Hunger

[Wendy Farmer-O'Neil]

Well, the space is open via the internet.  The fact that you are  
reading this message suggests strongly that you are part of the less  
than 10% that control 90% of the wealth in the world.  What you put in  
your mouth (and in your car) and on your back and shelves and the  
storehouses we call our homes--can have a huge impact on both hunger  
and war globally.  The space is open for you to explore within your  
circle of influence (and only you know what that is) the face of war  
and hunger right in your own backyard.  You know someone who is  
hungry--maybe not by name, but you've seen the outstretched hand. How  
would you like to respond to this person?  And the invitation is to  
look at how peaceful your relationships are; how where and what you  
spend your money on every day feeds or starves the war economy; what  
is the connection between war and food, food and poverty, poverty and  
homelessness, homelessness and mental health, mental health and an  
inhuman culture, a war culture and oil, oil and corn, corn and water,  
water and money, money and war; if you have passion for this topic,  
what one small act of responsibility are you willing to take?

Don't think it will make a dent?   I am asking myself why a bunch of  
folks who believe in whole systems approaches and self-organizing  
systems and power of emergence and presencing and holding space for  
unlimited possibility are giving energy to limitation?  Don't we  
believe that whoever shows up are the right people?  Each and every  
one of us matters in this work.  It is urgent.  Too urgent to wait for  
someone with more power or connections, too urgent to wait for some  
information you may get too late.  You have wisdom inside you to make  
a difference NOW. One small step. Today, tomorrow. Open this space  
wider with your family, your friends, your neighbors, your church,  
your colleagues, your club, open it to the limit of your circle of  
influence and passion.

This work is too urgent for top down solutions. It cries out for each  
of us to do what we can--both as facilitators who know how to hold  
space--and as individual planetary citizens and guardians of the life  
that is here.  I don't know about you, but when i hold space for  
something, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually,  
a nutrient field is generated.  Without that field--what can grow?   
Showing up to hold that field increases the capacity of the whole  
system to shift. And if you honestly and with sincerity step forward  
to hold space for peace, harmony, abundance and thriving on this  
planet, your offer of service will be accepted.  Be prepared to be  
surprised.

I hold space as a sacred trust with Spirit. I believe that each one of  
us who takes up this invitation and opens space in our lives in  
whatever way we can for this issue, serves to anchor Spirit in the  
world and facilitates the work of Spirit, whether or not we understand  
or can see how.  I think the old-fashioned word is Faith.

I know it's become almost a cliche, but the slogan, "Think globally,  
act locally" is just as true today as it ever was. Scientists and  
Social Change Agents who study these issues are pretty clear about  
what is driving this planet into the ground--the over-consumptive life- 
styles of the North--that are becoming the life-styles of emulation  
for the South.  Activists have been hollering from the rooftops to try  
and get our attention, but we seem deaf.  There are few things more  
useful that you could do right now, than to use your skills to open  
space for meaningful conversations that lead to direct local action-- 
and maybe lead some of that action yourself (100-mile diet, car  
pooling, bike paths, farmer's markets, asking the manager of grocery  
store to stock more local produce, buying an extra bag of rice and  
dropping it off at the food bank, buying a street person a cup of fair- 
trade, organic coffee, meditating, buy nothing day, one more  
vegetarian meal a week, slowing down, walking, having a meaningful  
conversation with a stranger, it's kind of endless--the  
possibilities). Other than praying for disaster (to make us  
uncomfortable enough to embrace change) actually undertaking to  
facilitate broadly-based engagement in the perfectly great initiatives  
that are already present--may be the most constructive thing we could  
do. (And we do that via our circles of influence, BTW)

So, yes.  I opened space on the internet, digitally.  And yes, i  
already admitted it's a silly idea.  And i guess i could sum up my  
idea as: there is NO MORE TIME.  It's YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.  What are  
you going to DO ABOUT IT? NOW. With the resources YOU HAVE CURRENTLY  
AT YOUR DISPOSAL.  If you don't like the world you're living in WHAT  
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO ABOUT IT?  And i know many of us are already  
doing a lot about it.  And we can do more. Together.
Thanks for listening to me rant.  And there isn't one all powerful  
idea or solution or approach,  We need diversity.  We need every  
single person, working each in their own unique way.  Can we open and  
hold space for that?

Blessings,
Wendy

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