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Peace News Summer Camp 2013: Taking a Lead from the Global South, 25-29July, Norfolk

 Here's info about a progressive annual camp organised by our friends at Peace News (Note: It is during Ramadan)....

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PEACE NEWS SUMMER CAMP 2013: TAKING A LEAD FROM THE GLOBAL SOUTH

Thurs 25 July - Mon 29 July 2013, near Diss, Norfolk

Book your tickets online here: http://tinyurl.com/pnsummercamp2013tickets

This year’s camp is organised by activists of colour/people with a global majority heritage. We invite you to join us and others from across the broad spectrum of the peace movement and radical activism for five days of workshops, entertainment and network building!

Taking a Lead From the Global South will be a core strand of the workshop programme, which will include:

- Standing our ground: Peace Communities nonviolently taking back their land in Colombia
- Between NATO, the warlords and the Taliban: Peace activism in Afghanistan
- Finger on the trigger: Western nuclear terrorism since 1945
- Demonising Muslims: Why Islamophobia is more popular than ever
- After Chavez: Social movements in Venezuela
- Turning the world upside down: Global feminisms
- Deschooling society: A Black perspective
- A culture of resistance: The story of Pan-Africanism

ABOUT THE CAMP
When: 25 – 29 July 2013
Where: Near Diss, Norfolk

Peace News Summer Camp is an annual five-day, family-friendly event that attempts to embody many of the characteristics of the future society towards which we’re working – inclusive, democratic, participatory, renewably-powered and environmentally sustainable. It’s an opportunity for a broad spectrum of activists working for radical social change to come together and develop our goals, priorities, knowledge, strategy, skills and networks in support of our different movements, be they anti-capitalist, anti-cuts, anti-racist, anti-war, counter-militarist, disability, environmental, feminist, LGBTQ, or other movements for liberation.

There will be workshops and discussions, practical skills sessions, delicious vegan food, music, film, and participatory entertainment, a bar, a campfire, and activities and facilities for kids and families.

The theme for this year’s camp is TAKING A LEAD FROM THE GLOBAL SOUTH. We’ll be creating opportunities to:

- celebrate what movements in the Global South have contributed to movements in the UK
- discover what movements in the North can learn from those in the Global South
- make global connections between local struggles
- think about what it means to build real solidarity with activists in the Global South

BLACK LEADERSHIP

For this fifth Peace News Summer Camp, for the first time the organising committee are all of global majority heritage. This is an expression of the commitment of Peace News, and of the Summer Camp, to work against racism, and to give an opportunity for new ideas and voices to enter. The new organising collective has added these dimensions to the agenda of the camp:

- celebrating what global majority activists have accomplished in struggles for social change around the world
- helping us better understand and overcome the racism of the societies in which we live
- helping us to understand the connections between racism and other forms of oppression, including those based on disability, class, gender, sexuality and age
- giving us an opportunity to learn more about how racism is affecting our struggles and ourselves and to think about how we can move forward in rooting it out

Peace News Summer Camp is an inclusive event, open to everyone who’s been before, and to everyone else – from all racial and cultural backgrounds – who would like to explore radical ideas and share social change skills.

TICKETS & FOOD

The camp costs £20-£70 depending upon income (for those over 14). Payment can be made by cheque, online or by phone:
- online purchases here [http://peacenews.info/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=6]
- 0207 278 3344 for purchases by phone
- Send cheques (payable to “Peace News” to Peace News, 5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DY), explaining how many tickets you’re purchasing and at which rates

Food (3 meals a day and drinks) will cost £6-£11 a day for over-14s, depending on income, and should be ordered before the camp starts. Individuals meals will be available to buy at the camp. Food tickets will be available from late April. 

Deepening Facilitation: Report Back on 'Facilitating Change' Week in Wales

 

A Photo from a previous visit to a nearby area in Wales

 

We the People, We the material 

It's been about a month since I returned from a challenging, yet exhilarating week in rural Wales. There were about 25 of us - most of us were from the UK, and some from other parts of Europe. When people come together, I am excited about the possibilities that exist, and the extent to which those possibilities are tapped depends, in part, on how the group is facilitated. 

