2012: It's About Time

Wow. I've never seen a documentary like this - more of an action film that's actually a true story about what is happening RIGHT NOW, late 2012, the final days of the "Great Cycle of the Mayan Calendar."

Years in the making, "2012: Shift of the Ages" is not only an inspirational antidote for the fear-mongering around 2012 misconceptions, but also completely riveting story. It follows Mayan Elder Wandering Wolf on his quest to help unite the Eagle and the Condor and bring peace and balance to the Americas. (Spoiler alert!) But first he must recover an ancient power staff which apparently has helped two presidents get elected: Evo Morales in Bolivia and Alvaro Colom in Guatemala. Mind blown.

Incredible, artful video production and musical score. Check out this early cut that I remember seeing three years ago. I highly recommend the full film, which is online for free, until - you guessed it - 12/21/2012.

You can watch the full film here, for free (for now!) http://www.shiftoftheages.com/

More about the incredible storyline:

Wandering Wolf, Don Alejandro Cirilo Perez Oxlaj, leader of the National Mayan Council of Elders of Guatemala, Day Keeper of the Mayan Calendar, and 13th generation Quiche Mayan Spiritual Leader brought together the Continental Council of Elders & Spiritual Guides of the Americas.  According to the story, he leant the staff of power to the host of what would be the 4th gathering of the Council, an Elder from Bolivia.  Apparently that Elder was unable to organize the gathering and later refused to return the staff, instead declaring it for his own.  A major plotline of this documentary is about Wandering Wolf's journey to recover the staff, which can be seen in this picture, here being used by the Elder who took it, for the Inauguration of Bolivian President Evo Morales!

A 2006 article from The Nation describing a "Staff of Power" during the inauguration:

"Garbed in a red ceremonial robe and holding the staff of power, Evo Morales stood in a portal cut from a single block of stone ten feet high, eleven feet wide, estimated to weigh ten tons."

Also, as a point of interest, a random forum from the same time (January 2006) reads:

At Tihuanaco , Bolivia, Evo Morales undergoes Mayan ritual ceremony that has not taken place in over 500 years. He is handed the staff of power over the Earth and power over the spirit.

The whole thing is an incredible story, and a beautiful film. 

And its certainly wonderful time to be alive.

As a slogan for "Shift of the Ages" goes:
"2012: It's About Time"

When did "Mother" become a dirty* word?

Today I attended a well-organized climate rally on the snow-covered Amherst common called "Colleges Against Climate Silence Rally." It was described on the facebook page as "a way for all those feeling frustrated, angry, and disillusioned with the silence to channel our energy and passion towards a constructive end." One of the solutions highlighted by event organizers was the new 350.org "Fossil Free" divestment campaign. In  my opinion, this campaign is one of the most exciting strategic moves I've seen the climate movement take, a legitimate threat: hit them (the fossil fools) where it hurts, the pocket. (You can read more about the campaign, here). 

I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of analysis provided by speakers at the event. Most notably: one young woman explained what is meant by "climate justice" and how central it is to our efforts. Another young women made the connections between capitalism, colonialism, and the exploitation of the planet and its people.  To be honest, I did not expect to hear the word "colonialism."  I was sure to share with her my gratitude.  

To top it off, I saw two young men, each wielding a black flag in one hand.  With their other hand, they together held a large banner, which, without fully reading, I immediately recognized as the slogan of Earth First! I felt a wave of excitement for a movement finally getting to the root of the problem.

Earth First: No Compromise in Defense of Mother Earth

Upon closer examination, however, I realized that one particularly important word had been omitted from this banner, "Mother."  It read, instead: "No Compromise in Defense of the Earth."  I had to ask about this.  I said "I love your black flags, and the message of this banner.  But I noticed you modified the Earth First! slogan by dropping one word.  Why did you feel it necessary to drop the word 'Mother?"

The young man said matter-of-fact-ly, "sometimes when you use the phrase Mother Earth people think you're crazy."  

"Yea, like no one's going to think your crazy waving an anarchist flag," I thought to myself.

I said, "Or you could be indigenous, or be someone who has a biocentric worldview..."

"Well I'm an athiest, so I didn't like that phrase," the young man on the other end of the banner added.

I replied with something like, "all spiritual connotations aside, is it not an appropriate metaphor to regard the Earth as your Mother?"  (After all, what would you do to defend your mother?)  

I ended the conversation there. I wasn't going to try to convince them or change their minds, at least not here, in this setting.  But I may decide to attend a meeting with these folks, to try and examine with them the significance of this negative stigma on the use of the phrase "Mother Earth." I think it goes beyond a matter of effective messaging.

