Great Turning Times February
2007
The Great Turning
Times – a free
quarterly email
newsletter about
finding our power to
respond to global
crisis. Bringing
together ecology,
psychology,
spirituality and world
issues, it lists
events, news and
resources to support
the shift towards a
life sustaining
society. See our
website at
www.GreatTurningTimes.org
for past editions,
relevant events and
additional resources.
This is the UK
edition. The
international edition
is the same but
without the UK events
listings. If you’d
prefer to receive
this, please email
dreambeat@tantraweb.co.uk
with CHANGE TO
INTERNATIONAL in the
subject header.
Feb 2007.
HIGHLIGHTS
(3) Joanna Macy DVD
released
(17) UK networking
event
(18) UK Facilitator
training
Dear Reader,
Apologies for the
delay in this edition,
which should have come
out in December. I’ve
been working on a film
about finding ways
through psychological
blocks to change, and
doing this has pushed
me into overloaditis.
The film involves
three puppets who come
to one of my personal
power workshops. One
is depressed and wants
to become happier,
another wants to give
up smoking and a third
to tackle climate
change. Although each
character brings a
different area of
change, they share the
same feeling of
hopelessness and
perception that their
goal is impossible. In
order to move forward,
they need to face, and
move through, their
‘dreamblocker’ - the
blocking voice within
them that stops them
progressing. The three
dreamblockers
identified in the film
are fear, cynicism and
dlsbelief. I’d like to
look at how each of
these relates to the
Great Turning.
If everything were
fine with our world,
there might not be
much need for a
turning. If there were
only slight problems,
then perhaps we’d only
need a slight turning.
But if you, like me,
have great concerns
about the direction
we’re heading in, then
reasons for a great
turning become clear.
There’s a problem
though. Many people
fear looking at the
problems of our world
because they dread the
uncomfortable feelings
this may bring up.
This creates the first
block.
In my work as an
addictions specialist,
I often encounter this
fear of looking. In
its severe form it
generates such denial
that someone may say
they haven’t a problem
even when their
addiction is wrecking
their life. You don’t
have to look far to
see parallels
occurring on a
societal level. In the
addictions field,
treatment approaches
have been developed to
deal with this type of
resistance;
Motivational
Interviewing is an
example. A
characteristic of this
approach is that it
steers clear of
arguments and of
trying to persuade
someone to change.
Rather, it involves
sensitive listening
that attempts to
understand the
resistance and
cultivate the
motivations that might
stimulate change.
I recently asked Steve
Rollnick, one of the
developers of this
approach, how insights
from the addictions
world might be applied
to global issues. His
advice was: “Move
from information
giving to information
exchange. Don’t just
dump disturbing facts
on people, but have a
two-way flow of
communication where,
after delivering
facts, you find out
how they feel about
this and what the
information means to
them”. The key
here is to make room
for people to talk
about the issues that
concern them. In a
safe listening
environment, people
can move through their
fear of looking.
The Work That
Reconnects, the
empowerment approach
developed by Joanna
Macy and colleagues,
takes a similar
approach. “I don’t
assault people with
painful information”
says Joanna,
“instead, I invite
them, in simple
structured ways, to
listen to themselves
and hear their own
deep, inner responses
to what is happening
to our world”. It
is our feelings that
move and motivate us.
When people express
their concerns for our
world, they talk
themselves into
beginning to tackle
these. However,
there’s a risk they
may bump into the next
dreamblocker –
cynicism.
I think of cynicism as
the opposite of trust.
We need trust that our
actions are
worthwhile, otherwise
it is easy to say
“what’s the point?”
and give up. Trust is
different from knowing
things will be OK. It
is knowing that it is
worth making the
effort. Even if we
ultimately fail in
bringing about the
changes we desire, we
can still trust the
core principle that
good intentions are
worth acting on. I
also know that life
can sometimes surprise
us, and that positive
action in the face of
impossible odds can
occasionally win
through. Our challenge
is to find out what
helps this happen, so
that we can improve
our odds. That’s why
I’m so interested in
trainings to develop
our psychological and
spiritual resources,
so that we can find
our power to give our
best response.
Trust and courage help
us move through
cynicism and fear. But
a third dreamblocker
often remains:
disbelief. With the
scale of the problems
we face, and the
frustratingly slow
pace of response, it
is easy to believe our
actions won’t make any
difference. Yet what
is belief or disbelief
based on? They both
rest on our assessment
of how possible we
believe a change to
be. That assessment
will be influenced by
our assumptions and
the way we look, as
well as the precedents
of similar changes or
failed attempts that
spring to mind.
