Great Turning Times May
2006
The
Great Turning Times – May 2006
The Great Turning Times is 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. For more
information and international events
listings, see our website at
www.GreatTurningTimes.org
Dear Readers,
This weekend (May 11th to 13th 2006)
sees a major gathering in London.
Here’s how it is described on the
website www.bethechange.org.uk
Once
again, more than 500 active
change-makers will come together to
discuss, celebrate and share some of
the latest thinking and experience
of whole systems change. We'll
address some of the urgent issues
facing humanity today - the impact
of the financial system on our lives
and our planet, the Western/Islamic
conflict, climate change and the
huge challenge of providing
education - and leadership - for a
truly sustainable future. Join us in
helping to build 'a world that works
for everyone' - exploring through
these days together how we might
live and lead change.
Called Be The Change, the
conference has similar goals to this
newsletter. Both are expressions of
a growing worldwide impulse to rise
and face the challenges our times
present us with. And there seems to
be a sea change in the air, as more
and more people are waking up to the
disturbing realities of climate
change, mass starvation and species
extinction. When I see the many
signs of an emerging culture of
connection with life, I feel buoyant
and inspired. But there’s another
side too. The dominant response to
our global ecological crisis is
avoiding the issue. Many governments
still see short-term economic growth
as more important than our long-term
survival; industrialised societies
still largely prefer the attractions
of consumerism to the challenge of
living sustainably. An essential
task facing those concerned about
our world is understanding and
working with the psychology of
resistance to change.
A key insight from addictions
treatment is that awareness of a
problem is usually not enough, by
itself, to cause behaviour change.
Lots of people know that smoking
causes cancer, but still smoke. The
reasons they continue vary. Perhaps
some genuinely don’t know of the
health risks. Others may see health
warnings but are more convinced by
opposing evidence, such as elderly
smoking relatives in reasonable
health. There are also those who
don’t doubt the risks, but see them
as distant, abstract and therefore
unpersuasive. Much more commonly
though, people who smoke are not
only aware of the risks, they are
also concerned enough to be at least
thinking about change. But it is
easy to get stuck in the ‘thinking
about’ stage. It is similar with
facing global issues. What keeps
people from moving into action?
In the past, people referred to
addictions treatment units were seen
as falling into two main categories
- motivated and unmotivated. It was
often believed that there wasn’t
much you could do to help those in
the second group. The big shift in
recent decades has been in
developing ways to work with the
seemingly uninterested, to help them
strengthen the determination and
confidence needed to address their
addiction problems. ‘Motivational
interviewing’ is the main approach
here, and is based on accepting that
there are usually mixed feelings
about change. When ambivalence isn’t
resolved, people get stuck in the
‘thinking about’ limbo period
referred to as ‘the contemplation
stage’. By working through mixed
feelings, and drawing out
motivations for change, this
approach has been shown to be highly
effective. This isn’t a miracle cure
that suddenly shifts all resistant
addicts out of denial. Rather it
accepts that becoming motivated is a
process involving a number of
stages. Resistance and blocks can
occur at any stage along the way.
Working from whatever starting point
people are at, motivational
interviewing helps tap into the
deeper motivations needed to move
the next step along in the journey
of change. So how can we apply this
motivational interviewing approach
to tackling global issues?
Rather than seeking to persuade or
argue, motivational interviewing
aims to support ‘the client’ make
their own argument for change.
Listening is needed here, with a
particular willingness to hear about
the issues that concern people most.
When we have room to deeply express
our concerns, we effectively talk
ourselves into a wanting to do
something to respond. In supporting
people to honour their pain for the
world, the empowerment approach
developed by Joanna Macy and others
can work in a similar way. Exercises
like the open ended sentences below
help people touch into and express
the concerns that might motivate
them. Try this yourself by seeing
what naturally follows each of the
opening phrases below. Perhaps talk
for two minutes or write a page to
yourself for each one. (This
exercise works best in pairs but you
can also do it by yourself).
1. When I consider the condition of
our world, I think things are
getting…
2. Feelings I have about this
include…
3. I respond to these feelings by…
Uncomfortable feelings may come up
when you do this. If we allow
ourselves to feel disturbed, this
can be what rouses us to respond.
Changing the subject or looking the
other way may offer relief from
distress, but this may also block
motivational energy.
