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Hope is the torch that shines light on the plague of darkness

A path to spiritual enlightenment and hope to heal and nurture our Mother Nature

Bereshit’ by Yoram Raanan

‘God planted a garden in Eden. (Genesis 2:8)

The name “Eden” means “delight.” In the Garden of Eden “the gold of the land was good” and the earth shone with gemstones. All the waters of the world are said to have originated in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were surrounded by rivers that flowed with the knowledge of God, and they could see from one end of the world to the other. It is said that the earth is one- sixtieth of the Garden of Eden.’-Yoram Raanan  

The Garden of Eden has since ancient times been imbued with powerful symbolism and layers of meaning. It is both a boundary and a crossing point, a metaphor for spiritual rebirth and salvation, a shared resource and a source of holy water and life. It is the same with our GCGI spiritual values, meaning and work, waters that quench our real thirst and awaken us to the miracles available in every moment, every day, in all we do and hope for.   

Yes, It is True, and You Better Believe It!

You, Me & Everyone Else: We Will, With the Power of Our Love, Kindness, Hope, Imagination and Dreams

Make the Impossible, Possible- We Will Make the World Better and kinder Again 

Photo: Trócaire

GCGI Refuses to give up Hope. We are Holding on to our Dreams: ‘Earth Is A Mother that Never Dies’

‘​In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. ... A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.’- Wangari Maathai

The catastrophe we thought impossible has already happened 

What the ecological crisis can teach us about hope, complicity, and hypocrisy

Extreme weather caused by climate change has hit every corner of the world.-Photo: flipboard

Mother Nature Deserves Better. The World Deserves Better. 

Let’s be Stewards and Custodians, Not Abusers and Exploiters.

Now Is The Time To Know That All That You Do Is Sacred

‘Speaking truth to power is a non-violent political tactic, employed by dissidents against the received wisdom or propaganda of governments they regard as oppressive, authoritarian or an ideocracy. The phrase originated with a pamphlet, Speak Truth to Power: a Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence, published by the American Friends Service Committee in 1955. Speak Truth To Power is also the title of a global Human Rights initiative under the auspices of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights…'Read more

Will you, as you have always done, once again, remain complicit in

honouring, respecting, and valuing Mother Nature?

It is like you've lived one big lie!

“O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!”

Environmental Degradation and Ecological Crisis: A Global Pandemic in Progress

When a Catastrophe is fuelled by a Shortage of Leadership

Oxfam campaigners pose as G7 leaders on Swanpool Beach near Falmouth, Cornwall.

Photo: James Veysey/Via The Guardian

The question on everybody’s lips is: Do they love the world enough to look after it, to save it?

Lest We Forget: It was in 1847 that a US Congressman warned of man-made global warming

and environmental degradation and its possible consequences!

Now 174 years later in 2021, our current leaders are gathering in Glasgow to see what on earth they can do about it!!

A lesson for our times

‘When we fiddle with nature, there can be unforeseen consequences.

'When we fiddle with nature in big ways, entire civilizations collapse.’

‘On September 30, 1847, Congressman George Perkins Marsh delivered a speech on agricultural conditions in New England to the Agricultural Society of Rutland County, Vermont. This powerful address gave voice to ideas that would become a catalytic force in the movement to conserve America’s natural resources. Marsh recognized the human capacity for destruction of the environment and advocated better management of resources and active efforts toward restoration of the land—innovative ideas for the period...'- Lest We Forget: It was in 1847 that a US Congressman Warned of Man-made Global Warming and Environmental Degradation...

Photo:eustafor

The world’s climate conversations are ramping up towards the critical COP26 Climate meeting taking place in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.. Whilst COVID-19 has, to some extent, paused many key climate initiatives it has not dampened the ambitions or lessened the severity of the climate crisis the world faces. 

Six years ago, after days of painstaking negotiations, world leaders managed to thrash out a deal on climate change. The result was the Paris Agreement, decided at the COP21 summit in Paris, which was described by the United Nations as a legally-binding international treaty on climate change. 

