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| Summer 2005 Newsletter - Social Justice Edition |
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Contents |
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I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, |
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Connecting with the Spirit of Nature Standing in the middle of a desert, gazing at a full moon, listening to the wind rustling through the leafy trees, looking at the sun emerge from the dark underworld at dawn, observing the rhythmic movement of the tide at the shore’s edge, or observing the stars in the dark of night evokes reverence and awe for the power and sacredness of nature. We are humbled by the silence in the deep forest, exalted by the beauty of a rainbow, and stunned by the intricacy of a spider’s web or the rapture of a volcanic eruption. Allowing ourselves to be drawn into these experiences of the natural world, and to be deeply engaged in concentrated loving attention is the precise moment of contemplation. Being in those few precious seconds before thoughts or words are expressed affords us the opportunity to be in perfect alignment and we experience oneness with nature. In that moment we transcend time and space. The natural world has a lot to teach us about life. Whether you live in an inner city or the countryside, if you pay close attention to the trees or flowers you’ll notice that branches curve and shoots fork. These remind us that our life is a journey of many twists and turns. Similarly, standing at a stream’s edge, you’ll notice that the water finds its natural level by either flowing over, around, or under the rocks. This is a metaphor for the ways we surrender to life’s circumstances and situations we find ourselves in. Is our foundation solid and stable or do we allow ourselves to be distracted and “topple or roll over” when life gets a little rough? So, on one of those extremely hectic days, step outside to a nearby park or take a long drive in the country. Take a long walk, do a walking meditation, sit by a babbling brook, or lie on the green grass and meditate on the clouds and experience the calming and slowing effect of the natural world. Nature refreshes and rejuvenates us, cleansing us of fears, self-doubts, and worries.
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Mini-retreat in nature: Ideas for the busy activist and organizer Begin by researching nature sites near and far in your city, perhaps identifying the ones visited more and less frequently. Look for hiking trails, botanical gardens, or inexpensive camping facilities in nearby national forests. Sometimes churches, universities or colleges have spectacular gardens and well-kept grounds. Here are some mini-retreat ideas we’ve come up with. If you have any other ideas, we would love to hear them.
So you don’t have a tub! Then take a shower in minimal light. Light one candle. Shower with scented soaps. Then follow the same suggestions as above.
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Activists and Organizers Retreat at Omega Institute
The Center invited 18 social justice activists and organizers (and three children), emerging leaders in our Social Justice Program, to participate in Omega Institute for Holistic Health’s inaugural Service Week Program. When participants were asked to use three words to describe their time at Omega, many chose “release,” “reflection,” “relaxing,” “refreshing,” “joyful,” “renewing,” “rejuvenating,” “healthy,” and “self-care.” Omega was the ideal venue for these activists and organizers. Besides the healthy food, being in nature (and away from the chaos of city life), they particularly appreciated having their own private and designated space. This was an important factor in the group’s ability to spend time together beyond the short time we met as a group each day. Many of the leaders used the space in the evenings for spontaneous conversations on issues relative to their social justice work and explored together, for example, what it meant to hold non-violence as a principle when working with communities facing tremendous suffering. Our designated space was our collective “home” at Omega, and in it we laughed, played cards, and watched movies. In addition, many in the group who have a consistent spiritual practice or are developing one especially liked having access to the Omega’s sanctuary for meditation and the yoga and movement classes. Those who had a deep connection and intimacy with the natural world enjoyed access to trails and the lake. There was something for everyone. Omega’s Service Week was a time for these activists to “do nothing.” Ninety percent of their time was spent in quiet reflection, rest, and rejuvenation. The group met in structured dialogue for only 3 hours a day. It was truly a retreat for them in the fullest sense of the word. “This retreat has been a true blessing and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity. I hope I can continue to build and grow with the Center for Contemplative Mind and the participants and bring these experiences, learnings and opportunities to more folks.” “Hoping that Service Week continues and that other local grassroots organizations are contacted so that they can have this opportunity as well. We discussed knowing other groups/activists that could really appreciate this experience.” Thanks to Omega We would like to thank the Omega Institute for a truly rejuvenating and wonderful week there at the end of May. The Center’s staff also enjoyed Service Week, a week of free retreat time given by Omega to non-profits engaged in service work. We nourished our bodies with delicious and healthy food, expanded our minds with talented teachers and rejuvenated our spirits with good company in such a lovely setting. We are grateful for the generous donation of the friendly staff’s labor and the facilities. It was a blessing to, in turn, open up our spaces to 18 activists, providing them with an unprecedented opportunity to network with each other, learn contemplative practices, and get in touch with their core values which first drew them to service work. It also helped us think together about how we can collaborate in the future to develop more contemplative organizations. Thank you Omega! |
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Spiritual Activism Retreat at Garrison Institute
In June, the Center helped steward a meeting hosted by stone circles on spiritual activism, which included 50 individuals in the field and also allies from other sectors (media, funders, academics, etc.) The purpose of the meeting in part was to articulate and document spiritual/contemplative approaches and practices in the social justice movement. Rose Sackey-Milligan (Social Justice Program Director), Mirabai Bush (Executive Director), and Board members Rachel Bagby and Rachel Cowan attended the gathering, and were energized to be in a space where the accomplishments of the movement thus far and the momentum toward future activism were so evident. Participants were working on diverse social issues, ranging from prison reform to reclaiming Vieques, PR to youth education and organizing. This great diversity of issues made it clear that spiritual activism is not issue-based, but is really about the underlying principles of equality, equity, compassion, justice, liberation, etc. Discussions included western dharma and social change, liberation spirituality, vision and values, training, curriculum, and societal shifts. As Mirabai said in a letter to the participants, "Something has happened in the movement, at least among the people convened - a deepening, a sincere holding of the unholdable truth, a commitment to the work for justice from as real a place as possible and an understanding that the spiritual/contemplative source is what feeds that commitment."
