Awakening Action:

   How do we want to be —with ourselves and with each other— in this time of Abrupt Climate Change?

   Convening a rainy season (2 month) focus group for hearts, minds, mutual support, and with a leaning towards action.

The earth does not need us, but we need the earth. We need to protect our home.
–Vandana Shiva

Let’s agree that we are in a time of abrupt climate change.  On a personal level this is deeply and unspeakably sad.  It is hard to know how to respond skillfully.  What can I or we even do?

My recent involvement as a water protector on Burnaby Mountain has shown me that taking action beyond the ‘small self’ is literally an antidote to feelings of helplessness, despair and depression. I realized that… with each personal offering of my skills and love, and as I aligned with a larger cause and community, my sense of self expanded and my despair turned to gratitude for the gifts I began receiving though my giving.  What a surprising circle!  As I heal the earth I heal myself.

So now I have these two questions that I realize I cannot answer on my own.  Will you join me to investigate these broad questions together?

Guiding Questions.

• How do we want to be —with ourselves and with each other— in this time of abrupt climate change?
• How can we attend to and yet also move beyond the personal in our actions and sphere of care and influence?

Goals of Awakening Action.

• To connect with other people, building relationships of trust, accountability & mutual support through time.
• To explore and honour our hearts as we remain present with self, and with earth.
• To discover and hone ways to take action on what we care about in the world and in our communities.
• To share nourishment like food, tea, laughter, music, nature-time, and whatever other inspirations may arrive.

Vision.

Offering our gifts and skills to sustain life on earth.

Practical Details.

WHEN: Meet 2 times per month for the rainy season starting the week of October 15-21.
Which is better for you? Please let me know by the very start of October.
Thursday evenings, 6:30-9pm Oct 18, Nov 1, Nov 15, Nov 29, Dec 13.
–OR–
Sunday afternoons, 3:30-6pm Oct 21, Nov 4, Nov 18, Dec 2, Dec 16.

LOCATION: to be decided, most likely east Vancouver, maybe sometimes outside if weather permits?

EMERGENT AGENDA: I’ve been facilitating circle learning and non-hierarchical collectives for more than 15 years.  I have some ideas to get us started at our first (exploratory) session.  After that, together we can come up with a process for our gatherings so that we can each contribute, learn, share resources, support each other, and be accountable to our group.  I believe that this group will have exactly what it needs, and that it will be exactly what we want it to be.

COST: I will be happy to accept voluntary donations or trades to support my time and work organizing and holding space for this group.  I am quite experienced with giving my time and energy, so at this time I am also practicing receiving.

CONTACT: me if you are interested in participating or discussing this group.
redsara [at] gmail [dot] com

About Sara.

I care fiercely about the earth.  I am tired of being sad much of the time.  I want to join together with others to rise up, to defend, to invent, to create: I’m interested in scaleable systems for sharing, connection and protection of life.  I can’t do it alone and I’m looking forward to meeting you just as you are, wherever you are along your journey.

I believe we are stronger when we work together, and even if we are not actually starting a project together, the projects that we do work on outside of this group will benefit from the support that we build within this group.

I believe we each have our own path of engagement, our own offerings.  Not all of us need to be on the front lines.  But we DO all need to find alignment with life-sustaining forces on earth, in whatever way that looks for us.

I am trained as a facilitator, practice art and community art, live in community.  I am a mother, daughter, sister, partner and friend.  I have received jukai, or lay ordination in the Soto Zen buddhist lineage as practiced at Mountain Rain Zen Community, and my buddhist name is Jizan Kakugyo, which means Compassionate Mountain, Awakening Action.

My life and these gatherings take place on the unceded, occupied, and ancestral homelands of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and Lhaq’temish (Lummi) people.

I am committed to learning to be a better Uninvited Guest on these territories, including actively reflecting on the words silence, oppression, solidarity, and comfort.