What are the guiding principles of our time?

Saturday I was hit between the eyes with an acute awareness of a state that some call ' blessed unrest.' I was invited at relatively short notice to co-facilitate a workshop called "Changing the Dream." It's about bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on this planet as the guiding principle of our time. The sobering start graphically outlined where we are now and how we got here, then led us to many extraordinary things we are doing, to an exploration of the possibilities for the future of a world that is fully awake. As one, the group we became aware of this open connected state of unrest where once you have seen some things clearly, you simply cannot ignore them, and must act to make a better world for all.

Joanna Macy from her work in Deep Ecology talks about three things to be done:

Holding Actions: Actions that slow down social or ecological damage such as recycle, reuse, reduce; water tanks, alternative transport, planting trees.

Systems Change: Analysis of the structural causes of crisis of unsustainability and creating alternatives institutions; public transport, relocalisation, building regulations, micro credit, fair trade, community owned power and more.

Shift in Consciousness: This is about making a fundamental shift in world view; a cognitive revolution and spiritual awakening. We need to examine our perceptions to awakening from unexamined assumptions, indoctrinated beliefs and illusions of the western dream. For example: where is 'away' when we dispose of our packaging, when did we shift from being citizens to consumers, why is stimulating more spending (as consumers) imperative, what do we believe we have a 'right' to do?

In all the work I have done across personal, social and organisational change there is a common thread; fix the immediate energy leak, look at how you structure you life, your business, your community and replace with more workable systems, examine the beliefs and thinking that got you there in the first place and change them to align with some more enlightened goals.

Really we need to do all three things. However the one that will ultimately create the most powerful and positive impact is to change at the fulcrum - our inner world of beliefs and values. When we change our own inner consciousness we have the capacity to change world consciousness. Anything that has ever been created starts with a thought, a germ of an idea, an inspiration or a feeling. Unless we change this, then we are at risk of replicating the past. What did Einstein tell us - that we cant create something new with the same level of thinking that created it! We need to evolve.

Harry Palmer from the Avatar world is one of the people who understands this well. Our world of beliefs and deep convictions are the engine room of our actions. When we become aware of these and recognise ourselves as source of these, we can draw on something deeper that drives us to evolve our lives and shape the world into a saner more equitable more caring place.

The Incisive Awareness of Children on Climate Change and the Future

I cried when I heard them share their views about the future of the earth......

I watched a couple of short video clips (is that what they are still called) in the last few days. The first clip of less than 2 minutes is a piece of brilliance by a young woman about the future of the world. (thanks Carla from AFN) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

The second, The Human Sign Project for Climate Action is a production sponsored by local businesses and sustainability groups featuring children from Central and Southern Victorian schools. I cried when I heard them share their views about the future of the earth. It is very challenging to see a child look into the camera and tell you she is scared about her future and that maybe it really is the apocalypse; and enough to make you sit up and listen when a 9 year old tells you his life was changed by watching Al Gore. Their message is in a series of arial shots of human signs telling us to WORK TOGETHER, PLANT TREES, SAVE WATER, ACT NOW. Their simple and powerful message is that we need to put our differences aside and work together towards creating an ecological and sustainable generation - and we need to act on it now. To find out more about the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative check out:
http://www.environment.gov.au/education/aussi/

ORGANIC SANITY PREVAILS

Praise the Lord and pass the port, the email about the legislation mentioned in the previous post was a grossly exaggerated worst case interpretation of the plan to outlaw organic growing! Had fresh tomatoes out of the garden this morning.

Legislation That Kills Us

Earlier this year I spent some time in Orlando Florida where I was delighted to find good quality organic food aplenty in the whole food store. This meant for the two weeks my companions and I could eat unadulterated fresh and nutritious produce without having to ingest over-packaged food items that had been chemicalized, pasteurised, sanitised and pack full of corn syrup and other addictive sweeteners. This is something that is very noticeable for those of us who have embraced an organic of way life.

So it was with complete dismay and disbelief that I read about a plan to pass legislation against organic farming in USA in an email sent by a friend. According to this source Bill HR875 Food Safety Modernisation Act 2009 requires the use of chemicals on food crops and outlaws organic farming. Could this madness really be true?

It stated, “The main backer and lobbyist is Monsanto – giant chemical and genetic engineering corporation, as well as Cargill, ADM, and about 35 other related agri-giants. This bill will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by a newly formed agency to "make sure there is no danger to the public food supply". This will include backyard gardens that grow food only for a family and not for sales. If this passes then NO more heirloom clean seeds will be allowed, but only Monsanto genetically altered seeds that are now showing up with unexpected diseases in humans.”

I am wary of the potential for overdramatising with assertions that are made on some mass emails as at times they prove to be inaccurate, untrue or been in circulation for so long that they are out of date. Through just a little research however, I have discovered that the bill definitely exists and is current. One issue appears to be that the wording is ambiguous and can leave open the interpretation as described above. I am by no means an expert here, but it is worth checking out on the tracking site http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-875

The ramifications for the USA, as well as Australia are extremely disturbing. A role of government is to protect the wellbeing of all the community. It is hard to believe that our legislators can have such a myopic view of what is safe, or are they truly and entirely in the pocket of the giant corporations? It is important to be an active participant in the decisions that affect our lives.

Where Reason Marries Passion

This last weekend I had the privilege of being initiated into womanhood in the traditional indigenous way by a Wirradjiri lore woman. It was a simple and profound experience and the tears pricked my eyes as my face was daubed with sacred ochre. In traditional society once you reach 30 you become a migai - a woman. One aspect of the ceremony is about wiping the slate clean and letting go the mistakes made through the passion of the learning years. It is the essence of our every mistake can be our greatest teaching. As you can imagine, this was pretty big for me as I am way past thirty, so it wasn’t just the silly indiscretions of youth but another twenty years of past wrongs. It was a pretty great experience from this perspective because I have used the Avatar tools really successfully here integrating old patterns of sabotage and this was another cut, removing the dross and feeling more connected to my essential self and my intentions to contribute to a saner more compassionate world. As Minmia says, you cannot have peace with the world if you do not have peace with yourself. She calls this stage of development the age where reason marries passion.

She told many of the traditional teaching stories on the weekend. This was such a rich experience hearing about greedy Brolga, humble Pelican and compassionate Kangaroo. I can just imagine how enthralled my granddaughter would be listening to these powerful stories.

One perspective she impressed on us that we all belong to the land no matter what our heritage. It is not just aboriginal people. She says if we were born on this land, we belong to it. She says it is part of women’s role in practical spirituality to act with care for Nungeena-tya (the earth), as well as family and community. It is in deepening this connection that we feel a greater respect for all sentient life. This makes sense to me.

According to Minmia we are all born 'boss of self' and we need to take responsibility. I get the similarity to other traditions, particularly Avatar where being 'source' is to be responsible for what we create. This weekend was quite a gift and I am grateful for all those who helped make it happen, and particularly Minmia who recognises the importance of this time in reconnecting to a more sustainable way of being.