In my book Find Your Power,
which is published this month, I
introduce ‘the journey approach to
change’. Drawing on my experience of
working in the addictions field and
of running workshops addressing
global issues, I take the view that
our lives are like adventure
stories. These often begin by
introducing alarming scenarios. But
our concerns can act as calls to
adventure that prompt us to search
out the trail of an empowered
response. My book offers a toolkit
of insights and strategies to
support this process, one of its
goals being to help us cultivate
positive vision and inspired
responses to global issues. This
newsletter, and our new website (see
1 below), aim to serve a similar
function.
With you in this Great Turning
adventure
Chris Johnstone
Editor, The Great Turning Times
email:
chris@chrisjohnstone.info
GTT Web:
http://www.GreatTurningTimes.org
CJ Web :
http://www.chrisjohnstone.info
P.S.
If you like this email newsletter,
please do pass it on. If it has been
forwarded to you and you’d like it
regularly, email me with SUBSCRIBE
in the subject header, followed by
INTERNATIONAL if you’re from outside
the UK and don’t want the UK events
listings (see 3 below). 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) INTERNATIONAL EVENTS LISTINGS,
PAST NEWSLETTERS AND ECO-INSPIRATION
AT OUR NEW WEBSITE!
Thanks to the hard work of Lynn Hyde
and David Johnson, together with
some writing input from me, The
Great Turning Times is now online at
http://www.GreatTurningTimes.org
This website introduces the Great
Turning, allows you to read past
newsletters, has an inspiring
web-links page, and most useful of
all – allows you to enter your
events so that other people can find
out about them. The events page is
international, with 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! (see 2). Here’s how to do
this.
If your 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 (chris@chrisjohnstone.info) 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.
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(2) VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Initially the international events
pages may be a bit sparse. We’re
looking for volunteers to help enter
events from Joanna Macy’s schedule,
John Seed’s schedule and this
current newsletter.
For Joanna Macy’s schedule see
http://www.joannamacy.net/html/schedule.html
For John Seed’s see
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/schedule.htm
Please email me first to let me know
what you can do, and then afterwards
so that I can authorise it.
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(3) INTERNATIONAL EDITION
There are two editions of the Great
Turning Times. The first includes
the UK events listings. But if
you’re from outside the UK and would
prefer the international edition of
this newsletter that has 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.
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(4) 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
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(5) AMAZING VIDEO AND RADIO
RESOURCES ON THE NET
Three sites that continue to amaze
me with on-line audio and video
inspiration are:
http://www.big-picture.tv
http://www.green.tv/
http://www.planetaryvoices.org.uk
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(6) For an interesting article about
The Work that Reconnects and Peak
Oil,
See
http://www.energybulletin.net/13964.html
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(7) An interesting short article on
the ways that Japan is securing its
energy future can be seen at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1711701,00.html
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(8)
http://www.save-our-world.net
is an educational charity that takes
plays about climate change to
schools in the UK.
They also have an interesting
website with a good links page at
http://www.save-our-world.net/html/links.html
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(9) PowerSwitch - an independant
organisation in the UK dedicated to
raising awareness of Peak Oil.
They have lots of free resources, an
on-line petition, news and a forum
to
discuss the topic and measures that
we can personally take to ameliorate
its effects. Many people are
bewildered when they first discover
Peak
Oil and having a forum to meet at
provides some soothing contact.
They have members all around the
country who are meeting up, showing
the
film 'End of Suburbia' and
contacting their MPs and local
papers.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk
http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php#primer
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(10) GreenSpirit
GreenSpirit is a movement which
celebrates all life as deeply
connected and
sacred. This radical vision brings
together the rigour of science, the
freedom of creativity, the passion
of social action and the wisdom of
spiritual traditions of all ages.
Our activities combine the full
potential
of the human spirit and imagination
with our passion for the survival of
the
diversity of life on Earth.
More information about GreenSpirit
from www.greenspirit.org.uk or
contact
Ian Mowll:
info@greenspirit.org.uk
tel: 0845 2235280.
To add yourself to the free
GreenSpirit enewsletter, send a
blank email to:
greenspiritinfo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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(11)
First
European Ecopsychology Society
Conference (EES) - is it happening?
September 22-25, 2006 Lignan,
Italy
A
forum for fundamental discussions in
all areas of Ecopsychology:
Education, Counseling, Science and
Theory
The pdf flyer I saw for this stated
that a final decision hadn’t yet
been made to hold this conference,
so
for additional details, contact the
Conference Coordinator at: ees@ecopsychology.netees@ecopsychology.net
Or take a look at
www.ecopsychology.net
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(12) ANNOUNCING A NEW BOOK FROM UK
DEEP ECOLOGIST/ECO-POET HELEN MOORE
Changing Nature: Eco-Notes of a
Digital Woman – by Helen Moore (GreenSeer
Books)
A country diary for a changing
climate: an illustrated Nature
diary, with a foreword by Jill
Attenborough of the Woodland Trust.