At this gathering, called 'Facilitating Change' we had come to explore deeper, more inclusive ways to facilitate groups. It felt like a landmark event, whose ripples are yet to be widely felt. It was organised by Seeds for Change, Rhizome, and Tripod. 

Everyone participating had some experience in facilitating groups. Some participants also had experience in training others to facilitate. However, perhaps the most profound difference between this gathering and other facilitation training I have been on, was not the level of experience of participants - even though the level here was high - but that at this gathering we focussed almost entirely on the relationships between our selves: WE were the material! - living together, eating together, facilitating together, reflecting on our and each other's patterns, and participating together - for a whole week.

The Magnifying Glass: Mainstream, Margins, and more..

 

A central focus during this rich time we spent together was reflecting on mainstreams and margins within groups, focussing not on groups out there, but on our group that had gathered for the week. What are the mainstream values, attitudes and behaviours, for example, in our group? And which values, attitudes, and behaviours are being marginalised... perhaps unconsciously? 

Related to this, we explored rank, power and privilege, developing awareness of our own rank in the group, how we used our power, or allowed others to step into theirs. I am speaking here from my own understanding.

There was no set formula, and a range of approaches were used to experientially explore the concepts: from 'Process Work', to 'Forum theatre', to Joanna Macy's 'The Work that Reconnects', to the various methods more commonly used in the tool-kit of grassroot facilitators, whether small group work, paired work or exercises within the larger group. Some sessions hit the mark more than others. But each offered much learning. The variety made it both interesting, and for me, very effective.

  

Participants become the facilitators
 

The sessions on the first day-and-a-half were facilitated by the organisers. Thereafter, much of the facilitation was passed to us, the participants, and we would facilitate in pairs. After the previous session had ended, there would be space for some feedback to the pair who had facilitated it. The group as a whole would then consider where we are at now: "What is the diagnosis?", What is emerging right now? And what is being silenced? 

These kinds of questions would help inform us, and in particular the next pair, stimulating us to reflect on what approaches and exercises might further the group now. The next pair were chosen by picking two names from an envelope - this was a time when I think we all felt quite anxious - in particular because the pair would then have just half an hour, or so, to prepare their session!

Diving Deeper into the Process

Whether you were facilitating, or participating, the week was challenging! The process was 'alive' throughout - our attention was frequently directed towards considering where the group was at in any given time, and what was needed to take the group (i.e us!) further. 

Conflict was drawn out. Not all significant conflict. Differences were acknowledged. Not all significant differences either - we were far from 100% successful  - but the important thing for me was that it became more ok to express within the group things that would usually be more difficult - not that it became easy either! 

One helpful approach used at least a couple of times after something especially difficult had happened, was some kind of re-enactment - a few people playing different roles, helping to bring up different themes or emotions that had been acutely felt, even if not expressed. This often carried with it a quality of humour, which softened the tension, and made communication easier. It was wonderful to witness this, and for me, this helped to bridge differences and draw me closer to other participants. 


The week also created a context that supported greater awareness of my own pain and patterns, helped strip away some of my social mask - and related to that - deepened my relationship with others. Out of this experience, I am more aware how easy it can be for action groups to just travel on the surface, going through the motions. I want to dive deeper. I want to glide underwater, into the unknown, and experience the depths, the richness that is there. And I want to support others to be able to do the same.

While there was plenty of time spent in the company of one another, whether during formal sessions or during the evening, I felt it important to have some time alone. My spiritual practises that I immersed myself into several times a day were really helpful to me, helping to reduce some of the mental noise and process some of the emotions that were arising. 

I also felt that a few more exercises of a meditative or contemplative nature within the formal workshops would have been really helpful. There were certainly strong emotions that arose for many of us, and practises that expanded the 'inner container' that held 'emotional content' would, I think, have really helped our individual and collective processing of that content.

