Spiritual resource to share: true giving
I received an email today. In it, the writer talked about his recent trip to the Middle East where he saw many of the Holy Land hot spots. What struck him was that above every spot where some sacred activity was reported to have happened, some type of institution was built. It was even harder for him to imagine the original event given the buildings and all their attempts to institutionalize those sacred moments. And he asked himself - how much institutionalization, traditions, and history have tried to bury the living Christ? How much have I let it be buried? These are probing and necessary questions, especially pertinent now during the Christmas season where commercialism and overscheduling are so prevalent.
I keep a running list of "whatsoever groups." These are groups that are doing some life-transforming things, and I like to increase their exposure on my site - even as modest as it is!
The "whatsoever group" idea came from a quote from the Bible which actually came from a letter written by Paul to a small but growing church: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Today I got another post on my facebook about a group that works to provide clean water worldwide. It is put in a context that has a life-transforming message for us all. It is my gift to you: an opportunity to "think on these things" and to share your thoughts about the presence of Christmas in your life.
For more info, check out http://www.adventconspiracy.org/
This Christmas season, may you give generously, live deeply and have many moments of peace, stillness and satisfaction! Merry Christmas!
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
Showing posts with label whatsoever groups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whatsoever groups. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
the race towards compassion
Spiritual resource to share: educational channels that inspire, transform, predict and feed the demand for spirituality
Karen Armstrong explains the Charter of Compassion
For years, even decades (!) I have been keen on tracking the movement of thought - past, present and future. One similar thread I have seen is the broadening of the demand for spiritual answers and for spiritual responses to current challenges.
There are three new channels I would love to share with you. Each brings out the demand for compassion and spirituality, the expression of spiritual ideals and the unifying possibilities of spirituality and religion.
The demand for spirituality
I'm reading an horizon-opening book called The Way We'll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream” by John Zogby Here's an excerpt from a review:
There are three new channels I would love to share with you. Each brings out the demand for compassion and spirituality, the expression of spiritual ideals and the unifying possibilities of spirituality and religion.
The demand for spirituality
I'm reading an horizon-opening book called The Way We'll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream” by John Zogby Here's an excerpt from a review:
Book in a nutshell: Americans will face the challenges of the 21st century with creative approaches to consumerism, a cooperative worldview and an inclusive view of spirituality.
That's according to Zogby, president and CEO of Zogby International, a polling company that canvasses about half a million people every year to gauge public opinion ....
In survey after survey, he finds respondents more apt to be satisfied with less material wealth and more spiritual satisfaction.
Mr. Zogby also identifies four meta-movements that are redefining the American dream: living with limits, embracing diversity, looking inward, and demanding authenticity.
The expression and mainstreaming of spiritual ideals
What I am intrigued by is how well Zogby's identified movements coincide with a growing interest in becoming more accepting of diversity. One such example is with international youth exchanges. In the secular Rotary International Youth Exchange program that my family has been involved with, we have gotten an incredible education of what it means to be multi -cultural. This is a summary of a paragraph from a newsletter for students and families that are involved in the program.
The expression and mainstreaming of spiritual ideals
What I am intrigued by is how well Zogby's identified movements coincide with a growing interest in becoming more accepting of diversity. One such example is with international youth exchanges. In the secular Rotary International Youth Exchange program that my family has been involved with, we have gotten an incredible education of what it means to be multi -cultural. This is a summary of a paragraph from a newsletter for students and families that are involved in the program.
"Successful culture-crossers who are able to build strong intercultural relationships tend to share the following traits: open-minded and accepting; tolerant; calm in ambiguous situations; empathetic; adaptable; perceptive of others and their environment; and they take time to reflect on their experiences and learn from them."
Tolerance, openness, empathy... wonderful qualities rooted in the spirit of good!
And these qualities are also front and center with another growing movement that is setting the groundwork for unifying diverse groups through the Golden Rule:
the unifying possibilities of spirituality and religion
In February 2008, Karen Armstrong, author, religious thinker and former nun "called for a council of Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders to draw up a “Charter of Compassion,” which would apply shared moral priorities to foster greater global understanding. Her interfaith initiative was awarded the $100,000 TED Prize." This effort recognizes the Golden Rule as the fundamental link to all world religions.
These are such encouraging signs of the blossoming of spiritual ideals!
Can you add to this list? What are you seeing in your life that gives evidence of the demand for spiritual answers and responses to current challenges?
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
Friday, November 07, 2008
honest achievement
Spiritual resource to share: commitment to good works
The Urban Nutcracker from Skillimon on Vimeo.
"The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible."
