<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Happy Birthday, Dick.Thank you for the witness—I needed that. Actually, I loved meeting you at the Greenrise Building last summer and enjoying a great dinner together. I wish I could have dinner again with you tonight to celebrate, but online accolades will have to do. It was precious to me that you, Terry and Pamela welcomed me back home at 4750, and that the energy there is growing. I didn’t know you invested in the solar panels. What a great plan! And the Methodist church is moving in the direction of Net Zero for 2050—SDG #7: Clean Energy in action. <a href="https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-7" class="">https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-7</a> When I gave a presentation at Greenrise last August, I was surprised some folks in USA were not aware of the global vision and consensus for 17 Sustainable Development Goals. That is driving change in Asia and perhaps Europe, Africa and Latin America too. Hope to see you in Africa again. ICA Africa is making a great conference there. <div class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Don Hinkelman, 69, doing four ICA intern study tours next year to Bangladesh, Kenya, Indonesia and India. Remembering 1970 RS-1 and Summer Program. </div><div class="">This year lost 20 pounds (like you and Terry—who are looking great) by cutting sugars and carbs.<br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Dec 1, 2023, at 8:45, Terry Bergdall via Dialogue <<a href="mailto:dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><meta charset="UTF-8" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" class="">Rob, </span><div class="" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">I recall your presentation at that event in 2010 as being a powerful contextual statement about recovering the legacy of ICA. A decade+ later, I remain grateful for the manner in which you set the stage for our work. Somewhere, I think there is a YouTube of that presentation. It is in multiple sections because back then the longest YouTube upload could not exceed 10 minutes. While some things change in 13 years, the<b class=""><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>urgency</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>of the "call" you made during that presentation has not. </div><div class="" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Terry<br class=""><div class=""><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Nov 30, 2023, at 16:52, Robertson Work via Earthrise <<a href="mailto:earthrise@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">earthrise@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Happy birthday, Dick! Grateful for all you are and do. </div><div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br class=""></div><div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Your witness reminded me that Terry invited me to give a talk in March 2010 to open the ICA USA Think Tank on International Initiatives held at Kemper. I noticed that people were shocked by what I said about global warming and the end of a civilization. I am grateful for all that ICAs have done in the past 13 years to help lead the way to a regenerative future and beloved community. </div><div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br class=""></div><div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Blessings to you, dear friend,</div><div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br class=""></div><div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Rob </div><div class="elementToProof"><div class="" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br class=""></div><div id="Signature" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Robertson Work</span></div></div><div class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Robertson-Work/e/B075612GBF" target="_blank" title="https://www.amazon.com/Robertson-Work/e/B075612GBF" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-ogsc="" data-linkindex="0" class="" style="margin: 0px;">Books and bio</a> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://compassionatecivilization.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="https://compassionatecivilization.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-ogsc="" data-linkindex="1" class="" style="margin: 0px;">Blogsite</a></span><span class="" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </span><span class="" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://robertsonwork.substack.com/" target="_blank" title="https://robertsonwork.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-ogsc="" data-linkindex="2" class="" style="margin: 0px;">Substack</a></span><span class="" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </span><span class="" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.globalcompassioncoalition.org/author/robertson-work/" target="_blank" title="https://www.globalcompassioncoalition.org/author/robertson-work/" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-ogsc="" data-linkindex="3" class="" style="margin: 0px;">Videos and articles</a> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.robertsonwork.com/" title="https://www.robertsonwork.com/" class="">Website</a></span></div></div></div><div id="appendonsend" class=""></div><hr tabindex="-1" class="" style="display: inline-block; width: 1076.03125px;"><div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr" class=""><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" class="" style="font-size: 11pt;"><b class="">From:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Dialogue <<a href="mailto:dialogue-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">dialogue-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> on behalf of Richard Alton via Dialogue <<a href="mailto:dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>><br class=""><b class="">Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Thursday, November 30, 2023 4:28 PM<br class=""><b class="">To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:earthrise@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">earthrise@lists.wedgeblade.net</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><<a href="mailto:earthrise@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">earthrise@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>>; Colleague Dialogue <<a href="mailto:dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>>; Order Ecumenical Community <<a href="mailto:oe@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">oe@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>><br class=""><b class="">Cc:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Richard Alton <<a href="mailto:richard.alton@gmail.com" class="">richard.alton@gmail.com</a>><br class=""><b class="">Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[Dialogue] Birthday Witness</font><div class=""> </div></div><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="x_gmail_default" style="font-size: large;"><div class="" style="text-align: center; margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><b class=""><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;">Birthday Thoughts: My Solar Hero</span></b></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;">I was struck by Terry Bergdall’s Thanksgiving report from Litibu about his solar cooking for his community dinner. What a great image of our future.