Global Peace Initiative of Women Winter News

Dec 18

Written By HR Hegnauer

Global Peace Initiative of Women Winter Updates

New Partnerships &

The Inner Dimensions of Climate Change

Online Gathering for Young Ecologists

Friends, Warm winter greetings from the Global Peace Initiative of Women.

We are pleased to announce that GPIW has formed two new partnerships this year. One of our new partnerships is with PSSM, a global network of spiritual practitioners based in India that promotes meditation and vegetarianism under the guidance of their founder, Brahmarshi Pitamaha Patriji. They have taken a keen interest in Dena Merriam’s book The Untold Story of Sita, and we are very grateful for their efforts to share the book widely and to translate it into several regional Indian languages. GPIW also formed a partnership with the Inner Peace Network, a new online platform offering live courses from some of the worlds many wisdom traditions. Dena Merriam has been asked to offer a course on karma and reincarnation. We hope you will explore the work of these two organizations.

Inner Dimensions of Climate Change Global Online Forum

This past November, we were able to re-connect virtually with some of the young ecology leaders in our network as part of our Inner Dimensions of Climate Change series. We had initially planned to bring a small delegation to the UN COP 26 in Glasgow. Despite the meeting being postponed until next year, we felt it was important to continue the conversation and bring it online, where we could bring a larger group. We are grateful to our two of our partners, ITRI and Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association for their support in helping us to convene this meeting.

The gathering spanned three days and was moderated by Rabbi Rami Shapiro. One mentor addressed the group on each day, discussing a different aspect of the climate crisis. This format offered a diverse space for delegates to explore the inner dimensions of climate change from subtle and nuanced perspectives.

As GPIW's network of young ecology leaders continues to grow, we look forward to convening more gatherings such as this one with different climate activists from around the world -- young people who are passionate about creating a more just and beautiful future for all life. Below is an overview of what was discussed during the three days.

Day 1: Shifting Our Worldview and Valuing Nature

with Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Turtle Island

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Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Cheyenne River Lakota leader and long-time friend of GPIW opened the first day of the forum on deepening our relationship with Nature. He shared how human beings have an innate ability to listen to and connect with Mother Nature, but in so-called “modern” society, many of us have forgotten this sacred relationship. Instead, we want to be the controllers and proprietors, and this mindset prevents us from allowing Nature to help us heal. He said, "We can't save the Earth...because the Earth is already saving us."

“We can’t 'save the Earth'… because the Earth is already saving us."

Tiokasin explained how, rather than trying to control our external environment, we need to surrender and listen to Mother Nature deeply and actually hold space to allow Her to save us from ourselves.

The discussion evolved into conversations among the young people on how much of the turmoil taking place in the world is a result of the overall tendency of humans to try to control our environment and compartmentalize. Shephali Patel, a writer and herbalist from New York expressed that in order for people to be truly one with the Earth, they need to learn to collaborate with plants, water and seeds. This requires ceding control to the Earth, rather than trying to go to war with her, she said.

Day 2: Integrating Traditional Knowledge Systems with Vandana Shiva

Dr. Vandana Shiva, a tireless defender of the environment and founder of Navdanya in Dehradun, India led the discussion on day two.

“We are the soil. We are the Earth. This separation was very much a result of the birth of colonialism, the fossil fuel age, and industrialism. This fossilized our minds into thinking mechanically that the Earth was dead matter - and sacred Earth was forgotten - and the right to trample was assigned. A fossilized mind went hand in hand with a fossilized heart, because it buried compassion; it buried the recognition that we are interrelated.”

Some of the youth asked follow up questions on coping with burn out, and whether or not embracing activism itself can be spiritual work, or if they are separate. “We have to be activists”, Dr. Shiva answered, “but this is sacred activism – because it doesn’t come from ego… it comes from the will to protect, and the passion to protect.”

“We have to be activists”, Dr. Shiva answered, “but this is sacred activism – because it doesn’t come from ego… it comes from the will to protect, and the passion to protect.”

Day 3: Decolonizing Our Thinking and Strengthening Local Communities with Manish Jain

“I am ‘un-educator’, and I believe the time has come to start to unravel the stories and myths we have been fed by modern life and civilization”.

On the third and final day of the gathering, Manish Jain, founder of Shikshantar: The People's Institute for Re-Thinking Education and Development addressed the young ecologists.

Manish Jain’s journey has been about unlearning. He told the delegates, I am an 'un-educator', and I believe the time has come to start to unravel the stories and myths we have been fed by modern life and civilization".

He spoke on how the education system has moved society away from the spirituality of everyday life, the sacred, and the gift culture, so that life is defined by the economic system, the money system where all is commodified, and human beings have a false sense of ownership.

Manish cautioned the young people to not fall into the old trap of ‘development inclusion’. This is when one adopts the development path that has been laid out based on social justice thinking, such as, ‘how do we include more people?’. Manish stressed that before we do this, we need to ask ourselves what we really mean by ‘development’, ‘the good life’, and by ‘progress’.

He also explained that current development models don’t consider these important questions, instead there is a tendency to think, ‘these villages don’t have this or that, they don’t have schooling, or insurance or enough income', so we think of how to bring more communities into this 'mess'.

Manish, who is based in Rajasthan, pointed out that there are communities in India that could instead offer us a different vision forward, a way out of this current state, a greater cosmic vision of the purpose of life.

Janani Pratap, an educator from the Krishnamurti Valley School in Bangalore offered a solution , emphasizing the vast importance of indigenous knowledge systems and how these tend to be largely centered around the heart space as opposed to the headspace. The solution, she said, “…is about bringing the heart into whatever we do...the most important thing I ask myself is: is this coming from my heart? Is it coming from love?"