Great Turning Times February 2006
Feb 2006 edition.
The Great Turning Times – a free quarterly email
newsletter about finding our power to respond to
global crisis. Bringing together ecology,
psychology, spirituality and global politics, it
lists events, news and resources to support the
shift towards a life sustaining society.
Dear Reader,
Apologies for the long gap since last September’s
edition: I’ve been in overload and so changed the
timing of this newsletter. It now comes out in
February, May, August and November. If you’re new to
this mailing, you may be wondering what it is about.
What is this Great Turning? And why might you be
interested? As part of filling in the backstory, I’d
like to mention a recent front page story from a UK
newspaper.
“We are past the point of no return” announced the
main headline of The Independent on January
16th. James Lovelock, the leading scientist behind
Gaia Theory, shared his view that we are already too
late to reverse global warming. His assessment is
based on recognising the role of self-amplifying
loops in climate change. Even if we were to
dramatically curb our carbon emissions, we have
already set off a self-perpetuating cascade. Here is
an example. Ice reflects sunlight better than rock
or water. When ice melts and exposes the rock or
ocean underneath, that area absorbs more heat. So
the hotter it gets, the more the ice melts, and the
more the ice melts, the hotter it gets. This is just
one of a number of ‘positive feedback loops’ that
amplify global warming.
A diagram of the change in ice cover in Greenland is
shown on the BBC news website at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4660938.stm
This web page also describes a new report on climate
change recently published by the UK Met Office.
Summarising the findings of an international
conference last year, Avoiding Dangerous Climate
Change offers an overview of the current
scientific assessment. You can read extracts at
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/adcc/index.html
I recommend looking at the chapter An Overview of
‘Dangerous’ Climate Change. Here is a section
from it.
Based on these temperature forecasts, the IPCC has
produced a list of likely effects of climate change,
most
of which are negative (see [25]). These include:
more fre-
quent heat waves (and less frequent cold spells);
more
intense storms (hurricanes, tropical cyclones, etc.)
and a
surge in weather-related damage; increased intensity
of
floods and droughts; warmer surface temperatures,
espe-
cially at higher latitudes; more rapid spread of
disease;
loss of farming productivity in many regions and/or
move-
ment of farming to other regions, most at higher
latitudes;
rising sea levels, which could inundate coastal
areas and
small island nations; and species extinction and
loss of
biodiversity.
While this catalogue of disasters is disturbing to
read (and most of these problems are happening
already), there is worse to come. The same page
continues:
The IPCC also suggested that, particularly for rapid
and substantial temperature increases, climate
change could
trigger ‘surprises’: rapid, nonlinear responses of
the climate
system to anthropogenic forcing, thought to occur
when
environmental thresholds are crossed and new (and
not always beneficial)
equilibriums are reached. Schneider et al. (1998)
[66] took this a step further,
defining ‘imaginable surprises’– events that could
be extremely damaging
but which are not truly unanticipated. These could
include
a large reduction in the strength or possible
collapse of the
North Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC)
system,
which could cause significant cooling in the North
Atlantic
region, with both warming and cooling regional
telecon-
nections up- and downstream of the North Atlantic;
and
deglaciation of polar ice sheets like Greenland or
the
West Antarctic, which would cause (over many
centuries)
many meters of additional sea level rise on top of
that
caused by the thermal expansion from the direct
warming
of the oceans [61].
The report adds:
There is also the possibility of true surprises,
events
not yet currently envisioned [66].
Perhaps films like The Day After Tomorrow
aren’t so far fetched after all. But is it possible
that ‘true surprises’ could work the other way?
Could we help trigger, and participate in, a ‘true
surprise’ that has a positive effect? Non-linear
responses are those that don’t follow gradual
trends. They involve sudden shifts that are
difficult to predict. How about, for example, a
sudden shift of awakening ecological consciousness.
That is the sort of thing that is needed for a Great
Turning towards a life sustaining society. And if
something like this were to happen, self-amplifying
loops would play a role. The good news is that
self-generating cycles of positive change can be
relatively easy to set off. Here is an example.
At the end of last year, about a dozen people
gathered in my front room. This was the first
meeting of a study-action group on The Great
Turning. We’ve met again since, and plan to every
four to six weeks over the next six months. What
drew us together was a shared concern about the
state of our world, as well as a shared
determination to support each other in responding.
I’d been much inspired by hearing Joanna Macy talk
about the study action groups she’d been part of,
and of how these had helped support her in
addressing difficult issues like the use of depleted
uranium. Here’s how it works.
You can have a study action group on any area. All
you need is up to a dozen other people who share
your concern and are willing to meet regularly with
the aim of deepening understanding and confidence in
addressing the issue. Joanna talked about the three
S’s of study, strategy and spirituality. In order to
face challenging issues, we need to learn about
them. So members of the group take on to research
particular areas and present their findings at the
meetings. However study should not take up more than
a third of the time, otherwise, it could become
boring abstract or laboured. The strategy part
involves looking at constructive responses. It can
also involve taking action together, or engaging in
joint projects.
A third of the time also needs to be devoted to the
last S – spirituality. This word is used in a broad
sense to refer to all the aspects of the group
concerned with mutual support, deepening connections
and developing emotional or spiritual resources.