Is global warming really affecting
the seasons? How has our
countryside changed in the last
century? 100 years after the
Edwardian Lady wrote her Country
Diary, a poet & aspiring deep
ecologist follows in her footsteps.
Swapping city-life for rural
Somerset, Helen Moore documents her
observations at home & on visits to
parts of Britain & Ireland,
including: The Nidderdale,
Shropshire, The New Forest, Devon,
The Burren & behind the scenes at
The Chelsea Flower Show.
An intimate portrait of the
challenges we face here on Planet
Earth & a personal journey towards a
more sustainable future.
A4 spiral-bound, colour photography,
200pp 100% recycled paper printed in
UK, £17 (inc p&p within the UK)
Ffi:
http://www.natures-words.co.uk
To order contact:
greenseerbooks@gmail.com
Helen is also available to give
illustrated talks about the book and
her findings on climate change.
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(13) A poem by Helen Moore about The
Great Turning is attached as a pdf.
It may be viewable at the bottom of
the email.
Check out her website at
http://www.natures-words.co.uk
for more stunning pictures and
words.
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(14) And a new book about The Great
Turning - The Great Turning
by David Korten
This book shows how humans stand at
a defining moment in our history,
where we face both the opportunity
and the imperative to choose our
future as a conscious collective
act.
http://davidkorten.com/Books/greatturning.htm
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(15) On the theme of great new
books, check this this out.
ANIMATE EARTH by Stephan Harding,
“
'Animate Earth' represents systems
science at its best . . . gives a
whole new dimension to what
‘environment-friendly’ really
means.”—Jonathon Porritt
“This is a wonderful and beautiful
book, a teacher’s treasure.” —James
Lovelock
In
'Animate Earth' Stephan Harding
explores how Gaian science can help
us to develop a sense of
connectedness with the
‘more-than-human’ world. His work is
based on a careful integration of
rational scientific analysis with
our intuition, sensing and feeling—a
vitally important task at this time
of severe ecological and climate
crisis.
For more information, see
http://greenbooks.co.uk/store/product_info.php?products_id=212
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(16) INTERNET ACTIVISM AND ONE CLICK
DONATIONS
If you’d like to find out more about
how you can raise money for
charities just by clicking on
websites, read the article about
this at
http://people.brandeis.edu/~ava/faq.html
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UK BASED EVENTS
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(17) FIND YOUR POWER LONDON
BOOK LAUNCH 17th May at The
October Gallery,
Chris Johnstone’s new book Find
Your Power is a self-help guide
to personal power and positive
vision. It offers strategies and
insights for cultivating inner
strengths, finding ways through
blocks and promoting inspired
action. Introducing the Great
Turning as the essential adventure
of our time, it weaves the personal
and planetary with motivational
psychology from the addictions
field, positive psychology, holistic
science and storytelling. Here’s how
some people have described it:
“Find Your Power is a
different kind of self-help book. It
describes, in detail, how we can
move into our potential, helping
ourselves and the world at the same
time.”
Mary-Jayne Rust,
Eco-psychologist.
" I have worked with Chris Johnstone
for almost two decades and have
benefited greatly from his brilliant
teachings. This book will help
countless people live more effective
and joyous lives."
Joanna Macy, author of
World as Lover, World as Self
and many other books.
You’re welcome to come to the London
Launch at The October Gallery on
Wednesday 17th May 7.15pm – 9.15pm
At 24, Old Gloucester Street,
Bloomsbury, London WC1N 3AL.
See
http://www.theoctobergallery.com/OG-Map.htm
for a map of how to get there.
Chris will be playing his hammered
dulcimer and giving a talk to
introduce the book.
For details, email chris@chrisjohnstone.info
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(18) Personal Power for the
Planet speaking and workshop tour
Chris Johnstone is available to
speak to local groups about
cultivating positive vision and
empowered responses to global
issues.
If interested, email him at chris@chrisjohnstone.info
Here are two talks coming up this
May
25th May, Norwich – As part of the
University of East Anglia’s Positive
Development week,
A talk looking at how we find our
power to make positive changes in
the world.
6.30pm – 8pm, free, for details,
email Angela Ritchie on
A.Ritchie@uea.ac.uk
30th
May, Oxford – Personal Power for the
Planet, a talk looking at how a
psychological approach to power
can help us rise to the challenge of
responding to climate change and
other global issues.
