An 8-week integrative course for social, ecological and spiritual activists
Wednesday 15 October – Wednesday 3 December, 7:00 – 9:00 GMT (London Time)
If you are engaged in any of the above forms of activism, and have had to deal with overwhelm, despair, burnout or a sense of deep frustration at the apparent ineffectiveness of your work, or if you feel drawn to activist work but unable to see how you might be effective in it, then this course is for you.
It is also for you if the present situation in the world, with seemingly unending and escalating ecological, political, social and economic crises, is adversely affecting your wellbeing and you are looking for a different way to relate to the very challenging time we are living through.
Drawing on a range of sources, including Buddhism and other wisdom traditions, trauma theory and Deep Ecology, this course is designed to help you find your own authentic pathway to inner peace, connection and a sense of belonging, and to gain certainty that your actions have real value and can make an enduring contribution to healing our world.
The course comprises eight weekly online sessions, including a variety of exercises and resources to help you integrate and heal painful and disabling responses to the traumatic environment of today, and build a strong foundation for positive, transformative action. Together, we will learn practices that build a sense of safety, mutual trust and connection within the group. In this atmosphere we can reorient our awareness to be able to face the darkness around us with confidence and courage, and connect with a vision of a gentler, saner world.
Such a vision can inspire us to dedicate ourselves to making it a reality. The movements that are rising up across the Earth have now grown to a level where there is real hope that they can bring about the changes that are needed, and, though we are often unable to see it, every one of us has a unique and vitally important contribution to make. Once we embrace this truth, we will discover our true power and brilliance, and be able to actualise that contribution.
However, only by joining hands with others are we able to concretely manifest our dream. The course will support you to locate people with whom we can actually co-create the transformative results you long to see in the world. As Margaret Mead famously said, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world – indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’
The crucial final step is to put a structure of support in place that will continually uphold and deepen that commitment. Alongside a set of takeaway resources aimed at maintaining this continuity, every participant will have the option to be part of an ongoing small group that will support each member to achieve their goals.