Pictures from day one of POWER Summit '08! Here are some summiters harvesting lettuce from the Celeste's Dream communtiy garden right behind the Carondelet center before we began our day. We harvested every morning and then ate the lettuce in our salad at lunch. Organic, of course, and as local as it gets!

Greetings!
Colleen here... so I feel terrible... Esther started writing to you all about what we learned today and I accidently deleted it!!! She and I will put our heads together to make sure that we recap to the best of our ability what went down today.

First of all.... Starting with Dot's morning presentation we learned that we must change our attidudes before our actions can change. I think this is key because our mentality is linked directly to our actions. For example... If you think that running is the greatest form of exercise, chances are you're a runner!

Secondly, another thing that stuck out to a lot of folks was the metaphor of the sunflowers by Thich. The abbreviated version of the story is: "In France we don't see sunflowers, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. So a group of farmers decided to plant sunflower seeds and are waiting for them to grow. The problem is they don't have any rain or sunshine or the month of July, but the fact that those seeds are in the ground means that they DO EXIST. They just need the right conditions."

Dot used this story to show that there are lots of business who are transitioning from wasteful practices to more sustainable and eco-friendly practices. For example Ray Anderson from Interface Carpets who was inspired to change his ways simply be reading a book!

Another thing that stuck out to us is the belief that change is the result of many simple steps that were taken consistently.

So we're off to the Peace Bridge so we'll write more later!!

Peace,

Esther and Colleen

Greetings!
This is Esther adding to a newly recovered post from yesterday. Just a little add-on to what we blogged yesterday.

Yesterday was our last day with Dot Maver, our guest speaker. She opened her presentation with a little Black Eyed Peas asking us "Where is the Love?"

Dot built on Tuesday's call to engage in creating a culture of peace. She took that invitation one step further by presenting us with real life examples of successful organizations, businesses, and foundations that have reformed the bottom line. Instead of profit being the all important deciding factor, Dot showed us how people's minds are shifting to worry about the planet and the people in addition to making a profit. Then, she asked us to cultivate our own structures that create peace in the real world.

Jack Davis, a POWER Summitter, reminded us that instead of trying to change peoples minds to make them believe that sustainability is a good thing, we can show them by making it a profitable thing. He suggested using techniques like government subsidies and also said that he hopes there will come a time when we won't need things like subsidies to encourage businesses to operate sustainably; it will just be the way things are done.

Kathleen Otto, another Summitter, talked about her group's idea of an educational system that includes peace and social justice instruction from the beginning.

As you can see, the week so far has been super full of great ideas, both from the presenters and from the participants. So much energy and hope!

Just a note, those of us who protested Guantanamo Bay and war in general on the Lake street bridge yesterday had a great time. Some hopped into orange jumpsuits and we all carried signs. The energy was exciting and it felt good to take what we had been talking about all week and put it into action.

Peace,
Esther

Hello again,
These links accompany the activity we did yesterday with Tommy and the string and the conversation we had about how we can "vote" with our dollars.
Need help figuring out what to vote for? Check these out:

www.organicconsumers.org

www.sweatshopwatch.org

www.coopamerica.org

www.fairtrade.org

Peace,
Esther

POWER SUMMIT POEM – created during the first meeting when evenyone was asked how they experienced peace.
Authored by the Power Summit People!!! Typed and gathered by Desdamona

Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect)

A Ribbon of moonlight across the water
Find the music and give it to the people
A downpour of community and connection
So glad

When I think of peace I think of hip-hop
And the balance it has brought to my life
I think of the nighttime - midnight
The most peaceful time
The slight flickering of light from the candle
The spark of nature in the labor of spring
A newborn baby
The baptism ritual born from the morning light
The remembrance of some heavenly caress
With all the hope of the world in it’s tiny hands
I think of the mountaintops, capped with snow
And the snow melting to sift to the lake below
Water circling all around me

Make a circle in the air with your finger
Now pull back the old skin
And no longer think of your self as one of many
But instead think of one being, one breath

1 song and 1 community

Peace is held in the reluctance of youth who are waiting to take control of their own lives
On the edge of the volcano, watching the world transform before their eyes

We are building an invisible building
Stronger than any structure built by man

Think of the innocence of a child who has never known anything other than peace
Think of the learning circle, the constant revolution of our ideas through the universe
Like the circulation of blood through the body

Moonlight reflections of sunlight from the other side of the world
A feather dangling on the edges of the air
Everything is aligned – we all just took a dip in the pool of peace and NOW
Everything is wet with the experience

Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect)

The resurrection of a flower after the deep-freeze of winter
An Earthling sapling waiting take root on the burned forest floor
The melody of one voice harmonizing with the song of the ground beneath our feet

What does the world look like without war?

What does the world look like with the presence of peace?

Resources, renew, depleted energies
Toxins release
Inhale the possibilities
Exhale the action behind the idea
Inhale inspiration
Exhale gratification
Inhale the smell of apple trees in bloom and fog hanging across the mountains
Exhale this…slow…process…of change

Are there any questions?

Any stories to tell?

If you don’t tell your story who do you think is going to tell it?

When you remain silent you become invisible.

Are you invisible?

When did you first become aware that injustice existed in the world?

When did you first taste the bitterness of hopelessness?

Did you spit it out? Or hold it in your mouth?

