The Inner Dimensions of Climate Change Comes to Asia and the US
This February, GPIW, in partnership with
Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association
and the Earth Charter International, organized the fourth
Inner Dimensions of Climate Change
gathering, this time for young ecologists from throughout Asia. The goal of this series is to explore the deeper spiritual causes for humanity’s disconnection from the natural world, which is creating such disruption among the life systems on the planet; and to explore the spiritual shifts that can help us know ourselves to be part of, connected to, and one with the whole of Earth’s life community. This series has been valuable in helping us identify powerful young leaders who are emerging in the fields of ecology, regenerative farming, water protection, wildlife protection, alternative energies and related fields.
The gathering opened at the UNESCAP headquarters in Bangkok and then moved to the
Sathira Dhammasathan
Retreat Center where we were hosted by Venerable Mae Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta, a GPIW Co-Chair and longtime friend. One of the aspects of this gathering that impressed us was how easy it was for these Asian ecologists to grasp the spiritual nature of the climate/ecological crisis and to see the role of spiritual practice in creating the necessary shifts in mindset. Most participants saw the importance of tapping inner spiritual resources in order to address outer conditions. An especially rich part of this gathering was the deep exchange that took place between the young people and the spiritual mentors. One of the themes that emerged is alternative models of education. Some of the young people were educators and engaged in alternative schools where ecology is a central part of the learning. Others were in early phases of starting schools to experiment with new forms of education in their communities, education of the whole person not just the logical mind. Also of interest to the group were indigenous systems for community development and learning to draw upon the indigenous wisdom of the region to develop a way of living in harmony with and respectful of Earth’s living systems. There was also an interest in new economic models as there was concern that Asia is following the western consumer economic/social model. The question arose as to how Asia can draw more upon its traditional knowledge to shape an alternative path for its region. Please see below the recently completed short piece by young filmmaker
Gauri Grazia de Santis
on the gathering in Bangkok.
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Mindahi Crescencio Bastida Muñoz, Director of the Original Caretakers Initiative at
The Center for Earth Ethics
(top center) with Pacha K'anchay of the Kogi and Geraldine Ann Patrick Encina with friends at Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica
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Program in Costa Rica
While this series has focused on regional gatherings, leading up to a global gathering in 2019, GPIW received support from Kalliopeia Foundation to organize an Inner Dimensions of Climate Change specifically for the US, as we felt young ecologists working in the US need special support at this time. GPIW invited a group of young American ecologists and activists to spend several at an eco-retreat lodge in Costa Rica.
This group of Americans had the benefit of being in dialogue during the first evening with a young Kogi leader, Pacha K’anchay who had come from Colombia to meet them with a message from the elders, who are providing his training. Some of the young people sat with him into the early hours of the morning asking questions about life, the Earth, and sharing personal experiences of hardship and challenge. From there we moved to a session at the Earth Charter International headquarters in San Jose, located on the campus of the UN University for Peace. We then traveled by bus into the heart of the country to camp in tents and enjoy that natural beauty of the open air environment for the remainder of the program. The eco retreat served as the venue for our circle presentations and discussions. It became clear from the onset that the needs of this US group were different from those of the other regions. The 17 or so young Americans were gifted, informed and were far less focused on dialogue with the mentors and more eager for networking among themselves, sharing experiences, envisioning joint projects and engaging in their own healing. All of them were involved in innovative projects of their own creation or ready to embark on issues they were passionate about. Many of the issues that the nation is dealing with came up in these personal encounters, and the young people brought to the fore the pain that so many Americans are holding at this time. As the dialogue on climate change and the crisis that all of life is facing got deeper, themes emerged that needed attention, ‘safe space’, ‘class', 'privilege', 'hierarchy', and 'privilege of knowledge’, ‘justice’ and ‘institutionalized racism’, and understanding how these intersect in the environmental conversations. Each region has its own specific character and needs, and we had to adapt to what was being requested by these young Americans. An important outcome of this gathering was the strong bonds made among some of the participants, bonds that have continued after they have returned home and are likely to lead to joint projects.
GPIW begins now preparing for the Inner Dimensions of Climate Change for the Middle East in October, the last of our regional gatherings in this series.
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Tri-State Area Program on Food Justice
Planned for third week of June is a local ‘Inner Dimensions of Climate Change’ weekend program to be held in the Catskills region of Upstate New York. This two day program will focus on urban gardening and bring together young people involved in the food justice movement. The 15 participants will come from the Tri-State area and other parts of the Northeast and be led by Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Jana Long and Adam Bucko.
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Book Announcement
Dena Merriam’s new book
My Journey Through Time: A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death and
Rebirth
, tells, among other things, how the work of GPIW evolved, along with the awakening of her memory of the events and people in her past that have shaped who she is and her work today. It reveals how the complex, beautiful interweaving of karma lays the foundation for our current life, and how the choices we make today lay the foundation for our future. Spiritual messages are woven throughout the book. Her story is one that many people will related to, as so many have intuitions of their past births, whisperings that inform their current conditions and quietly guide them forward. The book can be found on
Amazon
. All proceeds go to the continued work of GPIW.
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