when the people rise | transform. | march 2011
3/3/11 1:29 PM
Read this version online: http://transformativechange.org/transform/journal/201103.html Download printable PDF version: http://transformativechange.org/transform/print/201103.pdf This month's transform.: http://transformativechange.org/transform/?announce-transformonline/
what's new
welcome This month we're focusing on empowerment, some of which leans into the empowerment of women (it's Women's History Month, after all) and all of which links that bridge between destruction and creation. Considering the coming of Mardi Gras, the spring equinox, and the large-scale change happening in a couple of spots around the world--Egypt, Tunisia, and Wisconsin, to name the most obvious--our focus seemed fitting. We'd like to encourage you to pay attention to the consequences of your own actions. What are you creating or putting into motion?
Wisconsin Inspires
Protests seem to be happening everywhere on a large scale. Even in Wisconsin. This piece puts in [image: Francesco
perspective what's going on in the
Marino]
Midwest. Turns out news about
Madison has spread far and wide. The call reportedly arrived from Cairo. Pizza for the protesters, the voice said. It was Saturday, February 20th, and by then Ian's Pizza on State Street in Madison, Wisconsin, was overwhelmed. Read more... More About Wisconsin Protests
in SIGHT Asmaa Mahfouz | The Vlog that Sparked a Revolution
"Let Freedom Ring" World Trade Center, Cairo, Egypt. Š2010 angel Kyodo williams
when the people rise: why self-determination will always overcome fear INcite with angel Kyodo williams No video? Click: http://www.youtube.com/watch ? v=SgjIgMdsEuk
Tunisia. Egypt. Yemen. Bahrain. Libya. The last few months have borne witness to a powder keg of successive uprisings by Arab Peoples throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The desperate act of a
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"On January 18, 2011, 26-year-old Egyptian activist Asmaa Mahfouz posted a video online urging people to protest the "corrupt government" of Hosni Mubarak by rallying in Tahrir Square on January 25. Her moving call ultimately helped inspire Egypt's uprising. 'I, a girl, am going down to Tahrir Square, and I will stand alone.
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when the people rise | transform. | march 2011
Tunisian vendor—setting himself on fire in protest of his cart—and means of livelihood —being taken away—was a stand for selfdetermination that has been amplified by Arab People reclaiming their dignity one county at a time. If nature abhors a vacuum, then indeed, it resists none more persistently than a vacuum of natural selfhood. When the breaking point of lack of fulfillment meets with the illuminating function of self-awareness, human beings, like nature, seek to restore balance. When this happens collectively, We Are All Khaled Said... ...and the People rise.
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going down to Tahrir Square, and I will stand alone. And I'll hold up a banner. Perhaps people will show some honor,' Mahfouz said. 'Don't think you can be safe anymore. None of us are. Come down with us and demand your rights, my rights, your family's rights. I am going down on January 25th and will say no to corruption, no to this regime." Read more... Asmaa Mahfouz's Story on Democracy Now! Women of the Egyptian Revolution Subscribe to CXC on YouTube
in TIME
This (r)evolutionary imperative to see manifest condition in which one can thrive is more ancient, more deeply rooted, and thus more powerful, than the inclination to oppress others for one's own warped sense of self-gain. In a global, media-drenched world, awareness of self is expedited by the sheer number of other self-expressions to compare one's own expression (or lack thereof) to. Thus the cycle of being lulled to sleep by paternalistic promises--only to be rudely awakened by a nightmarish loss of freedom--is quickened. We come to terms more rapidly with the reality that as soothing as it may first appear when we are young and naive, we do not want to have everything taken care of by the Great Hero Father. Hence our empires rise and fall more swiftly than ever. Dictators, monarchs, aristocracies and elite parties beware: you are remnants of the past even before you take your corrupted seats these days. When your fabricated means of distraction falls away, the People will rise. Beyond survival and security, self-determination is the underpinning of justice. When corrupt leaders falter on the first two, the last is the restorative penance that must be paid. Beyond simple survival, being able to determine our own path is the hallmark of self-expression, self-fulfillment, and most importantly, self-love.
WEST COAST fearlessMeditation I | Practice of the Body The Art of Leadership Introductory Training on Childhood Sexual Abuse Work It Out!/A Chambear! | Workshop Series for Community Organizers of Color EAST COAST CSA | Community Supported Agriculture Conference The Art of Leadership SOUTHWEST SXSW | South by Southwest | Music + Film Interactive Convention MIDWEST Eastern Market Movie SOUTHEAST Day of Practice with Claudia Horwitz of Stone Circles
in the MONEY The Soul of Money |
In insisting upon the removal of decades-long dictators, the People reclaim their fundamental, inalienable right and responsibility to determine their own path. A right they have come to recognize has been obscured and hampered by individual men projecting an image of themselves as the sole reflection of an entire People: what they will and will not have access to how they are to be governed what they can and cannot become
Transform Your Relationship to Money "Lynne Twist is a global activist and fundraiser who has raised more than $150 million in [image: Bernhard
individual contributions for
Aichinger]
charitable causes." Based on her
own experiences, the book The Soul of Money, explores Lynne's understanding of the connection between how
It would appear to the untrained eye that these Arab Peoples were ruled by different men, but to the eye of the astute, each dictator was a differently dated carbon copy of the other, and all of them mere proxies for fear.
we live our lives and our ability to create prosperity.
