Empowering Communities: The Possibility of Decision Making as a Spiritual Experience

Consensus-decision-making is a process, which through experience, I have developed much faith in.  It's a level of faith which not everyone carries, and indeed some people carry a degree of scepticism, while a few demonstrate a clear aversion to it! The latter, I have found is often due to a misunderstanding about what consensus is (not everything named 'consensus' is 'consensus'!) coupled with an aversion to trying it out with the necessary commitment. 
 

A workshop I delivered a few days ago on consensus-decision-making at a monthly meeting of the Soteria network Brighton group - a group that I am a part of -  was attended by a range of people that held a variety of opinions about the extent to which consensus can work. Comments at the start revealed this, for instance, something like, "I expect it takes a painfully long time", to "dictatorship is best" to " I think it can have something positive to offer". 

My challenge on this occasion was in a number of ways an uphill one. It seemed that nobody in the group of about fifteen had been through a formal consensus process before - and although I had managed to secure an-hour-and-a-half for the workshop, a realistic time-frame in which to take a group through consensus, is at least half a day. 

My co-facilitator for the first part of the workshop, which consisted of an ultra-fast outline of what consensus is, was fellow Soteria member, Yasmin, who I had taken through a more detailed exploration a week earlier. For the latter four-fifths, I was on my own.

After consensus was introduced by the two of us, I facilitated the group through an experience of the consensus process, with the aim of answering a purposeful question - an exercise in its own right - which the group was to make a decision on. The process went smoothly at times and was a struggle at other times - as would be expected particularly given that it was a first for the group - but the result was in some ways better than expected given the challenges.  

The group came close to reaching consensus - we nailed it down to several statements which would have needed time to prioritise and make minor amendments to. Consensus would have been the next natural step. The result from this angle, was a positive one (although at the time I was a little disappointed we didn't quite get there). 

Although, almost all of the group had also given the process a good shot and no doubt gained something from it, whether they use consensus decision making or not will be a choice the group will soon make for itself. Either way, elements of the exercise point to underlying principles and attitudes that can be used to help equalise power and draw out deeper wisdom in a group, even if the formal process is not taken up.

For myself, with time to reflect, I have pinpointed potential ways of improving the workshop. Allowing more spaciousness and time to explore the issues along with a couple more breaks; A co-facilitator (for a group this size, it's a task to capture all ideas onto a flip chart and being present at the same time); Some small group work; And perhaps inviting those who felt they could commit to the process to attempt the exercise, with others quietly observing, on this first occasion, as a way of gently breaking the ice. 

Consensus does take time. It requires of us patience (sabr) and a commitment to the process. "As along as it takes" was a refreshing comment I heard in a subgroup at Occupy LSX. My own experience is that, when combined with a quality of spaciousness and trust, even though consensus is not for all decisions, it is nonetheless a process that can empower a group beyond any other decision making process I have come across. Indeed, the experience can, I believe, be a spiritual one, as we move out of "I"-ness into something more whole.

In the Islamic tradition, decision making through mutual consultation is given its due importance:

"Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord; who shun great sins and gross indecencies…..; conduct their affairs by mutual consultation…" (Qur' an: 42:19)

Within many communities, including Muslim ones, there is effort to be made in developing our capacities to engage more fully, more compassionately, in deciding on things that affect us, together - letting go of the "I", and building real communities. I too have a need to nurture this capacity within myself. I am also aware and grateful, that in our present day context, there are movements and people I can learn from. Indeed we have one another, and within a reality of a Higher Presence. In our present day context thus, whilst we might sense dis-ease, we may through contemplative engagement also discover the remedy. 

© Muzammal Hussain

WIN's Second Core Strand: 'Deep Democracy'

The Deep Democracy strand comprises an intention to move:
Away from concentration of power amongst the rich and privileged;
towards more equalisation of power that honours diversity, draws out consensus and empowers all.

Democracy: Beyond the Superficial

Deep democracy aims to draw out the diverse voices and tap into the wisdom each brings. The protests of various social movements around the world are indicative of the failure of  superficial forms of democracy; the phrase “we are the 99 percent” is a voice representing the masses of people whose lives are exploited at the hands of the 1 percent.   

The concentration of power in the hands of a few leads to marginalization of voices that undermines the wholeness of individuals, communities, and ultimately, our world. Greater wisdom emerges when people actively listen to each other.   Putting the time into processes conducive to deeper dialogue often also saves time in the long run that may otherwise have to be spent on resolving conflicts and undoing damage to people and ecosystems.    

