Great Turning Times September
2006
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.
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the September 2006
edition of the Great Turning Times.
Since last May’s edition, there has
been war in the Middle East,
heatwaves and droughts in many
continents and more disturbing
reports about climate change (see
refs 1 and 2 below for examples).
It is easy to feel
overwhelmed when facing such issues
and the central purpose of this
newsletter is to look at how we find
our power to respond. One place I
turn for inspiration is a story
Joanna Macy tells. It is the
twelve-century-old Shambhala Warrior
Prophecy from the Tibetan Buddhist
Tradition. You can find this in
Joanna’s book World as Lover
World as Self (p.179). Thanks to
internet radio station Planetary
Voices, you can also hear Joanna
recount the story through
cyberspace, followed by me talking
about how we can cultivate empowered
responses to global issues. The
feature is half an hour long.
Here’s the link:
http://www.planetaryvoices.org.uk/from_overwhelm_to_engagement.html
I won’t tell the whole story, but I
will pick out a few key elements.
The starting point is a time when
our world is in danger. Great powers
have arisen that waste their wealth
on preparing to annihilate each
other. They have weapons of
unfathomable destructive power and
technologies that lay waste the
earth. It is at this time, when the
future of life seems to hang by the
frailest of threads, that the
Kingdom of Shambhala begins to
emerge.
Shambhala is not a physical place.
Rather it arises in the hearts and
minds of the Shambhala Warriors.
These are the people who act with
compassion and insight to dismantle
the weapons threatening our world.
But before they can do this, they
need to go into training, to develop
the compassion and insight needed
for their task.
The stories I feel most inspired by
are those that reach out to include
us, the reader (or listener). When
Joanna shares this prophecy, she
makes clear that she aims it at the
Shambhala Warrior in each of us. The
Work That Reconnects, the
empowerment approach developed by
Joanna and colleagues, is designed
to offer the sort of training that
might help us in our quest.
A few weeks ago, my Great Turning
study/action group tried an exercise
inspired by the Shambhala Prophecy.
We imagined moving forward in time
to visit a possible future where the
Great Turning had occurred. In this
imaginary time-line, the early
twenty first century had been a
crucial change point; as a result, a
massive shift in consciousness had
occurred. Visiting these future
beings gave us an opportunity to ask
them for guidance. Some people found
it hard to imagine such a future.
But others found the process deeply
inspiring. The future beings I
encountered had this advice for me:
“Meet in groups to hold the vision
and train yourselves”.
If we hold in our heart/mind a
vision of our preferred future for
the world, could that be similar to
the Kingdom of Shambhala arising
within us? This is one way of
thinking about the prophecy, where
the Kingdom of Shambhala is our
vision of the very best future we
can imagine. When we get a glimpse
of a destination that inspires us,
this helps us access the courage and
determination needed to move that
way. Even if the vision seems
impossibly beyond our reach, like a
guiding star in the night, it can
still give us a direction to head
in.
I’ve included with this newsletter
(as a pdf attachment
Overwhelm To Engagement.pdf)
something I wrote for Permaculture
Magazine that features a similar
exercise. (This is also viewable on
the web at
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/mag/Articles/Overwhelm%20To%20Engagement.html
). In this, I focus on the stories
that might be told four hundred
years from now in a possible future
where the Great Turning has
occurred. In their version of
history, the early Twenty-First
Century would have been a crucial
turning point. Those were the last
decades of the Oil Age, when the
climate had already begun to change,
and countries still fought wars. But
how did it change? And how can we
become part of a story people will
tell four hundred years from now?
That’s the exciting challenge this
newsletter explores.
With you in this Great Turning
adventure.
Chris Johnstone
Editor, The Great Turning Times
http://www.GreatTurningTimes.org
http://www.chrisjohnstone.info
References
(1) and (2) Reports on climate
change
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/37820/story.htm
http://www.scidev.net/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=readnews&itemid=3048&language=1
P.S.
If you appreciate this newsletter,
please send it to others who might
like it too. Inspiration acts
through us when we pass it on to
others. If it has been forwarded to
you and you’d like it regularly,
email me with SUBSCRIBE in the
subject header. If you’re from
outside the UK and don’t want the UK
events listings (see 1 below) please
put INTERNATIONAL in the email and
say which country you’re from. To
stop receiving it, please email me
with “REMOVE” as a subject header.
It comes out four times a year, with
editions planned for March, June,
September and December. 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 100-300 words.
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(1) 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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(2) INTERNATIONAL EVENTS LISTINGS,
PAST NEWSLETTERS AND ECO-INSPIRATION
AT OUR NEW WEBSITE!
Lynn Hyde, David Johnson and myself
have put together a website at
http://www.GreatTurningTimes.org
This 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 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 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 (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.
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.
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(3) 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
on this website.
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(4) DAVID KORTEN’S BOOK ‘THE GREAT
TURNING’
David Korten, author of the classic
bestseller ‘When corporations rule
the world’ has recently written a
book called ‘The Great Turning’.
