5.3 EMAIL NEWSLETTER IN GERMAN
5.4 REPORT "Imagining London-a vision of the capital for older people"
5.5 VIDEOS "Conversations in Social Construction" from the Taos Institute

6. EUROPEAN AI PRACTITIONERS GROUP-looking at AI in HEALTHCARE
7. CALL FOR PAPERS FOR AI RESOURCE CENTRE
8. NOVEMBER ISSUE Little Appreciative Inquiry "Chickies and Duckies"++
9. SUBSCRIPTIONS DUE FOR 2000/2001
10. COUNTRY CONTACTS/CO-ORDINATORS
11. How to get back copies of the newsletter

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CONTENTS
1. AI AND THE CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION OF CHAORDIC ORGANIZATIONS
David L. Cooperrider

We can evolve toward the positive as quickly as we might devolve toward the negative because of the phenomenon of nonlinear exponential interactions. If the system could go either way, a slight intervention to assist the convergence of the positive can tip the scales of evolution in favor of the enhancement of life on Earth.”
--Barbara Marx Hubbard Conscious Evolution, 1998, pp. 149-50

You see, positive things do not come by nature. For positive things we have to make an effort. We must make the effort. Nobody, no one else, can do that. So everyone, hope for a better future, a happier future, if that is our wish. The present generation must make every effort. It is our responsibility.”
--His Holiness the Dalai Lama

1.1 INTRODUCTION
I remember the meeting vividly. A group of us were quietly working on an amazing puzzle that was attracting the very best people of any project I’ve worked on. The agenda of the committee: how to design a worldwide “United Religions”, an organization that would, in spiritually appropriate ways, parallel that of the United Nations.

In walks Dee Hock, founder and CEO Emeritus of Visa. When Barbara Marx Hubbard and Avon Madison introduced us to Dee they talked about their excitement about bringing together appreciative inquiry with the ideas of chaordic organization.

When Barbara reflected on the enormous potential she said something like this: “Appreciative modes of knowing may be to chaordic, self-organizing systems what deficit or problem-oriented methods of management have been to command-and-control bureaucracy.”

* New forms of organization need equally powerful means
In this article I want to take a more pragmatic look at some “how to” lessons in lifting up a chaordic alliance. For me there were many surprises. But one lesson is simple to state, and it should be repeated over and over: if we want dramatic new forms of human organization we need equally powerful means which themselves are congruent with the truly radical, self-organizing, chaordic ends.

Such process—constantly poised on the edge of chaos-- is not for the weak-hearted. It is exhilarating, messy, relationally uplifting, wonderful and terrifying. It is clear to me that no chaordic organization, perhaps by definition, can be pre-fashioned outside of an unpredictable immersion in co-evolutionary forms of some of the most intense dialogue and listening imaginable. Talk about trust. Everyone changes. And you see people become better human beings. I wish everyone alive could experience the thrill of it all. So let’s explore insights from the story.

1.2 EXPANDING OUR VISION OF THE WORLD’S COOPERATIVE CAPACITY
Against unimaginable odds the global United Religions (URI) organization was born in June 26, 2000 and the charter was signed. In a span of four years since the first global summit meeting in 1996 thousands of people have shared their visions and worked together to create the URI. Several million dollars have been raised. Working on all continents and across nations, people from different religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions have experienced unprecedented levels of cooperation vis-a-vis the creation of an organization that is inclusive, nonhierarchical and decentralized; a unique organization composed of self-organizing groups which operate locally and are connected globally.

* Infinite organizational diversity like fractals
At the time of the charter signing there are URI organizations—“cooperation circles”—in thirty different parts of the world. Within five years there could be a thousand others. Like the ineffable beauty of fractals which provide a glimpse of infinite diversity (no two fractals are the same) connected in patterns based on a few pieces of information (as few as three no-linear equations), URI will have pattern and coherence without mechanisms of command-and-control.

* A few simple things make it work:
<> IDENTITY (deep purpose and constitutional principles)
<> INFORMATION (an almost instantaneous spread of innovation and imagination) and
<> relationally empowering INQUIRY that searches for the best in the “other” and creates center-to-center unions connecting people deliberately to the positive core of the whole (assets, strengths, aspirations, sacred center, best practices, etc).