I'm inspired to see others' commitments to excellence, good works and progress. It's an affirmation that good is possible. It inspires me to become even more steady in my own commitment to grow in grace and in the practice of Christian Science. MBEddy offers some helpful guidance for those committing themselves to do good works:
I have one such friend who has made an incredible commitment to use dance as a tool to inspire and empower youth and communities. Not only is this friend, Tony Williams, talented and experienced, but he has the humility and sincerity that one sees in leaders of many progressive institutions.
His company and school, Ballet Rox, puts on an annual show the "Urban Nutcracker." My older son got in at the ground floor and performed in its first and second years. Every year, there has been more growth and progress and it has expanded its audiences and shared its inspiration.
Enjoy the clip above and take in the celebration that encourages us all to deeply commit to our own paths of blessing others and see where it takes you!
More information about the Urban Nutcracker and how you can support it:
Press release on the making of a documentary about the Urban Nutcracker
The Urban Nutcracker from Skillimon on Vimeo.
"The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible."
I'm inspired to see others' commitments to excellence, good works and progress. It's an affirmation that good is possible. It inspires me to become even more steady in my own commitment to grow in grace and in the practice of Christian Science. MBEddy offers some helpful guidance for those committing themselves to do good works:
... self-denial, sincerity, Christianity, and persistence alone win the prize, as they usually do in every department of life.
I have one such friend who has made an incredible commitment to use dance as a tool to inspire and empower youth and communities. Not only is this friend, Tony Williams, talented and experienced, but he has the humility and sincerity that one sees in leaders of many progressive institutions.
His company and school, Ballet Rox, puts on an annual show the "Urban Nutcracker." My older son got in at the ground floor and performed in its first and second years. Every year, there has been more growth and progress and it has expanded its audiences and shared its inspiration.
Enjoy the clip above and take in the celebration that encourages us all to deeply commit to our own paths of blessing others and see where it takes you!
More information about the Urban Nutcracker and how you can support it:
Press release on the making of a documentary about the Urban Nutcracker
Get involved
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact
Friday, October 31, 2008
whatsoever things are of good report.........
Spiritual resource to share: our reach
Mary Baker Eddy, prophet-like in her ability to see the growth and development of mankind, wrote in her book Miscellaneous Writings (p. 232):
The proliferation of innovation and invention has been growing exponentially since the mid-1800's. In addition, the need for global cooperation, interfaith dialogue and re-thinking the way we care for one another and for the earth have become prominent issues of our time. It is exciting to think of what is ahead for us all. Hopefully, many of us have asked and acted upon this question:
To work out our own salvation and to be a blessing for our families, neighbors and others, I realize that
When I look for ideas and trends, I look to see what things are challenging the status quo, are more reliant on things of the spirit than material things and look to see the breadth of the blessings. Those are the ideas that give form and function to the way we live and love and lead to a future growing in peace, sustainable productivity and joy.
Phil 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.I have always loved doing my own trends oriented scrapbooking, but now the internet makes it possible for me to team up with others and cull some of the most amazing and encouraging ideas happening world wide. I have to thank my blog readers and facebook friends for continuing to scour the 'net for some of the most cutting edge ideas that are "true....just....honest....pure....lovely....(and) are of good report." I will be posting them at the end.
Mary Baker Eddy, prophet-like in her ability to see the growth and development of mankind, wrote in her book Miscellaneous Writings (p. 232):
This age is reaching out towards the perfect Principle of things; is pushing towards perfection in art, invention, and manufacture.
The proliferation of innovation and invention has been growing exponentially since the mid-1800's. In addition, the need for global cooperation, interfaith dialogue and re-thinking the way we care for one another and for the earth have become prominent issues of our time. It is exciting to think of what is ahead for us all. Hopefully, many of us have asked and acted upon this question:
Why, then, should religion be stereotyped, and we not obtain a more perfect and practical Christianity?
To work out our own salvation and to be a blessing for our families, neighbors and others, I realize that
It will never do to be behind the times in things most essential, which proceed from the standard of right that regulates human destiny.
When I look for ideas and trends, I look to see what things are challenging the status quo, are more reliant on things of the spirit than material things and look to see the breadth of the blessings. Those are the ideas that give form and function to the way we live and love and lead to a future growing in peace, sustainable productivity and joy.
Proportionately as we part with material systems and theories, personal doctrines and dogmas, meekly to ascend the hill of Science, shall we reach the maximum of perfection in all things. Miscellaneous Writings p. 232
Here are some recent finds on the web that are brimming with hope, provocative awareness and intelligence.
- This week on TED.com, John Hodgman goes in search of lost time, while Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi helps us find our flow. Kristen Ashburn shares powerful, humbling images of AIDS in Zimbabwe, while Paul MacCready offers a soaring talk on his work to save the planet.