Some of these issues are hard to look at and we need
to develop nourishing spaces to sustain us. This
part of the group looks at ways of helping us engage
with issues that can sometimes be experienced as
overwhelming. Here is an example of a process my
group did at our last meeting.
This exercise is called Wheel of the Great
Turning. Instructions can be found at Joanna
Macy’s website at
http://www.joannamacy.net/html/great.html
We gathered in a circle, with three objects in the
centre to represent the three dimensions of the
Great Turning. The first dimension is the holding
actions. I think of this as the “NO”. It involves
all acts of protest and campaigning to stop or slow
the destruction of our world. We represented this by
a cushion. It was something to hold on to. The
second dimension is the development of constructive
alternatives and new ways of doing things. I think
of this as the “YES”. We represented this by a
plant. It had plenty of new shoots. The third
dimension is the deeper shift in values and
perceptions, the recognition that we are part of our
world, and deeply connected with life. I think of
this as the “WOW”. It involves the shift in
consciousness needed to motivate the other changes.
We had a beautiful crystal to represent this.
One by one, we came into the circle, and described
things we were doing in our lives that contributed
to the Great Turning, holding one of the object to
represent the dimension we expressed with each
action. I held the plant as I described a new course
I’ve set up for medical students looking at health
and the environment. I held the crystal as I talked
of the book I’ve just written about finding our
power to take part in positive change. What I
remember from that evening was a deep encouragement.
I was witnessing the Great Turning. I was hearing
about it in its many forms. It gave me a boost. And
that boost strengthened my resolve. It did for
others too. In supporting each other, we were
setting off a self amplifying loop of positive
change. The more we’re encouraged, the more steps we
take. And the more we move The Great Turning
forward, the more encouraged we become. That way the
Great Turning occurs through us, through our actions
and choices.
The challenge we face is that self-amplifying loops
can work both ways. There are plenty of vicious
cycles of cascading awfulness. But cycles of
amplification can work the other way too and we can
become part of these. We have the opportunity to
participate in a change that helps itself happen
more. The shocks and bad news are important as wake
up calls that alert us to the dangers we face. The
Great Turning is about rising to the challenge of a
constructive response.
This newsletter comes out every three months with
the aim of keeping you in touch with both the crisis
unfolding in our times and the rising wave of a
culture committed to the flourishing of life. For a
Great Turning to occur, we need to train ourselves.
We need to cultivate the compassion that moves us to
respond, the courage so that we are not put off by
difficult circumstances and the insight that helps
us see how our actions can be effective. That is why
this newsletter addresses the psychological and
spiritual dimensions of change as well as the
political and ecological.
With you in this Great Turning adventure
Chris Johnstone
Editor, The Great Turning Times.
email: chris@chrisjohnstone.info
web:
http://www.chrisjohnstone.info
P.s.
If you like this email newsletter, please do pass it
on (that’s another way to become part of a
self-amplifying loop). If it has been forwarded to
you and you’d like it regularly, email me with
SUBSCRIBE in the subject header. If you want to stop
receiving it, please email me with “REMOVE” as a
subject header. It comes out four times a year, with
editions in February, May, August and November. Copy
date for entries is last day of month before next
edition. Please let me know of events, news,
resources etc that you would like included. Please
also keep entries short, ideally about 100-200
words.
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(1) If you’re from outside the UK and would prefer
the international edition of this newsletter that
includes the same news and resources for the Great
Turning, but without details of the UK events,
please email me at
chris@chrisjohnstone.info with
INTERNATIONAL PLEASE in the header, and telling me
which country you’re from. The international edition
is still in its development phase. The good news is
that we’re in the process of setting up a Great
Turning Times website, and this should be active by
the time the next edition comes out in May. We plan
to have an international listings page, with details
of workshops and events occurring in different parts
of the world. If you’re running events or are a
contact person for a Great Turning related activity,
please let me know. We are in the process of
developing an international contacts directory.
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(2) It was Joanna Macy who coined the phrase ‘The
Great Turning’ to describe the story of change
required in our times.
A recent interview with her is viewable at the
Permaculture Magazine website at:
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/mag/Articles/The%20Great%20Turning.html
Other useful web resources include:
An interview about the Great Turning at
http://www.yesmagazine.org/pdf/Macy_Great_Turning.pdf
An article about The Great Turning is viewable at
http://www.rainbowbody.net/Ongwhehonwhe/MacyGreatTurn.htm
There is more material on Joanna Macy’s
website at
http://www.joannamacy.net
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(3) If everyone lived at the same material standard
of living as the average in the West, we’d need
another four planets to supply the resources and
cope with the waste. To find out how many planets
would be needed if everyone lived like you, check
your ecological footprint on the website at
http://www.myfootprint.org
If you have difficulty getting it to
work, try the low bandwidth option.
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(4) For an excellent source of information about
environmental issues, check out
http://www.earthwire.org
It provides a daily cuttings service,
with links to articles in newspapers. If you
subscribe, they’ll send you daily email updates.
I’ve found this an invaluable service.
http://www.climatewire.org provides a
similar service with news related to climate change.