I look forward to reviewing this in
a future Great Turning Times. In the
meantime, see
http://thegreatturning.net/
An article by David Korten can be
found at
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1463
In this he writes:
We
face a defining choice between two
contrasting models for organizing
human affairs. Give them the generic
names Empire and Earth Community. ..
Empire organizes by domination at
all levels, from relations among
nations to relations among family
members. Empire brings fortune to
the few, condemns the majority to
misery and servitude, suppresses the
creative potential of all, and
appropriates much of the wealth of
human societies to maintain the
institutions of domination.
Earth Community, by contrast,
organizes by partnership, unleashes
the human potential for creative
co-operation, and shares resources
and surpluses for the good of all.
Supporting evidence for the
possibilities of Earth Community
comes from the findings of quantum
physics, evolutionary biology,
developmental psychology,
anthropology, archaeology, and
religious mysticism. It was the
human way before Empire; we must
make a choice to re-learn how to
live by its principles.
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(5) ENERGY DESCENT PLANNING
If there is to be a Great Turning to
life after the Oil Age, then one of
the challenges we face is overcoming
our dependence on fossil fuels. If
we adapt before oil becomes more
difficult to get hold of, then we
reduce the pain of withdrawal
symptoms after oil production peaks
and then falls. Cuba offers an
example of what is possible in the
transition to an economy less
dependent on oil. Another example is
Kinsale in Ireland, where Rob
Hopkins and his permaculture
students at Kinsale Further
Education College designed an Energy
Descent Action Plan. Here’s how they
describe this in their introduction.
It is the first attempt at
setting out how Kinsale, a West Cork
town of
about 7,000 people, could make the
transition from a high energy
consumption town to a low energy
one. The impending peaking of
world oil production will lead to
huge changes around the world, and
Ireland will not be immune from
this.
This report, prepared by
permaculture students from
Kinsale Further
Education College, looks at how
Kinsale could navigate this
uncertain
time by setting out a clear vision
of how a lower energy future could
be,
and then identifying a clear
timetable for achieving it. This
is, as far as
we know, the first time this has
happened in Ireland. The report
looks
at most aspects of life in Kinsale,
including food, energy, tourism,
education and health. Also
described is the process that
produced this
report, in the hope that it can be
rolled out in other towns across the
country.
You can download the report from
Rob Hopkins’ website at
http://transitionculture.org/?page_id=101
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(6) TOTNES IN TRANSITION
Rob has now moved to Devon, UK and
is organising a programme of talks,
meetings and other events to develop
an Energy Descent Action Plan for
Totnes.
Rob came to visit me in Bristol as
part of his search for insights
useful to Energy Descent. “What we
need”, he told me, “Is something on
the scale of a war time
mobilisation”. During the Second
World War in Britain, it was common
for people to dig up their front
lawns to grow fruit and vegetables.
Everything was recycled, very little
was wasted. During these times,
people pulled together because they
felt a common threat. While climate
change is viewed as a distant issue
by many people, the rising price of
oil has more immediate effects. Many
industry analysts believe we are
approaching the end of an era where
oil has been relatively cheap and
abundant. From now on, the price
goes up.
The BBC news page had an article a
couple of years ago raising this
issue. At the bottom of the page was
a map showing the location of the
world’s oil reserves. Looking at
this map (found at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3623549.stm
), it becomes clearer why US and
British troops are in Iraq. If
anyone is concerned about terrorism,
one simple step they can take to
reduce the risk is to take part in
energy descent. If economies remain
as dependent on oil as they are, and
oil becomes more difficult to get
hold of, there will be increasing
conflict over the reserves that
remain. As the map on this web page
shows, most of the world’s easily
extractable oil is in the Middle
East.
What I like about the approach of
Rob Hopkins is that he presents
Energy Descent Action Planning as an
opportunity to improve our quality
of life. He writes a daily blog on
his website at
http://www.transitionculture.org
that I strongly recommend. It is
inspiring.
Here is how he presents the concept
of Energy Descent on his website:
First he quotes the ecologists Odum
and Odum who write:
That the way down can be prosperous
is the exciting viewpoint whose time
has come. Descent is a new frontier
to approach with zeal … if everyone
understands the necessity of the
whole society adapting to less, then
society can pull together with a
common mission to select what is
essential. Presidents, governors,
and local leaders can explain the
problem and lead society in a shared
mission. Millions of people the
world over, if they see the
opportunity, can be united in the
common quest for a prosperous way
down. The alternative is a world of
selfish battles for whatever
resources remain.
Then
he quotes Holmgren:
“I
use the term ‘descent’ as the least
loaded word that honestly conveys
the inevitable, radical reduction of
material consumption and/or human
numbers that will characterise the
declining decades and centuries of
fossil fuel abundance and
availability.”
Finally he defines energy descent
as;
“the continual decline in net energy
supporting humanity, a decline which
mirrors the ascent in net energy
that has taken place since the
Industrial Revolution. It also
refers to a future scenario in which
humanity has successfully adapted to
the declining net energy
availability and has become more
localised and self-reliant. It is a
term favoured by people looking
towards energy peak as an
opportunity for positive change
rather than an inevitable disaster”.