History is full of
examples of things
happening that
previously seemed
impossible. We can
learn from past
successes, as well as
train ourselves in
approaches that make
breakthroughs more
likely.
In my book Find
Your Power, I map
out psychological
strategies and new
ways of thinking that
can help us move
through dreamblockers
– whether in facing
personal or planetary
concerns. The central
idea is that journeys
of change can be
thought of as similar
to adventure stories.
They begin with a call
to adventure – a
concern or desire that
sparks an impulse to
respond. Concern for
the world and desire
for a sustainable,
flourishing future
activate our
motivation. But when
inspiration collides
with a dreamblocker,
it is easy for that
spark to go out.
That’s why a big part
of the work of the
Great Turning is
internal. Inner
turnings can lead to
empowered responses
that generate outer,
more visible
transformations. And
when we see positive
changes happening on
the outside, this can
boost morale and feed
enthusiasm for making
further changes. Inner
and outer shifts feed
each other in a
self-amplifying loop,
so that like snowballs
rolling down hills,
momentum for positive
change can grow.
Early on in adventure
stories, the quest
usually seems
impossible, and the
central characters
under-powered for the
job. But that doesn’t
put them off. They
rise to challenge
anyway. And the first
part of their journey
is often to seek out
special tools or
magical implements
that help them on
their way. I’d like to
tell you about three
resources that might
play a similar role in
the adventure story we
share.
The first is Al Gore’s
film An
Inconvenient Truth.
Have you seen it yet?
I have been deeply
impressed by the
changes I’ve seen
happen in people after
watching this film. A
local head-teacher was
so moved she cancelled
all classes and
arranged a viewing for
the whole school in a
local cinema. Last
week I arranged a
showing for medical
students at Bristol
University, where I
teach a course on
health and the
environment. The shift
in awareness and
motivation in my
students was palpable.
By providing such an
accessible and
engaging briefing on
climate change, this
film gives us a common
reference point to
move on from. Now that
the DVD is easy to get
hold of, increasing
numbers of people are
arranging showings in
their living rooms,
community centres,
schools, offices and
places of worship. But
the film is really
just a beginning, a
call to adventure. A
question many have
after watching it is
“what now?”. That’s
where the second
resource comes in.
The second resource is
an inspiring story
about the task facing
us at this period in
history. It might seem
strange to think of a
story as a resource –
but when we have a
story that furnishes
us with a positive
vision, it becomes
something we can
inhabit, live from and
be nourished by. This
story has many names –
I like The Great
Turning – that
time at the beginning
of the twenty first
century when we woke
up to what we were
doing, and began to
change course. David
Korten’s book The
Great Turning
tells this story and
invites our
participation in the
forging of a new
culture. He writes:
“A new human era is in
gestation. The choices
we humans make over
the next few decades
will determine whether
the birthing is
successful”
His is only one
telling of this story.
Another I’m inspired
by is the Energy
Descent Planning
approach. More and
more communities are
recognising we can’t
continue with our
oil-dependent and
carbon emitting
lifestyles. Inspired
by examples in Kinsale,
Ireland and Totnes,
Britain, the
Transition Town
movement is sprouting.
Each week I find
another expression of
this empowering
community response.
People tired of
waiting for
governments to act are
looking at steps they
can take in their own
backyards. Rob
Hopkins’s daily blog
at
www.transitionculture.org
is an essential guide
to what’s happening
here. Check out his
entries from last
month (Jan 10th to
24th) for ten tips on
how to make your
community a transition
town. The Great
Turning is happening,
and the process of
energy descent is part
of it. But something
else is needed too,
and that’s where the
third resource comes
in.
Al Gore’s film
provides a call to
adventure, visionary
stories like The Great
Turning and Energy
Descent map out the
task ahead of us, but
we may still face
dreamblockers that
doubt we can do it or
question whether it is
worth the effort. This
is where we need to
train ourselves, so as
to deepen our
determination, courage
and enthusiasm to act.
Many of you reading
this may have already
experienced such
trainings, especially
those either with, or
inspired by, Joanna
Macy. Over the last
year, some workshops
have been filmed and a
collection of
interviews brought
together into a DVD
that introduces
exercises and
principles of the Work
that Reconnects. This
is the third resource;
if you’d like to hear
Joanna describe tools
and insights that can
help transform our
world, I’d strongly
recommend this. It
provides an excellent
introduction for the
general viewer, and is
also an essential
resource for anyone
wanting to facilitate
this work. See item
(3) below for details.
