Activism

Mindbomb -> Memes -> Noosphere

meme (mēm) - a unit of cultural transmission that requires the use of replicators in order to survive and evolve.

As we contemplate our role on earth in the 21st century, faced with the awareness of climate change, species extinction, and resource depletion, we must wonder what kind of world we are leaving for future generations. Can we confidently rely on scientific and technological thinking to solve these problems with the same mindset that created them. How will we evolve to create in Charles Eisenstein's words, "the most beautiful world our hearts know is possible." Looking at the Occupy movement in 2011, how was it that an idea of striking against one's own culture took hold in hundreds of cities with thousands of protesters in this country alone as well as around the world? This was explained as a mind bomb, a powerful idea that catches fire spreading from person to person and culture to culture. This can also be seen as a meme as defined in the quote above. These memes will compete for presence in the third stage of evolution known as the Noosphere, the sphere of human thought that shapes our world.  In a TedX talk recorded in December 2013, Ian MacKenzie, a new paradigm storyteller, eloquently invites us to bring our own unique gifts to occupy the Noosphere. 

A Movement with Soul

I recently had the privilege of attending the Winter Symposium: Transformation Without Apocalypse: How to Live Well on an Altered Planet. The weekend gathering invited us to  explore how our own invasive species of humans on the earth might re-imagine who we are in relation to the world and how we might thrive in a post-industrial society. Some of the featured speakers included Tim DeChristopher, who spent two years in prison for sabotaging an auction on public lands in Utah to keep it out of the hands of the petroleum corporations, Sarah Van Gelder, co-founder and editor of Yes! magazine, Kathleen Dean Moore, philosopher and defender of all that is wet an wild, and Joanna Macy, true elder and activist for the Great Turning. The collective experience of all that attended brought renewed inspiration in the possibility of awakening our humanity in time to discover ways to challenge and alter the forces that our moving us towards climate chaos, privatization of water and seeds, as well as continued depletion of fossil fuels.

Each one of the speakers mentioned above is a story within itself, but I would like to share my admiration for Tim DeChristopher whose commitment towards standing up to the forces of late stage capitalism in order to slow down the impact of climate change has inspired many and spawned the activist organization Peaceful Uprising. His resistance and resilience grounds him in a way that is rarely seen. His understanding of developing a movement with soul underscores the importance of a spiritual connection to the earth that can guide us into the future where we must continually witness and honor our pain for world and from that awareness go forth with what gift we have to offer. And for some of us, like Tim, we might find the courage to suffer for our beliefs and allow that experience to become our strength. Here is a recent interview with Bill Moyers and Tim DeChristopher that offers a glimpse into the character of this activist.