The
reason I’m highlighting Rob’s work
on Energy Descent is that he offers
a model that is both reproducible
and necessary. The process in Totnes
involves a consultation phase where
the idea of Energy Descent is
introduced and a community explores
possible responses. From this, an
Energy Descent Action Plan is
developed that describes specific
steps, and dates by which these
could be achieved, in many areas of
a community’s life. By doing this,
empowered responses to issues like
Peak Oil and Climate Change are
brought within the reach of the
community doing the planning. And
the benefits of such planning are
likely to experienced within the
lifetimes of those taking part. By
bringing communities together around
a clear shared purpose, this process
is also likely to have many other
social benefits too.
The programme Transition Town
Totnes starts with the official
unleashing in Totnes Civic Hall on
Wednesday 6th September. Rob Hopkins
will give some background about the
Peak Oil issue, describe his Kinsale
experience and introduce the
programme for Totnes. I will be
speaking too, about the Psychology
of Determination, offering practices
for cultivating positive vision,
maintaining enthusiasm and finding
ways through some of the obstacles
to change .
To find out more about what else is
in stall, see
http://transitionculture.org/?page_id=427
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(7) Another fluid that is going to
be in short supply as we move
further into the 21 century is fresh
water. Already a third of the
world’s human population live in
areas of ‘water stress’. As the
planet warms up, water evapourates
more easily, drying out the land.
Severe droughts are already becoming
more common, and will affect
increasing numbers of people. Some
of the poorest countries could lose
a quarter of their food production
because of this. (See
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1430807.stm
) A new report from the WWF also
highlights the impacts of water
problems in countries like
Australia, Spain, Japan, the UK and
the US.
See
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater/index.cfm?uNewsID=77900
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(8) AMAZON AT RISK
The drying out of land as the planet
warms could also lead to massive
die-back of the Amazon and other
tropical forests. This could cause
more forest loss than all current
logging.
For more on this, see
http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2698
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(9) When reading disturbing
information like this, we need
courage – both to face what is
happening and to rise to the
challenge of finding our best
response. For a short inspiring film
about facing fear, see this
interview with Scilla Elworthy.
Viewable at
http://www.monday9am.tv/archive/intro/23
If you’ve heard the Shambhala
Warrior Prophecy, it will be
particularly relevant.
Also good for daily inspiration
top-ups are the interviews at
http://big-picture.tv
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(10) Someone else I draw inspiration
from is Rainforest activist John
Seed. He’s coming to the end of his
North American tour, and will be in
Canada for the first half of
September, before returning to
Australia for a Council of All
Beings in November. You can catch up
with John Seed’s programme at
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/schedule.htm
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(11) WWF and Bioregional have
launched a One Planet Living
Initiative.
Here’s how they describe it at the
WWF website.
WWF's
Living Planet
Report
suggests that globally we are
consuming 30% more than the planet
can sustain into the long term.
If everyone in the world lived as
people do in Europe, we would need
three planets to support us.
We need to reduce our impact - our
ecological footprint - to a
sustainable and globally equitable
level.
Challenge of living on one planet
The challenge that faces us all is
how can people everywhere enjoy a
high quality of life, within the
carrying capacity of one planet?
This is the Challenge that One
Planet Living - a joint
initiative of WWF and
BioRegional
- seeks to meet.
See
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/policy/one_planet_living/index.cfm
And
http://www.oneplanetliving.org/
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(12) Find Your Power – US Launch at
end of October.
My goal in writing my book Find
Your Power was to have a
constructive response to the
powerlessness many people feel when
facing global issues. I wanted to
produce an antidote to the idea that
‘you can’t change the world’. From
my work with Joanna Macy and my
experience as an addictions
specialist, I’ve seen how practices,
strategies and insights can help
turn around feelings of
powerlessness, and support the
growth of courage, confidence,
enthusiasm and inspired action. I’ve
produced a pop-psychology self-help
book that addresses both personal
and planetary issues, because I want
its appeal to extend beyond those
who are already engaged in Great
Turning related activity. What I
offer is an invitation to think
about power in new ways, backed up
by practical strategies that help us
respond to our concerns, get clearer
about what we want, and take active
steps towards that. As the book
progresses, I weave in planetary
issues more, taking Peak Oil as an
example, and describing how new ways
of experiencing our power can turn
our lives into an amazing adventure
where we act for life and life acts
through us.
I’m writing this now because I’d
like to ask for your help. The book
has been released in Britain, Europe
and Australia, with worldwide
distribution (see
http://www.nicholasbrealey.com
for details). The US release is set
for the end of October. I can
send a free copy of the book to
anyone (in any part of the world)
who can review it either in print or
on the web. This book, like this
newsletter, is part of my
contribution to the Great Turning.
If you read the book and feel you
would like to become an ally to its
journey into the world, I’d be
grateful for your support. Please
contact me at chris@chrisjohnstone.info
You can find out more about the book
on my website at
http://www.chrisjohnstone.info
I’m also available to offer talks
and workshops to groups in the UK.