7.00-9.00pm, Friends Meeting House,
43 St Giles Oxford, No entry fee,
all welcome.
For details, contact chris@chrisjohnstone.info
Chris is also working with a growing
network of facilitators to offer
follow up empowerment workshops for
local groups if they would like
this.
Based on The Work That Reconnects ,
these workshops offer an opportunity
to share the depths of our concerns
for the world, and to
strengthen our ability to respond in
an inspired fashion.
Email chris@chrisjohnstone.info if
interested.
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(19)
ECOPSYCHOLOGY in PRACTICE with
MARY-JAYNE RUST 26th – 28th May
2006
A weekend workshop designed
specifically for therapists who wish
to incorporate ecopsychology into
their practice.
Therapy is an intensely personal
process. Yet our psychological
health is also affected by the
bigger picture and our personal
actions can affect others around the
globe.
While the therapy movement brings
change within human relationships,
ecopsychology seeks to broaden our
awareness to include our
relationship with the rest of life,
beyond human relationships.
How does this work in practice? How
are these global issues
psychologically manifested? Do our
clients talk about these issues? How
do we respond? Do we address these
wider issues together as therapists?
This week-end will be a space to
start to unpack some thinking and
feeling around these concerns.
Mary-Jayne is a Jungian analyst, art
therapist and ecopsychologist
practising in London. See
www.mjrust.net <http://www.mjrust.net/>
for more info.
Dates: 6pm Friday
26TH- 4pm Sunday 28TH MAY, 2006
Venue:
HOCKERTON HOUSING PROJECT,
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
Price:
£180 including Friday evening
supper, vegetarian lunches, tea &
coffee.
Accomodation: There will be camping
space for 6 people, at no extra
cost, on a first come first served
basis. Alternatively, there are
several local B&Bs.
For more details or to reserve a
place, please contact Trudi
Macagnino on 07775 773778 or e mail
trudi.macagnino@spti.net
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(20)
EARTH ACTIVIST TRAINING 15th - 29th
July 2006
Ragmans Lane Gloucestershire
with
Starhawk & Penny Livingston- Stark
A permaculture design course and
more for activists:
Learn the skills to transform a
piece of land, a community and our
political and economic systems.
We
will also be thinking and planning
for the Climate change Camp later in
the summer of 2006
On completion, participants will
receive a permaculture certificate.
Core facilitators:
Starhawk is a lifelong
activist, direct action trainer,
ecofeminist and author of many books
that link earth-based spirituality
with political struggle. www.starhawk.org
Penny Livingston-Stark is
internationally recognized as a
prominent permaculture teacher,
designer and speaker. She is the
founder of The Permaculture
Institute of Northern California and
has been working professionally in
the land management and development
field for 25 years.
http://www.regenerativedesign.org/
There will also be visiting guest
speakers.
Cost (including tuition, two
weeks accommodation and all meals):
£100 - £500 sliding scale according
to income:
£500 waged
£300 low income
£100 unwaged (This is negotiable).
We particularly welcome applications
from underrepresented groups within
the activist community
Accommodation will be either camping
or small dorms/bunk rooms.
The food will be vegetarian and
organic as far as possible.
Selection criteria: As there are
only limited places available on
this course, it is necessary to have
a selection criteria rather than
accept people on a first come first
served basis. Priority will be given
to people who are:
- involved primarily in the
activist* community/movement
- have some experience of being
involved in activism.
- involved with local groups and who
will make a commitment to share what
they learn with their own
communities and affinity groups
- are active in the UK, although we
are open to applications from people
in Europe.
The closing date for applications
is 31st May 2006.
If you are interested in taking part
in this course, please contact the
organising collective for an
application form, at:
Earth Activist Training
C/o 3 Yew Tree Cottages
Pitt
Court
North
Nibley
Glos
Gl11 6EB
Or e-mail: eat2006@riseup.net
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(21) 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.
Find the Yurt of Empowerment where
there will be regular workshops
based on The Work That Reconnects.
Contact Chris at
chris@chrisjohnstone.info
for more details about this.
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(22)
The
Last Atomic Bomb
US film-maker Kathleen Sullivan will
be screening this inspiring and
deeply moving film at The Big Green
Gathering.
It tells the story of the Hibakusha
– those survived the nuclear
explosions at Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.
Kathleen is also looking for other
possible hosts to screen this film.
