| Editorial | |
Dear Readers,
It has been a little while since the last mailing, and I'd like to tell you about three projects I've been absorbed by. The first is the Bristol Happiness Lectures - an event I organise each year to provoke fresh thinking about finding happiness and dealing with depression. It was a wonderful evening and we had over five hundred people come. But what's this got to do with the Great Turning? I believe our approach to happiness is a key piece in the jigsaw of sustainability. Here's why.
Firstly, hundreds of billions are spent each year by a global advertising industry selling us the myth that happiness is based on having things. 'Bigger, better, happier' reads a recent Skoda ad, 'happiness is a cigar called Hamlet' goes a more dated jingle on the same theme. When consumer lifestyles, with their heavy carbon price-tag, are seen as pathways to improved mood, sustainability campaigners become seen as eco-nags and robbers of joy. No wonder resistance is frequently encountered. Yet research shows that walking in nature makes us happier, while walking through shopping malls lowers mood. (Ref A below) Studies also show higher levels of happiness in those practising voluntary simplicity, and greater misery among those who are more materialistic. The western consumer model has taken us on a wrong turning as far as happiness goes, leading us instead to an increased risk of depression.
A second common myth is that happiness is found by turning away from anything that provokes negative thoughts or feelings. This view can lead to habitual avoidance of difficult areas, with a closing down of attention (and conversation) when depressing topics, like climate change for example, come up. What I'm much more interested in, and what I spoke about at this year's Happiness Lectures, is mood improvement through addressing the issues that we find depressing. The idea of a 'sequence of happiness' is helpful here.
The sequence of happiness often begins with its opposite. Like in adventure stories, something awful can happen at the start that presents a challenge calling for our response. Through rising to the occasion, we find new levels of meaning and purpose; when we can play a role that makes a difference, our lives become more satisfying. It is through this sequence of turning things around that the more enduring forms of happiness are found.
Turnings that are significant will have plenty of obstacles in their way; chief among these is the experience of powerlessness. According to a Mental Health Foundation survey, over 50% of people feel powerless when thinking about global issues. So how can we rise to a challenge if we regard it as beyond our power to do much about? This is where the second project I've been working on comes in. It is the new revised edition of my book, Find Your Power - now with the subtitle a toolkit for resilience and positive change. Here's what Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Movement, had to say in his foreword.
"Chris approaches the challenge of changing things, whether in your life or the world, as a journey or adventure. In adventures, you expect to bump into things, obstacles are part of the course. But when there's too much in the way, and it seems too difficult, we tend to think of the change as beyond our power. At this point, rather than give up or feel defeated, Chris takes us on a different route: he invites us onto the quest of finding our power. By strengthening our ability to rise to challenges, motivate ourselves, find ways through blocks and design more enjoyable approaches to what we do, it becomes possible to open up new pathways forward."
Power, like happiness, is a concept much in need of being viewed with new eyes. I write about three dimensions of personal power that help us contribute to the turnaround process, both in our lives and in the larger story we know of as the Great Turning. The new edition adds important new material on resilience, improving mood and tackling global issues, making it worth another look (particularly the introduction and Chapter 11) if you've read the old version. I've written this book as a resource for the Great Turning, so if you find it useful, please do point people towards it by writing a review on Amazon or anywhere else. I have a limited number of free copies to give away to people interested in doing this (see point 21). The book is available in most parts of the world, with North American release planned later this year. (Ref B below).
The third project I'm involved with is a new book I'm co-authoring with Joanna Macy. We've been in the design phase for two years and are now on the final stretch of getting it written. Taking a journey round the spiral of The Work That Reconnects, we're looking at hope with new eyes and exploring what helps us live more fully from the story of the Great Turning. This won't be coming out till the later next year, and I'm grateful to Cindy Barnes, Mike Grenville and Kevin Frea who will be producing the GTT while I take a writing sabbatical. In the meantime though, here's another edition with information about the challenges we face and inspiring responses to these.
With you in this Great Turning Adventure
Chris.
Chris Johnstone
Editor, The Great Turning Times
http://www.GreatTurningTimes.org
http://www.chrisjohnstone.info If you have thoughts on happiness, depression or any of the issues raised in this edition, please do comment on the discussion pages on the GTT Readers page at http://www.wiserearth.org/group/GTTreadersReferences
A) See http://www.mind.org.uk/news/1795_go_green_to_beat_the_blues
B) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Find-Your-Power-Resilience-Positive/dp/1856230503/ref=pd_cp_b_1 |
| (1) What is the Great Turning? Some quotes and links | |
"The Great Turning provides a powerful framework for understanding our time within a deep historical context and for defining the collective choice we must now make as a species."