You’ll need to wait a
while longer before my
puppet movie is ready
for release, but I’ll
bring you details in a
future Great Turning
Times. In the
meantime, here’s a
collection of news,
resources and events
for the Great Turning.
With you in this
adventure of earth
recovery
Chris Johnstone
Editor, The Great
Turning Times.
email: dreambeat@tantraweb.co.uk
http://www.chrisjohnstone.info
http://www.GreatTurningTimes.org
P.S.
If you appreciate this
newsletter, please
send it to others who
might like it too. If
it has been forwarded
to you and you’d like
it regularly, email me
(dreambeat@tantraweb.co.uk)
with SUBSCRIBE in the
subject header. To
stop receiving it,
please email me with
“REMOVE” as a subject
header. It comes out
four times a year,
with editions planned
this year for May,
September and
December. Copy date
for entries is last
day of month before
next edition. Please
let me know of events,
news, resources etc
you would like
included. Please also
keep entries short,
ideally about 100-300
words.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) THE GREAT
TURNING TIMES WEBSITE
AND INTERNATIONAL
EVENTS LISTINGS
At
www.GreatTurningTimes.org
This introduces the
Great Turning, has
past newsletters,
offers an inspiring
web-links page, and
has an international
events page allowing
you to enter events so
that other people can
find out about them.
The events page has
five geographical
fields. Choose your
part of the world to
find out about
workshops on The Work
That Reconnects, Deep
Ecology,
Eco-psychology and
other events
supporting the shift
towards a life
sustaining society. If
there aren’t many
events currently
listed (it may take a
little while for this
to catch on), then
please do enter some!
Here’s how to do this.
If the event supports
or expresses The Great
Turning, go to Events
in the top bar, and
then select 'Add New
Event' from the pull
down menu. Choose the
part of the world the
event is in, (banded
to UK, North America,
Australia, Europe and
Other), and then fill
in the details,
according to the
fields given.
Please put the
duration of the event
in the details bit.
When it is
complete, click on
'Save Details' at the
bottom. All that
you've written should
then disappear without
a trace. Then if you
email me (dreambeat@tantraweb.co.uk)
to let me know you've
entered something, I
can authorise it so
that it goes up on the
site. There may be a
bit of a time delay
before this happens.
If you have any
problems with this,
let me know.
One of the purposes of
this events listings
is to publicise
workshops in The Work
That Reconnects, so if
you’re doing these in
any part of the world,
please do enter your
event in these
listings.
The events listings
outside the UK have
been a bit slow to
take off, but as this
facility gets known
about, its use will
increase.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) WHAT IS THE
GREAT TURNING?
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
For details
of her workshops, see
the schedule listings
at
http://www.joannamacy.net/html/schedule.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) Joanna Macy’s
DVD on the Work That
Reconnects
Here is a visual tool
for educators, clergy,
helping professionals,
and activists who wish
to understand this
work. It is also a
training guide for
those currently
facilitating the work
and for those who may
be inspired to do so.
You will see Joanna
teaching the
conceptual foundations
of the work, including
the Great Turning,
systems theory, deep
ecology, and despair
work, as well as many
of her favourite
exercises. To these
she adds for the
viewer guidelines on
critical aspects and
choice points of the
experiential work.
Contains over 4 hours
of material on 2
DVD’s.
We have obtained a
small number of
advance copies,
which we’re selling at
£28 each, inc UK
postage (£30 if
outside UK). If you’re
interested, please
contact Alex Wildwood
on alex@wildwood.org.uk
or phone 01453 836566.
For US and Canadian
orders, please contact
New Society
Publishers, web
details at
http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3961
This DVD is also
orderable from amazon,
and will be cheaper
this way, but you’ll
need to wait longer
before it becomes
available.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(4)
http://www.miniature-earth.com/
Over 2 million people
have seen this short
web based film. It
describes a world
where the human
population is
represented by just
100 people.
6 people own 59% of
the total material
wealth. 13 are hungry
and 43 have no
sanitation. If you
have a fridge, a
cupboard to put your
clothes in, a bed to
sleep on and and roof
over your head, then
you are richer than
75% of the global
population. Engaging
to watch and an
eye-opener.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(5) Climate change
information resources
on the web
The IPCC’s fourth
assessment report is
due out at the start
of February. Over the
last 6 years, 2500
scientific expert
reviewers from 130
countries were
involved in producing
this report. It comes
out in stages over
this year: see
http://www.ipcc.ch/
for details.