If your local group is interested,
Contact Kathleen by email at
edna@bestweb.net
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(23)
A
Council of all Beings
A
Council of all Beings will be held
on 9th - 10th September, near
Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire.
Our base will be a tipi in a flower
meadow surrounded by woods and
streams. There will be camping and
limited indoor accommodation.
Arrive on Friday evening for an
early start Saturday, closing on
Sunday afternoon. Main meals, all
drinks and materials provided. Cost
£40 waged, £25 unwaged.
Facilitators Gina Heathersprite,
Richard Bambrey and Sue Weaver.
Please contact Sue for information
on 01550 777402, or llwynbwch@freeola.com
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(24)
Time for the Dream
Saturday and Sunday 1st & 2nd July,
10-4pm
With Mary Jayne-Rust and Chris
Johnstone
“Although dreams and reality are
sometimes seen as opposites,
it is more helpful to think of them
as two points in a journey.
Present reality is the starting
point of where you are now.
Dream, goal and vision are different
words to describe the places you
want to get to.”
From Find Your Power by Chris
Johnstone
This two day experiential course
offers an opportunity to
• clarify your positive vision, both
for your own life and for the world
• identify blocks in the way and
find ways through these
• plan your next action steps to
bring your vision into being
Cost £95, includes seasonal, organic
vegetarian lunch.
At The Gaia Learning Centre, 18,
Well Walk, Hampstead, London NW3
2YT.
For booking and further information,
contact Charlotte Aldridge or Kate
Povey,
Tel 020-7428 0055 email:
charlotte@gaianet.org
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(25)
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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(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. T
hrough 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)
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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(28) Equality, Diversity and
Sustainability: Connections and
Tensions.
Monday 19th June 2006, 12.00am -
16.30pm
Abbey Conference Centre, Room L7
London Road Building, London Road,
Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 0AA
Aim of the seminar:
* To enhance our understanding of
the relationship between these three
critical themes in a range of
different educational contexts.
* To explore how we can make
better connections between the
themes at the level of both policy
and practice.
Cost: Non-LSBU Individuals: £50
(Including Lunch)
LSBU Individuals: Free
CCCI Management Committee,
Associates and Fellows: Free
For further information please
contact Dane Austin at
austind@lsbu.ac.uk
or 02078155761
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(29) 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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(30)
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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(31)
Gaia Co-operative Courses
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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(32)
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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(33)
SUSTAINABILITY
& SOCIETY
date:
10/06/2006
venue:
Room S315,
Dept Of Social Psychology, St
Clements Building, LSE,
WC2A 2AE
With Ian Brown From The Network
Project
While there is plenty of discussion
about our need to move toward a more
sustainable economy and the need to
change our consumption habits, there
has been little consideration of
what kind of society will support
such profound changes. This
workshop, led by Ian Brown from the
Network Project, will explore the
kind of supportive social
relationships we need, our models of
ownership, of citizenship and
co-operation.
cost: sliding scale
contact for booking:
Rosamund Stock
contact email address:
r.e.stock@lse
event web
link: http://letslink.org/network/workshops/060610.htm
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(34)
CAE
MABON - ALIDA GERSIE workshop
'The Creator Takes This Soil And
Works It'
Fri
2nd to Sun 4th June 2006
This
weekend we will explore, play and
make some things with what is at
hand. We'll encounter the abundance
of our inner and outer resources. We
will also be amazed at how the
process of making moves us in
unforeseen ways. The things we
create will mostly be 'fresh words
and new stories'. Metaphors that
linger in the soul's mind. But we'll
also make twiggy things, concrete
objects, peculiar maps and
unexpected pathways. If you want the
professional space to engage with
new and familiar storymaking
techniques, this might be your
weekend. But if you want a personal
space to simply be surprised by
storied and other makings in a
beautiful environment - this is also
your weekend. And if you would like
both - that too is on offer.
Alida Gersie is an
inspirational workshop leader. She
is a consultant and author with an
international practice, specialising
in the uses of storymaking to
resolve distressing consequences of
trauma and loss. Until 2000 she was
Principal Lecturer at the University
of Hertfordshire and the Director of
Studies of the Postgraduate Arts
Therapies Programme. Prior to this
she held senior positions in the
arts, health and community
development. Her books include 'Storymaking
in Education and Therapy' (with
Nancy King), 'Dramatic approaches to
Brief Therapy', 'Storymaking in
Bereavement' and 'Reflections on
Therapeutic Storymaking: The use of
stories in groups' (Jessica Kingsley
Publishers).
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