Now, years later, politicians are — COVID permitting — preparing to meet once again for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP26.

The pertinent question at this crucial point is: Will COP26 succeed where the Paris Agreement,after the initial hoo-ha and razzmatazz, began to fall like a pack of cards? More on this later. First:

Nota bene

A Timeless Question

Why have so many global political and economic leaders abandoned their humanity and  principles in support of an immoral and dangerous neoliberal philosophy that has, for all practical reasons, brought all that matters to the edge of destruction? Where is their moral compass, truthfulness and honesty?

COP26, like all of the ones before it, will be a gathering of ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ politicians, talking to themselves, producing long and fancy documents, which ‘wet off the press’ so to say, will become meaningless, like the ones before it.  

That is, unless, and I repeat, unless, the world leaders change their spots and with total honesty answer the critical question I had asked above, which I have again noted below:

‘Why have so many global political and economic leaders abandoned their humanity and  principles in support of an immoral and dangerous neoliberal philosophy that has, for all practical reasons, brought all that matters to the edge of destruction? Where is their moral compass, truthfulness and honesty?’

In my heart of hearts, I know that they will not rise to this challenge. We cannot expect leopards to change their spots!

Thus, the best I can do is to do their jobs for them. So there you have it!

Dear leaders gathered at COP26,

Through your repeated deceitful and dishonest actions, your empty and hollow promises, the world cannot trust you. Whatever you say, whatever you do, we cannot believe you. This is until such a time that you can change your spots and become for the common good.

The erosion of trust is not an illusion.

Why is Trust so Vital to Who we are and How we live our lives?

Photo:trusttour.org

Brand trust is disappearing fast as ‘We no longer enjoy high levels of confidence in fellow citizens, much less social institutions, and are increasingly skeptical of those holding positions of authority.’ 

Why Can’t We Trust Our Leaders?

Crisis in Trust and Perpetual Global Crisis

In Pursuit of Trust

Why is the world like a house of cards falling apart?

Can Capitalism Survive Without Trust and Regulation?

“Build back better, blah blah blah. Green economy, blah blah blah. Net zero by 2050, blah blah blah. Climate neutral, blah blah blah.

“This is all we hear from our so-called leaders.

“Words that sound great, but so far have led to no action.” 

Greta Thunberg Mock's Boris Johnson's Climate Promises: 'Blah, Blah, Blah'

To my mind, you can change, you can become good, should you decide to do so. Below, I am showing you the path, the same path as I had encouraged my own prime minister, your host at Glasgow, to adapt. Have a look here, you might surprise yourselves!

Now that you have become good, the next step is to reverse the current destructive path, with the path of healing and caring. To do this,   we need a different model of education and we need a different economic value and economy. 

But please note, these are not possible to achieve so long as The Fraudulent Ideology reins supreme. Full stop. Carpe Diem!

Dear Leaders,

There you have it. If you are serious about why you are gathering in Glasgow, then, you must change direction. The world needs a different education, economy, and values.

Below, I have made it very easy and simple for you to discover how this might be possible:

Photo: Pinterest

The current global pandemic crisis and more are the manifestation of the tragedy of separating ourselves from mother nature.

Covid-19 has come to tell us that we are not the kings of the world: It has exposed the great weakness within the human triumph

‘What a pity that we have not yet grasped this simple wisdom: Our Sacred Earth is the only Home We Have.’- Kamran Mofid

Detaching Nature from Education is ‘Burning the Library of Life’

‘Education will be a key tool in the fight against climate change in the coming years.’

Photo: Iberdrola

1- ​Land As Our Teacher: Rhythms of Nature Ushering in a Better World

In all my academic life, spanning over four decades, I have been dismayed, frustrated and overwhelmed with pain to notice that our education model has not embraced the beauty and the wisdom of our mother nature and our sacred earth, corporating them into the teaching curriculum.  