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(5) News from Sweden –
The Swedish Minister for Sustainable Development,
Mona Sahlin, has announced plans to break the
country's dependence on oil by 2020.
"The
aim is to break dependence on fossil fuels by 2020”
she said. “By then no home will need oil for
heating. By then no motorist will be obliged to use
petrol as the sole option available. By then, there
will always be better alternatives to oil."
Read more at
http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=10987&channel=0
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(6) Encouraging news from California
On
January 12, the “California Solar Initiative” was
approved by the California Public Utilities
Commission. The $2.9 billion program, backed by
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, could make
California one of the world's largest producers of
solar power.
3,000 megawatts of solar energy will be added over
11 years through the installation of 1 million
rooftop solar energy systems on homes, businesses,
farms, schools and public buildings. That amount of
electricity would be equivalent to about six new
power stations.
See
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/news/index.cfm?uNewsID=56380
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(7) UK Energy Review Consultation
In the UK, an energy review consultation has just
started. The UK government has shown an alarming
lack of awareness about issues like Peak Oil, and
has provided more talk than action on climate
change. This review offers an opportunity to inform
them of your concerns and make them aware of the
issues. The consultation period is for 12 weeks from
Jan 23rd.
See
http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review/
I had trouble downloading the pdf version
of the consultation document, but if you phone
0845-015 0010 they’ll send you a hard copy for free.
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(8) Online course - Deep Ecology in Context
This online course provides the background for the
emerging field of ecopsychology, and is in fact a
required course for completion of the Master of Arts
in Transpersonal Psychology with an Ecopsychology
Concentration at Naropa University. If you've ever
wondered where ecopsychology came from, what are its
roots, or what are related fields and movements,
this course reveals all! Although it is officially
a graduate course, it is open to everyone who has
had at least two years of college, anywhere in the
world, and it can be taken for credit or noncredit.
The course runs between January 17 and May 10,
2006. Check out the course description at
http://www.naropa.edu/distance/courses/ENV520e.htm
Check out http://www.naropa.edu/eponline/
for info about other Naropa online courses.
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(9) The wisdom of the wombat
For an entertaining reminder of truths you know
already, see the Foundation for a Global Community
website at:
http://www.globalcommunity.org/flash/wombat.shtml
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(10) Climate Outreach and Information Network (COIN)
COIN is the only active UK charity dedicated solely
to educating the public about climate change.
They have recently launched a new resource called
Perspectives on Climate
Change. Perspectives gathers together
the views and advice of leading academics, thinkers,
politicians and environmental activists on how we
can stop climate change and create the shift in
society necessary for an environmentally sustainable
future.
For more info, see their website at
http://coinet.org.uk/
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(11) Find Your Power – helped needed.
When concerned about the condition of our world, how
do we find our power to respond?
One approach to empowering ourselves is the
experiential workshop method known as “the work that
reconnects”. This was developed by Joanna Macy and
others, and is described in the book “Coming Back to
Life”, which she co-wrote with Molly Brown Young.
See
http://www.joannamacy.net/html/work.html
for more information. One of the goals of this
newsletter is to keep you in touch with events based
on this approach.
I’ve also recently written a pop psychology
self-help book about finding our power to make
desired changes in our lives and the world. Bringing
together the personal and the planetary, it is
called “Find Your Power” and is due out in April
this year. You can see details on my website at
http://www.chrisjohnstone.info/book.htm
Drawing on the new motivational psychology developed
within the addictions treatment field, the work that
reconnects, holistic science and positive
psychology, this book introduces The Great Turning,
study action groups and peak oil while also
providing practical strategies for deepening
determination and finding ways through blocks.
I would like to ask for your help in launching it.
• I can send you a free copy if you can review the
book in any publication
• You can order advance copies either from me, or
from www.amazon.co.uk
• I am available to write articles about personal
power and the psychology of change, or to speak to
groups in the UK about this. As an addictions
specialist, I’m particularly interested in
psychological approaches to dealing with denial and
resistance to change.
• I’m also available to run workshops for local
groups on “Personal Power for The Planet”. These
workshops draw on both The Work that Reconnects and
a range of other psychological empowerment
strategies.
If interested, please contact Chris Johnstone at
chris@chrisjohnstone.info
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(12) For an inspiring example of what a group of
Norwich activists have been able to get into their
local paper,
see
http://www.oneworldcolumn.org/
Recent columns have commented on the UK
energy review and the handover of Iraq’s oil to
multinational companies.
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EVENTS OUTSIDE UK
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(13) ESTONIA -
INTERNATIONAL TRAINING IN NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION
12th -18th April 2006 in Estonia!
trainers Kay Rung & Liv Larsson (Sweden), Merike
Kahju (Estonia),
organising team Tiina Sergo & Marko Puusaar
(Estonia)
Our intention with these seven days, is to create an
intensive
experience of how relationships are created. We want
to try to live
in a community where we explore what can be created
when people
value connection and honesty, and learn tools that
can help in
living these values.
Cost: choose your contribution between 355 - 450 EUR
for Eastern European
participants (Czech, Belarussia, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia,
Serbia,
Slovakia) and 500-700 EUR for people coming from
Western European
Countries.