The result is evolution—a constant interweaving of processes—that leads to structure. But not rigid. It is a dynamic connection of circles, which are resilient to unending change, responsive to context, and connected to the infinite capacities of the whole.

1.3 PRACTICAL RULES OF THUMB TO CREATE SUCH AN 'ENTITY'
What does it take to create such an “entity”? Several practical rules of thumb are suggested from URI:
1.3.1 Intense commitment to organizational conceptualization
* A two year commitment
Designing a chaordic organization worldwide is at least a two-year commitment. This is a surprise to many. It requires, for example, a trusted design/conceptualization team of 10-20 people committed to at least three days of work together every forty-five days for two years to move through an iterative cycle of articulating Purpose; Principles; People; Concept; and Constitution and bylaws.

* Beyond command and control to new models
I see no way of shortening the amount of time required. So much unlearning takes place. One of Dee’s remarkable gifts is helping people see the need for and commit the time for attending to the organization dimensions of this work so that new models are created. Command-and control re-asserts itself over and over, especially at the very end, right before the legal elements are signed and sealed. Just wait until discussion come up about what to do with “fractals” that are poor performers or unethical in their practices—what does self-organizing mean now? So, be ready:

1.3.2 A vital interweaving of conversations in and through three modalities:
Large group (LG) “whole system” planning forums
Small group (SG) design team meetings
Building an ever-expanding dialogue or extended community (EC).

* Simultaneously co-creating concepts and building commitment
Lifting up a chaordic organization involves simultaneous attention to co-creating new concepts and building a domain-wide commitment. A charter signing without a community ready to celebrate it is not only sad but also fatal. So we talk not so much of “a charter” but of “chartering” reminding all of us of the Tao-like relation between content and connectivity.

* Essential Large Group (LG) Planning Conference
In this spirit, an annual LG planning conference of 100-2000 people is essential. It builds a tremendous sense of momentum, vision, and authorization for the SG design team meetings.

* Small group (SG) meetings create depth of content
The SG meetings subsequently create a depth of content that can be used to ignite conversation with an ever expanding electronic and face-to-face Extended Community (EC); and all three together create a constant interweaving process from which emerges a chaordic structure.

The catalytic key, in our experience, is the LG kickoff. In complexity theory it is talked about as the phenomenon of “initial dependent conditions”—sometimes leading to the so-called butterfly effect. It is an area that needs a lot more research as it relates to human systems. Indeed there may be nothing more important than the memetic code nurtured in the opening minutes of the very first meeting.

1.4 THE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION OF THE AI SUMMIT (LG)
The AI summit makes possible interactive task oriented conferences where groups of anywhere from one hundred to several thousand people can co-evolve a valued and possible future. Participation at an AI summit is, by design, diverse and inclusive of “everyone” that has a stake in seeing a better future for the system being created, re-conceived, or developed.

* Experience of wholeness
Beyond the shift from a deficit-based theory of change to a life-centric search for the positive core, the other unique factor that makes the whole thing powerful is experience of wholeness.

* Bringing together a wide range of people
There was a turning point in URI when we suggested that participation in the charter writing go beyond the typical religious leaders. Many others have a stake in the establishment of an effective UR: people from the grassroots, our youth, leaders of NGO’s like Save the Children, business leaders, people at the World Bank, and so on. The human dynamic changes when people are connected to a whole.

* Surfacing the best in human beings
The best in human beings somehow, for some reason, surfaces: bringing the whole system into the room calls us to higher levels of awareness, compassion, courage, and cooperative capacity.

* Other success factors for an authentic arena for co-creation:
<> 90% dialogue and 10% or less monologue.
<> Creating a narrative-rich environment of storytelling
<> Searching for inspired, voluntary action on behalf of the emerging vision
<> Having regular moments of silence
<> Having full attendance all the way through.

The hardest part for us with religious leaders was having no formal speeches, and working together as peers. Everyone who attends comes with opportunity for voice. One goal is to create a setting not in half but “full voice.” The summit does not work when there is a separate leadership group working primarily to get validation for a pre-written plan.

* The 4Ds in a typical summit meeting
In a typical summit meeting people spend approximately one day on each of the “4-D’s”:
<>Discovery mobilizing a system inquiry into the positive change core;
<>Dream creating a clear, results-oriented vision from discovered potential and higher purpose;
<>Design creating possibility propositions of the ideal organization capable of realizing the new dream; and
<>Destiny strengthening the affirmative capability of the whole system to build hope and momentum around a deep purpose and creating processes for learning, adjustment, and improvisation over time.

