EVENT REPORT

VISIONS OF A RENEWED FUTURE

On January 17, 2021, the Spiritual Action Initiative hosted a gathering in which people were invited to connect with their hearts and develop a vision for the world they wish to live in.

The group included people from the United States including Arkansas, California (many in the San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, as well as from Scotland, England, and Italy / Germany, who were from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds, including atheist, Buddhist, Christian, Sufi, and various Yoga traditions. 

Below are notes on the participants’ visions of a renewed world.

A letter calling for leadership to make these visions a reality was drafted from these discussions. It will be sent to the new U.S. Presidential administration and other elected representatives, and calls for commitment by all leaders in our communities ~ including you. Read and sign the letter here

Group 1

Notetaker: Claire

• Safety for everyone

• Feeling of not being safe is what’s at root of challenges

• Even $$$ wealthy don’t feel safe so they hoard $$

• Division in this country what’s needed is openness and listening

• Humility is needed - qualities that we can learn from natural world

• Alternatives to threats for getting what we want, finding alternatives to anger

• Inner peace when alone but not interacting with others, goal is to match the vibration of inner peace with others' vibrations to share it

• Felt a lightness in the heart from the meditation, how to cut through fear, which contributes to anger and violence, how do we bring that experience to people  - fearlessness of the heart

• How can we share that with people?

• That’s our choice, a choice we can make…a question - how to find ways to share that experience with others

• Nature, birdsong, the power of nature,  respect for nature, healing in nature.

• Understanding that we're part of nature not above it or outside of it.

• Love nature as we love ourselves.

• How does this translate into action? 

• Urban planning - humanist centered design; including schools, playgrounds, etc.

• Education: learning to respect nature from earliest childhood, through re-structuring curriculum to include nature-based education and activities as a priority.

• Access to ALL, not just for those with privilege, (this goes back to urban planning and humanist design).

• Clean air and water for all!

• Respecting leads to prioritizing environmental concerns  and solutions, and includes a broader scope including labor/equity issues -veganism, food chains, worker rights, food deserts, etc.

• Solutions begin with education!

Group 2

Notetaker: Aryahi

• World where many people realize that we must collaborate to solve the issue that threaten all of our lives

• A country (this one) where many people are committed to eliminating systemic racism, enough to shift how policies are made to maintain that vision

• Community of people locally committed to working together to promote social justice

• Personal effort to reduce anxiety , build resilience, and clarify priorities to focus on spiritual     values and to take action based on those values

• People blasting off like rockets to their spiritual elevation

• Recognition of vine of interconnectedness, and each living being a flower

• A world transformed by the leadership of young people on the climate emergency, who understand that it must be led by children of color and are committed to racial justice in a way that the adults have to catch up with.

• A world where every being is in their natural truth and divinity, and evolving upward with the flow

• Freedom and respect for rights of each individual, protection of all beings 

Group 4

Notetaker: Claudia

• Sending out love

• Being less judgmental and more inclusive, 

• Overcoming prejudices,

• Being of service,

• Overcoming fear.

Group 3

Notetaker: Sarani & Jyothi

• In our world, homes, bodies, strong sense of safety @ all levels - physical, emotional, spiritual.

• Slowing down life that allows peace of mind to enter our world.

• Better communication between us.

• Help those in unsafe countries to give them what they need.

• Taking care of trees, ocean and nature.

• Seeing all people as people, not black/white, male/female, gay/straight.

• Love; peace; healing; joy; health; openness; clarity; happiness; vitality; truth; strength; courage.

• Connecting to the earth; nurturing mother earth as she nurtures us; and sharing that bounty with the whole.

• Acceptance and trust, knowing that difference is a gift and offering to the greater whole.

• Love; Compassion; Non-violence.

• Balance the mind and heart as we move into action.

• Taking our spiritual practice off the mat and into the world.

Group 5

Notetaker: Vishwam

• Calm, clarity.

• Harmony, beauty.

• Remembering the interconnectedness of Life.

• How this rememberance can transform our lives -- our political systems, our relationships with each other and the Earth.

• Remembering the strength of what can come up from the Earth. How much power is available to emanate from the Heart. This power can feed and water the vision we have of Peace. We are not helpless.

• There is a deep bodily knowing that we have access to the strength and influence of the interconnectedness of Life.

• Refreshing to soul, mind and heart to hear these visions.

• I found a peace here, rest and quiet. Thankfulness for time to leave the crazy world behind. My overall word is Peace.

• Also had the wonderful connection between heart and mind.

• Enemies finding common ground and community rebuilding, environmentalism drawing together Indigenous, Western and other cultural knowledge to heal. There is always the possibility for peace.

• No more just going through the words but feeling it, returning the vibrancy

• Harmony Calling
 Cello strings vibrating—sunlight as the bow touching the strings
 / Deep tones, warm tones
 / Heart beaming sunlight through fingers on the neck of the cello
 / Three violas join harmonious sunlight bows on the strings 
 / Four violins appear harmonious sunbeams
 / A choir of voices joins 
 / Hearts beaming harmony