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(13)
Hurricanes – More intense, more
frequent, more expensive
This
is the title of a new report by
insurance company Munich Re. The
increase in extreme weather events
is becoming expensive for the
insurance industry. This reports
examines the science suggesting a
link between increasing hurricane
intensity and global warming, and
concludes the evidence is
convincing. Here’s what they say in
their introduction.
In 2004, the insurance industry had
to pay a record sum of US$ 30bn for
losses caused by
North Atlantic hurricanes,
especially in the United States and
the Caribbean. This figure
was far more than doubled in 2005 by
the insured losses from tropical
cyclones in this
region, which topped US$ 83bn.
Hurricane Katrina alone will
probably cost the insurance
industry around US$ 45bn. In
meteorological terms too, the
exceptional year of 2004 –
with its four major hurricane loss
events in Florida – was followed by
the most active
cyclone season since track data were
first recorded in 1851. There were
27 named tropical
storms in 2005, passing the previous
record of 21 in 1933.
The intensities, i.e. wind speeds,
have also reached peak levels in the
last few years. Three
of the ten strongest hurricanes ever
recorded in the North Atlantic
occurred in 2005.
Hurricane Wilma had a record low
central pressure of only 882 hPa –
and hence, in all
probability, the highest wind speeds
in the Caribbean since 1851.
In addition, the recent past has
seen a spate of exceptional
windstorm events around the
globe. This trend continued in 2005.
Forming near the island of Madeira,
Hurricane Vince
was the most easterly and northerly
tropical cyclone ever. It set course
for the European
mainland and reached the coast of
Spain on 11 October. At the end of
November, Tropical
Storm Delta crossed the Canary
Islands, the first tropical cyclone
ever in this region.
You can download the full report at
http://www.munichre.com/
You’ll find it in the publications
section.
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(14) One of the people who came to
my ‘Gaia Theory for Beginners’
course at Bristol University was
musician and digital artist Elwyn
Lear.
He was so enthusiastic that he
interviewed me afterwards and posted
this as an mp3 file on his website.
You can hear me introduce Gaia
Theory and discuss its relevance to
tackling global issues at
http://www.elwynlear.co.uk/Elwyn_Lear_Interviews_Dr_Chris_Johnstone_On_The_Gaia_Theory.mp3
It lasts about half an
hour. A piece of Elwyn’s music
inspired by Gaia Theory can be
downloaded for free at:
http://www.elwynlear.co.uk/Nataraja_Gaia_(a_song_for_Green_Heart).mp3
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UK BASED EVENTS
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(15)
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.
It is easy to feel powerless when
facing the many problems of our
world. Yet it is also possible to
learn ways of deepening
determination, enhancing enthusiasm
and cultivating our courage. This
residential weekend workshop
introduces ‘The Work That
Reconnects’, the empowerment
approach developed by Joanna Macy
and colleagues (see
http://www.joannamacy.net for
info).
It offers:
• practices to strengthen our
feeling of connection with life
• strategies for using the energy of
our emotions and engaging our
passion to act for life
• insights that help us find our
power to rise to the challenges we
face.
For more information and booking,
see
http://www.monktonwyldcourt.org
and click events.
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(16) TRAINING IN THE WORK THAT
RECONNECTS
Quite a few people have expressed
interest in training as facilitators
of The Work That Reconnects. The
best initial training is to
experience these workshops as a
participant several times, so that
you become familiar with the process
and the exercises, as well as seeing
how different facilitators work. If
you’re interested in training, I’d
recommend coming to the Monkton Wyld
workshop in September (see 15
above), as we are running a special
training session on the Sunday
afternoon after the main workshop.
This will provide an opportunity to
ask questions about facilitation,
review the weekend workshop, and
look at next steps/further training
options.
Alex Wildwood is compiling a
register of facilitators and those
interested in training, so if you
are currently running workshops like
this, or would like to, please email
Alex at alex@wildwood.org.uk
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(17) Amazingly, there will be three
Council of All Beings workshops the
second weekend in September. The
Council of All Beings was developed
by John Seed and Joanna Macy as a
process for healing our relationship
with other life-forms. I have found
it deeply moving, and through doing
this have deepened the sense that I
have allies in nature. You can read
about the process in the Deep
Ecology classic Thinking Like A
Mountain, (co-authored by John
Seed, Joanna Macy, Pat Fleming and
Arne Naess) which is just about to
be re-published by New Society
Press.
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(18)
A
Council of all Beings - Wales
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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(19)
September 8-10 Council of All Beings
- Devon
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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(20)
A
Council of All Beings - Suffolk
with
Graham Joyce and Sarah Partridge
8th -
10th September
(arrive from 6pm on Friday for
supper at 7pm
ending at 4pm on Sunday)
Sanctuary and local ancient woodland
(10 miles NW of Ipswich in Suffolk,
UK)
We
meet in council because our world is
in danger. This weekend is a chance
to explore together through ritual,
meditation and movement, the depths
of our concern and love for the
earth and other beings in this time
of planetary crisis.