The Question of Resistance

So, was nobody in the group resisting the process? The answer is that there was plenty of resistance. Particularly at the beginning. We were being pushed to go deeper, to be real, to stop being polite that would otherwise hold us back from talking about the difficult stuff. This resistance tried to defend its ground, but eventually - after some pain - things began to open up.   

There were also the later stages of the week. In retrospect, I sense that I became a little complacent during these even though I never stopped journeying. However, I have wondered if I could have voiced a little more that I was feeling within, during the later stages, and which might thus add fuel for more growth. Or maybe I intuitively felt there was enough already being processed: too much fuel can also smother a fire. I'll be reflecting more on this.

Some Personal Insights

Some personal insights that became more real for me during the week were as follows:

-Within a groups, it can be fine to ditch the agenda (or to be prepared to).
-The fastest journey is not necessarily the seemingly shortest route.
-Emotions hold wisdom, and wisdom informs.

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For anyone who is interested, below is some of the pre-gathering reading that went round.... 

 

"We wanted to give you a bit of background, to give you a an idea where this project has come from and to help you get into a state of mind which will help us have a productive week together. Hopefully you'll get a wee bit of time away from your busy lives, while travelling if not before, to reflect on why you were attracted to come to this event, your hopes and expectations…

This was a project that was dreamed up a few years ago that we've been working hard on ever since. It came out of noticing that despite the great increase in the use of facilitation in the grassroots social change and campaigning scenes in the UK, in part through the Training for Action trainings in advance of the Scottish G8 and through the Camp for Climate Action, we still participate in some really bad meetings! So despite this increased capacity, both of facilitators formal and informal, and of general meeting skills, what happened? Why are meetings sometimes drawn out and overly painful? How come facilitators from time to time fail to support fairness and creativity in our processes?

Well, this set us thinking (when we say us, we mean a loose set of experienced activist-facilitators from different places). Was the problem that we'd focussed too much on certain skills without allowing our intuition to develop? Are there secrets out there in different cultures and approaches that we've 'missed? What are the attitudes or understandings that are lacking, or is it something else? What is the place of values in all this? Are there values behind good facilitation? Is good facilitation about helping a group uncover their values and work to them?

We're sure you've got more questions too, and some answers. And it's in this spirit that we're all getting together. It is not just about learning new tools and exercises, though I'm sure we'll all learn some along the way, maybe even develop new ones. Its about working out how we can develop the state of mind and express the values that underpin our practice as intuitive facilitators. It's a chance for all the great people who are taking part to bang our heads together, to think, to dream, to feel, and to see what we come up with and where we get to; and wherever we do get to, it'll be a start. Hopefully together we will advance how grassroots facilitation is practiced, for ourselves, for other facilitators, and for all we work with."

Ameen,

Love, Muzammal
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WIN's workshops: click here

Islamic Group: Away from GM Crops - Towards Holistic Approaches Aligned with Core Islamic Principles

 WIN's Position on GM Food 

Away from GM Crops -
Towards holistic approaches aligned with core Islamic Principles 

  

"At WIN, through our research, discussions and reflections, we believe that the release of GM organisms into the wider ecology should, from an Islamic perspective, be opposed.

 

Furthermore, we believe that there are approaches - such as permaculture, organic farming and agroforestry - that have fewer risks, are based on a greater recognition of the interconnectedness of life, and which instead of undermining relationships, draw on principles that nurture them. They thus are more in alignment with core principles from the spiritual traditions including Islam. 

We ask Muslim communities around the world to wake up to the fact that industrial farming practices, of which GM is a part, do not fit with core Islamic values. In the same light, we cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that GM crops are fed to animals destined for halal slaughter. 

If the 'halal' stamp is incapable of defining what is Islamic, we must move beyond the false comfort zone the term 'halal' has provided, for it is now beyond any doubt that a more authentic 'Islam' needs to emerge, one that is alive to the challenges of our time, yet remains in union with the spirit of this beautiful tradition.

Also, we believe that as we move away from large scale industrial farming towards smaller scale decentralised food production, this would not only be more compatible with a sustainable, life supporting future, but would also lead to greater empowerment. Such a move will also draw people, land, livelihood and traditional local knowledge together, enriching biodiversity and nurturing community.

