Plastic Man

In Niger, a branch of Niger River has been asphyxiated by plastic waste. Karim Elhaj Adamou is an actor, puppeteer, set designer, and drama teacher who is on a grassroots storytelling journey to educate young people on sustainable living.  "Today, they are the important ones of tomorrow" said Karim. 

Watch the inspiring short film below!

Magical Moss Helps Women Thrive In Rural Peru

In rural Peru, the harvesting of sphagnum moss is helping locals thrive while also helping to protect and regenerate the land. This special moss is widely used in horticulture but also works as a natural pool filter and has helped clean oil spills. Inka Moss, a social enterprise, helps local collectors (nearly two-thirds of whom are women) supplement their income by harvesting the moss, which also accounts for about one-fifth of all exports from Peru. At the heart of the social enterprise are communal values. “The main change I have seen in the community is that children can now get the proper food that they need to be healthy,” said Fiorella Anchiraico Montalvo, a Peruvian woman working with the moss.

Read the full story here.

Standing in Authentic Power

Stacey Lawson relates how real power is within, and takes inner work and outer action, and how sometimes it’s hard to understand why following inner guidance leads us on a path that doesn’t end where we might have wished.

During meditation, Stacey repeatedly received a powerful call to run for political office, and while it was the last thing she wanted to do, and after strong resistance, she ultimately ran. “The thought of actually saying no and turning my back on that felt so paralyzingly flat or disconnected. I knew I had to step in.”

During a campaign event, a stranger walked up to her and said, “I hate you.” Stacey’s response surprised even herself, and helped her realize that standing in our power is “doing what's called for and doing it with love," even when we may never know the reason why. [Read more ...]

You can also join us for an Awakin Call with Stacey on June 8. Find details and RSVP here.

Becoming a Possibilist

“Possibilists are people who look at conflict and see not just obstacles, but they see opportunities to explore ways to transform those conflicts.” Author and negotiation expert William Ury’s opens his discussion on Sounds True’s Insights at the Edge podcast with this explanation of what it means to be a possibilist.

The respective endgames of climate change, political unrest, state conflicts and other headline-grabbing events are not as predetermined as we sometimes believe. And while world events are big, the solutions as a possibilist, start small, with the relationships and conversations available every day. “Be curious, and out of that curiosity, out of those open-ended conversations, out of that listening, people naturally start to feel heard. They start to feel respected, they start to feel seen, and then new possibilities emerge from that conversation.”

It can be easy to discard this wisdom as too hard, or too idealistic; however, Ury shares story after story about some of the most embedded, intransigent conflicts where setting aside defense mechanisms, weapons, and retaliation and picking up possibility, has led to surprising, unexpected outcomes. [Read more ...]

Arnhem Unveils 30-year Plan To House 1,700 Asylum Seekers

Arnhem, a city located in the eastern part of the Netherlands, will welcome twice the number of asylum seekers required by the Dutch government over the next thirty years. "We want to accommodate people in a humane way" said Paul Smeulders, an Arnhem alderman. The city plans to offer stable housing as well as language courses and social experiences to empower refugees to fully rebuild their lives.

Read the full story here.

Pay-It-Forward Hospitality Initiative in Cantabria

A couple of ServiceSpace community members recently shared about a social transformation project in Cantabria (Spain). Inspired by Karma Kitchen and other gift economy initiatives, Las Casucas is a living laboratory featuring the "Rural Karma Home & Family residences", an exploration in pay-it-forward hospitality. The project, launching in September, will offer stays to families in need as well as to those seeking well-being practices. Guests may also contribute to other service experiments and volunteerism, creating a transformative journey of self-discovery and social impact.

When Birds Nest in the Doorway, Go Out the Window

“Lives sometimes get rearranged by all sorts of things.” Sometimes, that rearrangement includes climbing out the kitchen window by ladder for a few weeks even though the home has two working doors. This may look like eccentric, nonsensical behavior: it’s not. Author Caitlin Shetterly’s family made this intentional choice one Spring two separate bird families nested over each entrance to Shetterly's home. The inconvenience of climbing out the kitchen window seems absurd to outsiders, yet we understand that much of life is filled with unchosen intrusions on our plans and convenience. What control we do retain is how we respond: “Lives sometimes get rearranged by all sorts of things: illness, pandemics, job losses, the unpredictable natural world, family, artistic fervor, hunger, or thirst. And that room can always be made. Instead of diminishing our existence, these changes can actually afford us a deeper sense of how we must participate with other beings.” [Read more ...]

Nonprofit's Success With 40k Coral Plantings Is A Big Win For Caribbean Reefs

Fundación Dominicana de Estudios Marinos (FUNDEMAR), an organization dedicated to promoting the sustainable use of coastal marine ecosystems, is engaged in groundbreaking coral reef restoration efforts. In just 5 years, their team has outplanted more than 40,000 coral substrates. “At our current production rate, which has increased by 1000% since the program started five years ago, we now expect to contribute annually with 20,000 substrates with coral recruits to our reefs in need.”

Read the full article here.

Few weeks ago, volunteers in Hanoi, Vietnam operated a local Karma Kitchen in a special way: in silence! From volunteers to guests, everyone connected and communicated in silence. Take a look at the photos to soak in the vibe ...

 

Small Sounds of the Past

"In Praise of Listening" by Christian McEwen celebrates the profound impact of sound on our memories and experiences. Through evocative stories like Alice Cozzolino's pasta-making rituals with her mother and Eleanor Adams' childhood memories of island life, McEwen reminds us of the power of sound to transport us back in time. In a world filled with noise, these memories serve as reminders to listen attentively to our surroundings and cherish the small, often overlooked moments. The article encourages readers to reflect on their own early memories of sound, offering a writing exercise to evoke and explore these cherished moments. Through listening, we can rediscover the beauty and richness of our past and present experiences. [Read more ...]

For more inspiration, join this weekend's Awakin Call with Christian McEwen. RSVP and details here.

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