It is
an opportunity to shed our socially
learnt human sense of self, and to
allow our skin to yield to feathers,
to scales, to bark and soil, to the
elements themselves. Remembering our
four and a half billion year
evolutionary journey, we can awaken
to our
‘deep
ecology’
and begin to experience that
‘we
are the rocks dancing’.
Through visualization and
interactive exercises we will allow
other beings to inform and guide us,
deepening our identification with
all existence and enriching our
human power to act.
£60/80/100 sliding scale
(14
places available - early booking
recommended)
The
price includes all vegetarian/vegan
meals (largely organic) and
dormitory-style floor space.
(Bring your own sleeping mat, bag,
pillow, towel and layers of clothing
for being in nature.) Shower and
sauna available.
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE
WEEKEND
from Graham 07969-109233
To
check availibility of places /
bookings,
call Sarah on 01473-658193 or email
sarah@livelifelightly.co.uk
Yoga,
Dance Journeys, Living The Wheel of
the Year ......... see
www.livelifelightly.co.uk
Yurts, Tipis, Deep Ecology
workshops, Sweat Lodges ........ see
www.ancientvoices.co.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(21)
Experience the work that reconnects
– Oxford Nov/Dec
Based on Joanna Macy’s
approaches, playful experiential
practices help to deepen our
connection with the planet and
strengthen our collective ability to
respond to the concerns we have
about the future of our communities
and our world. For further details,
including cost and venue, contact Jo
Hamilton on 0794 1134664 (m), or
01993868787 (h) or email:
soaringskywards@yahoo.co.uk
This event takes place over two
evenings and one day, 6pm – 9pm
Friday 24th Nov, 10am – 5pm Sat Nov
25th & 6pm – 9pm Wed 5th Dec.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(22) Strategic Campaigning
course, 11-12 September Edinburgh
With Michelle Sheather Greenpeace
International training consultant
Will be covering:
- Campaign tools and methods - how
to get your message out
- Developing a Communication and
Media Strategy - what you're going
to say
- Strategic planning and thinking -
who and how to get your message
heard - to have most effect.
These elements will help you create
your own bespoke Strategic Campaign
plan.
Michelle Sheather's been training
activists and running campaigns
internationally for over 20 years.
Her course aims to help people and
organisations involved in eco-social
change to:
- be clearer and more confident
about what they're doing, why and
how to get there
- have greater effectiveness at
spreading their message
- be clever, fresh and use
innovative approaches
- best utilise their limited
resources to maximum effect
For more info:
http://www.creatingconnections.org/StrategicCampaigningCourse.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(23)
Wilderness quest for Vision &
Self-healing Sept 10th-16th
(preparation days 5th & 6th
September) with Suzannah Uren &
Jeremy Thres
Bring yourself, your questions and
your deepest aspirations to Great
Mother Nature. Allow her through
this fresh yet time-honoured form of
supported wilderness fasting to
deepen your perceptions and inform
your journey.
As in traditional rites of passage
this fast takes place within a
beautifully balanced container of
community and alone time, shared
ancestral wisdom, depth and play.
For further information or to book
contact Jeremy on 01647 433765.
There is a comprehensive handbook
for all participants, groups are
small to allow greater time for
preparation and integration.
“I cannot thankyou enough. I feel
truly humbled and privileged both
for a wonderful experience and just
to be alive on this earth.” Student
participant
September Bringing Back the Bones
… Singing Them to Life.
Month long Quest Training, the
Wilderness Quest for Vision and
Self-healing/Vision Fast, WalkAbout
& related Practices (for those with
some experience around this work.
“I have been on many journeys, most
far longer than this, yet this one
took me furthest. It was
also one of the hardest, but then
the hardest are always the best.”
Previous participant
Sept 21st-23rd Walkabout South
Devon, Jeremy Thres
October: 9th-14th
3rd International Wilderness Guides
Gathering
- contact: Chris Wilton/Sue Sully,
Wildgath@aol.com
<mailto:Wildgath@aol.com>
A
superb opportunity for those
interested and involved in work of
this Nature to learn and explore
together alongside international
colleagues.
May 07
14th – 20th Lost & Found – a week
for Men,
Hazel Hill woods, near Salisbury,
Wiltshire. So long as we experience
and perceive ourselves as just
isolated egos, as opposed to
“supported and connected every which
way” we are more likely to suffer
burn out and feel lost. This week
for adults & young adults will offer
a short
Wilderness Quest for Vision &
Self-healing as well as other time
honoured practices to support us to
healthily reconnect.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(24)
Bristol Schumacher Lectures 2006 -
REJOINING NATURE
Sat
7th October, 10am - 5pm, The Council
House, College Green, Bristol
Each year, this major gathering of
ecologically inspired people is
provoked into new awareness by great
speakers.