Witnessing the small, but growing numbers of Muslims working at the grassroots with fellow citizens of the world to create a new, more wholesome paradigm gives us much hope.

We have produced the GM section on our website in a style that we hope is readable, while outlining key background information to help readers appreciate the reasoning and principles leading us to take the clear position we have.

We received no funding for this project, and the production of this part of the website was completed entirely through voluntary efforts.

Wisdom In Nature is open to collaboration and partnerships with like-minded people, networks and organisations. Applications for volunteering are also welcome. Please get in touch!"

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Visit the
GM & Islam section on
Wisdom In Nature's website>> 

 Click here

"If People Are Unable to Imagine a Positive Future, They Won’t Create It": Emergence Summit: Sept 2012

"And hold fast, all together, unto the bond with God.." [Qur'an 3:103] 

Whatever changes are taking place in the world, the universal heart will be forever present. Can we tune in, to its beat? For its beat is the source of navigation as we traverse waters whether turbulent or still.

Thanks to working within lovely WIN, I have been invited and agreed to participate in what sounds like a kind of ecopilgrimage(!) through Wales this Sept (2012): camping, trekking along lesser travelled routes (partly in silence), and creating with activists, visionaries and artists who recognise that with climate change, peak oil, economic collapse and so on.. humanity has taken a wrong turn. 

 We intend to imagine together the future we do want. The Summit will culminate at the Centre for Alternative Technology for a weekend conference.

More about the Emergence Summit is here: http://www.emergence-uk.org/

Below is a six minute video about the idea and how it evolved.

I've been told that the summit will be filmed and daily highlights will be uploaded. It will be possible to follow the Summit on twitter and facebook. The Emergence website should have more info (soon!).

I am also happy to be contacted to speak to groups about the experience. I can be contacted through WIN.

Beyond Expectation: Participating in a Radical Food Movement Event (Food Sovereignty)

Greater than Expectations

This was not my first event on food justice - I had been to dozens. Yet, this one Sunday in July, coming out of Chingford station, walking through woodland that happened to be slippery, slopey and still, I weaved my way to Organiclea, a workers food growing cooperative on the edge of London, to attend a food justice event that went far beyond expectation. Organised by the food sovereignty movement, the gathering exuded warmth, embraced a participative ethos that helped draw out inspiration and wisdom, and produced many moments of humour - it felt a bit like coming 'home'. 

The event was attended by around 100 people - drawing fresh-faced participants, with gentle natures, and who seemed to have vision along with a maturity that enabled them to be good listeners. Whether I expected it, or not (as was the case!), this was a special gathering.


Introducing Food Sovereignty..

Image via: www.theprisma.co.uk

The aim of this event was to further develop the Food Sovereignty Movement - For those who are new to the term (and I too am learning), "food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems". The movement emerged through mobilisations of small-scale farmers around the world and its ethos can be captured in six pillars: It..

• focuses on food for people
• values food providers
• localises food systems
• puts control locally
• builds knowledge and skills
• & works with nature

(Conveniently(!), these pillars have a strong resonance with several of WIN's s core strands: in particular with earth & community, a deep democracy, climate justice, and engaged surrender.)

Beyond theory: Embodying the pillars

Although the above pillars theoretically articulate a set of principles, it was uplifting to experientially know that this event was an embodiment of them. Much of the delicious food we were served was produced locally and in season, there were plenty of opportunities to share ideas and knowledge, the event was facilitated with awareness and humour, and we were in a food growing project managed through cooperative principles.    


Ideas from small groups

To give an example of one of the sessions on the first day,through sub groups we considered, 'What needed to change?'

After a storming of ideas, a range of discussion and a gathering of the threads that were emerging, our group of around six came up with three key strands: as to 'what needs to change':
1) TIME: the fact that the dominant economic system has a monopoly on people's time;
2)  LAND: The dominant structures restrict (through costs and policies) peoples access to land - in our small group discussion, we also touched on the fact that so much of income can go into paying for a roof over our heads (which feeds into point 1); and
3) VISION: We need more people to have the vision to create an alternative reality: more sharing of skills, knowledge and stories.