- Movies based on true stories that celebrate change agents:
The Great Debaters
Movie : The Music Within - And speaking of music.............. Click on the above for a look at a documentary "Playing for change: Peace through music" A friend wrote, "....this is a beautiful piece of film and music. Here's the link to the program. The film and music start at about 4:00 minutes. I can't recommend this one enough."
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
Friday, June 13, 2008
restorative justice
Spiritual resource to share: healing our communities
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
In this community group that has been meeting in an effort to support youth and dismantle racism, we regularly share possibilities and stories of how to go about accomplishing these aims.
This story is an incredible example of how establishing restorative justice can do much to heal the hurt and bring understanding to those who have committed hate crimes. Restorative justice has its roots in native American and Aborigine culture. It basically provides a way for the victim and the perpetrator to come together to address the wrongs done and find a healing solution for themselves and their communities.
In this story, Nick and Charlotte, from the Ojibway nation, are the ones whose property was vandalized and who set up a jail time alternative for the perpetrators. These notes were taken from one of our community meetings:
As many of you remember, five (white) local Lakeland area boys vandalized and burned the Hocking’s Waswaagoning Village (a remake of an Ojibway village) a few years ago. It was a terrible act of hatred fueled by drinking. The boys were eventually caught and faced 35 years in prison-each.
Nick and Charlotte both felt that sending these boys to prison was not going to accomplish anything good-that in fact they might come out more prejudice than when they went in.
They did something really quite remarkable in order to try and make sure these boys lives were not destroyed-they offered the 5 boys a path through Restorative Justice-the option to fulfill certain requirements over a two year period instead of going to jail for arson felony.
They spent a great deal of time working with these boys and developed a path for them to follow: the boys had to read 4 books, write reports, answer 5 questions about racism, pay fines and complete 250 hours of community service.
They also had to make a video describing what they did to share with others-in the hope that others would learn from the mistakes these boys made and not do such things. This process had a powerful impact on these boys and the Hocking’s, through their actions, have shown the rest of us that there are other options for enforcing consequences while helping teach youth to learn from their mistakes. We watched the first two interviews of the boys and then took time to talk and share responses......
In the end, the process was successful for those boys who went through the restorative justice process.
From this meeting came all kinds of ways to further the role of restorative justice in our own local courts, as well as discussion on how the video could be used as a teaching tool. Other ways to spread this message of restorative justice were discussed.
The impact of the patience, dignity, understanding and trust the Hockings had that this situation could be healed is an inspiration.
For more on restorative justice practices, click here.
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
photo from Waswaagoning Village
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
-Proverbs 1
In this community group that has been meeting in an effort to support youth and dismantle racism, we regularly share possibilities and stories of how to go about accomplishing these aims.
This story is an incredible example of how establishing restorative justice can do much to heal the hurt and bring understanding to those who have committed hate crimes. Restorative justice has its roots in native American and Aborigine culture. It basically provides a way for the victim and the perpetrator to come together to address the wrongs done and find a healing solution for themselves and their communities.
In this story, Nick and Charlotte, from the Ojibway nation, are the ones whose property was vandalized and who set up a jail time alternative for the perpetrators. These notes were taken from one of our community meetings:
As many of you remember, five (white) local Lakeland area boys vandalized and burned the Hocking’s Waswaagoning Village (a remake of an Ojibway village) a few years ago. It was a terrible act of hatred fueled by drinking. The boys were eventually caught and faced 35 years in prison-each.
Nick and Charlotte both felt that sending these boys to prison was not going to accomplish anything good-that in fact they might come out more prejudice than when they went in.
They did something really quite remarkable in order to try and make sure these boys lives were not destroyed-they offered the 5 boys a path through Restorative Justice-the option to fulfill certain requirements over a two year period instead of going to jail for arson felony.
They spent a great deal of time working with these boys and developed a path for them to follow: the boys had to read 4 books, write reports, answer 5 questions about racism, pay fines and complete 250 hours of community service.
They also had to make a video describing what they did to share with others-in the hope that others would learn from the mistakes these boys made and not do such things. This process had a powerful impact on these boys and the Hocking’s, through their actions, have shown the rest of us that there are other options for enforcing consequences while helping teach youth to learn from their mistakes. We watched the first two interviews of the boys and then took time to talk and share responses......
In the end, the process was successful for those boys who went through the restorative justice process.
From this meeting came all kinds of ways to further the role of restorative justice in our own local courts, as well as discussion on how the video could be used as a teaching tool. Other ways to spread this message of restorative justice were discussed.
The impact of the patience, dignity, understanding and trust the Hockings had that this situation could be healed is an inspiration.
For more on restorative justice practices, click here.