When did "Mother Earth" become a disagreeable term?  I'm no historian, but I would venture to guess that it initially received a negative connotation not from atheists, but by God-fearing men who sought to conquer the Sacred Feminine in all her manifestations. The ancient matriarchal and gender-balanced Earth honoring cultures had to be destroyed before the Earth could be fully exploited.  A people who respect the Earth as their Mother would never allow her to be raped for profit.  

The Earth IS our Mother. This can be understood without spiritual connotations. As a species, we emerged from her womb. She holds us all. How does this not make sense? 

This is about our own disconnection from the Earth.  It is this disconnect which is at the very root of our problem as a culture and now as a planet.  We are disconnected from Creation, out of step.  We have forgotten how to live with the Community of Life. 

I hope that I can encourage my fellow Earth Defenders to reclaim their heritage as children of Mother Earth.  Know that we will do anything to defend Her.  Know that the momentum of all Creation is pushing us towards our maturation and development into a species that is once again a contributing member to this Web of Life.

If that all sounds too crazy or "too radical," well maybe that's the point. We need a radical change of paradigm if we're going to survive.




*hmm, for that matter, when did "dirty" become a dirty word?  meta.

Good Business: Vapor Apparel

I don't like buying new clothes because I never know what kind of shady business practices, environmental devastation and worker exploitation I may be supporting with my fresh threads. We'll, I was so excited by a shirt produced by Vapor Apparel, that I pressed them for answers, asking about their labor practices (their website already has lots of great language about environmental sustainability, etc...). This is the response I got. Figured I'd share. This is the kind of business I can feel good about supporting.

Hello Martin,

We work with one mill partner in an exclusive manner. This location has three generations of families fully employed in the heart of Bogota. The mill has been inspected by New Balance and others for fair labor practices and exceeded all requirements. On a personal level, my partner and I are down there frequently. The facility is immaculate. The company has been an innovator in all aspects for business since the 1960’s. Emp

loyees are respected and receive a wage above the localized average. There are medical facilities on site. As a matter of fact, the mill owners own heart arrhythmia was diagnosed by the on site doctor two years ago. There is very little turn over which is a result of a genuine appreciation for each other that the employees and the employers have for one another.

The media has a role to play in the description on labor markets. Colombia has a peppered past with regards to labor rights. What I have learned as I have grown older is that “everything is local”. There are beautiful houses in bad neighborhoods. There are pockets of joy in every miserable place. Colombia is on the way up with regards to quality of life for most of its people. There are issues between the indigenous people and the Hispanic people. Again, everything is local.

I can tell you that I am very proud of the quality of life of the people inside our supply chain. We pay more then people coming out of asia with products. Our 35 domestic employees enjoy a wonderful work environment as well. Respect is something near and dear to my heart. Being raised middle class by an immigrant blue collar grandmother has played a major part in my view of the world. Time and time again, my partner Jackson and I find ourselves int he position of ding the right thing....again.

Please let me know if you need additional information to have a level of comfort with our labor position.

Best,

Chris Bernat
Co-Founder

Question monetized relationships.

Mother Earth does not charge for her services.  So, why should I? "That's the way the world works," they say... I say that's the way the world is NOT working.  For the majority of human existence, we functioned solely on a gift economy.  Debt is a recent invention.  The idea of "savings" translates roughly to "hoarding" in many indigenous worldviews.  Question monetized relationships.  Embrace your heritage. We are beautiful, Earth-serving, cooperative, imaginative, creative, passionate problem-solving heart-centered thinking, feeling, walking expressions of Creation.  Remember that.  Hug the person next to you.  Give thanks to the Universe for providing the opportunity to Love and to reflect upon Love.  A new era is here, a return, a great synthesis of ancient wisdom and modern knowledge, and we are here to bring it about.  As go the words attributed to the Hopi: "All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we've been waiting for."  In Lak'ech and Namaste (I am another yourself, I recognize the divinity in you that is the same as the divinity in me.)

lamp posts along our journey

The realised vision of an egalitarian society rooted in justice, collaboration, and mutual aid may still exist far on the horizon, but lamp posts of compassion in action continue to light our way forward.  It's important to savour the seemingly small victories, especially when they mean the world to one individual, one family, one community.  Today I reflect upon such an event with gratitude and encouragement.

Noelia Ramos with her two children.

