Spiritual transformation

In order to make the transition to a better society (here on the Island or anywhere), we need good information about what's happening and what's possible. But even more than that, we need some inspiration. Living into a better world is a spiritual enterprise.

Recently we've come across two DVDs that work very well for stimulating conversation on the spiritual side of things. One (that's the title!) was discovered by Heather and Paul of Loonsong Garden. Here a small group of first-time filmmakers embark on a quest for the meaning of life, taking a set of 20 questions to a wide variety of people and capturing the best responses with their video camera. The central idea that comes across is (as the title suggests) the unity of the human race; but the diversity is also celebrated here.

The same goes for Beyond Our Differences, though this is a more professional, beautifully shot and tightly edited film (bigger budget, no doubt). It was first shown on PBS at the end of 2008. Here the focus is more specifically on religion, sharply criticizing the fundamentalist versions of it, but mostly showing how the major religious traditions can and do motivate people to amazing works of service to their fellow humans. Core values of love, compassion and social justice are found in sacred Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Buddhist writings, and we see activists from all these traditions working toward a better world in their various ways.

There's also spiritual motivation beyond religion. Another DVD now in our resource library shows how the arts can be a means of salvation. Born into Brothels chronicles the work of photographer Zana Briski, who met the children of prostitutes in Calcutta and knew she had to do something to help them escape the situation they were born into. Taking her cue from their interest in her camera, she gave them all cameras and taught them the basics of photography. The results are amazing and incredibly moving. This film won an Oscar for best documentary of 2004, and the DVD we have is loaded with extras following up what happened to the kids later. (The title above links to Kids with Cameras, the foundation set up by Briski to continue the work.)

Electric car uprising?

Here's a transition idea that could make a difference on Manitoulin, although it's not coming from here. New York Times columnist David Pogue has recently published reports about ‘Better Place, a radical, overarching plan to replace the world's gas cars with electric ones – really, really quickly. The nutty thing is, it just might work; the streetside charging outlets for these cars are already under construction in six countries and two U.S. states.’ His column of March 19, in the form of an interview with Better Place chief executive Shai Agassi, explains how it's supposed to work. And near the end, Agassi mentions that the province of Ontario is interested. To me, that's an encouraging sign. If we the Canadian taxpayers are going to bail out Ontario's auto industry, we should at least make sure that the money will be put to better use than continuing production of the same old gas-guzzlers. Use the link above to read about a better alternative.

From phantom wealth to real wealth

Anyone who's aware of what's behind the current financial ‘meltdown’, as explained for instance in Chris Martenson's Crash Course, knows that all the government bailouts and ‘stimulus packages’ can only make it worse in the long run, by trying to preserve the status quo (i.e. the bad habits which got our society into this mess in the first place). So what can be done to actually improve the situation? This blog is all about what we can do at the local level, but eventually even national governments will have to get with the program, if they're going to survive at all. David Korten's new book, Agenda for a New Economy, explains how the U.S. and other governments could actually do something useful to turn the situation around. Back in January i posted about the release of Korten's book, with a link to the excerpt on the Yes Magazine website. Now that i've read the whole thing, i think it's a welcome addition to our resource library, especially as a follow-up to Korten's earlier book, The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (2006). Korten frames the crucial economic conflict of our time in terms of phantom wealth vs. real wealth, symbolized by Wall Street and Main Street respectively. Wall Street represents the most extreme and toxic development of ‘Empire’, the organized crime syndicate of predatory greed which has dominated civilization for five thousand years. Both of Korten's books bring a global perspective to the transition which is now under way. In another post i mentioned the Transition Culture website. I should have also given a link to The Transition Handbook, by Rob Hopkins, which shows how the move ‘from oil dependency to local resilience’ can be accomplished by rebuilding local community. Hopkins is among the leaders of this kind of transition as it's unfolding in the UK. Heather and Paul at Loonsong have copies of this book for the use of those active in making the transition here on Manitoulin. This book offers a handle on the localization movement which is complementary – and necessary – to the shift ‘from phantom wealth to real wealth’ of which David Korten writes.