David Korten at http://www.davidkorten.org
"A revolution is underway because people are realizing that our needs can be met without destroying our world. We have the technical knowledge, the communication tools, and material resources to grow enough food, ensure clean air and water, and meet rational energy needs. Future generations, if there is a livable world for them, will look back at the epochal transition we are making to a life-sustaining society. And they may well call this the time of the Great Turning. It is happening now."
Joanna Macy at http://www.joannamacy.net |
| (2) Events listings at GreatTurningTimes.org | |
For a listing of workshops, conferences and other events supporting/expressing this Great Turning, see events page of our website at http://www.greatturningtimes.org/ShowEvents.asp
If you're organising, or know of, events that support/express this Great Turning, please let others know by entering details here. The events page has five geographical fields (UK, North America, Australia, Europe and Other). Choose your part of the world to find out about workshops on The Work That Reconnects, Deep Ecology, Eco-psychology and other events supporting the shift towards a life sustaining society. There are currently loads of workshops and other events listed for the UK. The events listings outside the UK have been a bit slower to take off, but as this facility gets known about, its use will increase. If there aren't many events currently listed for your part of the world, then please do enter some! Here's how to do this.
To publicise an event that contributes to The Great Turning, go to Events in the top bar at http://www.greatturningtimes.org and then select 'Add New Event' from the pull down menu. Choose the part of the world the event is in, (banded to UK, North America, Australia, Europe and Other), and then fill in the details, according to the fields given. Please put the duration of the event in the details bit. When it is complete, click on 'Save Details' at the bottom. All that you've written should then disappear without a trace. Then if you email me (chris (at) chrisjohnstone.info) to let me know you've entered something, I can authorise it so that it goes up on the site. There may be a bit of a time delay before this happens. If you have any problems with this, let me know.
One of the purposes of this events listings is to publicise workshops in The Work That Reconnects, the empowerment approach developed by Joanna Macy and colleagues. I get emails from people all over the world asking how to find out about local workshops, so if you're offering these or similar trainings, please use this events page to let people know about them. |
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(3) The Great Turning Times Readers Forum and Survey | |
Thanks to the wonderful resource of WiserEarth.org (which is like a Great Turning version of Facebook), we now have a Great Turning Times Readers web-page at http://www.wiserearth.org/group/GTTreaders
This offers a forum for discussion and resource sharing - anyone is free to view the webpage, and you can also download articles placed there. You need to sign up to Wiserearth (which is free at www.wiserearth.org) and join the GTT readers group (which is open to anyone) in order to be able to add content or contribute to the discussions.
We've started a new discussion thread here on inspiring projects - so use this to please tell us about any you know of.
As mentioned in the August edition of GTT, Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone are working together on a new book exploring what helps us rise to the challenge of addressing our global crisis and take part in the Great Turning. We've started an ongoing enquiry process so that we can hear from each other what alerts, arouses, inspires and supports us to take part in the Great Turning, as well as what gets in the way. A big thank you to those who've either emailed me directly or contributed to the web discussion. We need to understand what helps wake us up and also what sends us to sleep. Please see the Readers Survey discussion thread and add your comments.
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| (4) David Gershon's work on Community Building and Carbon Reduction |
In the last edition, I recommended David Gershon's book Social Change 2.0, which maps out a well developed and proven approach to engaging large-scale participation in the shift towards sustainable living. It addresses the 'behavioural wedge', the chunk of carbon reduction that can be achieved through lifestyle changes and choices we make, at the same time as improving 'here and now liveability' in a way that strengthens local communities and attracts participation.
I see his approach as ideally suited to transition and sustainability groups who'd like well tested tools to help them engage more people in the shifts required.
If you'd like to find out more, you can read his chapter about cool communities presented as a series of six articles in the Huffington Post.
If you'd like to connect with others applying this approach, and learn more about it, there's an on-line community of practice and discussion forum
For some video clips of David Gershon introducing aspects of his work, there's a Social Change 2.0 You-Tube channel
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| (5) Transition Tales 2010 Quest |
"The future enters into us, in order to transform itself in us, long before it happens", Rilke
With its Transition Tales project, the transition movement uses story-telling to awaken our imagination, creativity and visioning in support of the shift to sustainable ways of living. Here's how they describe their approach:
"Transition Tales" are visions of a positive future world. In a sense the whole transition movement is a story we are telling ourselves as we step into it. Transition Tales are the more specifically located stories, told of a time and place and of people. They help us to collectively envision a future in which we are meeting the challenge and also to negotiate our feelings from the present day. They can entice us to take the next step and affirm that however small step might feel it's part of the interweaving of a larger whole, which we have glimpsed in these stories from the future.