This was a two day event and due to pre-existing commitments I attended the first day only - on the second, there were sessions on co-developing actions and strategies.



Leaving Affected..

Through the day, I met some people whom I already knew - people from Brighton, from Earth Activist Training & permaculture, and anti-GM Food campaigning; I heard stories of how people had left the usual 9-5 treadmill, had lessened their expenditures (I spoke with two people who lived on a boat and one in a truck), and had stepped into a place of greater freedom and possibility; I felt affected by the presence of such wonderful people; I prayed zuhr (Islamic midday body-prayer) in a massive greenhouse between rows of edibles, and I left feeling exhilarated, inspired, and looking forward to sharing my experience with and beyond WIN, and excited as to what comes next for myself and grassroots activism, as the juice of this movement expands and spills into the wider consciousness and strands of activism in the UK, Europe and the world.

© Muzammal Hussain

Occupy Faith: Pilgrimage for Justice: Thursday 7th June over 2 weeks

"This summer, a group of concerned citizens from all walks of life will come together to recreate a modern version of an ancient journey in the hope of building a more equitable future.

A two week long walk from London to Canterbury will culminate in a conference on social, economic and environmental justice.

Events held along the route will explore how local communities, faith communities, cooperatives, social organisations and individuals can identify common concerns and work together, reinventing the idea of civil society – the commons – as a potent force for social change.

The Pilgrimage for Justice will be a highly visible statement of people’s determination to see a better, fairer society – and it will also provide a focus for exploring what that kind of society might look like, and the policy changes to propose for getting there."

For more info (including route): visit the Occupy Faith website

WIN at Alternative Rio - London Sun June 17th 2012

"We will not achieve environmental justice without a fundamental shift in values”

-Values Session at Alternative Conference for Rio Summit

Date: Sunday June 17th 2012
Time:  2:30 - 3:45 PM Venue:  Institute of Education, Thornhaugh Street of Russell Square (Russell Square Tube) 

Speakers:    Muzammal Hussain, Wisdom in Nature

                  Tony Emerson, Christian Ecology Link 

                  Richard Hawkins, Public Interest Research Centre 

                  

                  

For more info about the conference (and to register a place), visit http://www.campaigncc.org/altsummit

Early confirmed speakers for the conference as a whole include:

 

John McDonnell MP (Labour), Jean Lambert MEP (Green Party), Deborah Doane (World Development Movement),  Jeremy Leggett (Solar Century), Jenny Jones(Green AM & Mayoral candidate), Aniol Esteban (New Economics Foundation), Derek Wall (Green Party/Green Left),  John Stewart (chair Airport Watch, HACAN etc)Stephen Tindale (ex-Director, Greenpeace), Oliver Tickell (author Kyoto 2), Mayer Hillman, Mel Evans (Platform), Prof Peter Mollinga (SOAS), Hannah Smith (COIN &Refugee & Migrant Climate Forum), Keith Taylor MEP (Green Party), Deepak Rughani (Biofuelwatch), Murad Qureshi (GLA & Bangladeshi community), John Lanchberry (RSPB), Rich Hawkins (PIRC), David Powell (Economics Campaigne,Friends of the Earth), George Barda (Occupy LSX), Centre for Alternative Technology, Action Aid, Native Spirit Foundation, UK Tar Sands Network,  David Wasdell (Meridian Project), Andrew Lockley & Tim Kruger (on geoengineering), John Maclaverty (GROW Campaign, Oxfam), Suzanne Jeffrey (CCC Trade Union Group), Debi Wagner (US Citizens Aviation Watch via skype), Chris Baugh (assistant General Sec Public  & Commercial Services Union), Peter Challenor  (National Oceanography Centre), Danny Chivers, Chris Church (Low Carbon Communites), Speaker from the Eradicating Ecocide Campaign, Gerry Wolfe (TREC-power from the deserts), Muzammal Hussain (Wisdom in Nature), Susan Roaf & Fergus Nichol (on built environment), Terry Reintke (co-spokesperson FYEG- Federation Young Euro- Greens), Melanie Strickland (Wild Law, Occupy), Ian Mason (Wild Law), Daniel Scharfe (Greenspeed), Tony Emerson, Christian Ecology Link, Emma Biermann (350.org), Neva Frecheville (WWF), Dan Plesch (Director, Department of International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS), Harald Heubaum (CISD, CEPES, SOAS)… and many more invited.

