The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) recently offered a ten-day on-line Summit called “The Power of Community – Climate Change & Consciousness.” There were thirty speakers in all and they were all simply brilliant. Many of us here at the ecovillage where I live gathered to view and discuss these dialogues, and I feel moved to share here some of the themes I heard throughout:
– The level of transformation in consciousness and behaviors needed is radical and urgent. We must ask ourselves deeply and courageously how, then, shall we live?
– Community is key. We can’t do this alone. The time for rugged individuality is over. We’re all in this together.
– There needs to be a consistent “container” to grapple with these issues together. People need to make time for this, indeed, make it a priority to the best of our abilities. Our future depends on it.
– This container might be designed, not as a “meeting” or “think-tank”, but as a refuge, a sanctuary for different behaviors and consciousness to “cook” and to emerge. For nurturing solidarity and trust, vision and creativity.
– There needs to be a balance between processing emotions such as fear, grief and uncertainty, sharing stories, and imagining and implementing actions. Aim for both physical and psycho-spiritual resilience.
-There need to be opportunities to empower and celebrate each individual’s unique calling and contribution to the Great Turning as well as to celebrate the Life and the Earth we have now – with all its challenges, opportunities, joys and beauty.
A “community”, of course, can be any gathering of people, anywhere. If you’re wanting to explore all of the complex, challenging, and rewarding dimensions of “The Great Turning”, I encourage everyone to find or create one. To paraphrase Margaret Wheatley, we desperately need “islands of sanity in an insane world”.