Can Process be Sacred?  

The Qur' an states:

"Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord; who shun great sins and gross indecencies…..; conduct their affairs by mutual consultation…" (Qur' an: 42:19)

Read full piece>>

Strength in Diversity

At Wisdom In Nature, we have found that it is only when the walls that separate us can be softened, is it possible to begin real dialogue. This process of softening has the potential to be taken even further, reaching a place from where it can become easier to look at the world from another's viewpoint. When this process deepens within our group's meetings, a 'group mind', begins to form. Our personal awareness moves into something much bigger, something more open. The experience is not imaginary, but is palpable. One newcomer attending one of our review meetings described his experience, that the process "seems to have a mind of its own" - elaborating to mean that the answers naturally arrive. 

Contributions emerging from this place bring with them a quality of inclusivity and carry a deeper truth; and through meetings we can feel energised rather than depleted! We begin to value one another as our collective wisdom is enriched by the presence of each person.  Diversity becomes a strength that we naturally welcome.

In terms of specifics, at WIN, we use basic ground rules, or a group agreement, that welcomes deep listening and a diversity of viewpoints as a start. In addition we include a variety of ways to support this further. For example, after we have settled a little, we join together for a couple of minutes silence - as a means of letting go of some of the mental baggage we have each brought in! At key meetings we can also bring in active exercises. These can be as simple as asking a question or two, "What are the qualities that bring us to the group?", or "How do we see the state of the world?”, to give a couple of examples. By opening this up to allow for all ideas including seemingly conflicting ones, and ensuring each is acknowledged and noted e.g. visibly on a flip chart, it makes it easier for each person to step into other shoes. The process of developing a group mind is under way.

Whilst we aim to be conscious of issues around rank, power and privilege, we have found that the cultivation of a group mind brings with it somewhat of a natural antidote to such inequalities. In our experience, it is not uncommon, for example, for an individual with considerable 'religious' knowledge to hold more power in the group. Yet, when a group mind begins to form, trust and humility begin to manifest, allowing power to become more equalised and those that feel marginalised to feel more included.

Nonetheless, we still place value on and consider ways of actively reflecting on the rank and privileges that we hold. For example, we will take turns at facilitating meetings. Also, as part of our 'Islamic Community Food Project' in Tower Hamlets, in which we attempted to integrate social organising with connecting to the land, we used an exercise that involved throwing the following statement to the group: "It is selfish for the middle class to think about the food they eat when millions of people are starving".

Participants were then asked to position themselves in the room according to how much or how little they believed the statement to be true. The different voices were then drawn out and participants were also free to move should their perspective shift. I must confess that although we are keen to draw more people from less privileged background into WIN, we have not had as much success as we would have liked. However, in small ways we experience some fruits of our work in the area of rank and privilege. One example follows from the exercise just described. As one participant wrote on a blog post:

"We had workshops – wonderful, free, organic workshops – in the afternoon which challenged our perceptions and called for us to really look at how responsible we were when it came to food. I realised that my middle classed upbringing and lifestyle gave me the freedom to make choices – to be fair-trade; organic etc. Yet, I still was unable to really take action. Since then I have ventured baby steps into home gardening. My balcony now supports coriander; chives; and basil. I look at them tenderly and consistently, like an overzealous new mother, hoping that they might survive the spring chill and that my sabr (patience) and taqwa (God Consciousness) will generate nourishment: physical and, spiritual."

An edited version of this article appeared in a booklet produced by The Transition Network titled:

7 Ingredients for a Just, Fair and Inclusive Transition  (the article is on page 12) 

Gathering Momentum with the ICFP...

Our next gathering of the Islamic Community Food Project (i.e. ICFP!) is due on May 8th. So, let's take a look at of some of the ideas that are brewing..!

Firstly, we've been brainstorming ways of keeping the creativity and energy going between the gatherings at Spitalfields. We went through a facilitated exercise a couple of weeks ago and captured ideas that were shared on this very topic. See flip chart, below. To enlarge, simply click on the photo...



We'll develop this further and have already started to act on it as a team.


Participants in the project are also excited about jointly organising a potential action in July, in the form of a stimulating, fun, open event on the theme of the project. At the May gathering we will carry this forward and ask ourselves, what would we like to see at this July event? And what can we each offer?

The outline so far centres on: a campfire, picnic, workshops, talks. These, and other ideas raised, were caught on this next flip chart:


So, the next step will be the next gathering, where we will share more ideas, get organised and make the imagined real! The date for this is Sunday 8th May 2011, and it will be at Spitalfields City farm. We'll be putting a post up about this very soon. Stay tuned, and come join in if you want to be part of this movement for organised social change...!