In lifting up URI there have been global summits annually since 1996 and regional summits have taken place in South Africa, East Africa, Brazil, Egypt, Argentina, Romania, India, and others. The results have often been dramatic. After one of the AI sessions at Stanford University one participant said: I think everyone left Stanford a bit stunned by what a gift the experience had been”.

For me personally being part of this creation-- of a chaordic organization with such moral purpose and positive vision-- has given me more hope about our world’s future that anything I’ve ever worked on in my life. And it has also left me with the gift. It is a bright, new image, of possibility.

*Indra's net
One metaphor, used repeatedly in the dream and design phases, was of Indra’s net, which is about the cosmic web of inter-relatedness extending infinitely in all directions of the universe. Every intersection of the intertwining web is set with a glistening jewel, in which all parts of the whole are reflected. Imagine an organization where the reflections making up each entity are an endless amplification of strengths mirroring onto one another, sparkling and glistening. It is an image that is coming alive right now.
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Some parts of this article were published in a fuller version in the 'Inner Edge' publication. Their website is www.inneredge.com
The website for the United Religions Initiative is www.united-religions.org. The Revd Cn Charles Gibbs, Executive Director, URI wrote an article on "What has AI brought to the Mix?" in Issue 5 of the AI newsletter. Index is at www.aradford.co.uk/AInewsletter.htm

2. IMAGINE RICCIONE Matthias zur Bonsen, Oberursel, Germany
zur.bonsen@all-in-one-spirit.de

In November 1999 a group of consultants from various european countries met in Taos to attend David Cooperrider's and Diana Whitney's workshop on AI. There the idea was born to bring Diana and David to Europe. After a one hour lunch we all agreed: we would do it, we would do it as an international team and we would succeed.

And we did. From May 22 to 26 about 70 consultants from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Liechtenstein, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland assembled for five sunny days in Riccione, a beach resort at the adriatic sea in Italy. And for many of them it became the most inspiring workshop they ever had participated in. Those five days were not only a period of intense learning, but also one of enjoying a community of great colleagues from many countries. The days began early in the morning swimming in the sea towards the rising sun or jogging along the beach and they ended with celebrating, sometimes singing or dancing and swimming again at midnight.

Those five days had an air of festivity. At the end we felt all very grateful that Diana and David had come to Europe and shared their know how and their stories. We expressed our gratefulness in a song we sang to them both at the end of the seminar. Our song was based on John Lennon's famous "Imagine", and we called it "Imagine Riccione". I would very much like you all to hear how Rasmus from Denmark played the piano and how the rest of us sang. Yet here I can share with you only the text:

Imagine in Riccione
it's easy if you try
below us are good stories
above is only sky

Refrain)
Imagine all those people
working with AI
you may say I'm a dreamer
but I'm not the only one
we all know you are with us
and the world will live as one

Imagine all those countries
where AI does change lives
consultants do support it
their toolbox is prepared

(Refrain)
Imagine all those people
working with AI
.....
Imagine in Riccione
where you touched our lives
consultants did enjoy it
thank you for all you gave.

Back home (in my case in Germany) the news about AI spread fast and I heard from many colleagues who began to apply what they learned. Some started very ambitious projects.

For example Ruth from Austria. Ruth is a seasoned consultant with lots of experience and many contacts in Austria. Being a Jew she was appalled by the fact that the party of Jörg Haider (a populist-right-wing politician) won elections and is now part of the Austrian government. So she felt a strong calling to start an "Imagine Austria" project. And it seems that she is winning support for her aspirations.

"Riccione" was a great experience for us all. It has enriched our toolbox. And it inspired us to reach for higher goals and greater visions in our practice. We are glad that David and Diana will come back to Europe in 2002.

3. NEW COUNTRY CONTACTS:
Several people who came to Riccione and the AI workshop Anne Radford and Walter Bruck did in Germany in November 1999 wanted to be involved in the newsletter.

