Not long ago, a dear friend of mine and the GCGI, Dr. Nina Meyerhof, Founder and President of Children of the Earth, presented me with a copy of a book she had co-authored with Dr. Diane de Terra: “Pioneering Spiritual Activism”.
I have now read the book with great interest, full of wisdom, inspiration, ideas and paths to build a better world, for the young and the old alike. I very much wish to recommend this book.
However, first, I wish to share the following statement that I have recently spoken and written about with you:
“And now, surely, the pertinent question should be: How we- the people- might rise to the global challenges of inhumanity, injustice, exploitation, environmental vandalism and degradation, hunger, poverty and the “utopia” of neo-liberal capitalism that has enslaved the 99%, whist showering “Pennies from Heaven” for the 1%.
The answer in my mind lies in Our Spiritual Awakening. We must answer the “Call to recover our Moral and Spiritual Imagination.” We must discover “The Value of Spiritual Wisdom in our Everyday Life.” We should aim for “Spiritual Education for the Common Good: Education for a Just and Sustainable World.” We should pioneer “Spiritual Activism”, and foster spirituality through “Conscious Leadership”.
In short, applying our common spiritual values as sources for renewal is, in large part, how I see we should respond to the economic, social, and ecological mandate now placed before us by the converging crises of our time. This is our moral assignment. As a matter of personal and societal responsibility, we can enter fully into reshaping economic policy and economic behaviour on behalf of the common good.”
Given my observation above, this is why I am so happy to recommend the “Pioneering Spiritual Activism” to you.“We offer this handbook as a resource for those of you who want to create a peaceful world through spiritual activism, activism that comes from the wisdom of the heart. While it is designed primarily for youth, ages 15-30; teachers, facilitators, and initiators may also use this handbook. Two additional pieces complement the handbook: a training manual and a reflection journal. The training manual serves two purposes: to provide additional exercises for training youth; to offer training of trainer materials for both adults and youth. The reflection journal is for youth to record their spiritual activist journey.
Our handbook introduces you to the ethics, principles, and values that are the essence of Children of the Earth’s (COE) spiritual activism. It proposes a model and techniques that have proven effective for youth to create positive change. COE’s model, Reflect–Connect–Act, provides guidance and structure. The methods and techniques proposed here constitute a learning process designed to consolidate spiritual growth and societal actions. Two approaches are COE’s contributions to supporting development and involvement with spiritual activism: Connect by Conflict Transcendence and Act by Lateral Leadership. This guide invites you to an inner revolution for social evolution. It is a path for global citizens to unite in a movement for peace.
Read more about the book and how to order:
http://www.coeworld.org/news/handbook
Nina and a team of young people represented the Children of the Earth at the GCGI 11th Annual International Conference which was held at Cité universitaire internationale, Paris, in August 2013.
See below the report of their participation and contributions:
Children of the Earth at the Globalization for the Common Good Conference 2013 in Paris
http://www.coeworld.org/news/children-earth-globalization-common-good-conference-2013-paris
See also:
COE Message - Invest in a Better World
http://www.coeworld.org/training
PS: As I was concluding my remarks I received an email confirming the participation of the Children of the Earth at our 12th GCGI Annual International Conference, to be hosted at Waterperry House, Oxford, 31 August- 4 September 2014. What else can I say, but, I am very happy.
GCGI 2014 Oxford Conference: Call for Presentation and Participation
“The Value of Values: Spiritual Wisdom in Everyday Life”
http://www.gcgi.info/news/476-gcgi-2014-oxford-conference-call-for-presentation-and-participation