An Islamic Ecological Activism: Uniting the Strands

Inter-connectedness

A core quality of an authentic spiritual tradition is that it offers practices and guidance for its followers that can reveal holistic solutions to the challenges of the time. I believe that this is true of Islam, yet I also believe that there is much work to be done to uncover the essence of the tradition, such that will allow its beauty and relevance to be known in the challenging times we find ourselves in.

In my own life, I find myself in a process of re-evaluating and gathering the different strands that represent my own core values and the different facets of my existence. Whilst one of these strands is the spiritual, however hard I look I can find no separation between this and other strands that represent me - my relationships with others, my means of gaining income, the passions to which I give my time, and so on. Neither can I separate these aspects of me from the wider community and political landscape. Life is just too interconnected.

This process of gathering is also reflected in my journey of initiating and co-participating within the UK’s first local Islamic ecological activist group.

Whilst my journey into initiating Wisdom In Nature arose in part out of my noticing the need for more ‘environmental’ awareness, more fundamentally it emerged out of sensing more intimately that we live in an inter-connected world - that humanity is not separate from nature, but is a part of it. My increasing appreciation of the latter has strong resonance with my deepening appreciation of the Islamic concept of tawhid, of Oneness or Unity. Ultimately everything arises from a single source, and to attempt to engage in life’s challenges by compartmentalising them - albeit convenient and with some limited use - cannot lead to real, long-term solutions and would go against the true nature of things.

This interconnectedness is increasingly self-evident in a world in which communication can travel wide and far so rapidly, and in which we have developed powerful, albeit questionable, technologies, both at the macro and the micro level, which very quickly can have profound far-reaching consequences - from the genetic modification (GM) of food, to advertising and nuclear technologies for instance. Thus, any awareness that inter-connectedness is a fundamental truth of existence is being amplified by the state of the world today.

To me, ecological activism - which is the activism that I strive to participate in - is activism that is guided by an awareness of this interconnectedness. It includes the so-called ‘environmental’ but is not limited to it.  With the principle of tawhid being such a core concept in Islam, activism that is Islamic must also, I believe, be ecological. We must act in a way that honours the relationship between the different strands of existence however much our cultural norms might choose to differentiate between them.

The name to reflect the reality

Hence, whilst I concede that Wisdom In Nature was initially called the ‘London Islamic Network for the Environment’ (LINE), the word ‘environment’ - which can imply separate-ness, as well as a competing of issues rather than their integration with respect to the natural order – was amongst the main factors that led us to re-evaluate and change that name. Indeed, the ecological challenges we face and the potential solutions are, in one sense, not bound by the environment but are in us. We have caused the problem, and thus it is our consciousness and patterns that must be transformed. It is for us to become the solution.

Consequently the word ‘nature’ in our new name, Wisdom In Nature, refers in part to our innate nature, or as in the Qur’an, to the fitrah. By living according to the fitrah or our natural disposition - which necessitates inner work and getting to grips with the nafs or ego and its disguised compulsions – we can with more ease live in harmony with the wider creation, or the ‘environment’.

Simultaneously, the laws and principles in nature can offer insights and inspiration that can move us to wholesome solutions in tune with the principles in creation that creatively nurture life. The Qur’an continually guides us to witness and observe the natural world which it refers to as ayat or ‘signs’ that when reflected on with receptivity can simultaneously draw us closer to God, and open us to reconnect to the fitrah.

In addition, having had Islam in our name easily led to assumptions about who we are and what we do. If we are an Islamic group, what does that really mean? Are all ‘Islamic’ groups very similar, or are they more diverse than we might like to think? We were also aware that we were sometimes wrongly considered a ‘Muslim’ only group by those somewhat over-enthusiastic to compartmentalise, yet we enjoy and are grateful to have the presence of participants that do not call themselves Muslim. The process, thus, of defining and re-articulating what we call ourselves was helpful in re-establishing what we are really about, what we understood to be the core values of Islam, rather than simply slotting the term into a name.

The means and the end

Whilst the grassroots and activist nature of the group can be seen in what we do, less visibly yet more importantly it is intrinsic to our process – i.e. how we do things. Rather than being led from the top-down, we lean strongly to using consensus-based, bottom-up processes that draw out the diverse voices, creativity, and wisdom of the group. We might also consciously bring in awareness around gender, power relations, privilege and class for example, helping to build cohesiveness and community as we move forward with our ecological work.