CONTACTS:
Tiina Sergo - info@empaatia.ee
(Estonia)
Merike Kahju - merike@empaatia.ee
(Estonia)
Kay Rung - kay@nonviolentcommunication.se
(Sweden)
Liv Larsson - liv@nonviolentcommunication.se
(Sweden)
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(14) CANADA - Council of All Beings – a deep ecology
workshop
Friday 31st March – Sunday 2nd April 2006 with Diane
Allan and David Johnson
The Council of All Beings was developed by Joanna
Macy and John Seed as a part of a body of work to
help reconnect with the natural world and empower us
to act on its behalf. Over the course of this
weekend residential workshop, we will explore the
four themes of this work:
• Being grateful for our earthly gifts and the world
in which we live
• Honouring our experience of eh earth crisis
• Learning to see through ‘new eyes’
• Empowering ourselves as we go forth on behalf of
the earth.
At Humingbird Haven, 25 mins NW of Calgary. Cost
$175
To book contact
teaching@spiritualdirections.com
See
http://wwwspiritualdirections.com for
more info.
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(15) For a listing of workshops with Joanna Macy,
see her schedule at:
http://www.joannamacy.net/html/schedule.html
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(16) Australia – for information about workshops
with John Seed and Ruth Rosenhek, see
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/schedule.htm
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(17) Australia - For eco-therapy and sustainable
living courses, see website at
http://www.slse.edu.au/
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(18) For ecotherapy and the work that reconnects in
Austria, see
http://www.naturundseele.at
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(19) For the work that reconnects in Germany,
contact Gabi Bott,
gabibott@siebenlinden.de
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UK EVENTS
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(20) If you’ve been to workshops or courses based on
the experiential approach developed by Joanna Macy
and others, you may be interested in this event. It
offers an opportunity to network with others who
have too.
Choosing Life - 12th May (evening) – 15th May (mid
afternoon) 2006
A gathering in tents and barns at Easterbrooke, Devon
facilitated by Maitrīsārā, Sandy Lacey and Chris
Johnstone
This event is designed for people who have
experienced Joanna Macy's 'The Work that Reconnects'
or similar workshops. It will be an opportunity to
go deeper with this work and connect with our desire
to positively choose life. It will help us to build
on the connections that emerged in 2005 during the
workshops and retreats led by or inspired by Joanna.
It will also provide a way to connect people
relatively new to the work and those who have been
involved from past years.
The gathering will be held on the same land as the
'Positive Seeds Project' which grows some of the
food, trees and shrubs needed by Buddhafield. There
will be an opportunity to work with the land. We
will have opportunities to run workshops for each
other on our particular specialisms, skills and
interests. We could also form an affinity group and
plan an action together.
Buddhafield have kindly agreed to handle the
logistics of event and do the catering for us. Food
will be vegetarian. The cost is £75/£125/£150
concession (unemployed, student, OAP) / low wage /
waged.
These are suggested donations, you could pay more or
less, down to an absolute minimum of £40.
Oh - and
if its not obvious, bring a tent!
To book, please write to Buddhafield Retreat
Bookings, Trevince House, Hittisleigh, Exeter,
Devon, EX6 6LP stating the name of the weekend and
including a stamped addressed envelope and your
non-returnable deposit of £40. Cheques
payable to Buddhafield. Include your name, address,
postcode, telephone and email. You can find a full
booking form at
http://www.buddhafield.com/retreatbooking.html
which is useful if you pay tax because there is a
Gift Aid option there where the tax can be claimed
back. Ignore the questions about meditation – this
isn’t a retreat!! Further information – email
Maitrīsārā@tiscali.co.uk
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(21) The Camp for Climate Action -26th
August - 4th September 2006 in the North of England.
Bringing together people who believe that not enough
is being done to stop climate chaos. One of the aims
of the camp is to demonstrate and experiment with
ways we can take action - and anyone with practical
ideas and skills in low impact lifestyle and
alternative energy is being asked to get involved:
We will be bringing together all the campaigns,
projects and people working on the different aspects
of climate change - from compost loo builders to
anti-roads and airports campaigners, from proponents
of veganism to activists protecting peat bogs - all
are needed to make this camp happen.
The camp will:
take action against climate change;
provide information on climate change and its
causes;
share and live practical solutions;
network with other people campaigning on all the
aspects of climate change.
Campaigners involved in organising the camp are
drawn from a wide range of climate campaigns and
have been inspired by the self-organised eco-village
created in protest against the G8 in Stirling July
2006. They aim to create a space that is organised
and run by the participants, has a low impact on the
environment, and above all, inspires people to take
action in their own lives and in wider society. We
aim to be carbon neutral - it is vital that the camp
and preparations for the camp generates as few
emissions as possible. We encourage people to travel
in ways that cause least environmental damage - no
flying please!
We would like the camp to be organised around
neighbourhoods and invite groups to come forward to
host them. For example a neighbourhood may be made
up of people from a certain action group or a
geographical area. They may have their own kitchen
and meeting space. We envisage that these will be
the spaces in which people make links and find ways
to organise at a local level. If groups are
interested in hosting a neighbourhood they are
encouraged to send at least one to each monthly
meeting. The next meeting is 11am - 6pm 11th and
12th February at The Sumac Centre, Nottingham.