Kids Can Grow Too

Ice Lake — Students from Lakeview School and Manitoulin Secondary School began a pilot project last year with the Manitoulin Farmers Market growers. They grew bedding plants from seed and then brought them to sell at the Market Tuesdays in Little Current. The project, known as Kids Can Grow Too, was so successful that the Manitoulin Farmers' Market Association (MFMA) is expanding it to three other schools in Little Current, Mindemoya and Gore Bay this year. “Several of our members worked very closely with the schools to get the pilot project off the ground,” says Chuc Willson of the MFMA. “The kids have shown a genuine interest in the whole growing process and we as an organization had a great time working with them in the schools and having them at our Market Tuesday in Little Current. It is so vital for kids to learn about the earth and to appreciate the life cycles in this way and also to learn about our market system. They are our future market customers, and perhaps even our future vendors,” adds Willson. “We were able to fund the pilot project with financial backing from FedNor, but this year we are on our own,” adds Willson. “Members of MFMA are donating seeds, peat pots, and their expertise and we are happy to have the sponsorship of the Manitoulin Heart Health Coalition who are purchasing soil, trays and cell packs this year for the program. We have asked local Lion's Clubs to help as well. Last year we discovered that grow table units were a must for the plants to develop healthy root systems so we are looking to purchase a unit for each of the four elementary schools,” says Willson. “We have come up with an idea to encourage sponsorship from the public for this,” he goes on to explain. “We will display an honour roll at the markets with the names of those who make a donation, and I am so anxious to get on an honour roll for the first time in my life, that I will be the first to donate $50,” he quips. “We are looking for $2400. Our fund is up to $850 already just among our membership, the Gore Bay Lion's Club and Lakeview school who will be purchasing the unit on their own. So we are putting out the challenge and hopefully many will be proud to get their names added to our honour roll at the market. Also, Lee Valley have offered to give us a 15% discount on the units” he adds. If you are interested in making a donation, cheques can be sent payable to Manitoulin Farmers' Markets Association, c/o Chuc Willson, 600 Robertson Road, RR 1, Gore Bay ON POP 1HO. The Manitoulin Farmers' Market Association assists with the development and expansion of farmers' markets, as an alternative marketing opportunity for locally grown and produced goods in the District of Manitoulin. Markets are held in Little Current on Tuesdays, Gore Bay on Fridays and Mindemoya on Saturdays from the May long weekend to Thanksgiving. For more information, please visit the Manitoulin Farmers' Market website. Contact: Chuc Willson Manitoulin Farmers' Market Association (705) 282-0274

Remembering Jim Murray

I would like to dedicate this year's postings on Manitoulin Uprising to the memory of Jim Murray (1942–2009). Jim was a true pioneer of the Manitoulin Uprising, having lived off the grid here with his wife Mame and their sons for 30 years. His friend Helke Ferrie describes him as ‘a shaman disguised as an alternative energy engineer who installed solar and wind sourced systems.’ Jim raised the level of psychic energy in every gathering that was blessed with his presence. He had a keen awareness of juice, as he called it – i can't quite explain what that is (organic electricity, perhaps?), but Jim was adept at finding and sharing it with all of us who knew him. Now we'll have to do it without him. Jim died on February 16 after a year-long battle with mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused exclusively by exposure to asbestos. Thanks to information provided by Helke Ferrie, my first act in remembrance of Jim's life was to write the Prime Minister's office protesting the Canadian government's shameful and deceitful support for the asbestos industry. Here's the letter i sent:

I am writing in regards to your government's continuing support for the chrysotile asbestos industry despite the fact that ‘all forms of asbestos fibres, including chrysotile, are carcinogenic,’ as the Auditor General of Canada has acknowledged. That support has included grants to the Chrysotile Institute, whose sole function is apparently to promote asbestos use by hiding the clear scientific consensus that the substance is lethal. In February 2008, your government announced another grant of $750,000 to the Chrysotile Institute for the next three years. I would like to know whether this grant continues under the current budget. Since the World Health Organization (among many others) has called for a total ban on all forms of asbestos, Canada's efforts to support this dying industry are bad enough. But even worse is Canada's efforts to suppress basic information about its lethal nature. Canada has ratified the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent, which protects human health and the environment by controlling international trade in hazardous chemicals and pesticides. The Convention's expert scientific body recommends inlcuding chrysotile asbestos among the hazardous chemicals requiring prior informed consent before being exported. Canada, which exports 95% of its chrysotile asbestos to developing countries, has so far blocked this recommendation. These appalling facts came to my attention with the recent death of a good friend of mesothelioma, which is caused exclusively by asbestos. When he worked with the substance decades ago, its lethal effects were virtually unknown. This is certainly not the case now, and for Canada to prevent potential users from knowing the risk involved in using it amounts to a crime against humanity. I sincerely hope that your government will reverse this unconscionable policy, and stop wasting taxpayers' money on support for an industry which should be allowed to die rather than being subsidized to kill more human beings.

For more information on this, visit the Ban Asbestos Canada website, or read the recent editorial published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). As soon as i hear of other ways to remember and celebrate Jim's life, i'll post the notice here.

The 11th Hour: Saturday March 7

The 11th Hour is a film which assembles testimony from some leading innovators on dealing with emerging threats to the planetary life support system. Ken and Connie Mackenzie are hosting this film on Saturday, March 7 as one of our Manitoulin Movies that Matter gatherings. Potluck at 5 pm, followed by the film and conversation. This is one of the DVDs in the Manitoulin Uprising resource library. (Click any of those links for more information.)