Lessy Noelia Ramos was one of the 361 victims of the horrific New Bedford raid over five years ago. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, invaded a factory where workers like Lessy were making backpacks for U.S. troops. The workers were chained and shipped all over the country away from their families and their communities.)  After years of fighting the possibility of deportation, the 27-year-old mother of two was instructed to show up at the ICE office this past Wednesday with her bags packed a ticket back to Honduras.

Thanks to the mobilisation of community members, student groups, immigrant advocates, elected officials and many others, Noelia has received a one year stay of deportation, pending further review (see article about the victory, here.)  This mother, who suffers from post-partum depression, will remain with her family.  The people of New Bedford will retain a valued community member.  She will be able to continue working hard to support her family and to continue paying taxes to the country she calls home, a "nation of immigrants."

I'm writing this post not to expound upon the arguments for immigration reform, but to record my excitement and gratitude for everyone who made this happen, and my love and shared excitement for Ramos family.   

I learned about the case on Sunday afternoon, when I was walking by Arlington Street Church on my way with others to the #OccupyBoston Strategic Action Assembly.  A group of student activists with Student Immigration Movement were holding a vigil on the front steps of the church.  I went over to ask what it was about, and, my heart stings effectively pulled, immediately realised that this is a battle that we should be able to win!  I spent some time the next day helping to organise online support for the call-in day targeting the local ICE department and for the last-minute press conference to be held on Tuesday (see the action alert).  I also stopped by the Vigil during the madness of the Boston Marathon to help gather signatures.  It was a beautiful day to stand in solidarity and connect for change.

Noelia shares her story at a press conference on Tuesday.

Much gratitude to everyone who made a phone call to ICE and/or their elected representatives, to everyone who signed the petitions, to everyone who stopped to talk to folks at the vigil, to community members in New Bedford, to the organisers of this campaign, to immigrant advocates, to student activists, to elected officials and decision makers who finally made the right choice!  Thank you!

This might just be one small victory in the grand journey of the transformation that we are taking as a society, but celebrated and combined, these winds will fill our sail towards the horizon of justice and liberty.

Love and Gratitude, and Congratulations to the Ramos family.

Proceed, with Caution: the 99% Spring

Ever since Occupy started, I've wondered "OK, when are we going to start with the trainings...?" I have been involved with various environmental and social justice organizations and movements for a few years now, and I've been part of several special training events, including: the Northeast Climate Confluence, the Southeast Climate Convergence, Mountain Justice Spring Break, Mountain Justice Summer, and three PowerShift's, and the Tar Sands Action, to name a few. I know, first hand, how critical these intensive training programs have been to the ongoing successes of various grassroots, community-based movements across the country.

The Occupy Movement has brought so many wonderful, concerned and awakening individuals out of the woodwork, people across the political, economic and social spectra, people ready to put their necks on the line to bring to light root cause problems and propose radical (root word: radix=root) solutions. But quite frankly, while it is at the same time one of our strengths as a movement, most of us are not veteran activists. Most of us lack the organizing and activism experience and training to effectively do such things as: assemble an efficient, coherent goal-oriented campaign; recruit, train and retain volunteers; draft targeted talking points; speak to media without getting skewered; deal with police or counter-protesters; de-escalate potentially violent situations; execute effective soft-blockades; employ gators and lock-boxes; quickly scale trees, flagpoles or tripods; drop banners; canvass door-to-door; perform listening projects, street theater, brand-damage, or just table at a community event. These are all skills that I have obtained and improved at the above-listed and other training camps and events. In my opinion, it would serve Occupy well to make a concerted effort at incorporating, perpetuating and employing these types of skill sets.

Enter: "The 99% Spring". I rejoiced when I learned that a broad coalition of progressive organizations hadcoalesced to offer trainings to the Occupy Movement. An estimated 100,000 people will be trained between April 9-15 in communities across the country. Of course, these trainings won't include everything I listed above, but its a start. I hope this is just the beginning of these types of training programs targeted to the Occupy movement, and I implore all of my fellow Occupiers to consider attending their local "99% Spring" with open minds, ears and eyes. That being said...

Many of my friends and comrades have been quite vocal in their concerns that these organizations (especially MoveOn.org) are trying to co-opt Occupy: THANK YOU for attempting to immunize our movement and making this issue clear, and PLEASE KEEP IT UP. It is so important to maintain our autonomy, our vitality, and to not get sucked into the quagmire of institutionalized, mainstream, partisan activism. At the same time, I have worked with many of the organizations involved in 99%Spring for far longer than I have been with Occupy, and I know that they have so much to offer the Occupy movement, if we only accept their offer and stop to listen (ie. especially Rainforest Action Network, Energy Action Coalition, 350.org, Greenpeace and the Ruckus Society). Knowledge is Power. Let's take all we can get, and maintain our stance of autonomy. Learning from teacher does not make you their slave.