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Mass action against GM - Sunday, May 27th 2012 (Hertfordshire)

A form of GM wheat engineered to repel aphids has been planted in an open-air field in Hertfordshire, UK.  The institute responsible for this is a publicly funded agricultural research institute.  Unfortunately, growing GM crops in the open means there are many risks, and contamination of the wider ecology is inevitable.    

A grassroots movement called Take the Flour Back is organizing an action on Sunday, May 27th 2012 to remove the crops if the institute has not already done so - thereby removing the potential harmful impact of growing these crops in the open.   People are invited to participate in the decontamination or show their support for the action.   

Given the extensive work that WIN reps have engaged in with regard to food and GM over the years, and the implication of growing GM crops in the open, WIN would like to draw attention to this action.    

Learn more about the action here: http://taketheflourback.org/

Volunteer Opportunies with WIN! Get Your Application in by Mon 20th Feb!

Mon 20th Feb is the date to get your application form to us for a volunteer position within the Wisdom In Nature team.

We are actively inviting applications from anyone in the London or Brighton region to volunteer with us. Together, we will cultivate an ecological consciousness in our communities through captivating activities and events.

Specific  initiatives successful applicants will develop might include one or more of the following: - Event organising

- Workshop facilitation

- Food growing/Land-based practicals

- Social media & Blogging

...and whatever else emerges from the experience, creativity and passion of the growing team.

Read more / Download Application form>>>

 

Listen to Speaker Audios from WIN Public Meeting

A big thank you to everyone who helped at or attended the public meeting, 'Engaged Islam ~ Contemplative Action In Our Changing Times', in London over a week ago. We experienced stimulating talks and discussions, good wholesome food, and lovely people! Audios of the talks have been uploaded onto the WIN website, so those who were not able to be present on the day can still enjoy...

Listen to audios

• All Audios 
• Derek Wall  (Green activist, writer and economist)
• Shumaisa Khan (Food & Ecological Justice Researcher & WIN activist)
• Muzammal Hussain  (WIN activist)

Public Meeting (Sat 21st Jan: London): Engaged Islam ~ Contemplative Action In Our Changing Times

© Wisdom In Nature

Date: Sat 21st January 2012

Time: 3.15pm to 5.30pm
Venue: 4th Floor, Muslim World League, 46 Goodge Street, London, W1T 4LU (entrance on the corner of Charlotte Street); Nearest Tubes: Goodge Street (Northern Line), Euston Square (Hammersmith & City, Circle & Metropolitan Lines) & Warren Street (Victoria Line).
Streetmap: Click here


Speakers:
Dr Shumaisa Khan, (Food & Ecological Justice Researcher & WIN activist)

Dr Muzammal Hussain, (WIN activist)

Dr Derek Wall, (Green activist, writer and economics)

Photo from Occupy LSX (CC BY-NC-ND)

On the one hand we have corporate domination, economic marginalisation and climate change; on the other, we have spontaneous movements such as 'Occupy', community food growing/permaculture, consensus-decision-making, and a thirst for alternative currencies and economics. In the context of bottom-up, 'non-hierarchical' movements for social change, this public meeting will consider, 'what contribution can be made by Islam and Muslims?' It will include short talks from our speakers, a chance for participants to share their own reflections and experience, and time to hear about volunteering and networking with like minded people in the context of an engaged Islam for our times. 

Snacks will be available. This is a free event, with optional donations. 

