Dear friends,

Autumn is a stimulating season of change, and for us eternal students it's the beginning of a new year, filled with energy and opportunities to fulfill our life purpose. Be The Change is feeling the excitement as we present our new Student Initiative to high schools in Vancouver. Over 300 students are already in action circles, using their Student Action Guides to empower sustainable lifestyle choices, and we're only 1 month into the semester!

Our little non-profit is going full speed ahead thanks to the support of Environment Canada, many private donors, the Multifaith Action Society, BC Hydro PowerSmart, Vancity branches, the Vancouver School Board, Eco-Canada and Vancouver Foundation. We are so grateful for your support and belief in this grass roots initiative.  Thank you!

And collaborations nurtured over the years are now bearing fruit as What's Your Tree circles across North America bring the Be The Change Action Guide into their program.

Be The Change is grounded in the wisdom of global visionary Joanna Macy, who identifies three major aspects of the Great Turning: Eco-Action to hold back the destructive forces of Empire as best we can; Eco-Innovation to analyze existing structures and try different operating systems; and Eco-Consciousness  to deepen our understanding of the evolutionary process and the radical interconnection of all phenomena.

As Change Agents, we each have our strong suit and gravitate to programs that attract us. Still, it is good to deepen our capacity in all three areas.

Our program of action circles is an expression of Eco-Innovation, helping people to look at the unsustainable systems in their lives and work place, schools and communities and to choose new life-sustaining habits and systems. Check out our great new offerings and reconnect with friends to create your community of practice today!   

unexamined assumptions based in the industrial world view and consciously choose to upgrade our personal 'operating system'. It's exciting to be part of this global mind shift and support each other to bring our actions into alignment with our true values.  Please join us Oct 15 or Oct 25 and bring some friends you'd like to invite to your action circle!

Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend... what a perfect time to give thanks for our beautiful Earth. Hope you'll take time this weekend for a reflective gratitude walk in nature.

Bruce Sanguin, one of the founders of Be The Change, is speaking on the "Celebration of Radical Gratitude in Cosmological Consciousness" this Sunday, Oct 10, 10:30am at CMUC.

October is a month of Eco-Action, and we encourage you to join in these public actions, stand up for green values, and feel the collective energy of our movement for change.

350° has called for a Global Work Party on 10/10/10 and it's shaping up to be the largest single day of carbon-cutting action in the planet's history!    Here in Vancouver many organizations are rallying around DIG FOR JUSTICE, a peaceful action bagging sand from the contentious Gateway project, to raise the dikes protecting nearby communities. Bring water, snacks and a shovel if you have one (some provided on-site )

Rex Weiler, co-founder of Greenpeace told me that Tar Sands oil companies are trying to make Vancouver Harbour their shipping port. An amazing citizen coalition has arisen to pro-actively halt oil tankers in Georgia Strait and Burrard Inlet. Hope to see you at 2^nd beach in this timely show of public support to protect our beautiful shoreline from oil spills.

Closing with love and thanks ....for all the awakened people choosing to be the change in every choice they make,

and for Gaia, our tenacious living planet who offers so much beauty and bounty in so many ways,

Maureen Jack-LaCroix, Founding Director