For a sufficient breakdown of answering the question "What is the matter with 99% Spring?," my comrade and fellow Boston Occupier, Brian Kwoba, has written a wonderful and thought-provoking piece, appropriately entitled "What is the Matter with 99% Spring?"

After properly immunizing yourself against mainstream Democratic temptations, you can find and register for your local training at http://the99spring.com/ Last I heard that are still quite a few openings in the Boston area. Fortunately, several of our local comrades have been trained as trainers, so even if you miss it this weekend, I'm sure there will be future opportunities. For those already Occupying or those curious to join the movement, this is an incredible chance to bring new growth to a new season of resistance and solutions-oriented organizing. Join us!

radical bioregionalism is where it's at

I used the word "bioregion" in a facebook post, and a friend took the bait.

What is bioregionalism?

I'm glad you asked. As opposed to arbitrarily defined political boundaries, a bioregion is an intact, ecologically-defined region, of varying scales, that takes into account watershed areas, predominant ecosystsms, and other practical considerations that truly define place. If we examine our relationship to the land, we can decolonize our mind and reconnect to sustainable and sane ways of being. Radical bioregionalism is where its at.

How a bioregion is defined depends on how the people defining it interact with the land. Where does the water come from? Where does the waste go? Where is there fertile soil? Where are the ecological buffer zones? How do humans interact with the land? What is the history of interaction? What is the culture of the people on the land? It's these types of questions that we've stopped asking ourselves, and that we should start asking again.

For more in depth examination of bioregionalism, I found what looks to be a decent thesis from Warren Wilson hippy training ground: http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~library/Bioregionalism%20-%20Kalinowski.pdf

Within contemporary environmental politics and environmental philosophy, the discourse known as “bioregionalism” provides both an alternative vision to the ecologically destructive path of mass consumerism and globalization, and a realistic means of transitioning to that alternative society.

The Third Flame: The Worldwide Mystical Renaissance

I feel compelled to share some excerpts from Andrew Harvey's book, "The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism." If you resonate with these words, I would strongly suggest you check out the book. It has helped me immensely with processing the gravity of our collective crises, and has helped me find a greater peace and purpose.

I also found a recent teleseminar podcast that you can download for free. It's a 90 minute recording of a dialogue that sums up the theory and practice of Sacred Activism. You can access this and a whole series of free podcasts about emerging manifestations of spirituality. http://beyondawakeningseries.com/blog/archive/

The Third Flame: The Worldwide Mystical Renaissance

Excerpts from "The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism"

It is no coincidence that as our desire to exploit and dominate Nature at all costs reaches a climax of destructiveness, a complete, transfiguring mystical awareness explodes from within the human psyche. Anyone who is coming to understand the universe as a incessant dance of opposites will come to see the interconectedness of these seemingly "opposed" phenomena with a smile of hope.

At a time when we are ruining the wold and devastating all forms of life including our own, the Mother that creates, evolves, and lives in all things is returning to us to illumine our minds with her knowledge of interconnection, to inflame our hearts with her passion of compassion, and to awaken our bodies by the revelation of her living ecstatic presence. This causes the birth of a humble, exalted, and practical being, a Sacred Activist whose action inspired by the Mother can potentially transform all realms of earth life.

Through this potent return of the Divine Feminine and all of its aspects, the Sacred Marriage of Mother and Father, Immanent Godhead and Transcendent Absolute, can now take place within the human race. It is a return to nothing less than the evolutionary power of Divine Love and Wisdom, at work in constant transformation on all the levels of the universe.

As the crisis deepens, the drive to experience this empowering marriage of opposites within us will become more and more insistent and more and more vital to our survival. We are being compelled, through the logic of our own secret destiny, to take a quantum evolutionary leap. This leap could transfigure us and transform all existing social, economic, and political systems so that they honor equality, harmony with nature, justice for all sentient beings, and a sacred way of life that will bring peace to our earth. This is the Hope I have dedicated my life and work to, the Hope that illumines my vision of Sacred Activism.

Return to the Circle

Divine timing! It just so turns out I have a need for these tools... The Universe provides...

