Sunny: We will plan to attend this next planning meeting. I shall try to read some of the materials you have listed in advance. We will only be available until 5:00pm because I go On Call at that hour for the night. But I assume we shall be about through by then.

P.S. I sent Bob a note about the $20.00 donation for the website. I'll see him Sunday with the $20.

Thanks for what you are leading us in doing.

Clarence and Shirley

From: "Ellie Stock" <elliestock@aol.com>
To: dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net, oe@lists.wedgeblade.net
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 11:25:34 AM
Subject: [Dialogue] Summary Report: ICA 50th Anniversary Event: Awaken the Dreamer

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 OF 50^TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT IN ST. LOUIS, MO ON MAY 19, 2012

One of the events marking the 50^th anniversary of the Institute of Cultural Affairs took place on Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Ferguson, MO, a first-ring suburb of the City of St. Louis. It was an “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream” symposium, an experience of inspiring 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 of the symposium grew out of the Pachamama Alliance formed ten years ago among indigenous peoples in Ecuador, Latin America and their concerns about what the industrial nations were doing to their land and their way of life. It combines leading edge information, live presentation, excellent video clips, and group interaction. The Ferguson symposium was held from 8:15 to 12:15 p.m. in the parish hall of the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and was hosted by Carleton and Ellie Stock, long-time members of the ICA, living in the community the last 14 years.

There were 27 participants, two hosts, and two facilitators from the Rockhaven Ecozoic Center about an hour from the site. 22 were female, 5 male, ranging in age from late 40’s to 80. Two thirds were from the greater Ferguson area via residency, job or organization. Thirteen were newcomers and unlike the others had not attended any of the monthly environmental video nights leading up to the symposium.

Highlights of the event:

· Good attention, participation, sharing and spirit

· Excellent trained and experienced facilitators from the Pachamama Alliance network

· Tears of pain because of what we are doing to the earth, our mother and tears of joy and hope because of what is already being done by others and can be done by us.

· The weaving together of the personal, the spiritual, and social justice

· Display table with books, videos, local organizations, and ICA video and newsletter

· People were introduced to the world-wide Transition Community movement

· Focused participation in the ICA art form project of writing promises, hopes and vision for the next 50 years on pieces of fabric to be incorporated into one large art form in Chicago.

· Ellie Stock sang a song she had recently written for the occasion, “Let the Earth Breathe”

· Seven signed up for the Ferguson Transition Team, meeting in two weeks to follow up on what all this means for the Ferguson area.

The two biggest challenges coming out of the symposium were the need to recruit more males and more younger participants to the event and figuring out what the agenda for the Ferguson Transition Team will be.

For more information about the symposium contact Ellie and Carleton Stock at carletonstock@aol.com or (314) 941-9378.

LET THE EARTH BREATHE

Let the Earth breathe!

Let its heart beat,

pulsing and firing the fruit of its seed.

Let four winds tease,

air bright and clean.

converging and swirling through life’s mystery.

Let waters wreathe.

Let rivers be,

pristine and free from deep valleys to seas.

Let singing streams

stir slumbering leagues,

awakening the dreamer and changing the dream.

Let mountains rise!

Let forests thrive—

primal communities birthed to survive.

Let kindred be wise,

not compromise

their courage and care for greed’s beckoning lies.

Let oceans race!

Let new waves chase

ancient tides washing ashore cosmic grace.

Let rhythms of peace,

each land embrace,

all creatures together in Earth’s sacred space,

creation now honored in Earth’s sacred space,

all creatures together in Earth’s sacred space.

ejhs

5/12

_______________________________________________
Dialogue mailing list
Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net
http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net