I suggested last week that our society is remarkably immature in its approach to life. Central to this is an exaggerated form of individualism that has achieved a cult-like status. With that comes an acquisitive, greedy and selfish culture that really doesn’t care about other people or about nature.
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In exploring the German concept of bildung and the Nordic experience of folk-bildung I am indebted to a lengthy 2018 overview by Jonathan Reams of the 2017 book The Nordic Secret by Lene Andersen and Tomas Björkman.
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We may be talking about and even acting on climate change — even though our actions usually fall short of our words — but we are not yet talking seriously about the far greater challenge of living as if we have four or five planets, when in reality, we only have one, never mind the implications of that realization.
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At present, our planet is doubly afflicted. We have become the most dominant and most dangerous species on Earth. We have only one serious competitor – and that one happens to have been around for more than 2 ½ billion years before the appearance of multi-cellular life and that is the virus and, but for vaccines, it could still win.
Read moreInvitation to join the Spirit of Canada Dialogue Project, either as one of the many hosts across Canada or as a member of the core team. An online event from Nov. 27 – 29 will provide an introduction to this project.
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Anyone watching Knowledge Network these days will be aware it’s all about Scotland, from clan wars to wildlife to railways. Good things come from Scotland, from Scottish ales and whisky to haggis and Robbie Burns — well, OK, not everything is wonderful, although haggis is way better than it sounds.
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A new park has arrived in the South Jubilee neighbourhood thanks to the City’s purchase of a 12,700 square foot parcel of land comprised of a Garry oak meadow at the corner of Leighton Road and Bank Street. The new park is named Agamemnon and Eleni Kasapi Park in recognition of the family’s preservation of the property in its natural state for the benefit of the community.
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Leading US political commentator and Washington DC lawyer, Mace Rosenstein, distilled the US election results. Mace was joined by Tom Axworthy, a senior policy advisor to the Canadian Federal government, and Bob Sandford…
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Songs for River Dolphins of Punjab . Dr Sunny Sandhu aka Bhoomitra in 2011 rediscovered his love for nature while on an exploration of River Beas and its biodiversity. From a medical doctor he turned into full time Climate healer, musician and teacher.
Read moreWashington DC lawyer, Mace Rosenstein, provided answers to the following questions: Who actually votes for the President? What is the role of the Electoral College? What are the opportunities for President Trump to game the…
Read moreBob Haverluck, a Manitoba artist-educator and theologian who works with community groups using the arts, especially comedy to help engage issues of violence against the earth and her creatures; and Gennadiy Ivanov, a…
Read moreThis special TEDx event, co-produced by Creatively United in partnership with BC Drawdown, features an incredible line up of inspirational solutions and talks by a variety of BC climate champions, including: Seth Klein, Meg…
Read moreUnique non-confrontational forum with candidates Gord Baird (Green), Kelly Darwin (Liberal), John Horgan (NDP) and Tyson Riel Sutherland (Communist) in the Langford-Juan de Fuca riding. October 15, 7 pm via ZOOM.
Read moreNever in history have we found it as important to turn to music as a medium to inspire us to action and hope. We are in the midst of rapid transformation as we deal with the climate crisis, mass disruption of key ecosystems…
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If you love our forests and trees, please share this special short film produced by Creatively United in collaboration with Ballet Victoria. Awaken, an exquisitely intimate performance inspired by the soft whispers of the forest, features original music composed, sung and orchestrated by Canada’s multi award-winning legend, Ann Mortifee, in collaboration with former Chilliwack band member, Ed Henderson (guitar), and Finn Manniche (cello).
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Solutions are not found in the same level of consciousness that created the problems. So how can we, as a global collective, transcend to a deeper level of individual and collective consciousness in alignment with Natural…
Read moreThree of Canada’s foremost practitioners in reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, Merrell-Ann Phare, Michael Miltenberger, and professional planner, project manager, capacity developer and engagement…
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Invitation to join a new International Youth Program online with a submission of an expression of art for peace in a special exchange with Japanese students. It can be drawn or painted, photography, computer designs etc. and is open to all age groups.
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Award-winning author and philosopher, Dr. Kathleen Dean Moore, launches Season Two of Creative Solutions for a New World – Climate and Artist Series with an inspiring and creative presentation, entitled The Barns Burnt Down…
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Following my reflections last week on Jeremy Lent’s ideas about connections, I found myself musing about beginnings and endings – my own, life on Earth and the universe – and the connections they imply. I thought about and partly wrote this column while sitting under the great trees in Heritage Grove in Francis-King Park, feeling both connected to and in awe of nature.
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Tip O’Neill, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in the 1980s, famously remarked “all politics is local.” Significant change rarely starts at the top and moves down, mainly because the powerful do very well out of the current situation and seldom have any incentive to change it.
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hile there is some evidence that we are slowly coming to grips with the reality of climate change, there are large and powerful pockets of resistance everywhere. Largely that resistance is rooted in and propagated by the fossil fuel industry and its ancillary industries, such as the automobile industry.
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Some of the key proposals are focused on significant reforms to the present financial system. B.C. should establish a Green Investment Bank of B.C. that would “be used to finance recovery investments that support B.C.’s climate action targets and other goals”.
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Gail O’Riordan, Jon’s long-time wife and life partner, passed away in 2018, and the Climate and the Arts Legacy Series was established to honour her memory. “Gail was passionate about the arts and felt that combining climate stories about how humanity can change course with music and the performing arts would enrich the discussion and motivate people to act differently,”
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et me turn to Guy Dauncey for an alternative that is neither communism nor medieval. Dauncey has been an interesting, thoughtful and — in the best sense — provocative thinker, writer and activist on ecological and social issues in this region for years.
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Last week, I stressed the importance of a stronger regional economy as a means of increasing local self-reliance, given that we live on an Island and that the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the vulnerability that comes from being very reliant on others — be they food or energy producers or tourists.
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This World Unity Week webinar is about the unity of the youth climate and social justice movement. The panelists are all young change makers who are invested in creating a more just and safer future for the next generations…
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One of the many things the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed is the extent to which we have become dependent on all sorts of products — from face masks to food — that come from away, as Newfoundlanders would put it.
Read moreThe COVID pandemic and the global response to flattening the curve provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for the world to re-set its policies to flatten the carbon curve. This panel consists of three leading thinkers on this transformational moment.
Read moreThe Story of the Great Bear Rainforest: Transition to Sustainability The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the largest intact temperate rainforests in the world. It stretches from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to…
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Speaker, author, futurist, Guy Dauncey, and Creatively United founder and professional multi-media artist, Frances Litman, present A Modern Alphabet – Re-Imagining Our Future. Guy Dauncey is a futurist, anthropological…
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