This, to my mind, has seriously deprived the students, our future leaders, or indeed, our current leaders, to get a wholesome, values-led education, and thus, has prevented them, to vision and implement policies to heal our world, to better our lives.’- Kamran Mofid

2- ‘Let Nature be Your Teacher.’

The Wisdom of Mother Nature belongs to all Life.

Let be guided and inspired by Her and Save the Web of Life

'Be like the sun for grace and mercy.

Be like the night to cover others’ faults.

Be like running water for generosity.

Be like death for rage and anger.

Be like the Earth for modesty.

Appear as you are.

Be as you appear.'- Rumi

On the 250th Birthday of William Wordsworth Let Nature be our Wisest Teacher

 Rethinking Education at the Time of Coronavirus Crisis: The Time is Now to Explore the Benefits of Nature-Based Education in Our Teaching Models

By Forgetting Mother Nature- We have Now Ended Up with This unenviable World

Nature the Best Teacher: Re-Connecting the World’s Children with Nature

Educating the Heart and the Soul of Children to Build a Better World

3- Give up on neoliberalism, selfishness, narcissism, and in the process discover the sweetness of being human

Photo:EcoWowLife

Neoliberalism destroys human potential and devastates values-led education

The Mother of all Heists: ‘The Neoliberal Looting of America’

 The Neoliberal Plague and Coronavirus

Death and Destruction on Brothers’ Road to Serfdom

'Neoliberalism: The Biggest Fraud Ever Perpetrated on the World?'

The Broken Economic Model and the Inhumanity of the Lost Decade of Austerity

People’s Tragedy: Neoliberal Legacy of Thatcher and Reagan

Neoliberalism and the rise in global loneliness, depression and suicide

4- The younger generation, the youth, must be heard on climate, Listen to them.

Time to support youth as agents of their own future and architects of a better world

A Call to Action from Our Children and Grandchildren. 

We Must Not Let Them Down!

Photo:theatlantic.com

WE, THE FUTURE GENERATION, ASK YOU TO CHOOSE US

What is the unfolding story of the next decades?

The Youth of the World: Their voices will be heard

The rise of today’s youth, leading the world, with hope, inspiration, commitment,  imagination and wisdom in the interest of the common good, to change our troubled world for the better.

I am delighted that from the very beginning, since the early 2000s, when the GCGI was founded, we have been at the forefront of valuing, nurturing and celebrating the youth of the world, championing who they are and what they do in building a better future for all of us.

World Transformation and the Youth: Youth to Make the World Great Again …

 The Youth of the World: Their voices will be heard …

The Youth for the Common Good to Build a Better World …

 Nature the Best Teacher: Re-Connecting the World’s Children with Nature

 In Praise of Youth on International Youth Day- Monday 12 August 2019 …

 In Praise of the Economic Students at the Sorbonne: The Class of 2000 …

In praise of the students of Economics at Manchester University for rising against neo-classical fundamentalism 

The Youth of Wales Message of Hope to the World at the Time of the Coronavirus Crisis

Thank you UN secretary general for hearing the cries of the youth to build a better and more sustainable world

5- Stop being fooled by the wrong people: Choose your friends wisely!

Our Rotten and Corrupted World: Murdoch’s Carnage and His Evil Empire

This is why every country needs a Jacinda Ardern to discover What it Means to be Human and Great

6- Seek forgiveness and repent for all you have done to our Mothers by becoming mother nature and sacred earth guardians

A Call to Action from Our Children and Grandchildren. 

We Must Not Let Them Down!

WE, THE FUTURE GENERATION, ASK YOU TO CHOOSE US

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. We are at the beginning of a mass extinction

and all you can do is talk about money and fairy tales of eternal growth. How dare you!”-Greta Thunberg

Can You Hear us and Mother Earth Crying?

A painting by Berrin Duma. Photo: turkishpaintings.com

Why should we all become mother nature and sacred earth guardians

World Transformation and the Youth: Youth to Make the World Great Again

Biomimicry: Learning from Nature

7- Last but not least, instead of wasting 100s of billions of dollars of our money, waging useless wars in every corner of the world, killing, murdering, assassinating, droning, causing mayhem, consider spending a fraction of that, providing assistance to poorer countries in their struggles with the global warming and environmental degradation, which is mainly because of our economic policies, and our values of exploitation and abuse. 