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
growing up wild on Earth Day
Spiritual resource to share: whatever good we can do
I've talked about my son who goes to this cool school whose whole curriculum centers around earth stewardship. I love it. On Earth Day, the school is sponsoring a radio broadcast. If you'd like to listen in you can go to 90.3 FM if you are in WI and go to their website. Here is their announcement:
WI Public Radio's Jean Feraca Will Be On Campus For Earth Day Celebration
Conserve School is pleased to welcome Jean Feraca of Wisconsin Public Radio to their celebration of Earth Day on April 23, 2008. The public is invited to join staff and students as Ms. Feraca broadcasts her daily radio show “Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders” at the school from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.(CST)
During the broadcast, she will interview Conserve School teacher Jeff Rennicke along with two current students and two alumni. Rennicke will discuss his program Growing Up Wild: Connecting Kids With The Great Outdoors, in which he speaks about the joys, frustrations and challenges of raising a new generation of young people who understand, enjoy and feel connected to the natural world around them.
students from Conserve
The current Conserve School students will discuss the relationship between themselves, Conserve School and the environment and the alumni will discuss how their education at the school has helped them become environmentally sensitive citizens.
I am happy that my son can be part of an action that can impact the world in a big way. And this 'big way' is made possible by taking many, many baby steps; by taking each individual seriously and seeing that each student holds a grand capacity for doing good - one step at a time, one day at a time, one person at a time.
So on Earth Day, go wild! We might not all be able to go back to school (sigh), but we all still have a grand capacity to do good. Remember to turn off your lights, recycle the garbage, don't buy into excess, and ride your bike.
Whatever good we can do adds up. 
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
Friday, April 18, 2008
more on PANGEA Day, May 10th
Spiritual resource to share: "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." -Phillipians 4: 8
One more post on PANGEA Day, May 10th (taken from an email from TED.com):
Wherever you will be on Saturday May 10, Pangea Day, you are warmly invited to join me and countless others around the world for a powerful, first-of-its kind experience.Gathered in homes, movie theaters and larger venues, we will participate in a remarkable program of films and talks -- a kind of super-charged, marathon TED session -- celebrating our common humanity.
If you think of yourself as something of a global soul, it could be one of the year's highlights. And in fact you could play an invaluable role in helping it realize its full potential... If you don't have time to read this now, please just calendar Pangea Day for Saturday, May 10th (11am-3pm US West Coast, 2-6pm US East Coast, 7-11pm in UK, 8pm-midnight in Europe and much of Africa, 9pm-1am in the Mideast, 11.30pm-3.30am India, etc.).
On that day, we invite you to gather around a screen with your family, friends and neighbors, preferably from more than one country. Pangea Day will be available on TV in many areas of the world. In the US, the full four-hour program is being carried live on Current TV, available in 41 million homes on the major cable and satellite systems.
Current TV pioneered the vision of citizen-empowered media, and we're delighted to be partnering with them. We have similar agreements with the massive satellite network Star TV in China/India/Asia, with MGM Networks in Latin America, with Sky in the UK, several partners in the Mid-East, not to mention Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand and many more. Full details will be posted on our website next week.
And thanks to partnerships with Akamai and MSN, we will also be available on a live, full-screen web-stream everywhere with a broadband Internet connection.The best way to watch Pangea Day is not just as a normal TV show or web-stream. It should be watched as a community event.
We want the sense of the great global village gathering around a campfire. We already know of more than a thousand self-organized screenings taking place in homes, clubs, and movie theaters. We expect thousands more come May 10.
As many of you know, the day is the result of the combined efforts of countless TED supporters around the world, inspired by the TED Prize wish of film-maker Jehane Noujaim. She dreamed of a day when people around the world could share the the same film experience at the same time. The idea has grown into a giant global project... thanks to you. To get a sense of the scale of ambition, please take a minute to watch this beautiful trailer.
Here's the state of play: - Out of thousands of submissions, we have assembled a fantastic line-up of films. There are about 20 in total, ranging in length from 2 to 15 minutes (most of them around 5).
They all tell powerful stories, often without language, of what it is to be human. They are, by turns, funny, touching, dramatic, inspiring. - But you won't just be watching films. You'll be watching the world watching. We're bringing in live audience images from around the world. Watching a film about reconciliation is one thing.
Watching it while simultaneously witnessing the reactions of people who are supposed to hate each other will be something else altogether. - The day also features a dozen powerful three-minute talks from scientists, film-makers, story-tellers and global visionaries. Just as a session at TED takes us on a journey stimulating every part of our brains, so will Pangea Day. Don't dismiss it as a warm & fuzzy peace-fest.
The project builds on the latest ideas in anthropology, psychology and technology. We'll be revealing how.- The whole program is being broadcast in front of a live audience of 1,000 (from more than 50 countries) at a spectacular set being built at a Sony Studios soundstage in Los Angeles. - It will look and feel like nothing you've seen before.