But the People eventually stay the Iron Fist, lift the veil and see the cowering figure clinging to power is neither God nor Hero, just a
in the CENTER
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Read more... The Soul of Money Blog Interview with Lynne Twist
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when the people rise | transform. | march 2011
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cowering figure clinging to power is neither God nor Hero, just a small, desperate man. Emboldened by their commitment, empowered by their collectivity, liberated from the shackles of fear, the People rise to find liberation from the shackles of oppression.
CXC/YES! | Transition Status Update The CXC/YES! transition continues to hum along. Much has been accomplished in the
Questions abound as to how the all-knowing US didn't see such a wave of revolutions forthcoming: America's deep-seated racism and perceived religious-cultural superiority conspire to make the quiet swelling of a sea of brown and black People calling for their freedom with fearlessness, grace and unwavering determination a political improbability. To see them do it in succession, leaving the realm of mere anomaly? Impossible. Having paid so much to keep them divided, we simply lack the imagination to conceive of Arab Peoples bonding together in solidarity to restore the dignity and rightful place of their own. How else could we justify funding the suppression of their beautiful brown selves for so long? How else could we be so confused as to whether we should continue to underwrite Mass Muslim Control rather than proclaim the side of the People the only righteous side to be on? Even as we witnessed it with our own eyes, we clung to our reductionist, divisive values: it was the youth, it was the educated, it was the middle class, it was the non-religious. No matter that many of the largest protests formed after Friday prayers. Even more un-humanizing, it was Facebook or Twitter. Make no mistake: no matter the vehicle or tool, it was the People.
last four months. The process [image: Zochi Alonzo
continues, lifting up and
Young]
integrating the best of both
organizations into something new. Read more..
from the FIELD Reproductive Justice "ACRJ (Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice) promotes and protects reproductive justice [image: Nutdanai
through organizing, building
Apikhomboonwaroot]
leadership capacity, developing
alliances and education to achieve community and systemic change. [They] believe reproductive justice will be achieved when all people have..." Read more... Representative Moore Tells Off GOP ACRJ Blog Learn more about ACRJ
inner PRACTICE Being Change Changes
The brown, red, black and yellow People of this country can learn volumes from the hopefulness and vision expressed by our Arab brothers and sisters. If invested in transformation of society beyond the policy win, past the campaign, despite the funders, our own organizers can benefit from the study of revolutionary change —rooted in the mass power of collective love for the People that unifies, coupled with the individual compulsion for selfdetermination—that will always eventually transcend fear. When that happens, we the People, too, shall finally rise.
Everything
What can you do in your own small way to propel change? [image: Arvind
Mama Donna Henes, an
Balaraman]
internationally renowned urban
shaman, ritual expert, award-winning author, popular speaker and workshop leader, encourages each of us to do our own small part... It is so damn easy to feel depressed, frustrated and disillusioned right now. These are terrible times of
—yours in truth, aKw
artificial division, manipulated resentment and palpable fear. The real dynamic being played out right now is not about warring religious, economic or nationalistic... Read more...
dedicated to the power of the People. may they rise again and again. angel Kyodo williams, is Founder Emeritus of Center for Transformative Change. She now serves as Director of Vision. A social visionary and leading voice for transformative
http://transformativechange.org/transform/journal/201103-email.html
Mama Donna Henes' Web site Mama Donna Henes on YouTube
outer ACTION
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when the people rise | transform. | march 2011
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What is Conscious
Vision. A social visionary and leading voice for transformative social change, she is the author of Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace .
Embodiment? Wendy Palmer has taught Conscious Embodiment for 28 years. The workshop, which has
Blog: new Dharma: live, love & lead from the heart Blog: mtx: mind training & xformation
an international following (it's
Facebook: Like angel here Twitter: Follow angel for tweets of wisdom on Change
[image: Courtesy CE]
Web: http://angelkyodowilliams.com
bodies, the way we sit, the way we stand, the way we
taught in the US, Europe, Canada,
and South Africa), teaches us that everything about our speak, even our energetics, affects the way we present
angel Kyodo williams' next public talk: Thursday, March 17 @ CXC
ourselves to the world, the way we see ourselves, the way others see us--our habits. Read more...
newDharma Talk
Learn more about Conscious Embodiment Basic Practices
newDharma Talk | In the Country of the Self
We spend a lot of time trying to escape from ourselves. There are "good" escapes (helping others) and "bad" (running away from our responsibilities). We never seem to be content with our lives as they are. We somehow think that we need to be better, perfect, closer to our ultimate goal before we can really be of any use. Not so. Perhaps this talk will shed a little light on the importance of practicing just as we are.