This year they are:
Stephan Harding - Author of
Animate Earth and Ecologist at
Schumacher College
Elisabet Sahtouris - Evolutionary
Biologist and Futurist
George Monbiot - Author, columnist
and campaigner
Tickets £32 (£26 concs) Members £22
Students/under 25: £20
For further info and booking phone
0117 903 1081
or visit
http://www.schumacher.org.uk or
email admin@schumacher.org.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(25)
Big
Climate Demo Saturday 4th November
2006
Part
of the International Demonstrations
planned for the next round of UN
Climate Talks in Nairobi.
National Climate March : Rally at US
Embassy, Grosvenor Square, London,
12.00 noon
In
preparation for International
Demonstrations on the 4th November
the Campaign against Climate Change
is launching a National Day of
Action on Saturday 16th September.
The ideas is to get as many local
climate actions around the country
happening all on the same day (to
maximise impact) as possible. The
aim is both to boost local campaigns
and also to make people aware of the
issues and the goals of the November
the 4th demonstration, and so help
build for that.
For details of national demo and day
of action, see
http://www.campaigncc.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(26) For creative campaigning on
demos and other places, check out
this website
http://www.streetacts.org/
"Street Acts exists to increase
skills in creative campaigning on
issues such as peace, social justice
and the environment by sharing
ideas"
* For street campaigning, including
street theatre, that really work
* For props banners and costumes
that are simple to make, portable
and multipurpose .. we can even loan
you some.
* For activities that are fun
* That clearly communicate the
message
* That capture positive media
attention
* So that our 'audience ',
whether that is passers-by or people
via the media, feel more engaged,
encouraged and welcomed
by the campaigners, not threatened
or accused.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(27)
WRITING TO RECONNECT: TRANSITION AND
LETTING GO
Saturday 7 October: 10-4
Facilitator: Kim Clancy
Sharpham College, Totnes, Devon
As the trees change colour and shed
their leaves, so the days shorten
and the cycle of summer moves
inexorably towards Winter. Using the
land in its Autumn phase as our
inspiration, we will explore,
through writing and meditation, our
own relationship to transition,
impermanence and letting go.
Cost £12 + dana (donation) for the
teacher
Please bring lunch to share.
Contact:
centre@sharpham-trust.org
01803-732542
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(28)
The
Edinburgh Radical Book Fair 11th -
15th October
THE
10TH EDINBURGH INDEPENDENT RADICAL
BOOK FAIR will take place from
Wednesday 11th to Sunday 15th of
October 2006 in The Out of the Blue
Drill Hall, 30-38 Dalmeny Street,
Edinburgh, EH6 8RG, Scotland, UK.
This
starts with Vandana Shiva talking on
Wed 11th at 7pm
Chris Johnstone will be offering a
talk/mini-workshop on Personal
Power for the Planet on Friday
13th at 2.30pm
Eco-Poet Helen Moore will be
performing on Saturday 14th at
4.45pm
For details see
http://www.word-power.co.uk/book_fair
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(29) ECOPSYCHOLOGY in PRACTICE with
MARY-JAYNE RUST
4th – 5th November 2006 at
FOXHOLE CENTRE, DARTINGTON, TOTNES,
DEVON.
A weekend workshop designed
specifically for therapists who wish
to incorporate ecopsychology into
their practice.
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.
Price: £95 ( non-residential: if
accommodation is required, a B+B
list can be provided. Bring a shared
lunch.) Limited places, so booking
is essential.
Contact: David Gillingham for
further booking details, 01803
865572
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(30)
Education For Sustainability
at
London South Bank University
A
range of courses on global issues
and sustainability be studied either
fast track through self-supported
study at the University, part time
by distance learning, or a mixture
of both.
See their website at www.lsbu.ac.uk/efs
for details.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(31)
Renewable energy courses
If
you’d like to find out more about
renewable energy, check out the
courses on this website
http://www.greendragonenergy.co.uk/courses.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(32)
“The Extended Mind”
A
presentation by Rupert Sheldrake
2:30pm:
Saturday 23rd September 2006,
At City of
London
School for Girls, St Giles' Terrace,
Barbican, London. EC2Y 8BB
Including 2 videos of telepathy in
action.
Have you ever had a premonition, the
feeling of being watched, or a
telepathic experience? The renowned
biologist Rupert Sheldrake will
present his recent findings,
powerfully suggesting that part of
us extends beyond our bodies to make
direct connection with the world
around us. The presentation will
include 2 videos one showing the
parrot Nkisi and its owner, and one
(filmed for television) showing the
Nolan sisters. Afterwards Rupert
Sheldrake will dialogue with the
physicist Chris Clarke on the
implications of this extended
connection for our ecological
situation.
Rupert Sheldrake
is one of the world's most
innovative biologists who has
revolutionised scientific thinking
with his vision of a living,
developing universe with its own
inherent memory. He is the author of
more than 75 scientific papers and
ten books, including The Sense of
Being Stared At And Other Aspects of
the Extended Mind (2003).
1:45pm
Doors open
2:30pm - 4:00pm
(approx) Presentation
Afterwards the GreenSpirit Books
stall will offer an extensive range
of titles.
Cost: Standard - £15. GreenSpirit
members in advance - £13.
Concessionary (unwaged) - £10.
