[Dialogue] Summary Report: ICA 50th Anniversary Event: Awaken the Dreamer

[Ellie Stock]

Dear Colleagues,

Greetings from St. Louis.

Below is our summary report of our ICA 50th Anniversary event "Awakening the Dreamer" symposium held Saturday, May 19 in Ferguson, MO. Relative to common features for these anniversary events, we did introduce the ICA and the 50th anniversary, created the art form strips, and feel that the symposium, from an ecological perspective, lays out the challenges of our times and some creative responses to them. As the report says, a smaller follow-up group will meet in two weeks to follow-up on how to enable the Ferguson community to make the transition from dependency on fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. This is an excellent symposium construct for raising consciousness about what we are doing to the earth and what we and others can do about it. Glad it could be included in the 50!



Also below are the lyrics for the song "Let the Earth Breathe", written for the event and used for the closing.  Attached is a draft of the music notation (if the attachment is allowed to go through--can't be put in the text of the email).

Carleton and Ellie Stock


SUMMARY OF50TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT IN ST. LOUIS, MO ON MAY 19, 2012
One of theevents marking the 50th anniversary of the Institute of CulturalAffairs took place on Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Ferguson, MO, a first-ringsuburb of the City of St. Louis.  It wasan “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream” symposium, an experience ofinspiring exploration into the links between the three facets of a “new dream”for humanity and planet earth: environmental sustainability, social justice,and spiritual fulfillment.  The idea ofthe symposium grew out of the Pachamama Alliance formed ten years ago amongindigenous peoples in Ecuador, Latin America and their concerns about what theindustrial nations were doing to their land and their way of life.  It combines leading edge information, livepresentation, excellent video clips, and group interaction.  The Ferguson symposium was held from 8:15 to12:15 p.m. in the parish hall of the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and washosted by Carleton and Ellie Stock, long-time members of the ICA, living in thecommunity the last 14 years.
There were27 participants, two hosts, and two facilitators from the Rockhaven EcozoicCenter about an hour from the site.  22were female, 5 male, ranging in age from late 40’s to 80.  Two thirds were from the greater Fergusonarea via residency, job or organization. Thirteen were newcomers and unlike the others had not attended any ofthe monthly environmental video nights leading up to the symposium.
 
Highlightsof the event:
·       Goodattention, participation, sharing and spirit
·       Excellenttrained and experienced facilitators from the Pachamama Alliance network
·       Tearsof pain because of what we are doing to the earth, our mother and tears of joyand hope because of what is already being done by others and can be done by us.
·       Theweaving together of the personal, the spiritual, and social justice
·       Displaytable with books, videos, local organizations, and ICA video and newsletter
·       Peoplewere introduced to the world-wide Transition Community movement
·       Focusedparticipation in the ICA art form project of writing promises, hopes and visionfor the next 50 years on pieces of fabric to be incorporated into one large artform in Chicago.
·       EllieStock sang a song she had recently written for the occasion, “Let the EarthBreathe”
·       Sevensigned up for the Ferguson Transition Team, meeting in two weeks to follow upon what all this means for the Ferguson area.
The twobiggest challenges coming out of the symposium were the need to recruit moremales and more younger participants to the event and figuring out what theagenda for the Ferguson Transition Team will be.
 
For moreinformation about the symposium contact Ellie and Carleton Stock at carletonstock at aol.com or (314) 941-9378.

 
 

LET THE EARTH BREATHE

 
Letthe Earth breathe!
Letits heart beat,
            pulsing and firing the fruit of itsseed.
Letfour winds tease,
            air bright and clean.
            converging and swirling throughlife’s mystery.

 Letwaters wreathe.
Letrivers be,
            pristine and free from deep valleysto seas.
Letsinging streams
            stir slumbering leagues,
            awakening the dreamer and changingthe dream.

             Let mountains rise!
             Let forests thrive—
                         primal communitiesbirthed to survive.
            Let kindred be wise,
                        not compromise
                        their courage and carefor greed’s beckoning lies.

