Well it’s not a revolution yet, but the #OccupyWallStreet movement is certainly generating a lot of interest. It was a surprise to me that the origins of the movement were actually in Vancouver, where Adbusters publisher Kalle Lasn and his friends brainstormed on the idea that occupying Wall Street could bring attention to the depth of resentment about wealth inequity in the world. Reading this article in The Tyee, it is clear that Lasn has both a clear thought about what the movement could demand (a one percent tax on financial transactions) and a sense that there never was a …
Reading Paolo Coehlo’s fable The Alchemist: “When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”
Back in transit after two weeks on the road. I had two short nights and a day at home to recharge, see the kids, take in the Vancouver Whitecaps BC Place opener against Portland and try to kick this cold/cough. Things are busy right now. Most of my work is with faith based organizations, including several United Church of Canada congregations who have engaged me to work with them mostly around finding new levels of engagement within their congregations, or in collaboration with others. I am teaching a lot, on Art of Hosting teams in BC, Ontario, and next year …
Really interesting article here from a couple of perspectives. First, it is a reminder that slavery is present in the world and it isn’t a far off problem. Much of what we take for granted is made by slaves, Furthermore, the article points to an interesting app that will help you to see the connection between your life and the life of exploited, enslaved workers elsewhere in the world. The app doesn’t just give you the bad news, it takes a complexity approach to the problem, and it holds promise. And third, and this is a kind of strange take …
We have had a strange summer on the coast. People have complained that it hasn’t really felt like summer at all weather wise, and while it has been cooler, it has not been overly unpleasant. Mostly what is striking has been the quality of the air, which has never seemed to get warm enough to hold heat in the evenings. As we sleep outside in the summer time, this is not at all a problem, and the sleeping weather has been divine. But it has been a strange summer for me on other scores as well. I have been working …