What is “Action Step One”? ------Create Peace

This is a call to action

Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect)

Hola, Summiters!
Here are some links from Dot's presentation today:

Ryan's Well Foundation page:
http://www.ryanswell.ca/

Info about Cradle to Cradle, the book Dot mentioned that is produced sustainable and very recyclable:
http://www.mcdonough.com/cradle_to_cradle.htm

George Carlin!:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/arts/24carlin.html?ex=1229832000&en=1f672e3af00a503d&ei=5087&excamp=GGGNgeorgecarlindies&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=GN-S-E-GG-NA-S-george_carlin_dies

Dearborn Ford plant greenroof info:
http://www.greenroofs.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=290&Itemid=50

China Blue, the independent film about unfair blue jean-producing labor in China:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/chinablue/

Refracted Light
Written by: Desdamona
Wonder when the light might ride back

To guide the way for we

Come shine

Bring the light

A child of the elements of speech

Poems placed on my palate

Produced from pure belief

That all these seen should ultimately be free

We have to really get righteous

So we really see

That we are the unfulfilled dream Of history

This ain't an accident or coincidence

Not mere proof of my natural talent

Didn't just walk into this feelin the vibe

The verbs I scribe are the reason I'm alive

You can find me on pages before my form existed

My grandmother wrote me down

And through my parents I got lifted

Turned into a picture Father mother to child Birth descendent ascended branches of this evergreen

Planted and placed the spirits breathe through me

I have no superstars shooting through my rhymes

But I'm bright from the light in my parents' eyes

These are the stories told through my grandmother's dreams

Recollections of peace sewed by my mother's seams

I'm fast and freed by my sister's children

They be bouncin off the walls

And ricochetin to the ceiling

I am the pure proof of my father's teachings

The essence of my mother's capacity

And the strength of her heart reaching

Past the history at my grandfather's fingertips

Past his poem prayers

And his one forgotten wish

The accumulation of shame and submission

To rid my future of these disease is my life mission

To make decisions

For seven generations past my flesh

To realize and be wise to the life beyond my death

We are the mesh that these next children will be sifted through

So it's our responsibility to give them something to hold on to

This is the poem that I performed a portion of was at the opening of power summit on Monday. Peace, desdamona

Here are some links from today:

Article nine from Japan's constitution that Dot referenced in her talk today:
http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Japan/English/english-Constitution.html
(just scroll down a bit to article nine in chapter two)

The trailer for the Singing Revolution:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA9PmZo-2jo

The Tariq Kamisa Foundaiton PSA:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5398886663965029147&q=tariq+khamisa+psa&ei=xGRhSO3JNKDk4ALYi-HEAg&hl=en

Student Peace Alliance:
www.studentpeacealliance.org

Hey everyone!
We are well into our second day of POWER Summit and Colleen and I wanted to share with you some of what we talked and learned about so far today.
Dot spoke with us today inviting us to become a culture of peace. In order to do this, she reminded that we need to be feeding the fire of peace instead of the fire of violence, which, as we all know, is raging in the universe today. She names us as design architects in this culture of peace.
She also talked about the difference between diplomacy and dialogue. For instance, diplomacy being done solely in the interest of one and acting from that singular interest, whereas dialogue involves real communication where we find out and keep in mind the needs of all involved.
She asked "What is the vaccine for violence?" She pointed out that in the US, our first reaction to violence is to try to cut it out (putting people in prison). Versus trying to prevent violence by changing the systems that support violence.
She introduced us to the idea of an iceberg of violence, that is, what we see (violent acts, words) is just the tip of the iceberg; a small part of something much bigger and well established. Immediate violence is supported by structural violence (social, economic, and political violence) and cultural violence (social norms and values).
Peace,
Colleen and Esther

Hey everyone!
Here is the wombat link from Dot's presentation yesterday.
http://bumpercars.com/wombat/wombat.swf
To learn more about the mala beads that Dot gave us yesterday to help us meditate, check out this site:
http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/product/malabeads.html

Yesterday we learned from Dot's presentation that in order for peace to exist between us we need to have peace within ourselves. So ask yourself this: "When/where are we at war with ourself?"

How can we resolve conflict within ourself so that we can spread peace out into the world?

That's all for now! Stay tuned for more!

-Esther and Colleen

Hello, all.
Our keynote speaker, Dorothy J. Maver, PhD recommends the following websites:

h ttp://peacejam.org/gcaconference/

http://www.yesworld.org /

http://www.unoy.org /

http://www.kidsforpeaceusa.org /

http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/section/17/187/

http://www.actionfornature.org/amaze-yes.html

http://www.ryanswell.ca/difference/waystogive.html

http://brothersjudd.tempwebpage.com/news/news060114gangs-peace.dwt

http://www.kimmieweeks.com/index.php

http://www.earthfuture.com/economy/

www.worldbusiness.org

http://tpu.transcend.org /

www.mfp-dop.org

Check them out and enjoy!

Hello, all,
Summer is finally underway and POWER Summit is happening in only TWELVE DAYS. We have been planning and preparing for out time together on June 23 through the 26. Excitement is building as we get ready to celebrate and cultivate peace as the new energy.
One goal of ours is to have a waste free summit, so get ready for reusable napkins, cups and utensils as well as organic and sustainably produced meals.
This year's summit will be full of music, spoken and written words, visual art and movement, all expressing and deepening our relationships with peace in our lives.
POWER Summit promises to instill hope, inspiration and action among all of you attending as well as everyone welcoming our energy into the universe.
We are eager to welcome you to our summit!
Peace,
The POWER Summit development team