More
information and directions at:
www.greenspirit.org.uk/sheldrake or
phone: 0845 2235280
For tickets in advance, send a
cheque (payable to “GreenSpirit”) by
15Sep06 to: GreenSpirit,
137
Ham Park Road, Forest Gate, London.
E7 9LE. Or phone tel: 0845 2235280 -
we take credit/debit cards.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(33)
FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO THE ECOLOGIST!
All
you have to do is change your
electricity supplier to Ecotricity,
and mention the Ecologist offer when
you contact Ecotricity.
Phone 08000 326 100 or check out
their website at
http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/
This is such an easy way to support
renewable energy and take a positive
step to tackling climate change.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(34)
Powerswitch
Powerswitch.org.uk is dedicated to
raising awareness & discussion of
the impending & permanent decline of
cheap oil & gas supply, the
consequences of which will affect
every corner of our lives. See their
website at
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(35)
The
Emerging Spirituality Revolution
Embodying the Spiritual Imperative
of our Time
4th
and 5th November, 2006, London
A conference organised by The Wrekin
Trust
With Dr.
William Bloom, Satish Kumar, David
Lorimer, Caitlin Matthews, Fr
Diarmuid O’Murchu and many others
Spiritual awareness today is
expanding beyond the confines of
religious traditions through
cultivating a direct connection to
the deeper level of life. This is a
grassroots movement which is calling
all people of goodwill to recognise
and restore the spiritual dimension
within society. The emerging
spirituality revolution is visible
across the planet expressed in
principles that unite, in love for
each other and in appreciation and
care for our planet. This conference
forms a gathering point for this
revolution.
For details, see
http://www.ufsforum.org/conf/index.php
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(36)
Gaia Theory for Beginners
with Chris Johnstone at Bristol
University
Sat 4th November 2006
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.
9.30am - 4.30pm at Bristol
University Public Programmes Office,
8-10 Berkeley Square, Bristol BS8
1HH. Cost £28 (concs. available)
Advance booking essential: please
phone 0117 928 7160 or email Diane
Thorne at
diane.thorne@bris.ac.uk
See
item (14) above for more on Gaia
Theory and its relevance to tackling
global issues
Chris also runs courses in The
Psychology of Personal Power,
Motivational Interviewing, Burnout
Prevention Strategies and Positive
Psychology. For details, see his
website at
http://www.chrisjohnstone.info
Chris will also be speaking at The
Alternatives Programme, St James,
Picadilly, London on Monday 11th
December at 7pm.
See
http://www.alternatives.org.uk/Site/Contents/Talks.asp
for details.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(37)
Permaculture Courses in Bristol
Introductory and Design courses
Autumn 2006 - Spring 2007
Permaculture is a practical, ethical
and common sense design system based
on the study of nature. It involves
organic growing, land regeneration,
community action, energy efficiency,
waste minimisation, healthy living,
and much much more...
The Introductory course is a stand
alone course or can be part of the
full design course. You need to have
done or be booked on to an intro
course before applying for our
design course.
Introduction to Permaculture Weekend
x 2
An introduction to the principles
and practice of Permaculture.
Workshops, discussions, slide shows,
wild plant walk and practical
activities.
Led by Sarah Pugh
Cost £50 full £25 cons.
Intro weekend dates
Sat 30th September and Sun 1st
October 2006
At St Werburghs City Farm
or
Sat 18th and Sun 19th November 2006
at the Federation of City Farms in
Bedminster
Full Design Course
Over 12 weeks - weekly Thursday
evening sessions plus weekend field
visits to inspiring permaculture
projects around the South West.
Starts January 18th 2007. Booking
forms available on intro course or
by email from 30th September for
those who have done intro.
Please email
bristol_permaculture@yahoo.co.uk
or call 0117 902 7913 for more info
or to book a place.
Please state which date you'd like
to do. Places are limited so please
book early.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(38)
Courses from Centre for Human
Ecology and the University of
Strathclyde:
Ethical Enterprise:
How can values-led trading
organisations can maximise their
contribution to ecological
sustainability and social justice?
Based on two, two-day workshops in
Glasgow on 5/6 Oct and 16/17 Nov,
plus private study. Leading to a
Certificate of Professional
Practice. Fee £495.
http://www.che.ac.uk/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=175&Itemid=188
Food Culture & Agri-Culture:
How does farming affect the
ecology and community in local
areas? What sustainable alternatives
to global agribusiness practices
exist? Based on two, two-day
workshops in Glasgow on 13/15 Oct
and 24/26 Nov, plus private study.
Leading to a Certificate of
Professional Practice. Fee £495.
http://www.che.ac.uk/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=176&Itemid=188
Spiritual Activism: How
can spirituality guide and inspire
people working with social and
ecological justice? Based on
two, two-day workshops in Glasgow on
21/22 Oct and 2/3 Dec, plus private
study. Leading to a Certificate of
Professional Practice. Fee £495.
http://www.che.ac.uk/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=178&Itemid=188
Human Ecology:
Initiate effective, enduring change
for ecological sustainability and
social justice. Full or part-time,
based in Glasgow, starting 16 Sept
06 and Sept 07. Leading to
Postgraduate Certificate; Diploma or
Master of Science. Fee from £2,367 -
£4,900.
http://www.che.ac.uk/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=181&Itemid=188
Footprint Masterclass:
How to calculate the
environmental impact and
sustainability of a product,
organisation, lifestyle or region.
