“I am just one person. How can I change the world?”, a little girl stood up and said. After 3 times, another girl stood up and joined her. A few more repetitions brought more people in, and more, and more. Before long, we were all standing together. Not just one person anymore. I was in tears.
This was the opening ceremony for the Global Ecovillages Network (GEN) Europe Gathering 2023.
I saw the future. She’s beautiful! Instead of competition, we cooperate. Instead of possessiveness, we share. Instead of fear, we love and trust. “Power over” is replaced with “power with”; not only with other humans, but also with other creatures, Earth and all of Mother Nature. The universe is showing us over and over again how interdependent we all are; on each other and on everything else.
800 of us, from 41 countries, with similar aspirations, came together to share and cooperate. Behind this huge feat of organizing, entertaining and creating value for 800+ people, are 3 amazing leaders. Inspiring, passionate, capable of changing the world. 3 well traveled, educated young women in their 20s had a big vision. They worked hard for over a year, enrolling, mobilizing and organizing hundreds of people to produce a very successful, sold out European (GEN) Gathering in Bavaria, Germany. Very refreshing to experience what happens when conscious young women take charge!
Over the course of 4 packed days, we examined many aspects of living in community with all of Life: from Ecology to Healing. Social Justice to Technology. Conscious Sexuality. Economics. Raising children and more. We redefined common concepts to serve life instead of greed. How can we reverse the damage caused by excessive consumption and capitalism? How can we transform the predominant culture from fear and scarcity to Love and Abundance? What does real prosperity mean? How does an economy that serves the ecology look like? How to repattern our trauma responses? Technologies that nourish instead of replete our ecosystems.
Even though it felt like drinking from a fire hose at times, we were encouraged to practice JOMO (the Joy of missing out). The right connections always menifest at the right time.
My workshop “From Triggers to Teachers” was very well received. We had a full house, and had to turn people away. It ended with spontaneous clapping and about 1/3 of the people asked to continue the conversation so we had a group discussion over lunch. People also appreciated “Big Talk Game” and we had a great time connecting and getting to know each other better.
The best part for many of us, was realizing that we’re not alone. The beautiful demonstration of “I am just one person. How can I change the world?” really hit home for us. Realizing that we’re many more than 1 person yet we act as 1 organism. A beautiful enactment of Margaret Mead’s quote “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
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Unconditional Love 