If any of this excites you, please would you consider doing something to help the day realize its full potential. There are three specific things you can do.
Do you have one more minute? I'd like to just say something more about why Pangea Day is worth your time and effort.I think we can agree our world is becoming ever smaller/flatter/more inter-connected. An important consequence of this is that all of the issues that matter -- war, terrorism, poverty, disease, human rights, environment, climate change -- can only be tackled now from a global perspective. And yet the people supposedly trying to solve them are almost all serving narrow mandates on behalf of their nation, religion or tribe.
There's a terrifying mismatch here between the nature of the problems and the means the world is deploying to tackle them. "The world" itself doesn't even seem to have a seat at the table. But there's no reason this should be so. It is absolutely possible in the 21st century for us to begin a truly global conversation; to start nurturing that identity we share: one humanity.
Some use the language of promoting global citizenship, or reducing cross-cultural suspicion, or expanding our circle of empathy, or eliminating the "us/them" mode of thinking. These goals are all linked, and any progress toward them is, I think, a very big deal.I was brought up in an international boarding school in India with kids from more than 30 countries. We had a shared experience of each others' lives. Differences in color and race gradually faded.
I'm convinced today's media have the power to humanize "the other". To help people make the mental switch from "them" to "us". Telling stories through film is especially powerful in this regard. At the start of a film, you see someone strange-looking. At the end you feel kinship. There's no moral effort involved here. It's just a natural mental repositioning. Call me idealistic, but I really believe that that mental shift holds the key to our shared future.
Of course, May 10th won't lead to an outbreak of world peace. But I do think it will reveal a sense of possibility: the possibility that there are incredible new ways of using technology as a force for good; that peoples' minds are not locked in a dark place forever; that our global village can start the long journey from "us/them" to "we".
As the Pangea Day website says: Films can't change the world. But the people who watch them can.
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
One more post on PANGEA Day, May 10th (taken from an email from TED.com):
Wherever you will be on Saturday May 10, Pangea Day, you are warmly invited to join me and countless others around the world for a powerful, first-of-its kind experience.Gathered in homes, movie theaters and larger venues, we will participate in a remarkable program of films and talks -- a kind of super-charged, marathon TED session -- celebrating our common humanity.
If you think of yourself as something of a global soul, it could be one of the year's highlights. And in fact you could play an invaluable role in helping it realize its full potential... If you don't have time to read this now, please just calendar Pangea Day for Saturday, May 10th (11am-3pm US West Coast, 2-6pm US East Coast, 7-11pm in UK, 8pm-midnight in Europe and much of Africa, 9pm-1am in the Mideast, 11.30pm-3.30am India, etc.).
On that day, we invite you to gather around a screen with your family, friends and neighbors, preferably from more than one country. Pangea Day will be available on TV in many areas of the world. In the US, the full four-hour program is being carried live on Current TV, available in 41 million homes on the major cable and satellite systems.
Current TV pioneered the vision of citizen-empowered media, and we're delighted to be partnering with them. We have similar agreements with the massive satellite network Star TV in China/India/Asia, with MGM Networks in Latin America, with Sky in the UK, several partners in the Mid-East, not to mention Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand and many more. Full details will be posted on our website next week.
And thanks to partnerships with Akamai and MSN, we will also be available on a live, full-screen web-stream everywhere with a broadband Internet connection.The best way to watch Pangea Day is not just as a normal TV show or web-stream. It should be watched as a community event.
We want the sense of the great global village gathering around a campfire. We already know of more than a thousand self-organized screenings taking place in homes, clubs, and movie theaters. We expect thousands more come May 10.
As many of you know, the day is the result of the combined efforts of countless TED supporters around the world, inspired by the TED Prize wish of film-maker Jehane Noujaim. She dreamed of a day when people around the world could share the the same film experience at the same time. The idea has grown into a giant global project... thanks to you. To get a sense of the scale of ambition, please take a minute to watch this beautiful trailer.
Here's the state of play: - Out of thousands of submissions, we have assembled a fantastic line-up of films. There are about 20 in total, ranging in length from 2 to 15 minutes (most of them around 5).
They all tell powerful stories, often without language, of what it is to be human. They are, by turns, funny, touching, dramatic, inspiring. - But you won't just be watching films. You'll be watching the world watching. We're bringing in live audience images from around the world. Watching a film about reconciliation is one thing.
Watching it while simultaneously witnessing the reactions of people who are supposed to hate each other will be something else altogether. - The day also features a dozen powerful three-minute talks from scientists, film-makers, story-tellers and global visionaries. Just as a session at TED takes us on a journey stimulating every part of our brains, so will Pangea Day. Don't dismiss it as a warm & fuzzy peace-fest.
