Recovering from a stem cell transplant and chemotherapy at the City of Hope, Idyllwild Conversationalist Ray Barmore cheers on our efforts at local energy independence.
Tag: conversation
mind mapping our way to food security
Check out our wild mind map! At our last meeting, we brainstormed on some of the ways we might disentangle our community from the industrial food chain and create a more sustainable, healthy standard of living for all interested Hill residents. I organized the ideas from that Conversation and the one prior, and I created a mind map using a free online collaboration tool. Continue reading “mind mapping our way to food security”
conversation #7 — brainstorming toward local food security
What can we do to develop local food security? As oil prices rise, so do food prices. Continue reading “conversation #7 — brainstorming toward local food security”
conversation #6—all about food
Are our food supply chains secure? Are they healthy for the planet, for the creatures and for us? If not, what can our community do to improve the situation? Continue reading “conversation #6—all about food”
wendell berry: in distrust of movements
“I HAVE HAD WITH MY friend Wes Jackson a number of useful conversations about the necessity of getting out of movements — even movements that have seemed necessary and dear to us — when they have lapsed into self-righteousness and self-betrayal, as movements seem almost invariably to do. People in movements too readily learn to deny to others the rights and privileges they demand for themselves. They too easily become unable to mean their own language, as when a “peace movement” becomes violent… Continue reading “wendell berry: in distrust of movements”
the art of seeking consensus
This is the best video I’ve seen on Occupy Wall Street’s General Assembly and the consensus process. Well worth checking out if you’re interested in learning more about the deep work going on to encourage direct democracy at the various occupations.
conversation #5—inquiry into capitalism
At last week’s meeting all participants arrived at a consensus that we should further explore the subject of capitalism at our next meeting on Wed. Nov 2. The following questions arose:
- Who are the so-called 1%?
- What is capitalism, and how might we ascertain its viability as we move forward?
- What resources do people recommend to better understand capitalism and its effects on our world? Continue reading “conversation #5—inquiry into capitalism”
“the stakes are too high for us not to make the absolute most of this moment.”
We ran into Naomi Klein at Liberty Square and asked if we could interview her. “After the march!” she called out. But after finding ourselves part of a slow-moving mass of 42,000 humans, we barely found time to get to Penn Station for our scheduled train trip to Washington, DC. Fortunately, this brief interview with Ms. Klein offers some nice insights into what makes this movement so compelling. And she offers some advice regarding the importance of making the most of this critical moment.
conversation #3—preparation— “how information can be controlled and suppressed in the corridors of power”
(seen above, Lawrence Summers takes a public nap after joining Team Obama)
A message from Conor:
Greetings my fellow concerned citizens,
Wednesday night after our meeting I came home and began reading The HuffingtonPost, I came across a story about a battle brewing between Ron Suskind and the Obama White House. Ron Suskind has written an unflattering book about the inner workings of the Obama administration. Continue reading “conversation #3—preparation— “how information can be controlled and suppressed in the corridors of power””
conversation #2—gleanings
I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.
—Lao-tzu, Tao Te Ching
I’m going to write down some thoughts regarding the last meeting, and I encourage all of you who attended to do the same in the comments section below. You may also comment on comments. As always, please remain civil—people often let loose in an online forum. This is not that kind of forum. Continue reading “conversation #2—gleanings”
conversation #2—preparation—inside job
Join us for a lively conversation about ‘the greatest heist in history’ and what it says about the current condition of our economic and political systems. Continue reading “conversation #2—preparation—inside job”
the conversation begins—thomas jefferson & us
“Every human being must be viewed according to what it is good for. For none of us, no, not one is perfect. And were we to love none who had imperfections, this world would be a desert for our love.” —Thomas Jefferson
Like many good things it started with a casual chat in a cafe. Conor and I both felt troubled by the state of the world, how it will affect the futures of our children and, for that matter, all children, and the ways in which so much of the public dialogue feels dumbed-down and irrelevant to the deeper issues at play. If democracy depends upon an informed and engaged citizenry, then we must relearn how to inform one another through open dialogue and debate. And so we decided to host a political conversation amongst people from a wide range of political leanings. And then we invited the entire town! Continue reading “the conversation begins—thomas jefferson & us”