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Check out our new website Thanks to the dedicated effort of website team Carrie Bergman and John Berry, the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society recently unveiled its newly designed and renovated website. See it here at www.contemplativemind.org. The new site has many new features, including new program websites, a new section to help with understanding of contemplative practices, along with a new publications archive, F.A.Q, and history sections. We hope you enjoy the "open" feel to the site's design and welcome further comments and suggestions to make the site even better! Contact the website team
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Recommended Reading You know the names Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela. But have you heard of Roy Bourgeois, Neta Golan, or Sulak Sivaraksa? How about Vandana Shiva, Daniel and Philip Berrigan, or Janusz Korczak? They, and the dozens more spiritual activists in this book are the heirs to that great tradition of faith-based activism. The spiritual activists in this book are environmentalists and gay-rights activists, peace workers, land reformers, child advocates. They are Buddhists and Catholics, Hindus and Muslims, Baha'is, Jews and Quakers. The stories of these modern-day prophets of positive change will inspire you, and the resources provided in each chapter will help you put your own beliefs to work in the world.
Holmes's research—through oral histories, church records, and written accounts—details not only ways in which contemplative experience is built into African American collective worship but also the legacy of African monasticism, a history of spiritual exemplars, and unique meditative worship practices.
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2nd Annual Robeson Social Justice Summer Institute July 21-23, 2005 Sponsored by Social Justice Education Global Youth Education, Liberation Movements and Organizing, Art and Activism. SJE offers 3 days of presentations, workshops, community engagement, and dialogue for teachers, organizers, and cultural workers. To register or get more information, go to http://www.socialjusticeeducation.org/robeson/index.html or call 617 524-6600. |
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6th Annual Yoga Summit and Retreat July 20-24, 2005 To register or get more information, call 800 404-8118 or go to http://www.blackyogateachers.com/events/summit/event_summit2005.html. |
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The Conference on Spiritual Activism July 20-23, 2005 Berkeley, CA Goals of the conference: 1. Challenge the misuse of God by the Right to justify militarism, dismantling of social justice and ecological programs, and assaults on the rights of women, gays, and lesbians 2. Challenge the anti-spiritual bias in some parts of "the Left" 3. Support a New Line of kindness, generosity, ecological sensitivity, and awe and wonder at the grandeur of the universe to replace the dominant ethos of selfishness and materialism. For progressive people of all faiths, and spiritually attuned secular people as well. For more information please visit www.tikkun.org or contact joe@tikkun.org. |
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Being Change: the Way of the Activist August 6-11, 2005 Presented by stone circles Spiritual Activism is not a philosophy- it is a Way of life. The fullest integration of an intellectual understanding of justice and an embodied realization of liberation requires committed time that we may not encounter in our daily lives. Periods of retreat dedicated to this integration where activists commit to deeper reflection, contemplation, and presence are an essential part of maturation and growth. For this reason, stone circles is offering a 5-day retreat for activists across the country that will provide activists with a structure that supports their spiritual practice while developing their strategies of social change. The retreat will provide abundant time for silence, spiritual practice, structured and unstructured reflection, discussion, and workshops on change theory, group dynamics, and political strategy. For additional information contact: jesse maceo vega-frey |
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9th Annual Meditation Retreat for Activists of Color August 14-21, 2005 Offered by Vallecitos Mountain Refuge This retreat is an intensive introduction to meditation practice. Scholarship Retreat: There is no charge for first-time successful applicants and there are limited travel scholarship funds available to first-time attendees in financial need. For additional information visit Vallecitos. |
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Alston/Bannerman Fellowship ProgramSocial Change Organizers of Color Invited to ApplyDeadline: December 1, 2005 The Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program is committed to advancing progressive social change by helping to sustain long-time activists of color. The program is designed to give these activists the financial support and freedom to "take a break and recharge." Each year, ten organizers of color working for social change on a broad range of issues are awarded the Alston/Bannerman Fellowship. Fellows receive $15,000 to take sabbaticals of three months or more. Previous fellows have worked on issues from environmental justice to fair wages, from immigrant rights to native sovereignty, from political empowerment to economic revitalization. Fellows have the freedom to use their sabbaticals however they think will best re-energize them for the work ahead. To qualify for an Alston/Bannerman Fellowship, an applicant must be a person of color; have more than ten years of community organizing experience; be committed to continuing to work for social change; and live in the United States or its territories. Both individuals for whom organizing is a full-time job and those for whom it is voluntary work done outside of their employment are eligible to apply. Visit the program's Web site at http://www.alstonbannerman.org/index.html for complete fellowship guidelines, application materials, and information on previous recipients.
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We would love to hear from you!
We will gladly accept information on published nonfiction on healthy living, personal growth, and contemplative practices.
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The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society Questions, concerns? This e-newsletter was made & sent by John Berry |
Brooke Shelby Biggs, Brave Hearts, Rebel Spirits: A Spiritual Activists Handbook ( England: Anita Roddick Books, 2003).