You can find out more at http://totnes.transitionnetwork.org/transitiontales/home
Steph Bradley, who's been involved in developing the Transition Tales project, is going on a six month walk from Totnes, in quest of sharing and collecting these stories. Her journey starts in April and will take her through Southampton, Forest Row, Cambridge, Nottingham, York, Appleby, Kendal, Wigan, Wolverhampton, Hay on Wye, Bradford on Avon, Embercombe, Lostwithiel. She is inviting people to walk with her, even for short stretches. To find out more, see http://transitionnetworknews.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/transition-tales-2010-quest/ |
| (6) Psychology and Global Climate Change | |
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| (7) Warmest January on record | |
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| (8) Can being Green make you happier? |
Here's three pieces exploring the links between ecological living and positive mood
10 reasons that green people are happier - at the EcoHustler blog
Resilience, Recovery and the Self-help SSRI - about an anti-depressant that is ecological,
empowering and not based on taking tablets.
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| (9) Training and development group for facilitating The Work That Reconnects |
Mandy Kasafir is interested in hearing from people in the UK who'd like to facilitate The Work That Reconnects, or who've had some initial training and would like to build confidence as facilitators. We're looking at developing more training options, including setting up a facilitator development course running over four weekends in 2011, and facilitated by Chris Johnstone and Jenny Mackewn (who've both been doing this work a long time).
If you're interested in finding out about facilitator development in general, please contact Mandy at mail (at) mandykasafir (dot) com
If you're interested in the four weekend course (with a weekend each quarter over 2011), please contact Jenny Mackewn at jennymac (at) netgates (dot) co (dot) uk |
| (10) Ecosia: save rainforest with every search |
Interested in an ecological alternative to google? Ecosia is an eco-friendly Internet search engine backed by Yahoo, Bing and the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). It basically works like any other search engine but, unlike others, Ecosia gives at least 80% of its advertising revenue to a rainforest protection program run by the WWF.
Because of this, Ecosia users can save about two square meters of rainforest with every search they do - without paying anything. Furthermore, all Ecosia servers run on green electricity, so they do not cause any CO2 emissions. By using Ecosia, you can turn your web searches green.
For a short film introducing Ecosia, plus information about how it works, look here: http://ecosia.org/how.php |
| (11) Stephen Fry on How to repair the world | |
This well-produced and heart-warming three minute piece, narrated by Stephen Fry, describes how reforestation using permaculture techniques can help us address climate change. Worth a peek at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh8RpgtW4s0
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| (12) Planetary Boundaries: A Safe Operating Space for Humanity | |
The University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment have taken a scientific paper published in Nature, and presented its core points as a multimedia feature. This three minute film explores the question of whether our ecological impact has pushed the Earth past the tipping point. This is a wake up call.
For the film, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkkKZgKmdP4
For the paper in Nature, see http://www.scribd.com/doc/28568528/Limits-2-Life-on-Earth-Nature-Sept-2010 |
| (13) The Global Oneness Film Project - A thousand suns |
A Thousand Suns tells the story of the Gamo Highlands of the African Rift Valley and the unique worldview held by the people of the region. This isolated area has remained remarkably intact both biologically and culturally. It is one of the most densely populated rural regions of Africa yet its people have been farming sustainably for 10,000 years. Shot in Ethiopia, New York and Kenya, the film explores the modern world's untenable sense of separation from and superiority over nature and how the interconnected worldview of the Gamo people is fundamental in achieving long-term sustainability, both in the region and beyond.
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| (14) A short film about leadership and how to start a movement | Thanks for Rob Hopkins for picking this one up from the TED talks.
Here's is Derek Sivers on how to start a movement
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html |
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(15) Joanna Macy's website | |
This website has been updated and offers a wealth of resources for people interested in Joanna Macy's work.