Accommodation is available if you contact us in
advance. Please also contact us – at
facilitation@climatecamp.org.uk
about any access, dietary or creche needs. The
meeting space is fully accessible.
For more information see climate camp's website at
www.climatecamp.org.uk.
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(22) The Buddhafield Festival: 12 – 16th July 2006
The Buddhafield Festival is annual festival in
Somerset for around 2000 people. It has a no drink,
no drugs, no dogs policy and is a particularly great
place for children. You can dip into as much or as
little of the Buddhist aspects as you like. There’s
plenty to do. This year’s theme is “Dharma Warriors;
transforming self and world” and the Work that
Reconnects is sure to be an influence on that.
Numbers are limited so booking is recommended. For
more information contact General Enquiries on 01647
24539 <mailto:festivalinfo@buddhafield.com>
or see the Buddhafield website
http://www.buddhafield.com. Do visit
the Social Action area and also the Activist Sangha
area where we ran a Council of All Beings circle
last year. Look out for the workshops on the
information boards or, if you have a workshop to
offer which brings together aspects of social and
environmental action and Buddhism - offer a
workshop.
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(23)
Joanna Macy,
on behalf of The Network of Engaged Buddhists
is leading a retreat on
The Work that Reconnects
6 – 10 July 2006,
Hourne Farm, Sussex, UK.
Cost: £130/£90
The retreat is open to Network of Engaged Buddhists
(NEB) members (to join go to
www.engagedbuddhists.org.uk <http://www.engagedbuddhists.org.uk/>
) and will begin in the evening of the 6th July and
end after breakfast on the 10th July. Though NEB
membership is open to all whether you call yourself
Buddhist or not, this workshop will highlight the
Buddhist aspects of the approach so a keen interest
in the Buddhist element of the work is important.
A condition of attending the workshop is to read the
first five chapters of Coming Back to Life:
Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World by
Joanna Macy and MollyYoung Brown, New Society
Publishers 1998, try
http://www.greenspirit.org.uk/books .
To book a place on the retreat, send an email to
Maitrīsārā@tiscali.co.uk with your name, address,
phone number, email address, what Sangha you are
part/Buddhist tradition you are interested in if
applicable, stating whether you are intending to pay
£130 or £90 and any dietary requirements (food will
be vegan). Then post a deposit for £30 (made payable
to NEB) to Maitrīsārā, 18 Bhandari Close,
Oxford, OX4 3DT. There are only 31 places and they
will be allocated on a first come first served
basis. Receipt of the deposit will secure your
place. Further enquiries to
maitrisara@tiscali.co.uk.
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(24) The Big Green Gathering – August 2nd – 6th
2006, in Somerset UK.
The Big Green Gathering is for people who care about
health, the environment, sustainability, our
children's future and life in general. It is a
celebration of our natural world and our place
within it. As such it is a place for enjoyment,
learning and fun. It is a camping based festival
with music, workshops, stalls and lots else besides.
For more information, check their website at
http://www.big-green-gathering.com
If you come, check out The Great Turning Times stall
in the Ethics/ Philosophy / Spirituality field.
There will be regular workshops based on The Work
That Reconnects. Contact Chris at
chris@chrisjohnstone.info
if you’d like to help with this.
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(25)
Gaia Cooperative aims to promote understanding and
awareness of our ecological footprint on the planet
and to support people in finding new values which
offer more fulfilling and healthier lifestyles while
reducing their impact on the planet's ability to
sustain itself.
We run a series of workshops and courses each summer
which address this. Here are some examples:
March 17-19 or March 24-26 or April 7-9
Craft, Creativity &
Care for the Soul
with Paul Swatridge
Designer, craftsman & Psychosynthesis Guide, Paul
Swatridge shows you how to discover your creativity
using natural wood gathered in nature. The
experience can lead to a gentle integration of the
practical with the emotional in a grounding and
healing way.
Choice of 3 weekends, maximum 5 in each group,
personal tuition, no experience necessary.
£240 residential (single rooms) including all
materials.
July 7 - 9
Gaia Theory; Deep Time
with Stephan Harding
Stephan is resident ecologist and co-ordinator of
the MSc in Holistic Science at Schumacher College.
His ability to combine scientific expertise with
humour and simplicity gives insights into a deep
sense of connectedness with the earth. Understanding
how our planet has maintained life-supporting
conditions over millennia indicates ways of living
which integrate with this self-healing process.
£140 residential, £110 camping
August 11 – 13
Eco-homes & Eco-villages with Peter Harper
Co-founder of the now-famous Centre for Alternative
Technology, Peter Harper has a depth of experience
and information about the blend of theory &
practicality needed to develop an ‘eco-house’ that
will be healthy for its inhabitants as well as for
the planet.
Interest in eco-villages - clusters of eco-houses -
is growing rapidly, and Peter will share his
insights (and humour) into the process and
practicality that supports this lifestyle.
£140 residential, £110 camping
These take place at a centre on the Welsh borders
near Hay on Wye.