The UK treasury’s
Stern review report
also gives a useful
review of climate
change science,
expected outcomes and
economic implications.
It can be downloaded
from
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/stern_review_report.cfm
For an audio interview
with George Monbiot
about Climate Change,
see:
http://coinet.org.uk/information/climate_radio/2d3/climate_radio_20061024_2d3_george_monbiot_160
For an excellent short
film about Contraction
and Convergence, a
global framework for
climate negotiations.
See
http://climatechangeaction.blogspot.com/2007/01/contraction-and-convergence-short-video.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(6) Short cartoon
film about climate
change and earth
recovery
It’s available in a
variety of formats.
See
http://www.anitasancha.co.uk/home_sweet_home.php
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(7) Climate Change
Despair & Empowerment
Roadshow – Australia,
then North America
with John Seed, Ruth
Rosenhek and others
Dates across Australia
Feb and March, then to
North America in
April.
In many places, a week
or two before the
Climate Change Despair
and Empowerment
Roadshow, there will
be a presentation of
'An
Inconvenient Truth -
Al Gore's Climate
Project'
- this is a
multi-media event by
presenters trained by
Al Gore.
Then the roadshow
follows this and aims
to:
-
catalyse, invigorate
and support
grassroots climate
study/action groups.
-
Address the hopeless
despair that many
people feel and
provide tools to
transform despair
into empowerment and
effective action.
This will be based
on the Despair &
Empowerment work of
Joanna Macy and the
"Climate Change,
Despair and
Empowerment" talk
which John Seed gave
in Massachusetts
earlier this year
with Pullitzer Prize
winning journalist
Ross Gelbspan.
For details see
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/climate/roadshow.htm
For information about
John Seed’s schedule,
see
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/climate/roadshow.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(8) Volunteers
needed
Would you be willing
to enter workshop
details on the Great
Turning Times website
events page? If you’d
be happy to take
details from the
schedules of Joanna
Macy, John Seed and
others and enter
these, that would be a
great help. Please
email Chris at
dreambeat@tantraweb.co.uk
for details, and to
activate events once
you’ve entered them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(9) THE WORK THAT
RECONNECTS IN CANADA,
FRANCE AND OTHER
COUNTRIES
There is a growing
international network
of people offering
Work That Reconnects
workshops, and other
trainings to help us
rise to the challenge
of facing global
issues. A contact for
Canadian workshops is
Meredith on
deep_ecology@shaw.ca
and for France is Clou
Carré at clou.carre@free.fr
Please let me know if
you are, or are happy
to be, a point of
contact for workshops
in your part of the
world.
We can then develop an
international
directory of contacts
on the Great Turning
Times website.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(10) Deep Ecology
Workshops in France
In the heart of
Brittany, in the
enchanted forest of
Broceliande:
30th March – 1st April
(week-end)
28th April – 1st May
(4 day event with
Beltane celebration)
Also on full moon
week-ends end May and
end June
For details: Claire
clou.carre@free.fr 00
33 1 43 75 45 72
Association Ecologie
Pratique, La Guette en
Beauvais, 35 380
Paimpont.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(11) Molly’s
Musings
Molly Brown Young, who
co-authored Coming
Back to Life with
Joanna Macy, has
started a quarterly
email letter.
Molly has been working
on the frontiers of
personal and planetary
change for decades.
Her book Growing Whole
Draws on together her
background in
psychosynthesis with
her concerns for the
world. It is practical
and inspiring.
Catch past copies of
Molly’s Musings and
subscribe at
http://www.mollyyoungbrown.com/essays.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(12) FIND YOUR
POWER FOR FREE!
Chris Johnstone is
offering a free signed
copy of his book
Find Your Power to
anyone anywhere
in the world who can
write a review and get
this published.
Drawing on the new
motivational
psychology from the
addictions field,
as well as
storytelling, positive
psychology and
holistic science,
this self-help book
offers a toolkit of
strategies to
cultivate and live
from positive vision.
It offers new ways of
thinking about power,
and can be applied to
personal or planetary
concerns.
Chapter 11 introduces
the issue of Peak Oil,
and the Great Turning
as a response.
For more information,
see
www.chrisjohnstone.info
or contact Chris by
email at dreambeat@tantraweb.co.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(13) Inspiring
talks about Energy
Descent
The Soil Association’s
recent conference on
One Planet Agriculture
drew together a
collection of
inspiring speakers
about energy descent
and responses to
climate change and
peak oil. They include
Jonathon Porritt,
Vandana Shiva, Richard
Heinberg, Colin
Campbell, Rob Hopkins
and others. You can
download mp3 files of
the talks from:
http://www.soilassociation.org/conference
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(14) More
information on Energy
Descent Plans
There’s a great
article by Rob Hopkins
introducing the idea
of energy descent
pathways in
permaculture activist
magazine.