There are discussion forums, poems, videos, new practices, news and more at http://www.joannamacy.net
Her events listings are at http://www.joannamacy.net/publicteachingcalendar/year.listevents/2010/05/11/35.html
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| (16) A Handbook from Next Generation of the Global Ecovillage Network |
A NextGEN circle of Inspiration, Support, and Action is a group of people who inspire and support each other to take action. This action can be as simple as creating meetings where like-minded people can build community or as complex as creating permaculture projects in your neighborhood. To find out more,
see http://nextgen.ecovillage.org/index.php/aboutus
For a free handbook designed to guide you through creating your circle and connecting it to the global movement of inspired people who are bringing their dreams alive for a peaceful, sustainable and interconnected world,
see http://nextgen.ecovillage.org/index.php/circle |
| (17) Ecopsychology and The Work That Reconnects on Ning |
The social networking facility Ning has been provided fertile cyber-soil for some Great Turning related sproutings.
However they are about to start charging for services that were previously free. While it is unclear how this will effect
the following sites, they currently offer rich and interesting content, and are worth checking out.
Ecopsychology UK at http://ecopsychologyuk.ning.com/(they also have a great website at http://www.ecopsychology.org.uk/)
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| (18) The Low Impact Living Initiative (LILI) |
This is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to help people reduce their impact on the environment, improve their quality of life, gain new skills, live in a healthier and more satisfying way, have fun and save money.
See their website at http://lowimpact.org for more details. |
| (19) The Goldman Environmental Prize | |
One way to catch inspiration is to search out, and give our attention to, inspiring stories. A good source of these is the true life stories of those winning the Goldman Environmental prize each year. The Goldman Prize views "grassroots" leaders as those involved in local efforts, where positive change is created through community or citizen participation in the issues that affect them. Through recognizing these individual leaders, the Prize seeks to inspire other ordinary people to take extraordinary actions to protect the natural world.
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| (20) Greenspirit: Path to a new consciousness, edited by Marian Van Eyk McCain |
Featuring contributions from twenty-nine inspirational writers, including Matthew Fox, Brian Swimme, Satish Kumar, Emma Restall Orr, David Korten and Neil Douglas-Klotz, this book has been described as 'the definitive guide to green spirituality'.
It is being launched with a talk by Jonathon Porritt at St James Church, 197, Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL on Wednesday 14th July at 6pm.
Watch a five minute film introducing the book
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| (21) Find Your Power - a toolkit for resilience and positive change by Chris Johnstone | |
Drawing on insights from addictions recovery, positive psychology, storytelling and holistic science, Find Your Power describes how you can strengthen your ability to bring about positive change. The tools described can be used for any kind of change, from tackling depression and improving your life through to addressing world issues like peak oil and climate change. This new, improved second edition has a foreword by Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition movement. Rob also interviewed me about what the book had to offer the Transition movement. You can read this on his blog at: http://transitionculture.org/2010/05/15/exclusive-interview-chris-johnstone-on-inspiration-finding-your-power-and-transition/
GREAT TURNING TIMES READERS OFFER - if you are able to get a review published either in print or on-line (including on amazon), you may be able to get a free copy. We only have a limited number of free copies available, so if interested, please contact Chris at chris (at) chrisjohnstone (dot) info |
| EVENTS (UK) | | Here's a few, but there's more on the events page at www.GreatTurningTimes.org |
| (22) Ecopsychology: The Work that Reconnects, Stroud Friday 2nd July to Sunday 4th July 2010 | |
A weekend workshop with Jenni Horsfall and Jenny Mackewn at Hawkwood College
Cost £144 non res, £184 shared res, £204 single res
The 'Work that Reconnects' is an experiential process which supports individuals to connect to themselves, each other and the natural world, express feelings of concern for current planetary issues and find new ways towards a sustainable future, developed by visionary ecologist Joanna Macy (www.joannamacy.net). It can transform worry and despair into creative, collaborative action. The course offers practical tools, skills and strategies as well as creative approaches including paint, pastel or clay, constellations, photography, story, ceremony, ritual, dreams and walking with intention in the landscape. It rekindles our joy and gratitude for life and our sense of purpose.
To find out more, see http://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/courses/view.php?id=388 |
| (23) The Work That Reconnects in Frome, Somerset - June and September | |
An introductory workshop on 12th June and a day of deepening on Sept 18th.
For more details, email Lisbet: lisbetmichelsen (at) gmail (dot) com |
| (24) Council of all Beings - weekend workshop in Wales, 30th July to 1st August |
With Sue Weaver, Rosie Bell and Alan Bellamy at Llwynbwch, Carmarthenshire.
A Council of all Beings will be called at the heart of a weekend of deep ecology work. We will gather on the Friday evening and stay together camping on site, until the Sunday afternoon.
