By Mary Lou Brauti-Minkler and John Minkler
Nobel Prize winner Wangari Mathaai said, “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.”
With the critical issues facing our planet and the current political gridlock, it’s vital to find an organization that provides a meaningful context and a way to contribute to solutions. The Fresno Community of the Pachamama Alliance offers a symposium entitled “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream,” on Saturday, June 11. This transformative workshop explores the role people can play in creating a new future. The goal is to educate and inspire engaged leaders who are committed to bringing forth a thriving, just and sustainable world for all.
“Pachamama” is revered as Mother Earth by the indigenous people of the Andes, but the word refers to something more expansive, including the earth, the sky, the universe and all time. The term was chosen by the founders of the Pachamama Alliance—John Perkins and Bill and Lynne Twist—after meeting with elders of the Achuar people, an indigenous tribe who live in the rainforest in Ecuador. In 1995, the Achuar reached out to request allies from North America who would “change the dream of the modern world” by shifting our Western culture’s focus away from consuming and toward honoring and sustaining life.
The Symposium is organized around four key questions, and a new understanding of our interconnectedness on earth.
- Where are we?
- How did we get here?
- What is possible now?
- Where do we go from here?
The animating vision that informs the Alliance’s work is of a world that works for everyone, a world where humanity’s presence is environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just. The Symposium describes exciting movements that are emerging now and inspires participants to consider where we go from here and how to work together to contribute to solutions. Since their inception in 2005, these symposia have involved more than 200,000 participants speaking 13 languages in 79 countries.
In Fresno, the next “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream” symposium will take place on June 11, 8:30-1pm at the Big Red Church, 2131 N. Van Ness Blvd. Fresno. To register, go to http://bit.ly/1RiS3gw (case sensitive)