Speaker Bios:


Shumaisa Khan is a Representative for Wisdom in Nature (WIN), a process-oriented ecological and social activism group that draws on Islamic principles. She is about to begin a research fellowship at the University of Surrey, having recently completed her doctoral degree from the University of Michigan in environment and natural resources with a concentration in environmental justice. Shumaisa has also worked as a freelance reporter/producer, covering health and human rights issues for WBAI-Peace and Justice Community Radio Station in New York City. Both as an activist and a scholar, she is particularly interested in ways of bringing diverse groups together to work toward greater sustainability and social justice.


Muzammal Hussain is the founder of 'Wisdom In Nature' and has delivered workshops and talks on Islam and ecological activism both in the UK and abroad. He is passionate about engaged spirituality, social organising, and creating meaningful relationships between diverse communities. In the past, he has been a volunteer for the World Development Movement (WDM) Brighton group, and he has also completed a full Permaculture Design Course as part of Earth Activist Training (EAT) in an eco-community in Devon. Muzammal is also a medical doctor, has a background in mind-body healing, and an MA in Environment, Development and Policy, writing his final dissertation on 'Islam and climate change'.


Derek Wall is an economics lecturer and writer. He lives in Berkshire and has three sons. He has been a member of the Green Party since 1980. He was Green Party Principal Speaker from 2006 to 2007. Derek is a founder of the Ecosocialist International and Green Left. He has written a number of books on green politics including the No Nonsense Guide to Green Politics. He works closely with Hugo Blanco the Peruvian green activist who publishes Luca Indigena (Indigenous fight). Derek is currently researching a book on the environmental history of the commons and is a parish councillor in North Ascot.

About WIN: Wisdom In Nature was established in 2004 and is a pioneer of local Islamic ecological activism in the UK . Our original name was the London Islamic Network for the Environment (LINE). We are committed to the transformation of society to live justly in harmony with the diverse natural world, of which we are a part, thus honouring the principle of Oneness (Tawhid).

        Our approach is both practical and contemplative. We use bottom-up processes and consensus-decision-making for much of our work, finding ways of equalising power and ensuring our processes and actions are owned by those directly involved. This deeper democratic approach reflects our commitment to mirroring the world we wish to live in, whilst being established in core Islamic principles. This is also supported by mindfulness of our sources of funding: our day-to-day work being financed by donations from individuals, helping us to be independent of corporate interest and government influence. WIN has a presence in both London & Brighton.

Find out about volunteering for WIN: http://www.wisdominnature.org.uk/Action/volunteer.htm

Website: www.wisdominnature.org.uk
Facebook Event: Click here

Tel. 0845 456 3960 (local rate)

Seeking Volunteers: Become a 'Wisdom In Nature' Community Activist!

© Wisdom In Nature

Deadline: Monday 20th February 2012;
Start date: Flexible/by early spring 2012. 

Want to be part of an action network based on Islamic principles? 

Wisdom In Nature (WIN) is a pioneer of local Islamic ecological activism in the UK, and is actively inviting applications from anyone in the London or Brighton region to volunteer within our team. Together, we will cultivate an ecological consciousness in our communities through captivating activities and events. 

Specific  initiatives successful applicants will develop might include one or more of the following: Event organising; Workshop facilitation; Food growing/Land-based practicals; Social media & Blogging; and whatever else emerges from the experience, creativity and passion of the growing team.

To find out more, and/or to apply, click here

ABOUT WISDOM IN NATURE

Wisdom In Nature was established in 2004 and is a pioneer of local Islamic ecological activism in the UK . Our original name was the London Islamic Network for the Environment (LINE). We are committed to the transformation of society to live justly in harmony with the diverse natural world, of which we are a part, thus honouring the principle of Oneness (Tawhid). 

Our approach is both practical and contemplative. We use bottom-up processes and consensus-decision-making for much of our work, finding ways of equalising power and ensuring our processes and actions are owned by those directly involved. This deeper democratic approach reflects our commitment to mirroring the world we wish to live in, whilst being established in core Islamic principles. This is also supported by mindfulness of our sources of funding: our day-to-day work being financed by donations from individuals, helping us to be independent of corporate interest and government influence. WIN has a presence in both London & Brighton. 