The project builds on the latest ideas in anthropology, psychology and technology. We'll be revealing how.- The whole program is being broadcast in front of a live audience of 1,000 (from more than 50 countries) at a spectacular set being built at a Sony Studios soundstage in Los Angeles. - It will look and feel like nothing you've seen before.
If any of this excites you, please would you consider doing something to help the day realize its full potential. There are three specific things you can do.
Do please write and tell us what you've done (you can write to my colleague, TED Scribe Jane Wulf, jane@ted.com). We want to recognize and celebrate those who make inspired contributions to the day.OK, that's the practical stuff.1) Make firm plans to participate on May 10th. As a friend of TED, you can apply for free tickets to our main satellite-connected locations in LA, London, Rio de Janeiro, Kigali, Cairo or Mumbai. If you know you can bring a group of at least six people who will commit to being there for the full program, please write to pangeadaytickets@gmail.com. Or attend one of the other screenings listed in your area here. (If you happen to be in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can join a screening being organized there by a great group of TEDsters. Please write to Taylor Milsal, milsal@gmail.com)
2) Host a screening.
It could be in your home with a few friends and family. Or you could book a larger venue in your neighborhood and open it for others to come join. You'll just need a large TV screen, the right channel access (or a good Internet connection) and willingness to spend four hours as a global soul. The Pangea Day website has the details you need here. Make sure to add your screening to our fast-expanding global map.3) Most important of all. Please help us spread awareness of Pangea Day. There are numerous ways to do this:
- Forward this email to your friends and colleagues... and invite them nicely to do the same!
- Post a story on your website or blog
- Point people to some or all of the following high-impact films:
The Pangea Day website and trailer.
The series of anthems sung by one country for another that I sent you earlier this week, e.g.
France sings for USA
Kenya sings for India
A viral Pangea Day film that debuted at TED this year.
Do you have one more minute? I'd like to just say something more about why Pangea Day is worth your time and effort.I think we can agree our world is becoming ever smaller/flatter/more inter-connected. An important consequence of this is that all of the issues that matter -- war, terrorism, poverty, disease, human rights, environment, climate change -- can only be tackled now from a global perspective. And yet the people supposedly trying to solve them are almost all serving narrow mandates on behalf of their nation, religion or tribe.
There's a terrifying mismatch here between the nature of the problems and the means the world is deploying to tackle them. "The world" itself doesn't even seem to have a seat at the table. But there's no reason this should be so. It is absolutely possible in the 21st century for us to begin a truly global conversation; to start nurturing that identity we share: one humanity.
Some use the language of promoting global citizenship, or reducing cross-cultural suspicion, or expanding our circle of empathy, or eliminating the "us/them" mode of thinking. These goals are all linked, and any progress toward them is, I think, a very big deal.I was brought up in an international boarding school in India with kids from more than 30 countries. We had a shared experience of each others' lives. Differences in color and race gradually faded.
I'm convinced today's media have the power to humanize "the other". To help people make the mental switch from "them" to "us". Telling stories through film is especially powerful in this regard. At the start of a film, you see someone strange-looking. At the end you feel kinship. There's no moral effort involved here. It's just a natural mental repositioning. Call me idealistic, but I really believe that that mental shift holds the key to our shared future.
Of course, May 10th won't lead to an outbreak of world peace. But I do think it will reveal a sense of possibility: the possibility that there are incredible new ways of using technology as a force for good; that peoples' minds are not locked in a dark place forever; that our global village can start the long journey from "us/them" to "we".
As the Pangea Day website says: Films can't change the world. But the people who watch them can.
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Comfort and Joy
Spiritual resource to share: joy and comfort!
It doesn't sound too Christmassy. But when our Sunday School kids and I were talking about the impact and importance of Christmas, this quote made lots of sense.
What is the importance of Christmas? To me it is that the Christ - the expression of God - is something that becomes tangible in our lives. We can feel the joy, comfort and dominion of God. That the whole world view of evil, disease, decay -- of things not making sense, of love not being returned, etc. - the whole enigma of how weary the world is - is all of a sudden broken! Broken! By this beam of living Love - the Christ.
It struck me of the incredible hope and yearning toward peace - something earnestly prayed for - that hope was fulfilled by the coming of the Christ.
And to know that Christ is not only accepted, but understood. And now that we can understand the teachings of Christ, we can practice those very same precepts. We can learn to heal.
The Christ ushered in a whole new world view, one that hearts have longed for, one that heals and redeems, one that we recognize immediately. It is intrinsically natural and innately familiar.
What profound joy was felt at the birth of Jesus -this whole scene bursting with meaning and possibilities, fulfillment and progress. People anticipated this coming, expected it to come and gave their consent that now all good is possible.
Even more profound that this joy is sustained thousands of years later.