Last night at Occupy Boston General Assembly I was handed a copy of a book that will surely inform the way I seek to build community in profound ways. It's called "The Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking." This is something that everyone concerned with creating a healing culture of restorative justice should check out. I'm looking forward to discussing and developing these tools with my comrades at Occupy Boston, as we co-create a new way of relating to each other and the Planet.




From the back jacket:

"Our ancestors gathered around a fire in a circle, families gather around their kitchen tables in circles, and now we are gathering in circles as communities to solve problems. This peacemaking practice draws on the ancient Native American tradition of a talking piece and combines that with concepts of democracy and inclusivity."

This book is a brief introductory volume, and I was able to put a large dent in it during a short sit in the unseasonably warm park this afternoon. Looking forward to checking out the other related books which were donated to the Occupy Boston library.

I'm so excited to learn that Western/European people have been redisovering these techniques in more recent time, and making them accessible to those who have become disconnected with the old ways. We are all going to have to come together in a fantastic act of co-creativity if we're going to manifest a world that works for everyone. We are broken people coming from a broken society, and we could all use some tools to help us heal, together. The Peacemaking Circles may prove to be an invaluable and transformative tool...

An Overview of Circle

A Peacemaking Circle is a way of bringing people together in which:
-everyone is respected
-everyone gets a chance to talk without interruption
-participants explain themselves by telling their stories
-everyone is equal - no person is more important than anyone else
-spiritual and emotional aspects of individual experience are welcomed

Peacemaking Circles are useful when two or more people:
-need to make decisions together
-have a disagreement
-need to address an experience that resulted in harm to someone
-want to work together as a team
-wish to celebrate
-wish to share difficulties
-want to learn from each other

The Peacemaking Circle is a container strong enough to hold:
-anger
-frustration
-joy
-pain
-truth
-conflict
-diverse world views
-intense feelings
-silence
-paradox

Sounds like some powerful stuff, huh?


There are some resources online, such as this. The short book I'm reading is available for $4.95 at your local bookstore.

I'd be happy to discuss these topics with anyone, so feel free to comment tweet me up @radicaloptimist (or say hey at OB).

Walking Creation

Walking Creation
I am Breathing Creation
All is connected!

Competing Narratives: Empire and Earth Community

I was flipping through an old book and found the following passage is way to applicable not to share. I highly recommend this book, as it was instrumental in shaping my understanding of the crisis we are in, as well as the transformation in which I believe we are now taking part.

“The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community, ” by David Korten

Competing Narratives

Empire and Earth Community flow from sharply contrasting worldviews. The narrative of Empire, which emphasizes the demonstrated human capacity for hatred, exclusion, competition, domination, and violence in the pursuit of domination, assumes humans are incapable of responsible self-direction and that social order must be imposed by coercive means. The narrative of Earth Community, which emphasizes the demonstrated human capacity for caring, compassion, cooperation, partnership, and community in the service of life, assumes a capacity for responsible self-direction and self-organization and thereby the possibility of creating radically democratic organizations and societies. These narratives represent two sides of a psychic tension that resides within each of us. One focuses on that which divides us and leads to ear and often violent competition. The other focuses on that which unites us and leads to trust and cooperation.

These competing tendencies are expressed in the tension between the feminine predisposition to bond for mutual protection in the face of danger and the masculine predisposition to fight or take flight. Yet while one tendency or the other may be more fully expressed ina given individual or sociey, both reside in each of us -- male or female-- which helps to account for the wide variety of the human experience. Healthy social function depends on maintaining a balance between these tendencies. Empire’s five thousand years of male domination demonstrate the tragic consequences of imbalance.

The competing narratives are also reflected int he range of qualities attributed to God in different cultures. At one extreme is the wrathful God of Empire who demands exclusive loyalty, favors one people over another, lives apart from his creation, rules through anointed earthly representatives, and extracts a terrible vengeance on his enemies and the unbelievers. At the other extreme is the universal loving God/dess of Earth Community, the intrinsic, omnipresent living Spirit beyond gender that manifests itself in every aspect of Creation.

Love and fear are both integral to our human nature and necessary for our full development. Love is a binding spiritual force that opens our minds and hearts to life’s creative possibilities. Fear alerts us to real dangers and focuses our attention to ensure that we do not neglect our own survival needs. However, when fear awakens our defenses, it also evokes our capacity for violence, including violence against those we love. How we resolve the tension between love and fear has major consequences for the course of our lives - and our politics. The deep democracy of egalitarian civic engagement that is integral to Earth Community necessarily depends on a mature sense of mutual trust, responsibility and caring.