For more information, phone: 0845 458 4718
Email: info@gaiacooperative.org
Or see website at
http://www.gaiacooperative.org/
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(26)
The Work that Reconnects
With Alex Wildwood, Chris Johnstone and Jo Hamilton
September 15th-17th 2006 , at Monkton Wyld Court, nr
Bridport, Dorset
Cost £154 (concs available) for fully residential
weekend workshop.
Are you concerned about the condition of our world?
Would you like to
strengthen your ability to respond? This residential
weekend workshop
introduces "The Work That Reconnects", an
empowerment approach developed by Joanna Macy (see
www.joannamacy.net for info). Deepening our feeling
of connection with life, we will open up spiritual
and psychological resources needed to face and
respond to global issues. Through experiential
practices we will explore how to use the energy of
our emotional responses, reconnect with our passion
to act for life and transform concern for the world
into creative engagement.
For more information and booking, see
http://www.monktonwyldcourt.org and
click events.
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(27)
''Ecopsychology; Life in the Balance'. A weekend
workshop facilitated by Hilary Prentice, 5th and 6th
May 2006.
This workshop is part of the Professional Training
Workshops run by Temenos, an independent, person-centred,
professional training organisation (www.temenos.ac.uk
<http://www.temenos.ac.uk>
) based in Sheffield. It would be ideal for anyone
involved in counselling, psychotherapy and related
fields who would be interested in exploring
ecopsychology.
'Living, as we do, with the knowledge of numerous
potentially catastrophic assaults on the ecosystem
within which we dwell, and on which we depend, has
been referred to by Joanna Macy as 'The pivotal
psychological reality of our time'. Despite this,
many schools of psychotherapy and counselling work
with the human psyche largely as though only human
lives, human stories, affect us and are affected by
us. In this workshop we will explore the burgeoning
field of ecopsychology. Much of this exploration
will be experiential, and we hope to spend a good
part of the workshop outdoors'.
Booking; Through Tracey Taylor, Temenos
Administrator, Temenos, 289 Abbeydale Road,
Sheffield S7 1FJ. Tel 0114 258 0058. Cost;
Individuals £130, Funded Places £165, Deposit £45.
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(28) Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social
Responsibility Eco-psychology Conference
24th June 2006 at the Hockerton Housing Project,
Newark, Nottinghamshire
Morning - workshop on Personal Power for The
Planet with Chris Johnstone and Maitrisara.
Of all the problems of our world, perhaps the
biggest is that of the blocked response. The morning
session explores how counsellors and
psychotherapists can help people rise to the
challenge of responding to ecological crisis.
Afternoon - tour of Hockerton Housing Project - an
earth sheltered self-sufficient ecological housing
development.
For details, see webpage at
http://www.pcsr.org.uk/Eco06.pdf
or email
admin@pcsr.org.uk
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(29) For more on eco-psychology trainings in the UK,
keep an eye on Mary-Jayne Rust’s website at
http://www.mjrust.net
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(30) GAIA'S PLAYGROUND
Exploring Clowning & Deep Ecology 26-28 May 2006
"... if the activity to save the world doesn't
give us joy, what's the point in having a world, and
how will we have the wholeness and energy to carry
on?"
Stephen Nachmanovich
The clown's exaggerated physical and emotional
responsiveness gives us a heightened sensitivity to
the world around us. What if the natural world could
speak to us directly? What would it say? Through the
clown's empathy and playful imagination, we open
ourselves to the wonder and mystery that is Gaia's
playground.
This weekend offers an opportunity to let go of the
thinking, controlling part of ourselves and open up
to what is present in the here and now. The course
limited to 12 people.
Facilitators: Chris Seeley - Vivian Gladwell
Venue: Hawkwood College, Stroud,
Gloucestershire
For further information, contact
chris.seeley@just-business.co.uk
or see website at
http://members.aol.com/nosetonose/courses/deepecology.htm
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(31) Gaia Theory for Beginners - a one day course
March 25th 9.30am - 4.30pm
With Chris Johnstone at Bristol University Public
Programmes Office,
8-10, Berkeley Square, Bristol BS81HH Cost £22 (concs
available).
Gaia Theory proposes
that the Earth is more than just a dead lump of rock
that we happen to live on. Rather it can be viewed
as a single living system, or ‘super-organism’, that
we are part of. This course introduces the science
behind Gaia Theory and also explores what it might
mean for us in the fields of psychology, ecology and
spirituality.
Advance booking essential: please phone 0117 928
7160 or email: Diane Thorne at
diane.thorne@bris.ac.uk
Details at:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/cms/ppo/ppo-courses/psychology.html
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(32)
CALL FOR PAPERS INTERNATIONAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY
CONFERENCE
COUNTERING CONSUMERISM: RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR
RESPONSES
20 - 22 APRIL 2006 VENUE: GRADUATE CENTRE, LONDON
METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
An interdisciplinary conference linking the themes
of 'Spirituality' and
'Consumerism' is being organised as the major
culminating event of an
ESRC/AHRB Cultures of Consumption Phase Two research
project on
'Alternative Hedonism and the Theory and Politics of
Consumption'. The
project is being undertaken by Professor Kate Soper
and Dr. Lyn Thomas
within the Institute for the Study of European
Transformations (ISET) at
London Metropolitan University . The conference will
be of interest to
academics in the following fields: anthropology,
philosophy, geography,
history, religious studies, politics, media and
cultural studies,
sociology of consumption and/or religion, and/or
secularity. It should
also interest NGOs, charities, political parties and
pressure groups
concerned with consumption, sustainability and
environmental issues; and
religious and secular groups concerned with issues
of consumption and
self-realisation.