One day course in Edinburgh on 9
Nov. Fee £350.
http://www.che.ac.uk/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=198&Itemid=188
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(39)
Building on the inspiration of the
“Be the Change” conference,
The
second, UK
Awakening The Dreamer
Symposium will take place in London
at the Window in Islington on
Saturday, September 2. This event is
now fully booked. Please send an
email to symposium@bethechange.org.uk
if you'd like to place your name on
the mailing list for for future
events. There are already plans
afoot for events in Brighton,
Sheffield, Bristol - with doubtless
many other to come - including, of
course, further events in London.
Watch this space!
For details, see
http://www.bethechange.org.uk/symposium.cfm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(40)
The Work That Reconnects in 2007
One day introductory workshop
on Feb
17th 2007 at Sharpham House, nr
Totnes, Devon TQ9 7UT. 10am to 4pm,
cost £35 plus please bring lunch to
share. With Kim Clancy and Chris
Johnstone. For details and booking,
tel 01803 732 542, or see website at
www.sharpham-trust.org
Weekend workshop on May 25th –
27th 2007, facilitated by Chris
Johnstone and Kim Clancy at Sharpham
House, nr Totnes, Devon TQ9 7UT.
Cost £150 (includes full board). For
details and booking, tel 01803 732
542, or see website at
www.sharpham-trust.org
It is likely that there
will be a networking event in May
organised by Buddhafield. A similar
event took place in May this year
and was a great success. It was set
up for people who’ve attended
previous workshops on the Work That
Reconnects, and wanted to explore
this approach more, as well as
connect with others similarly
interested. The Buddhafield group
organise some excellent retreats
combining spirituality and global
issues, and drawing on The Work That
Reconnects. For details of their
programme and their festival,
see
http://www.buddhafield.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LOCAL GROUPS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(41)
New
eco- psychology group in Bristol
Sue Ryall is setting up a new eco-
psychology group in Bristol. Here’s
how she describes it:
I’d like to set up a group with
other people, who have a
psychological understanding and
perspective, with the aim of:
-
Exploring and sharing our
responses to the environmental
issues facing our planet and life
on it. I’d hope the group would
be a place for sustenance, support
and ideas.
-
Looking at how we might usefully
bring our psychological
perspectives to explore and
address these issues in the wider
community.
For example – How does the
threat to survival at a global level
impact on individuals? How can we
begin to unwrap our feelings and
thoughts? How might we work
with individuals and groups bringing
these concerns?
-
I
envisage a relatively small,
ongoing group, probably with a
fixed membership, to enable us to
build a sense of mutual support,
ideas and momentum.
-
If
you would be interested in being
part of a group like this please
contact Sue Ryall. sue.ryall@blueyonder.co.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(42) 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
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(43) 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
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(44)
Ecopsychology Group ...or
Psycho-ecology Group?
Whatever we call ourselves, we’re
meeting monthly or thereabouts in
Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.
Sharing our love of the Earth and
our longing to find the ways to
change ourselves and our
communities. We talk, share
information, lend books and DVDs,
support each other in our
enthusiasms and our distress, and
are beginning to inspire each other
and make plans...
Interested? For more information
contact Sue Weaver on 01550 777402
or at
llwynbwch@freeola.com
or Annie Davis on 01558 822742 or at
aj@anniedavisallen.co.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(45) 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 December. Also please let me know
about inspiring websites, news and
events. Copydate end of November.
Please send to chris@chrisjohnstone.info
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(46)
And
finally, some words about the Great
Turning from Joanna Macy’s website
at www.joannamacy.net
The
Great Turning is a name for the
essential adventure of our time: the
shift from the Industrial Growth
Society to a life-sustaining
civilization.
The ecological and social crises we
face are caused by an economic
system dependent on accelerating
growth. This self-destructing
political economy sets its goals and
measures its performance in terms of
ever-increasing corporate
profits--in other words by how fast
materials can be extracted from
Earth and turned into consumer
products, weapons, and waste.
A revolution is underway because
people are realizing that our needs
can be met without destroying our
world. We have the technical
knowledge, the communication tools,
and material resources to grow
enough food, ensure clean air and
water, and meet rational energy
needs. Future generations, if there
is a livable world for them, will
look back at the epochal transition
we are making to a life-sustaining
society. And they may well call this
the time of the Great Turning. It is
happening now.
Whether or not it is recognized by
corporate-controlled media, the
Great Turning is a reality. Although
we cannot know yet if it will take
hold in time for humans and other
complex life forms to survive, we
can know that it is under way. And
it is gaining momentum, through the
actions of countless individuals and
groups around the world. To see this
as the larger context of our lives
clears our vision and summons our
courage.
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