Richard Levy of Seattle Unity uses the term Strolling in the Now Moment the same way that we use the term Being Present For The Future. He spoke recently about it's time for us all to consider a course correction. Individually we make small course corrections everyday in order to survive. We see a car coming towards us and we move over and avoid an accident. Paul Ray author of the Cultural Creatives and an advisor to 4TGC spoke last year in Seattle and said are problems our very large and that therefore our solutions must also be very large if we are going to survive. What kind of course corrections do you think we should be making strolling in the now moment? Write us and we will share some of your comments.
Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World by Richard Henry What's in it for me?" has become a clichéd question when someone is considering a proposal or choosing a course of action. It clearly focuses on narrow self-interest, "looking out for No. 1." For many people, it is the default point of view. It is such a common perspective that it is often referred to by the awkward-to-pronounce acronym: "What's the WIIFM?" This perspective is selfish: I won't do anything for you without receiving a direct and tangible personal benefit. It represents receiving, or at an extreme, taking. (for the rest of Rich's column go to http://www.forthegrandchildren.org/blog/6 )
Joanna Macy has joined the expanding advisory council for 4TGC. Joanna is one of the beloved major teachers of our age. She has taught about The Great Turning for over a decade. She and David Korten will be speaking together next year on April 24th in Seattle on The Great Turning: The Work That Reconnects, followed by a weekend workshop led by Joanna for the first 70 people who subscribe. Fred Lanphear of Earth Elders and Songaia Community has also joined our advisory board. We plan to be offering joint programs with the Earth Elders. See http://www.forthegrandchildren.org/node/37 for links to all of our advisory council members.
Upcoming Event: Wanagri Maathai- September 19,7.30PM: Benaroya Hall--tickets at http://www.lectures.org. The Kenyan recieved the Nobel Peace Prize for the environmental efforts of her Green Belt Movement, which has planted more than 30 million trees and raised hopes for the rural poor in her native country. Maathai was the first woman from East Africa to earn a doctorate and head a university department. She is widely viewed as a visionary with a practical side, the sort of leader desperately needed in Africa. Her basic achievement is taking the simple task of planting trees and turning it into a way to change the life of her country. This will be an inspiring evening.
Mara writes on Travel: To me, at 23, the need to travel long distances to see family has a simple answer. It lies in the dream that says we should be able to live anywhere we want. I was born and raised in Northern Idaho, and couldn't wait to escape. I spent four years in Arizona, rarely visiting family. Now, I live in Bellingham, WA, a day's drive from home. I am planning to return to college, eventually earn a teaching certificate, and return to live and work in the community where I grew up. I have changed my dream. My desire is to give back to the place that raised me, and make it better for the next generation. I know it's not this simple for everyone, but I believe it is this type of fundamental shift -- in what we value and strive to achieve -- that will change the world. Read more writings from Mara at http://www.forthegrandchildren.org/node/42.
Robin writes on Social Justice: Well, Did you read the sickening fact that the Women at the Women's Prison at SEATAC are being raped and basically used as sex slaves? This is shocking and horrible, just like the prisons in Afghanistan. So! What do you suggest we do to stop this horror and make the guards responsible for their atrocities. Editor's response. Robin's question is just a tip of the ice berg. I volunteered at Monroe State Prison as a discussion leader to a group of men. The big realization to me was that these were human beings who had made a mistake and we were treating them as if they were less than human and not capable of rehabilitation. We intend to have a regular column about social justice in this newsletter starting next week by Ron Ein. We hope that you enjoy it. Let us know.
Please consider signing up for the September 29th, Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, at Edmonds Unitarian: http://www.forthegrandchildren.org/node/46.
The Joyful Future is the name we have chosen for our weekly newsletter and more in-depth periodic journal. This is Volume/issue 1.6. It will include news, teachings, event notifications of a national and local interest and much more. There will often be links to our website and there will be opportunities for members to respond in the form of blogs and forums. It is our way of communicating with our friends and supporters. Please visit our website at http://www.forthegrandchildren.org and consider joining us under JOIN and SUPPORT. We have archived prior issues of this newsletter under Resources/A Joyful Future. Let us know what you think and consider joining. And you can always unsubscribe to these emails by replying to them with unsubscribe in the subject line- but we hope you don't as we have big hopes for this work. Special request: Please notify us if this weekly letter is difficult to read and why, and also what your browser and operating system is? You could also give us feedback about the format. Thank you.
ForTheGrandchildren Shana Tova----
Editor: Victor Bremson