Jackie Ashley of The Guardian, Madeleine Bunting,
author of Willing Slaves,
Colin Campbell, Professor of Sociology, York
University and Professor
Ziauddin Sardar, Editor of Futures will speak at the
conference, and we are
in discussion with a number of other invited plenary
speakers. We shall also
consider suitable responses to this call as
potential plenary speakers.
Details +44 (0)207 133 2927
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(33)
WildWise
design and deliver excellent environmental education
and training programmes for national and regional
environmental organisations. To see what they have
on offer, see their website at
http://www.wildwise.co.uk/
Based in Devon, the courses coming up this year
include:-
July 1-3 Vision Quest - Carlos Philip Glover
Immerse deeply into the wild and into yourself
supported by medicine wheel
teachings, an expert guide and an age-old tradition.
Cost £135
July 7-9 Introduction to Bushcraft - Chris Holland
(In aid of Survival Int.
Bushmen Appeal)
A gentle way to familiarise yourself with this
amazing subject in a
convivial camp atmosphere. Skills taught will
include firecraft, basic
woodcraft, shelter building and natural cordage.
Suitable for families. Cost: £125/£50 children/£295
Family of 4
September 8-10 Council of All Beings
A creative, dynamic and soulful enquiry into the
nature of our
environmentalism. With its roots in deep ecology,
this potent multi art-form
workshop invites you to dive deeply into the
challenges facing us as
environmentalists, educators, trainers and
activists. Cost: £130
organisations £85 individuals
For details, contact
Chris Salisbury
WildWise Events Ltd
Foxhole
Dartington
Totnes
Devon TQ9 6EB
Tel: 01803 868269
Mobile 0781 349 2825
Email: enquiries@wildwise.co.uk
Website:
http://www.wildwise.co.uk
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(34) Activist Trauma Network Gathering on 4th Feb in
London
The Activist Trauma Network is organising a day of
discussion and networking for all who are involved
in promoting practical mutual support in activist,
campaigning and community groups. This is an ever
expanding area, as political work of any kind can be
extremely demanding on every level. Many, but not
all of us, became involved in this work by having
first hand experience of trauma related to activism,
police brutality, burn-out, stress-related physical
illness and mental health issues. We are planning to
discuss our own chosen work in these areas and
expand on ideas we may have for projects, make new
contacts and give/receive constructive feedback.
Workshops include:
- An introduction to the Activist Trauma Network.
- "Are we well enough ourselves to do this work?" Discussion.
- "Supervision: what is it
- "How can we improve the activist-trauma website?"
Please note: This is not a therapeutic event;
unfortunately there will be no space for sharing our
personal trauma on the day.
However, we have plans to do this in the future, so
come along if you would like to make it happen.
People are encouraged to come for the whole day.
http://www.activist-trauma.net/
Venue:
London Action Resource Centre (LARC), 62 Fieldgate
Street, Whitechapel, London E1 1ES. 0207 377 9088
www.londonarc.org
<http://www.londonarc.org/
(Main meeting space is wheelchair accessible).
Vegan lunch provided – do bring vegan food to
share if you want!
This event is free; any donation for the space and
food will be appreciated.
We are going for a cheap local curry in the evening.
If you are coming please email: activist_trauma at
riseup.net or 01865 243121 (10-5)
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(35)
WRITING TO RECONNECT
Saturday 12 March: 10-4
Sharpham College of Buddhist Studies, Totnes
Led by Kim Clancy
'Dismiss what insults your very soul and your very
flesh will become a great poem' - so wrote the poet
Walt Whitman. Supported by the silence of meditation
and the beauty of the Sharpham landscape, we will
explore how writing and creativity can nourish both
our own soul, and the collective soul of the world
we inhabit.
Kim has studied Buddhism and other spiritual
traditions since 1990, and taught literature and
creative writing since 1984. She is particularly
inspired by the work of Buddhist activist Joanna
Macy.
Cost: £12 + dana
To book: Sharpham College, tel: 01803 732542
centre@sharpham-trust.org
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(36)
Low-Impact Living Initiative (LILI) is dedicated to
helping protect the global environment by promoting
sustainable alternatives to various aspects of
everyday life. Contact them to find out more about
their courses, manuals, information sheets, products
and presentations. Here are two courses they’re
running in March.
Residential Weekend Course: low-impact smallholding
Location: Low-impact Living Initiative, Redfield
Community, Buckinghamshire
Date: March 17-19 2006
Cost: high-waged £180 / waged £150 / unwaged £120
All food and accommodation included - plus free
beers, wine, tea and biscuits!