You can read this at:
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/articles/EnergyDescent.htm
Rob’s tips on setting
up a transition town
initiative can be seen
at:
http://transitionculture.org/2007/01/10/10-first-steps-for-a-transition-town-initiative-1-awareness-raising/
Groups are meeting in
Totnes, Lewes,
Falmouth, Penwith,
Bristol, Leeds and
many other
towns/cities to
develop energy descent
plans.
See ( ) for the
official launch of the
Transition Town Lewes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(15) More inspiring
websites
Why not give these a
try:
http://www.worldchanging.com/
http://www.global-mindshift.org/
http://www.big-picture.tv
http://bethechange.org.uk
http://www.planetaryvoices.org.uk
http://www.projectflamingo.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(16) Good news/good
views of the amazing
Eco-roundhouse
Back in the March 2005
edition of the Great
Turning Times, I
mentioned the amazing
eco-roundhouse of Tony
Wrench and Jane Faith
at Brithdir Mawr
permaculture community
in Wales. Because it
contravened local
planning regulations,
it was due to be
demolished. However,
thanks to a campaign
and huge show of
public support, it is
still standing. The
BBC recently ran a
photo-feature about it
on
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/in_pictures_life_in_an_eco_roundhouse/html/1.stm
You can read more
about the story behind
the pictures at
http://www.thatroundhouse.info/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(17) Choosing Life:
A Gathering, June 8 -
10th 2007,
Easterbrook, Devon, UK
facilitated by
Maitrisara, Sandy
Lacey and Chris
Johnstone
This is our second
annual networking
camp/gathering and is
open to anyone who has
previously
participated in at
least a day workshop
based on 'The Work
that Reconnects’ We
recognise how
important it is to
remain in contact with
others who want to
actively use these
methods in their lives
and work. We want to
encourage ways to make
this approach our own,
relevant to our
different settings and
to give each other the
support we need to
experiment.
We're grateful to the
Buddhafield community
for hosting this event
as part of their
retreat programme.
However this is not a
specifically 'buddhist'
event: we welcome
participants from a
range of faith and
non-faith based
backgrounds.
And it isn’t a
workshop to learn the
basics of the Work
that Reconnects
approach. What happens
in detail is up to the
participants. We will
all draw on a range of
skills and
perspectives brought
by the group. The
weekend is an
opportunity for
participants to offer
workshops and
activities for each
other which:
• build on the
connections between us
that emerged in
previous workshops
• create connection
between people who
have met this work at
different times in a
variety of settings
• share our
specialisms,
confusions,
experiments, skills
and interests linked
to The Great Turning
• dig deeper into our
emotional and
spiritual responses to
the world
• practice leading
some of the activities
we have participated
in before
Examples from last
year’s offerings
include – a sweatlodge,
a workshop on games to
use with groups,
teaching on walking
meditation, a ritual
about transformation
created by members of
the group, music
sessions round the
fire, a Truth Mandala.
Last year there were
activists,
campaigners, dancers,
Buddhists, therapists,
poets, musicians ……….
Please bring a tent
to sleep in and
plate/bowl/mug/cutlery.
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. Its
hard to exaggerate how
beautiful Easterbrooke
is, surrounded by
woods, flanked by a
stream. Food will be
vegetarian and it is a
alcohol and drug free
space. The cost is
85/130/160 concession
(unemployed, student,
OAP) / low wage /
waged.
Please book through
Buddhafield -
http://www.buddhafield.com
Further information
Phone Maitrisara
01865 777297 or 07810
421883 (mobile)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(18) The Work that
Reconnects: Training
for Facilitators, 3 –
10 July 2007, Sussex,
UK
Facilitated by Alex
Wildwood, Chris
Johnstone, Akuppa and
Maitrīsārā
Cost £395/£275/£100
(waged/concs/assisted)
at Hourne Farm,
Crowborough, Sussex
How do you introduce
the Work that
Reconnects in a few
hours? in a day? in a
weekend? What do you
need to bear in mind
when you facilitate
the activities? How do
you create ritual
spaces? How do you
adapt Work that
Reconnect approach for
different audiences?
How do you combine it
with your existing
interests and skills?
How do you handle the
group dynamics that
can arise when | | | | | | | |