3.1 In AUSTRIA, she is Andrea Bumharter. With Peter Böhm, she founded the
consulting-company BÖHM & BUMHARTER which specializes in consulting of IT-
and OD-projects, facilitation of large-group-workshops and team-training.
Andrea says "We are using AI as part of the debriefing in projects and as part of the
future-search-conference."
www.boehmundbumharter.at email: andrea.bumharter@boehmundbumharter.at
3.2 In DENMARK, Charlotte Dalsgaard will be making occasional contributions.
email: cd@harbohus.dk
She says, 'At present I am in the process of editing a pan European book on AI in organisations (with some contributions from USA). This book will be issued initially in Danish, followed by a version in English and other European languages.'
3.3 In NORTHERN GERMANY, Christoph Beck is a Management Consultant and the Managing Partner, Tricon Unternehmensberatung PartG., Berlin. He works with business, hospitals and community groups, and supports change and transformation processes. In his work he combines business methods like strategic planning, organisational restructuring, business process improvement with psychological, behavioural oriented approaches.
www.tricon-beratung.de email: info@tricon-beratung.de

Also, in Berlin, is Dorothe Liebig, a Management Consultant, Psychologist, and Committee member of the GWS-Network, a network of consultants working with the systemic approach to organisational change and learning. She works in profit and non profit organisations and with professionals such as management and information technology consultants.
www.gws-netzwerk.de email:dorothe.liebig@t-online.de
3.4 SWEDEN:
Sven Sandström and Lisen Kebbe work in Sweden link AI with Future Search. In a recent Future Day, 300 youngsters met 300 adults to build common ground and look at possibilities in a region that is going to lose its military base.
email: sven.sandstrom@swipnet.se
3.5 A NEW AI DUTCH NETWORK
Bianca Elmers who was in Riccione and Joep de Jong at Syntegra, an experienced AI practitioner, have put on one network meeting and are arranging the next one in September. More information from Bianca at belmers@planet.nl

4. AI TRAINING ACTIVITIES 2000
4.1 EUROPE: THE NETHERLANDS This is a 5-day training for trainers
Date: August 28 to September 1, 2000 with Frank Barrett, Joep de Jong and Maarten Thissen Tuition fee: DFL 4900. Contact: r.knipping@syntegra.nl
4.2 NEPAL The principles and practices of AI aimed at aid/developmental issues
Date: August 28-31, 2000 with Diana Whitney Location: Kathmandu, Nepal. To register, contact Ravi Pradhan at ravip@mos.com.np
4.3 USA-Taos, New Mexico "The Appreciative Life" September 20-23, 2000
with Diana Whitney and Pam Marston. Contact email: positivechange1@aol.com.
USA-Washington DC NTL Supervised field practicum September 16 to 23, 2000 with Bernard Mohr and Barbara Sloan To register, go to www.ntl.org.
USA-Pasadena, California Dates: September 26 to 28, 2000 with Steve Cato, Diane Robbins and Larry Dressler AI Learning Series Workshop 1. Contact: Steve Cato at scato@worldnet.att.net or Diane Robbins at drobbins@mindspring.com
USA-Monterey, California Date: October 1 to 5, 2000 A Workshop for Leaders and Consultants Engaged in Organization Transformation with Frank Barrett and Diana Whitney Contact: fbarrett@cruzio.com or positivechange1@aol.com
4.4 AI TRAINING 2001 EUROPE AUSTRIA April 4 to 6 and November 14 to 16, 2001
Workshop on Ai with Anne Radford and Dorothe Liebig Organised by MCV the ManagementCenterVorarlberg in Austria. Contact: Dorothe.Liebig@t-online.de


5. BOOKS, ARTICLES, GERMAN NEWSLETTER, REPORTS and VIDEOS
5.1 BOOKS ** Birth of the Chaordic Age by Dee Hock publishers Berrett-Koehler won two awards. ** Open Space in German by Carole Maleh Email: Carole.Maleh@conferences.de ** What Color Is Your Parachute? The job Hunters Manual in German by Madeleine Leitner Email: Madeleine.Leitner@t-online.de ** The Thin Book of 360 Feedback from Sue Hammond's Thin Book Company Email: SueHammond@aol.com
5.2 ARTICLE on Anne Radford in new e-commerce publication"executive intelligence"
'How to bring your personal values to the workplace' by Jane Bird, June/July 2000 Issue One. To see a copy, go to www.3Com.co.uk/active-business or www.aradford.co.uk.
5.3 EMAIL NEWSLETTER ON AI IN GERMAN For more information, contact Walter Bruck who is sending it out several times a year. Email: wbruck@wb-consult.de
5.4 REPORT "Imagining London--a vision of the capital for older people" by Perry Walker and Anne Radford published by AgeConcern London in April 2000. Price: 5 GBpounds. For more information, contact ggasie@aclondon.org.uk
5.5 VIDEOS "Conversations In Social Construction" The Taos Institute and Masterworks have a new series of video tapes. More from: www.masterswork.com