We used these kinds of processes within the numerous meetings we had to complete our colour photo-booklet ‘Islam & Climate Change ~ A Call to Heal’. This took considerable time, but we gained a strong sense of ownership that helped take it to completion. None of our members were, or wanted to be paid (that includes myself!), to complete the project, and with minimal funds in our account we still beat the odds to finish it. The end-product clearly reflects the value we hold dear and the care that has gone into it.

Another aspect of our grassroots ethos is that we do not accept donations from government or corporations. Indeed our day-to-day funding comes entirely from donations from individuals. Whilst we need and are actively inviting more individuals to donate regularly, we remain true to our principles, despite there being the attractions of numerous external sources to whom we could go.

Thus, we have discovered ourselves to be a group that in its understanding of the term ecological, aims to weave together the different strands of activism - the inner, social, process, economic and ‘environmental’, within a common value system. Rather than simply campaigning for people to recycle more for instance, valuable though that is, we work to link issues and look deeper into them 

Opening the potential

There is a huge potential waiting to be born out of joining together theological knowledge and spiritual maturity with practical work to connect to the land and awareness of grassroots organising and social change. This is a potent combination that draws together the desire for social change within a world view of compassion and love. Separating the spiritual from the outer and the active is an illusion, and this is touched on in Surat Al-Ma ‘un, Chapter 107, in the Qur ‘an.

Our intention with Wisdom In Nature is to continue working within this integrated framework, a natural extension of which is to support, where we are able, the development of local initiatives that feel comfortable working in a similar way. Our community food project with Spitalfields City farm is an early example of this effort.

With our main geographical focus being in London and more recently in Brighton, as we draw more willing volunteers as well as funding from individuals, we look forward to collaborations and a growing contribution to an ecological activism as we further our work in these locations.

In whatever way you can, we invite you to join in.

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This is a version of an article that was originally published on the Muslim Institute website. 

Islamic ecology in the classroom

Ecology and community cohesion

Rokeby School's collaboration with the Climate Change Youth Development Trust (CCYDT) gave 20 of their pupils the opportunity to participate in weekly workshops on faith climate perspectives. One of the faith perspectives was to be the Islamic, and I had received invitation to deliver that week's workshop at this East London school. Alongside motivating action through faith, the aim, was to simultaneously nurture community cohesion. This conveniently resonated with my own value system of viewing the social ecology as inseparable from the wider one. I was excited to be a part of this.

Facilitator's homework

Prior to the workshop, I had been well primed as to the range and nature of the pupils by the director of CCYDT, Sabino Miranda: I knew that the pupils would be boys, mostly Muslim, but also Hindu, Christian and no formal faith, within an age range of 13-15 years, with a few a little older. 

Most workshops I had delivered have been for adults and so I decided to reach out to my good friend and colleague across the pond, Mohamad Chakaki, to explore and hear ideas. Mohamad has given many more workshops to school age children than myself and I value his thoughts.

My ideas following these interactions were as follows: Keep it varied, keep it moving, and allow for some healthy disorder! 

Making it universal

I had 1½ hours. We began with a go-round ice-breaker so everyone spoke from the start. Then, rather than going straight into any Islamic eco-theology, I had decided it might work better to explore principles through exercises that stimulated each participant to connect with their own inner compass/sense of ethics first, and then being given a chance to share. I attempted to frame this in a universal language to support inclusively. 

Such a foundation can, I feel, potentially lend itself to the terminology and principles associated with any faith tradition. The group would thus be better equipped to look at what initially emerged in an open way, and then later in the workshop, within the framework of core Islamic concepts that underlie the outward aspects of the faith, including action to restore ecological balance. 

The first exercise was the 'spectrum line', which is designed to draw out viewpoints and discussion on different issues. Participants choose to stand anywhere along the length of an imaginary line according to how strongly they agree or disagree with a statement. E.g. "Can we have too much of a good thing?" (to later explore the idea of mizan/balance). Varied ideas sprung from this exercise allowing for a healthy spread of viewpoints.

Then, using a numbering system, the pupils were divided into four groups, each taking on one of two questions for discussion (e.g. "Think 'natural world'. Think 'human communties'. Does the natural world have anything to teach us?"). They had fifteen minutes for this which I thought this might end up being too short. However, they got their ideas down faster than I anticipated. Their presentations were both intersting and varied in content. 