The spectacular defeat of western pseudo-values: The Afghan Debacle

Rich countries not providing poor with pledged climate finance, analysis says

Moreover, lest you have forgotten, charity starts at home. Your own people, a huge number of them, live in abject poverty. They have no food. They rely on the food banks. They are homeless. Have no access to healthcare, and much more.

So please give up on ‘Civilising the Barbarians’ with your immoral acts of war and invasion, and instead show a bit of civility to your own people!

Have you heard of the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau? It is said that he once declared: “When the people shall have no more to eat, they will eat the rich!” 

Debunking the Myth of American Exceptionalism

The US: The Promised Land of Socialism for a Few and Capitalism for the Many!

Photo: HuffPost

The Myth of the ‘Promised’ Land

Do you have an eye for justice and sense of duty? Then, these questions are for you

The scar on the conscience of Britain: The neglect of its children, youth, students and more

Child Poverty UK: The Shaming of the British Elites

Austerity driven Homeless children put up in Shipping Containers in ‘Great Britain’

Confronting Poverty: Economy for the Common Good

Confronting Poverty: Education for Wisdom

Eat the rich! Why millennials and generation Z have turned their backs on capitalism

Dear Leaders,

I also invite you to try and become a ‘Nature and Me’ kind of person, by realigning and reconnecting yourselves with mother nature’s wisdom.

The Tree of Wisdom, Old whimsical tree in the Wicklow forest, Ireland.- Photo by Jenny Rainbow: fineartamerica.com

Desperately seeking Sophia: The Wisdom of Nature: A Five Part Guide

Dear Leaders, 

Late October, early November, is truly a beautiful time of the year in Scotland, with the most gorgeous autumnal colours and beauty of nature.

I do hope that you will allow yourselves to be thoroughly inspired by this, which I hope, in turn, will reflect positively in all you do and decide at COP26 and beyond.

Embrace the Spirituality of the Autumn and Discover What it Means to be Human

Beautiful Scotland in Autumn: The green valley river mountains in the Pentland Hills covered by violet heather flowers.-Photo: Avenly Lane

Mother of Darkness, Mother of Light

Earth beneath us, soul in flight,

Songs of love and love of life,

Guide us to our home. ~Circle Song

Embrace the Spirituality of the Autumn

Dear Leaders,

I wish you a very fruitful and rewarding meeting at COP26 in Glasgow, and sincerely hope that this time around you will indeed change the world for the better. 

The world is watching you, and rest assured that history will judge the complicit, should you care about your legacy.

A Must-read book  that launched the environmental movement and altered the course of history

‘Rarely does a single book alter the course of history but Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring did just that. In post-war America, a new agricultural revolution saw science and industry capitalise on chemical breakthroughs by turning their attention to nature. However, as the world watched in wonder as pests and blights were obliterated by pesticide programmes, one biologist charted the unseen horror of deadly chemicals entering the food chain and affecting flora, fauna and humans. One of the most influential books of the 20th century, Silent Spring alerted people to this environmental catastrophe, questioning our right to control nature and ultimately leading to a social revolution and legislation change. Introduced by novelist and environmental activist Margaret Atwood, this beautiful new edition includes an afterword by biologist and environmentalist Edward O. Wilson. Illustrations by artist Teagan White are complemented by a selection of arresting photographs from the Documerica archive, created to document areas of environmental concern in 1970s America. The ecological theme continues to the endpapers and woodgrain-effect slipcase, which complete a book that is perhaps even more important today than when first published.’

Silent Spring

Rachel Carson

Illustrated by Teagan White

Introduced by Margaret Atwood

Afterword by Edward O. Wilson

Purchase This book HERE

See also: IN MEMORY OF RACHEL CARSON