6. EUROPEAN AI PRACTITIONERS' GROUP-healthcare
AI practitioners in Europe have been getting together over the last five years to tell their stories, listen to stories and get good ideas from each other on how to be even better practitioners. The next meeting with focus on healthcare.

If you work in or with healthcare and want to come to gathering in late January, do write to Anne Radford at editor@aipractitioner.com

7. CALL FOR ARTICLES FOR AI RESOURCE CENTRE on a website
If you would like to make available your AI articles to a wider audience and receive money each time someone downloads it, contact Anne Radford at editor@aipractitioner.com.

8. NOVEMBER ISSUE-ISSUE 11
"Chickies and Duckies": Using Appreciative Inquiry in smaller ways. Bruce Sillers
"Little Appreciative Inquiry- Strategies for using Appreciative Inquiry when
you don't know enough to do something big OR your client isn't ready". Diane Robbins and Steve Cato
"Using Appreciative Inquiry in a Business School" Bud Orr
"Changing Our Minds"- use of Appreciative Inquiry to study best in childcare for gay, lesbian and transgender families.
"Appreciative Inquiry at a Family Reunion - a design that worked for my
family" Jeananne Oliphant
"Appreciative Inquiry and organization leadership" Sherene Zolno

To receive this great issue, please renew your subscription.

9. YOUR SUBSCRIPTION FOR 2000/2001 IS DUE
Please renew your subscription for the next twelve months. If you have subscribed in the last three months, you do not need to do anything-your subscription will go through to August 2001.
To SUBSCRIBE to the newsletter, please go to subscribe in the "Welcome" letter on the website http://www.aradford.co.uk. That will take you into the shopping area where you can select one of three contribution levels. The site is secure for credit card use. You are the only one who sees your cc details.

10. COUNTRY CONTACTS/CO-ORDINATORS
If you would like to contribute to the newsletter or be a country contact, please contact one of the following:

AUSTRIA Andrea Bumharter andreabumharter@boehmundbumharter.at

AUSTRALIA Liz Mellish info@mellish.com.au

CANADA Gervase Bushe bushe@sfu.ca

COLOMBIA Sara Inés Gómez sarinago@inter.net.co

DENMARK:

Charlotte Dalsgaard cd@harbohus.dk

Mette Jacobsgaard 101572.622@compuserve.com

EGYPT

Hamdi Qenawi qenawi@usa.net

GERMANY:
Southern Germany Walter Bruck wbruck@wb-consult.de

Northern Germany Christoph Beck tricon-beratung@t-online.de

 and

Dorothe Liebig dorothe.liebig@t-online.de


MEXICO Magdalena Steinmeyer hgstein@ibm.net


NEPAL Ravi Pradhan ravip@mos.com.np


SCOTLAND Margaret Wright mwright@resolution-scotland.com


SOUTH AFRICA Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre letsema@wn.apc.org


SWEDEN Sven Sandstrom and Lisen Kebbe sven.sandstrom@swipnet.se


THE NETHERLANDS Joep de Jong joep.dejong@syntegra.nl

USA:
East Coast Muriel Finegold Marafine@aol.com


East Coast Marge Schiller MRSENTP@worldnet.att.net


East Coast Laverne Dees Webb LaverneW@aol.com


West Coast Steve Cato scato@worldnet.att.net


ZIMBABWE Bill Kinsey bkinsey@econ.vu.nl


NEWSLETTER EDITOR/CO-ORDINATOR+ENGLAND Anne Radford editor@aipractitioner.com

11. BACK COPIES OF THE NEWSLETTER
To get back copies of the newsletter, go to www.aradford.co.uk/AInewsletter.htm.
Do forward the newsletter to as many people as you like.