 

Weaving it together

Afterwards I attempted to weave into a short talk what had emerged from the exercises whilst drawing on key Islamic concepts. I followed this with a five minute slide-show on Muslims engaged in ecological action (Although they can have a place, I like to avoid too many visuals preferring instead to be more directly relating with those present). There was then space for questions, a bit of last minute sharing, and then the distributing of the WIN photo-booklets on Islam & Climate Change for the pupils.  

All in all, it was a fulfilling day, and although I am sure I had the luxury of a pretty focussed group of children, I'm looking forward to to engaging more with a younger age group as I am able.

 

Post workshop reflections
 

Here are some reflections/ideas/'things' I feel I want to make note of for myself following this workshop. Happy to hear anyone else's reflections on any of these areas as well..

• With children, short varied exercises can engage them better than something that goes on for too long or too much of the same. 
• Taking a group of children deep into Islamic eco-theology in a short time can be challenging, and is indeed impossible at 5pm when they've been at school since 8! On the other hand, giving a flavour of 2 or 3 basic concepts such as fitrah (natural disposition/innate goodness, which some seemed to grasp really well), mizan (balance), and tawhid (unity/oneness) is feasible to weave effectively into a single workshop on climate change dynamics and taking action. 
• I found I could have addressed key themes/topics - that were raised by the children within the workshop - better than i did during my short talk at the end. What I might do next time in a similar situation is actually note down keywords as the themes/topics came up, and glance and reflect on them at appropriate times before I give a talk. 
• A certain level of disorder is to be expected from time-to-time - not everyone can stay focussed the whole time. Thus, a limited degree of chaos or 'play' alongside the intended sequence of events seemed to act as a healthy release that then allowed a more naturally guided return to the formal thread of activities. That's how it felt with this kind group, but I'd be interested to hear of anyone else's experiences!? How much 'disorder' is healthy?...
• I arrived at the school just 5 minutes before the workshop (due to a misunderstanding over timings) so had less time to organise e.g. pre-prepare some flip-charts, familiarise myself with the space etc... than I had imagined. This however pushed me to think more in terms of essentials and go more with instinct, which I have found can be a strength. On other occasions though, I am aware that too little time to settle before a workshop does little to help me be present.
• With regards the 'spectrum line' exercise, after drawing out some thoughts from a group of participants bunched close together, thought-provoking questioning can tap into deeper layers. This of course needs balancing with the comfort level of the person being questioned and drawing our a variety of viewpoints in the time available.

So that's it for now. Whilst I always like to reflect on and learn from any workshop, I hadn't written such  reflections on a public forum, but I thought I'd give it a go to see if might be useful. So this is it! 

A Journey through the first event: Islamic Community Food Project

An hour before midday, after registering their arrival at Spitalfields City Farm, the eager looking, fresh-faced participants took part in a hands-on practical coordinated by the energetic Naomi Glass. Myself and Wasi also joined in.

One group concentrated energies on the meditative task of careful seed-sowing. Another group flexed their muscles to dig some manure into the earth.

 

 

 

Having developed a team-spirit through these joint efforts, we all reached for the delicious soup that Naomi had prepared only a few moments earlier using mostly ingredients from the farm itself. As we sipped and let the warmth down, we began to talk philosophy, food and much else.

After eating, and following an optional midday contemplative prayers (zuhr), it was time for the workshops. We gently touched down on a couple of introductory ice-breakers elegantly facilitated by Wasi, and then explored food, community, decision making through consultation (shura), and some of our own stories - what we bring to give a few examples. As a co-facilitator, I had the pleasure of working with a fantastic group of people. Some of the exercises were done as whole group, others in sub-groups. We had put quite alot of thought into how we would frame the workshop exercises - what would enable new participants to experientially and collectively get a sense of the idea of an Islamic community food project, whilst giving them space to think creatively and to be empowered? We felt our work paid off, and was supported by the creativity and humility that the participants brought.

One subgroup explored some of the qualities and types of activities associated with 'community'. The flip chart on the left captures some of their ideas. Another subgroup reflected on some key principles or values expressed through Islam around food. The photo on the right captures some of their ideas. (Clicking on the photos should enlarge them).

 

The final session of the day involved considering possibilities for our next steps. Where might we go next? Some ideas began to emerge, whilst others were yet to evolve into a more tangible form, a process that will be supported by time and further reflection.

The exciting journey we are travelling on together continues, and we look forward to welcoming newcomers who feel called to join us at follow-up events.

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You may also like to read a personal perspective of the first event by participants, Saira Khan, and Ali Ajaz.

All Photos © Wisdom In Nature