</span></div><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;">Actually, this is the second time Terry has brought solar to the community. Not long ago, Terry was the Executive Director of ICA USA and started a social investment program to fund Kemper’s (Greenrise) own solar system. You invest in the solar system and then from the savings in electricity the Institute would pay you back in cash (50%) and the other half in tax deductions. Absolutely brilliant (somebody told me the real thinker was the late Board member and financier Bob Rafos) but Terry put it into action which was the huge task. Bless him. Solar now covers 25% of our energy use in the Greenrise building.</span></div><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;">I have become fascinate with solar; after Sally and I invested in the ICA solar project, we did a solar system on our church, which helped reduce our energy cost dramatically. We not only did solar on the roof but also community solar where you buy solar panels in a solar field, which puts solar energy in the system to match your energy used. You could argue you were Net Zero. All our energy was renewable energy.</span></div><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;">Bless the Methodist Church: they just committed to be Net Zero by 2050. Our Methodist Conference’s Bishop came out with a Net Zero Task Force that is making solar a huge focus. Reminds me of H. Richard paper on the Church as Social Pioneer. The church is being the church when it is the first to repent for the sins of a society, turns its back on it and leads society in the social act of repentance.</span></div><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;">And then there is the ICA USA Africa Fund which has found an amazing amount of interest in village solar. Zimbabwe has combined solar with their Self Help Groups saving to rotate getting a home solar system. Women groups in Zambia are using solar to keep their chicks warm at night. Ghana has used solar to bring lights to the community. Kenya has just started Self Help Groups to save for family solar kits. Uganda has over 2,000 families in Self Help Groups saving for solar.</span></div><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;">As Richard Kirya reported on Uganda solar work:</span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">“More than 90% of the 230,000 people living in Budaka District of Uganda live without reliable access to electricity. There are reports where young school going children ten to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">fifteen-year-old have been badly burned in kerosene accidents in the countryside and urban slum communities. The families and children rely on kerosene lamps for lighting their homes; these are very smoky and blacken their home and clothes with soot. The school going children rely on kerosene to study, which is dangerous and produces poor-quality lighting. They cannot study longer, and efficiently. Some homes have experienced total burn of their entire homes causing loss of life long achieved properties.”</span></div><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The world is in a precipitance state. As global leaders gathered in Dubai for the United Nations climate talks known as COP28 this month, we must acknowledge that the fossil fuel age is out of gas- that its end is inevitable, we must ramp up renewables and phase out fossil fuels. Our future is helping communities become Climate Change Ready. Not only with solar energy but, most importantly, coming together to build communities moving together… recognizing we do not stand a chance alone. My survival depends on you. Niebuhr saw this tragedy of ‘individual overemphasis’ and not recognizing how ‘self and society are bound together’.</span></div><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><div class="" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Dick Alton, Greenrise Community member, entering 82 and working to be the church. Became religious and a theologian in 1968.</span></div><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><span class="x_gmail_signature_prefix">--<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br class=""><div dir="ltr" class="x_gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="">Richard H. T. Alton</div><div class="">ICA Global Fund</div><div class="">The Last Chapter</div><div class="">Methodist Net Zero</div><div class="">T: 773.344.7172</div><div class=""><a href="mailto:richard.alton@gmail.com" target="_blank" class="">richard.alton@gmail.com</a></div><div class="">Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2<br class=""></div><div class=""><font size="2" class="">Won't you be my neighbor?</font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>++++++++++++++++++++++<br class="">The name of the group, "earthrise," refers to the photo taken on December 24, 1968, showing the Earth rising over the horizon of the moon. The image has become a powerful symbol of mystery, awe, and responsibility. For more information about the grop, contact<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:earthrise.community@gmail.com" class="">earthrise.community@gmail.com</a>.<br class=""><br class=""></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" class="">_______________________________________________</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" class="">Dialogue mailing list</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" class=""><a href="mailto:Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net</a><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" class=""><a href="http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net</a></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></div></body></html>