 Letoceans race!
Letnew waves chase
            ancient tides washing ashore cosmicgrace.
Letrhythms of peace,
            each land embrace,
            all creatures together in Earth’ssacred space,
            creation now honored in Earth’s sacredspace,
           all creatures together in Earth’s sacredspace.

                                                ejhs
                                                           5/12     


 




Also below are the lyrics for the song "Let the Earth Breathe", written for the event and used for the closing.  Attached is a draft of the music notation (if the attachment is allowed to go through--can't be put in the text of the email).

Carleton and Ellie Stock


SUMMARY OF50TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT IN ST. LOUIS, MO ON MAY 19, 2012
One of theevents marking the 50th anniversary of the Institute of CulturalAffairs took place on Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Ferguson, MO, a first-ringsuburb of the City of St. Louis.  It wasan “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream” symposium, an experience ofinspiring exploration into the links between the three facets of a “new dream”for humanity and planet earth: environmental sustainability, social justice,and spiritual fulfillment.  The idea ofthe symposium grew out of the Pachamama Alliance formed ten years ago amongindigenous peoples in Ecuador, Latin America and their concerns about what theindustrial nations were doing to their land and their way of life.  It combines leading edge information, livepresentation, excellent video clips, and group interaction.  The Ferguson symposium was held from 8:15 to12:15 p.m. in the parish hall of the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and washosted by Carleton and Ellie Stock, long-time members of the ICA, living in thecommunity the last 14 years.
There were27 participants, two hosts, and two facilitators from the Rockhaven EcozoicCenter about an hour from the site.  22were female, 5 male, ranging in age from late 40’s to 80.  Two thirds were from the greater Fergusonarea via residency, job or organization. Thirteen were newcomers and unlike the others had not attended any ofthe monthly environmental video nights leading up to the symposium.
 
Highlightsof the event:
·       Goodattention, participation, sharing and spirit
·       Excellenttrained and experienced facilitators from the Pachamama Alliance network
·       Tearsof pain because of what we are doing to the earth, our mother and tears of joyand hope because of what is already being done by others and can be done by us.
·       Theweaving together of the personal, the spiritual, and social justice
·       Displaytable with books, videos, local organizations, and ICA video and newsletter
·       Peoplewere introduced to the world-wide Transition Community movement
·       Focusedparticipation in the ICA art form project of writing promises, hopes and visionfor the next 50 years on pieces of fabric to be incorporated into one large artform in Chicago.
·       EllieStock sang a song she had recently written for the occasion, “Let the EarthBreathe”
·       Sevensigned up for the Ferguson Transition Team, meeting in two weeks to follow upon what all this means for the Ferguson area.
The twobiggest challenges coming out of the symposium were the need to recruit moremales and more younger participants to the event and figuring out what theagenda for the Ferguson Transition Team will be.
 
For moreinformation about the symposium contact Ellie and Carleton Stock at carletonstock at aol.com or (314) 941-9378.

 
 

LET THE EARTH BREATHE

 
Letthe Earth breathe!
Letits heart beat,
            pulsing and firing the fruit of itsseed.
Letfour winds tease,
            air bright and clean.
            converging and swirling throughlife’s mystery.

 Letwaters wreathe.
Letrivers be,
            pristine and free from deep valleysto seas.
Letsinging streams
            stir slumbering leagues,
            awakening the dreamer and changingthe dream.

             Let mountains rise!
             Let forests thrive—
                         primal communitiesbirthed to survive.
            Let kindred be wise,
                        not compromise
                        their courage and carefor greed’s beckoning lies.

 Letoceans race!
Letnew waves chase
            ancient tides washing ashore cosmicgrace.
Letrhythms of peace,
            each land embrace,
            all creatures together in Earth’ssacred space,
            creation now honored in Earth’s sacredspace,
           all creatures together in Earth’s sacredspace.

                                                ejhs
                                                           5/12     


 
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