As next year comes into focus, there will be more peace talks, and progress for human rights; there will be campaigns against hunger and poverty and campaigns for beauty and earth stewardship. All of this is fueled by the same hope for a more spiritual world view where infinite ideas are brought forth to heal and redeem. And we can continue to understand God as the divine Principle of all things and in so doing we fulfill our most profound hopes and experience true joy - the understanding of the ultimate triumph of life.
Merry Christmas, friends!
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
The universe, like man, is to be interpreted by Science from its divine Principle, God, and then it can be understood; but when explained on the basis of physical sense and represented as subject to growth, maturity, and decay, the universe, like man, is, and must continue to be, an enigma.
It doesn't sound too Christmassy. But when our Sunday School kids and I were talking about the impact and importance of Christmas, this quote made lots of sense.
What is the importance of Christmas? To me it is that the Christ - the expression of God - is something that becomes tangible in our lives. We can feel the joy, comfort and dominion of God. That the whole world view of evil, disease, decay -- of things not making sense, of love not being returned, etc. - the whole enigma of how weary the world is - is all of a sudden broken! Broken! By this beam of living Love - the Christ.
It struck me of the incredible hope and yearning toward peace - something earnestly prayed for - that hope was fulfilled by the coming of the Christ.
And to know that Christ is not only accepted, but understood. And now that we can understand the teachings of Christ, we can practice those very same precepts. We can learn to heal.
The Christ ushered in a whole new world view, one that hearts have longed for, one that heals and redeems, one that we recognize immediately. It is intrinsically natural and innately familiar.
What profound joy was felt at the birth of Jesus -this whole scene bursting with meaning and possibilities, fulfillment and progress. People anticipated this coming, expected it to come and gave their consent that now all good is possible.
Even more profound that this joy is sustained thousands of years later.
As next year comes into focus, there will be more peace talks, and progress for human rights; there will be campaigns against hunger and poverty and campaigns for beauty and earth stewardship. All of this is fueled by the same hope for a more spiritual world view where infinite ideas are brought forth to heal and redeem. And we can continue to understand God as the divine Principle of all things and in so doing we fulfill our most profound hopes and experience true joy - the understanding of the ultimate triumph of life.
Merry Christmas, friends!
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
Friday, January 12, 2007
we are the ones
spiritual resource to share: your "deep gladness"
I saw this quote on the banner of Spirit on the Job's website recently: "The place where God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." (F. Buechner)
God is calling us all to act. In fact, I believe that we are each born with a mission, we are each born with a role to play in loving God (magnifying good, beauty, and intelligence) and loving one another.
But how do we approach our life's mission? How do we even get the courage and confidence to deal with our own dilemmas, let alone global issues? You may think you have nothing to give. Mary Baker Eddy answers this very question in her book Pulpit and Press (p.4).
Last year we saw almost unprecedented giving by the world's wealthiest and famous towards the elimation of national and global concerns. This is giving big time - making a huge impact - the "duodecillions."
But what do we do -- those of us with far less material wealth?
"Ye are the light of the world." Christ Jesus assures us.
Remember the story in 2004 about the school girl in Indonesia during the tsunami? She saw the water recede very quickly from the beach resort in Indonesia where her family was vacationing. She remembered from her schooling that these were the signs of an impending tsunami. She quickly told her parents, who warned the authorities and they cleared the beach in time to save hundreds of people.
The backstory is that she was taught by teachers. Her community felt it was important that girls have access to schools. Something in her upbringing gave her the confidence to share this news. Her parents knew that something could be done. There were authorities who trusted their citizens and would listen to them and then, they took action and evacuated the area.
So -- it was the enlightened community that produced schools, the dedicated teachers who taught, the authorities who listened, the parents who raised a confident child, and the little girl who had the courage to speak up - each one had a role in doing something that was life-saving.
Noble efforts have humble beginnings.
What can one person do? Apply what you know. Love others.
The brother of a very dear friend of mine did just this. Rippan Kapur started an organization to help underprivileged children in India with 50 rupees, and 5 other friends sitting around his mother's kitchen table. Soon, Child Rights and You (CRY) was born. And it grew. And not surprising. Godlike qualities of unselfishness, compassion and intelligent care have the natural capacity to multiply.
His example, and thousands others like it humbly get us to ask ourselves if there is more we can do. Sometimes this comes as gentle nudging. Other times it comes to us like a preacher on fire.
A couple of years ago Jim Wallis gave a talk on "Building Global Justice: We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For" at Stanford. Here is an excerpt:
I saw this quote on the banner of Spirit on the Job's website recently: "The place where God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." (F. Buechner)
God is calling us all to act. In fact, I believe that we are each born with a mission, we are each born with a role to play in loving God (magnifying good, beauty, and intelligence) and loving one another.
