<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">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? <div><br></div><div>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. </div><div><br></div><div>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. </div><div><br></div><div>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. </div><div><br></div><div>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)</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div>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?</div><div><br></div><div>Blessings,</div><div>Wendy</div><div><div><div><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div lang="NL" link="blue" vlink="purple">* * ==========================================================<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of<a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>*
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