For more details, see the events page at www.greatturningtimes.org |
| (25) Strengthening Skills for Positive Change, July 3rd, Lancaster |
A workshop with Chris Johnstone, 2-5pm
To bring about the transition to a sustainable, flourishing society, we will need to access the best of our inspiration, determination, creativity and courage. This half-day workshop offers a practical training in five learnable skills that help this. We will look at the skill of activation - exploring what switches on and deepens our commitment to act in the world; the skill of visioning, where we identify and keep alive the positive visions we want to move towards; the skill of planning, where we identify achievable next steps that contribute to the projects inspiring us; the skill of satisfying action, based on designing ways of working that are enjoyable, rewarding and attractive; and the skill of positive relationships that bring out synergy in our working well with others.
This training draws on research into what strengthens people's ability to bring about positive change and applies insights from addictions recovery, such as the stages of change model described in The Transition Handbook.
Cost £15 (£10 concs). For booking details, see http://www.transitioncitylancaster.org/documents/forms/ChrisJohnstone.htm |
| (26) Training for Resilience and Positive Change, 18th September, London | |
With Chris Johnstone, Author of Find Your Power - a toolkit for resilience and positive change
Based on insights from addictions recovery and research into the psychology of resilience, this workshop offers practical strategies to help us transform collective crisis and crunch times into turning points for positive change.
Venue: Gaia House, 18 Well Walk, Hampstead, London, NW1 1LD
Cost: £48 including seasonal organic lunch and refreshments. Payment must be received in advance in order to secure one of only 15 places.
To book visit www.gaiafoundation.org |
| (27) Organisations in Transition - 10th July, London. | Peak Oil and Climate Change are products of our dependence on fossil fuels.
Are we too stuck in our ways, or will we be able to change in time?
This one day event explores the psychology of personal and organisational transition.
With Sandra White and Chris Johnstone
For details, see http://www.opus.org.uk/programm.htm |
| (28) A one year practical sustainability course in Bristol | |
Heard all you need to hear about global environmental problems and the need for change?
Looking for creative solutions to prepare for a post-oil, low carbon future?
The Practical Sustainability Course is an in-depth hands-on study of all aspects of sustainability.
Covering Permaculture Design, Organic Horticulture, Green Building, Energy, Woodland Management, Soil, Ecological Interactions, Group Dynamics, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Transition, Herbal Medicine, Animal Husbandry and much much more.
This course offers holistic, challenging, hands-on learning to give you the skills you need to make positive change in your life and community.
For anyone wanting to make a difference.
A collaboration of some of the most experienced tutors in the South West including Sarah Pugh, Patrick Whitefield, Chris Johnstone, Tim Foster, Matt Dunwell, Max Drake, Jackson Moulding, Justin Smith, Jenni Horsfall, Ben Law and many more.
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| (29) Gaian Leadership Course, July and September 2010, Wales. | What does it take to be an inspiring leader in the Age of Climate Change?
Join the next Gaian Leadership course which involves two residential intensives on July 21-24 and Sept 15-18, 2010 at Llwyn Ffranc farm near Abergavenny, Wales. All participants need to attend both intensives.
Our unique course teaches both the science and spirit of Gaia and encourages you to develop your own leadership style. You will learn what modern science has to say about the fragile state of the planet and how we can narrow the "action gap" between what we are currently doing and what we need to do to live in harmony with the rest of Nature. You will acquire or develop further the skills to embody this learning as storyteller, coach, community-builder and strategist. Teaching team includes Chris Johnstone,
To find out more, see http://www.gaiacoach.co.uk/gaia_coach_services/gaian_leadership.phtml |
| (30) Ecopsychology courses with Mary-Jayne Rust | Mary-Jayne is one of the leading ecopsychologists in the UK, and has an active training programme that includes:
Wild Nature, Human Nature: Deep sustainability through Ecotherapy, Sept 18th - 24th, St Austell, Cornwall
Ecopsychology Training, Re-Vision, London, October 2010 to March 2011.
Ecopsychology, exploring the roots of change, Schumacher College, Devon, March 7th - 25th, 2011.
For more information, see her website at www.mjrust.net |
| (31) Gathering for the Great Turning, with Joanna Macy, Germany, 7th-12th June 2010 | | For more details, see http://www.holoninstitut.de/bilderpool/flyer_en_183.pdf |
| (32) More events | If you're organising an event related to the Great Turning, please feel welcome to enter details on the events page
of our website at www.GreatTurningTimes.org
See (2) above for more on how to do this. |
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