But how do we approach our life's mission? How do we even get the courage and confidence to deal with our own dilemmas, let alone global issues? You may think you have nothing to give. Mary Baker Eddy answers this very question in her book Pulpit and Press (p.4).
Perchance some one of you may say, "The evidence of spiritual verity in me is so small that I am afraid....Because of my own unfitness for such a spiritual animus my strength is naught and my faith fails." O thou "weak and infirm of purpose." Jesus said, "Be not afraid"!
"What if the little rain should say, 'So small a drop as I can ne'er refresh a drooping earth, I'll tarry in the sky.'"Is not a man metaphysically and mathematically number one, a unit, and therefore a whole number, governed and protected by his divine Principle, God? You have simply to preserve a scientific, positive sense of unity with your divine source, and daily demonstrate this. Then you will find that one is as important a factor as duodecillions in being and doing right, and thus demonstrating deific Principle.
Last year we saw almost unprecedented giving by the world's wealthiest and famous towards the elimation of national and global concerns. This is giving big time - making a huge impact - the "duodecillions."
But what do we do -- those of us with far less material wealth?
"Ye are the light of the world." Christ Jesus assures us.
Remember the story in 2004 about the school girl in Indonesia during the tsunami? She saw the water recede very quickly from the beach resort in Indonesia where her family was vacationing. She remembered from her schooling that these were the signs of an impending tsunami. She quickly told her parents, who warned the authorities and they cleared the beach in time to save hundreds of people.
The backstory is that she was taught by teachers. Her community felt it was important that girls have access to schools. Something in her upbringing gave her the confidence to share this news. Her parents knew that something could be done. There were authorities who trusted their citizens and would listen to them and then, they took action and evacuated the area.
So -- it was the enlightened community that produced schools, the dedicated teachers who taught, the authorities who listened, the parents who raised a confident child, and the little girl who had the courage to speak up - each one had a role in doing something that was life-saving.
Noble efforts have humble beginnings.
What can one person do? Apply what you know. Love others.
The brother of a very dear friend of mine did just this. Rippan Kapur started an organization to help underprivileged children in India with 50 rupees, and 5 other friends sitting around his mother's kitchen table. Soon, Child Rights and You (CRY) was born. And it grew. And not surprising. Godlike qualities of unselfishness, compassion and intelligent care have the natural capacity to multiply.His example, and thousands others like it humbly get us to ask ourselves if there is more we can do. Sometimes this comes as gentle nudging. Other times it comes to us like a preacher on fire.
A couple of years ago Jim Wallis gave a talk on "Building Global Justice: We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For" at Stanford. Here is an excerpt:
Now at the beginning of a new century and millennium, I see a new generation of young activists coming of age and committing themselves to build global justice. A rock star, a Chancellor, and young people across the world are all talking about globalization, HIV/AIDS, and reducing global poverty - and all in the prophetic voice of Micah.
I am convinced that global poverty reduction will not be accomplished without a spiritual engine, and that history is changed by social movements with a spiritual foundation. That's what's always made the difference - abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, civil rights - they were social movements, but they had a spiritual foundation.
This will be no different.
We are spiritual. The work that we do comes from the spiritual qualities we express. Out of this spiritual mix of compassion, genius, love, and responsibility, we get innovative groups from the likes of KIVA - a microfinancing internet opportunity which allows people to get involved in supporting small businesses in developing countries for as little as $25 to the mega-group like Clinton Global Initiative dealing with many global concerns to which millions of dollars have been donated.
Each unselfish act - as gentle as the encouragement given to a friend - moves us all forward. It builds a spiritual foundation where more and more good works thrive. We are the ones who can share our deep gladness with others -- and everyone is blessed!
Photos by cry.org; Child's art by Radhika Mehra-11yrs
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Important weekend of prayer report on Darfur
Spiritual resource to share: prayer
Spirituality.com has posted an important article on the situation in Darfur.
A prayer for the innocent—meaning everyone—in Darfur
by Jeremy Carper
More than a thousand individuals, houses of worship, and faith-based organizations throughout the United States are expected to participate in a “Weekend of Prayer for Darfur” from December 8 to 10, 2006.
This initiative, led by the Save Darfur Coalition, is part of a continuing response
to the horrific situation in this area of the Sudan, where millions of people are displaced or have been affected by mass genocide.
Worthy efforts like the weekend of faith-based action show that prayer is as much a component of solving world problems as raising money for the victims or arousing public outcry. In my own life, I've found that prayer is not an empty response to a
challenge, but one that aligns my thought to God.
Read more by clicking here......
Learn more about the Save Darfur effort here.
Click on the Save Darfur - Weekend of Prayer home page here.
(Photo from the Save Darfur website)
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
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