Website: www.wisdominnature.org.uk
Tel. 0845 456 3960 (local rate)

 

Concept Underpinning Four Strands: 'Engaged Surrender'

WIN's four core strands are underpinned by the concept of Engaged Surrender: a nonviolent, process-oriented activism, expressed through a contemplative dimension within the framework of Islam (Surrender to the Divine).

Surrender to the Divine

Islam is essentially surrender of the individual self to the Divine. Related to this is that pure, natural state in which all human beings have been created - the state of fitrah. Conditioning can pull us away from this natural state. Re-establishing ourselves in the fitrah requires conscious work. Engaging outwardly from this state is what this concept, Engaged Surrender refers to, which we have defined in a way that we have considered to be appropriate to our context.

Mirroring the World We Want

Wisdom In Nature is a 'process-oriented' group. The idea is simple. We believe that how we do things is as important as what we want. Indeed our intention is to mirror the world we want in the way, in 'how' we do things. if we want a peaceful world, we must resolve inner conflicts and discover the peace in ourselves. If we want a just world, we must learn to live justly. 

"If you want democracy, you must demonstrate its principles."
Aung San Suu Kyi

Some related aspects worth mentioning here are as follows:

At WIN we draw on a deep democratic approach within our own work...

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Update & WIN's 4 Core Strands coming up...

The last few months for WIN has been a time of reflection, processing, and considering next steps - within the changing landscape of activism, electronic media, and our local and global communities. The question has also been asked what extent is WIN still needed. Confusion has been present, and we have allowed it to be - allowing we pray for an authentic clarity to emerge - and which thanks to a Higher reality, seems to now be happening.

Also during this time, there have been various conversations taking place between WIN Reps and colleagues in other networks. The emerging Occupy movement has also had an invigorating effect, re-affirming to us the universal value of a process-oriented approach, something we have worked with and been delighted in staying with at a practical hands-on level (yet within a contemplative framework), for considerable time. It is clear that there is an emerging activism, which an organisation such as WIN - that has a policy of not accepting donations from corporations or government, and that knits issues together (we have often been hard to classify by those who like the word 'environmental'!), values 'process' and a bottom up democracy - shares something fundamental with. Recently, we announced our statement of official support for this emerging movement.

We've also been contemplating how to articulate a clearer framework for what WIN represents. Internally, we've cultivated a clear ethos - (important in an age in which principles can become diluted over time). Yet, there was a sense that more still needed to be done, including externally.

On the one hand it is possible to be too open yet lacking in focus; and on the other hand, it is possible to be too focussed to the point of being reductionist. We are beginning to find what seems like a healthy balance between focus and openness - and this has been supported by the moving 'away from' / moving 'towards' strands of Fast for the Planet, which we initiated a few years ago. We are adapting it to a form more specific for WIN's direction in today's world, also with an additional explicit statement pointing to an underpinning Islamic reference point. We'll be sharing the provisional version of this framework soon (and comments will be welcome), but to get a flavour, (and this is already on our main website) it outlines very simply: Earth & Community, Deep Democracy, Whole Economics, and Climate Justice.

Coupled with the above, in the near future, we intend to also put out a more formal process for volunteering within WIN - a clear notice, and an application form for those interested. We hope this will help draw more coherent and consistent energy to WIN's developing activities (although it will need time-input to coordinate).

WIN Announces Support to 'Occupy' Movement

As a group grounded in the unifying principles of Islam, Wisdom In Nature supports the intention underpinning Occupy London, Brighton and other Occupy spaces around the world – economic justice, participative democracy, and the means being as important as the end - principles that we hold dear. We stand alongside sincere people of all faiths and those of no faith who share these universal values.

The dominant economic system based on fictitious money and compound interest is a system that is broken and does not serve us or our planet. Rather than a system that concentrates power among the few, we need one that is fair.

We value the energy of people coming together to listen to each other as a means of drawing out consensus and attempting to actualise a more equal and just world for all - a world in which the welfare of our diverse communities and the planet supersedes self-interest and materialism.

Wisdom In Nature: www.wisdominnature.org.uk

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