For more details, see http://www.lowimpact.org/courseoutlinelowimpactsmallholding.htm
Residential Weekend Course: Living in Communities
Location: Low-impact Living Initiative, Redfield
Community, Buckinghamshire
Date: March 24-26 2006
Cost: high-waged £120 / waged £95 / unwaged £75/
children over 5, £30
All food and accommodation included - plus free
beers, wine, tea and biscuits!
For more details, see
http://www.lowimpact.org/courseoutlinecommunities.htm
For further information, contact:
LILI, Redfield Community, Buckingham Road, Winslow,
Bucks, MK18 3LZ
(01296) 714184 web: www.lowimpact.org
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(37) THE BRISTOL HAPPINESS LECTURES - Sat May 27th
2-5PM
Consumer culture rests on an assumption that the
path to happiness is through spending money. The new
science of happiness questions this, with studies
showing that materialism reduces life satisfaction;
it suggests instead that more enduring paths to
happiness come from using your strengths to serve a
purpose larger than yourself. Chris Johnstone is
joined by well known media psychiatrist Raj Persaud
to introduce the new science of positive psychology.
Cost £15 (concs available), to book, phone Bristol
University Public Programmes Office, tel: 0117 928
7172
Or email: cont-ed@bristol.ac.uk
More information will soon be available
on Chris’s website at
http://www.chrisjohnstone.info
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Local Groups
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(38) OXFORD - A group in Oxford have been building
on their experience of the Work that Reconnects in
2005. Currently there is a study action group on
Climate Change, another study action group on
Creativity and plans for an introductory day on The
Work that Reconnects. If you are interested in being
in touch with the group, please contact: Jo Hamilton
Tel 07941 134664
soaringskywards@yahoo.co.uk or Fiona
Mullins 01865 204446.
fiona.mullins@btconnect.com
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(39) HEREFORDSHIRE/MONMOUTH AREA ECOPSYCHOLOGY GROUP
-
We have been growing slowly in numbers but are
getting to know each other and to identify what it
is we want this group to be and do. Starting with
the paradox that we humans continue to plunder and
pollute our Home despite many of us caring deeply
about Her, we have been inviting people to form a
small core group who want to look at why this is so
and to work towards an understanding of the dynamics
of this. So essentially the group offers a safe
space (ie non-judgemental) in which to
a) Meet each other at depth
b) Listen to each other and validate each other
c) Honour the pain we feel for the Earth
d) Ask questions about how it feels to come from
fear or guilt or anger - what does it lead to and
what are the consequences?
e) Search for a way to make sense of living in the
present time, to explore a view of the larger
context: a philosophical, spiritual and cosmological
dimension so that as Joanna says we "can hold an
awareness that you have a life now and that you are
are going to make it meaningful for the story of
conscious life on earth."
For information contact
Rosemary Bell email:
rosiebell@onetel.com
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(40) Are you in a local group exploring The Great
Turning, Deep Ecology, The Work That Reconnects,
Eco-psychology or related areas? If so, please send
brief details for the next Great Turning Times due
out in May. Copydate end of April.
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UK National and Regional Contacts
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(41) For information about The Work That Reconnects
in the UK, contact
chris@chrisjohnstone.info
To join a network of people training in
running workshops in this approach, contact Alex
Wildwood at alex@wildwood.org.uk
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(42) Earthfirst UK have a website at
http://earthfirst.org.uk which lists
actions and local groups.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(43)
The Greenlinks directory at
http://www.localgreenlinks.com/
Every local area has many inspired people, working
as individuals or in small businesses or voluntary
groups, all dedicated to creating a fair society and
healthy environment.
In some counties these groups are linking up to form
networks based on local green directories, for
mutual support, co-operation and sharing of
resources, as well as for joint promotion to the
public This enables everyone in the area easy access
to information on fresh local food, recycling,
transport, health, education and other green and
healthy options.
The unique greenlinks website design enables local
areas (counties/cities) to create and run their own
directory in which participants can input their own
information online, and keep it up to date.
All this at a minimal cost.
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(44) Creating Connections
If you have and apple and I have an apple and we
exchange apples then you and I will still have one
apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea
and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will
have two ideas.
George Bernard Shaw
This is a quote from the website of Creating
Connections, which offers
services and support to individuals, groups and
agencies that contribute to building Sustainable,
Empowered Communities.
One of their projects is “The Melting Pot”, which
aims to create a space in central Edinburgh to act
as an “incubator for progressive initiatives”. see
www.creatingconnections.org for more info.
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(45) This list is incomplete. What do you think
should also be here? We are producing a links page
for the Great Turning Times website. Let us know of
any essential information resources and contacts
that should be there.
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(46) Copydate for next entry is end of April.
Contact The Great Turning Times at
chris@chrisjohnstone.info
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And a few words to end, taken from the current
letter on Joanna Macy’s website (
http://joannamacy.net )
“"Radical uncertainty" has emerged, I see now, as an
ever more important theme in my work this year. As
we set our sails for the Great Turning, it brings a
kind of sober, bracing freedom from demands and
complaints of the small self. And it brings an
ever-fresh recognition of the power of intention and
choice, which, like the rudder of our craft, is what
we can put our hands to--and the only thing we can
control.”