The Possibility of a Better Life for All
Carolyn Hart is going to be giving an introduction of sorts (“a teaser,” she says) to an Awakening the Dreamer Symposium on Saturday afternoon at the Conference. She and I spoke on the phone , while outside, here in Cleveland, the strong winds swirled and pulled the leaves from the trees. Evidently, it was windy in Boulder as well.” Very rare,” Carolyn said,” that we have the same weather.”
I wanted to speak with Carolyn because she represents organizations – maybe a better word might be movements – that I’d only vaguely heard of. So, for anyone who might be feeling similarly, here they are, along with the mission statements on their extensive websites:
The two-fold mission of the Pachamama Alliance is to preserve the Earth’s tropical rainforests by empowering the indigenous people who are its natural custodians and to contribute to the creation of a new global vision of equity and sustainability for all.
Their mission is bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just presence on Planet Earth.
Four Years. Go. is a campaign to catalyze and empower a fundamental shift in the direction of humanity, inspiring collaborative action, connecting individuals and organizations, and amplifying best practices and successes.
How did Carolyn, a Clevelander of 54 years, end up in Boulder on such a windy afternoon? She retired as a special education teacher, then sold her home and most everything in it. Freed, she set out to travel and experience the world. One year of travel would turn into four, “because it was so sweet.” It was at Esalen that she met a woman who was going to travel into the Amazon on a Pachamama Alliance voyage. As she says, “Up for any adventure,” Carolyn went along. As it turned out, she voyaged with people who were deeply involved with sustainability and awakening others to the possibility of a better life for all. So inspired by the Achuar way of life, and the deep experience the Pachamama Alliance provided on the trip, Carolyn became grounded in what was hers to do in this time of the Great Turning.
Having connected with friends in Boulder along her four year journey, Carolyn decided to process her Achuar experience by taking a room in this community. She began looking for an Awakening the Dreamer Symposium in the United States only to find that the Rocky Mountain area had the second largest Awakening the Dreamer community outside San Francisco. The RMATD is now her community of support as she facilitates symposiums and trains others to facilitate them, as well.
She travels to Cleveland once each month with the intention of creating a community of awakened change agents. She began holding Symposiums at Angel House in Strongsville, but needing a larger venue, is now partnered with River’s Edge on Rocky River Drive. There will be a full symposium at River’s Edges on Thursday, November 11th from 6-9 as a follow-up to the “teaser” at Bioneers. Once a month, Carolyn facilitates a Community Gathering at River’s Edge to build community and support other change agents. Amazing people come to share their involvement and work with other sustainable projects, such as supporting the Shipibo Joi in the Peruvian Amazon, or the work of trying to stop the sex slave trade in Northeast Ohio. There will be an incredible two-day training on January 29th and 30th at River’s Edge for anyone wanting to be a symposium facilitator.
(You can e-mail Carolyn at hartandspirit@yahoo.com to be put on her list of people to notify as to the monthly dates and times of the Gatherings, or find River’s Edge at www.River’sEdgeCleveland.com )
On the phone I asked Carolyn, by way of closing, for some words of wisdom. She replied in a lot of wonderful ways. Rather than encapsulating them, I’ve asked her to write something here, in her own voice:
“We are truly living in a new paradigm and people have not gotten the message. Changing the unsustainable way we have been living takes a commitment. Nature is not there for us to use as resources, and we are using these precious resources up while polluting our beautiful Mother Earth. At the same time, we are impacting people in developing countries and living with “stuff” that we would not miss if we never had it. Now is the time for us to gather in communities, eat locally, share resources, produce zero waste, and truly become grounded in the fact that we are all connected…all one with our brothers and sisters. There is no away.”
Carolyn with friends
From the Conference program:
The Awakening the Dreamer Symposium is an incredible tool that inspires participants to know that an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just presence is possible on this planet..
By Maren and Carolyn
Tags: Awakening the Dreamer, AwakeningTheDreamer.org, Bioneers Conference, Carolyn Hart, Cleveland, Four Years. Go., River's Edge, The Pachamama Alliance