social CHANGE The Activism & Spirituality of WISE Women Since 1923, when Huda Sha'rawi [image: Robert Paul Vanbeets]
dared to remove her face veil at a Cairo railway station, women in Egypt have been fighting for
equality, change, recognition--for their lives, their
"I am very, very content to just be here and to work with what I
humanity, their rights. And now that there has been
have. And not try to figure out how to have another life, how to have some life other than the one that's in front of me. It seems
such a huge shift, these women are calling out for equality.
like that's what we're often trying to do. We're trying to figure out, How do I hurry up through this particular moment and get to
Read more...
another one? How do I? What kind of book can I read or video can I watch or guru can I see so that I don't have to work on the
Nawal El Saadawi Interviewed by Rebecca Walker
material that I have in front of me myself. I want a little bit of a labor saving device, a labor saving machine." Listen to In the Country of the Self Download text for In the Country of the Self
More About WISE Mona Eltahawy Interviewed by NPR
in the MIND Mind Creates Matter Those of us who love magic, the hocus-pocus, pull a rabbit out of a hat kind of magic, love the idea of creating things out of thin air.
activists, allies & agents of change
Apparently, our brains come [image: Salvatore Vuono]
Wendy Palmer | The Art of Conscious Embodiment
[image: John Lund]
Wendy Palmer is the founder of Conscious Embodiment, a somatic process that is informed by aikido and mindfulness. Conscious Embodiment builds upon these traditions to offer simple yet deep techniques that bring awareness of the mind and body's reaction to pressure and an alternative of responding with presence, confidence, and compassion. She works with leaders on presence, empowerment and cultivating center
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pretty close to doing this all on
their own. Yep, we're magicians. David Copperfield, step aside! Based on the research of Candace Beebe Pert... Read more... Learn more about Candace Beebe Pert What the Bleep Do We Know? Making Thought Physical fearless Meditation is a 3-part signature series that teaches practical meditation within a social justice Page 4 of 7
when the people rise | transform. | march 2011
under stress. Wendy is a sixth degree Black Belt in aikido and author of two books, The Intuitive Body and The Practice of Freedom. Wendy developed the technique because of what she was experiencing in her aikido practice. She says, "I didn't plan or vision the CE/LE work--it evolved from my interest in the dimension of effortless power I was seeing and experiencing in aikido. I wanted to understand how to tap this effortless power not only on the mat but also in other parts of my life." Read more... Conscious Embodiment
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teaches practical meditation within a social justice framework. It's offered for no charge for agents of social change.
"the best workshop i've ever taken. radically changed my work." fearless Meditation I: March 4, 2011 & every 1st Friday | 7pm
in the BODY Twelve Months of Abhaya (fearless) Yoga | Gomukhasana
resources for change‌
In the last article of Twelve
Watch the trailer from the film "Color Lines," which features
we featured gomukhasana. This
conversations that span thirteen years between two formidable women activists, Angela Davis and Yuri Kochiyama.
month we decided to re-feature
Months of Abhaya (fearless) Yoga,
this posture due to its complicated
Color Lines
nature. [image: chandra thuy
What's going on for International Women's Day (March 8th)? Take a look at this Web site to find out what's happening around the world. International Women's Day Events
Read more...
tran]
wellness & being well Study Shakes Pillar of Breast Cancer Care
The National Women's History Project emphasizes the importance of women from all backgrounds as positive role models. "Every
A new study has found that
year in March, the NWHP coordinates observances of National Women's History Month throughout the country. The NWHP
in about 20 percent of breast
removing cancerous lymph nodes cancer patients does not improve
originated this widely recognized celebration and sets the annual theme, produces educational materials, and chooses particular
[image: Univ. of Missouri]
women to honor nationally for their work." Check them out here: National Women's History Project
women in the study, all with early breast cancer, had
survival or prevent cancer
recurrence. The surgery was unnecessary because the chemotherapy and radiation, which probably wiped out any disease in the nodes.
What's next? Phyllis Bennis explains why Libya's struggle for democracy is different from the many other struggles happening now in the Middle East. Libya & Beyond: What's Next for Democracy?
Read more...
march wallpaper
quote of the month "I think the most important issue we have as a people is what we started, and that is to begin to trust our own thinking again and believe in ourselves enough to think that we can articulate our own vision of the future and then work to make sure that that vision becomes a reality." Wilma Mankiller, first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation fishing for freedom
errata
As a coastal town, the people of Gaza City have a 25mile long open window to the Mediterranean Sea, but
In our february 2011 issue, Cara Page was credited for taking a photo of herself. In fact, Susan Raffo was the photographer.
owing to restrictions imposed by Israel, many fisherman can barely survive in the over-crowded and environmentally taxed strip.
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when the people rise | transform. | march 2011
support deep change
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environmentally taxed strip. The people are only permitted to venture out three
transform. is published by the Center for Transformative Change (CXC)
nautical miles before patrols open fire, targeting their boat's functional components, which are nearimpossible to replace given the Israeli seige. Owing to
CXC is the first national center entirely dedicated to bridging the
those three miles arbitrarily becoming even less at a
inner and outer lives of social change agents, activists and allies to support a more effective, more sustainable social justice
random patrolman's whim, every time they set sail, they
movement.
photo copyright 2010. angel Kyodo williams
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