CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Association
for Global New Thought presents Awakened World 2005
"Walk
of Sacred Action: A Living Pilgrimage"
October
3-7, 2005 La Quinta Resort La Quinta, California
Featuring:
Marianne Williamson
James and Salle Redfield
Jean Houston
Mrs. Ela Gandhi
Phil Cousineau
Andrew Cohen
Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne
Barbara Marx Hubbard
Bill Ury
Jim Kenney
Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman
Rashied Omar
Dr. Samya Charika Marasinghe
Ashish Ramgobin
Click to download the following program in pdf format.
PROGRAM
Monday,
October 3,
7:30 - 9:30
PM Fiesta
Ballroom
Musical performances by:
Joseph Lam
Peggy Lebo
Rickie Byars Beckwith
Jami Lula
Ester Nicholson
7-8 am Fiesta
14
Heart and Soul Yoga with Linda
Watson
Join us each morning
for an inspired experience of meditation-in-motion; gentle yoga and stretching
to open your heart, soothe your soul, clear your mind and energize your
body. An invitation to ground and
center yourself, preparing your body, mind and spirit for the fullness of the
day.
Wear
comfortable clothing - all levels of experience welcome!
9am
- Noon Fiesta
Ballroom
"You
will be Guided "
Weavers:
Dr. Kathy Hearn, Dr. Barbara Fields
"Sea Change:
Living in a Time of Cultural Evolution"
We're living in a critical
transformative period characterized by a steady decline in influence of some of
our most familiar assumptions, values, and models for understanding. We've come
increasingly to question and challenge the legitimacy of war, patriarchy,
resource exploitation and pollution, racially-based policies, injustice,
religious exclusivism, and imperialism. At the same time, we've begun to
explore and even to commit to newer or rediscovered values including human
rights, social justice, ecological sustainability, care for the Earth,
non-violence, and interreligious harmony. Jim will discuss the implications for
tomorrow's world of this extraordinary and promising dynamic in 21st-century
cultural evolution, including his own organization's emerging partnership in
the Abraham Path initiative.
Bill Ury * The Abraham
Path Project
One of the
core objectives of The Abraham Path initiative is a comprehensive education and
awareness campaign centered on the understanding of, and respect for the three
faiths that recognize the patriarch, Abraham, as their common forefather. The Association for Global New
Thought, partnering with the Interreligious Engagement Project for the 21st
Century, and the Global Negotiation Project at Harvard University,
plans to
inspire 'Abraham Walks' in communities throughout the world whereby
'omni-local' grassroots teams comprised of people from all faiths and
cultures
will walk from churches to mosques to synagogues, and jointly create
events and
activities that exemplify new models for reconciliation. The walks will
be
undertaken in a context of deep study and dialogue focused on the
complex
religious, political, economic and humanitarian issues that underpin
the
seemingly intractable strife embedded in the region, itself, as well as
the
social tensions shared by 3 billion adherents of Abrahamic faith
worldwide.
Levi Weiman-Kelman *
(Videotaped Message) "Justice, Spirituality, and Peacemaking"
A rabbi's reflections on
peace in the Middle East. A key figure among Israeli-Palestinian peace
activists, Levi will offer a brief message on the realities and the possibilities
of building cultures of peace in the Middle East.
A. Rashied Omar * The
Role of Faith in Conflict Transformation in the Middle East
It is widely
known that religion is deeply implicated in the conflict in the Middle East.
The potential role of faith in conflict transformation, however, is less
understood. One of the most important findings of conflict resolution research
in recent years is that it is not sufficient for a sustainable peace agenda to
be defined by secular approaches focusing exclusively on material interests. An
emerging literature on religion, conflict, and peacebuilding is identifying
modest ways in which religion can and is contributing to the transformation
relationships and the healing of memories. This presentation will explore the
efficacy of these new faith-based approaches to conflict transformation and
strategic peacebuilding in the Middle East.
Musical
performances by:
Destiny
Peggy Lebo
Jami Lula
Brenda Marie Eager
Ester Nicholson
Presentation
& Film Screening
Tuesday,
October 4
12:15-1:30pm
Fiesta
Ballroom
SPIRITUAL CINEMA: A
Catalyst for New Activism
In this presentation, by viewing touching sequences from some of the
best
offerings of spiritually-inspired cinema over the past few years,
you'll see
why this compelling new genre of movies is making news and making a
difference
around the world. Spiritual cinema is the medium through which we have
the most
powerful possibility of inspiring the world and instilling messages of
hope for
the future. It focuses on two important questions: Who are we?
Why are we
here? As demonstrated in today's presentation, this new catalyst for
activism
entails a personal, inner-directed and individual experience of the
Divine as
an integral part of our own humanity that illuminates the landscape of
our
evolution. It stirs us to remember whom we can be when we reach beyond
the 'seen,' into a realm where we engage the magic and the miracle of
the upper reaches
of the human potential.
Tuesday, October 4, BREAKOUT
SECTIONS
2:00 - 3:30 pm
Using the seven stages of the powerful myth of the Seven Brothers, Jean
Houston will guide you through the essential trainings of those who would be
world servers, spiritual activists who
are social artists and therefore can profoundly make a difference.
Tsunami:
An opportunity for spiritual re-awakening
Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne
In Buddhist
philosophy first of the four noble truths The Buddha discovered was the noble
truth of suffering; second, the noble truth that there is the cause that brings
about suffering; third, the noble truth that this cause can be removed, and
fourth, that there is a path leading to the removal of suffering. Sarvodaya
looked at Tsunami keeping in mind these four noble truths. Accordingly, the
movement responded to this catastrophe by launching the 'Tsuami to Deshodaya', the Sarvodaya
Plan for National Re-awakening.
Sarvodaya
strongly believes that Tsunami is an opportunity for spiritual re-awakening.
For example, Sarvodaya attempts to understand this unprecedented disaster in
terms of the five cosmic laws taught by the Buddha. To protect and sustain our
life support systems and prevent them from being subjected to man made or
natural catastrophes. The Buddha advised us not to violate the five cosmic
laws: cosmic law pertaining to genetic order (Bija Niyama), cosmic law
pertaining to climatic cycles (Utu Niyama), cosmic law pertaining to cause and
effect (Kamma Niyama), cosmic law pertaining to all phenomenon (Dhamma Niyama)
and cosmic law pertaining to consciousness (Citta Niayama).
From Tsunami tidal waves to spiritual healing
waves
Dr. Charika Marasinghe
Charika Marasinghe will share with you how the
feelings of fear, anxiety, stress and confusion in the hearts and minds of
Tsunami survivors are being transformed into calm, tranquil, peaceful and contended
thoughts through the Sarvodaya's psycho-spiritual healing programme. Charika
will relate real life stories where survivors are trying to reconnect with the
immense spiritual resources from which they can draw energy to heal the pain
and suffering and to reawaken their lives with renewed faith and hope.
Furthermore, this presentation will also highlight the initiatives adopted to
transform the collective consciousness of tsunami survivors thus enabling the
communities to develop right understanding and self-reliance based on strong
spiritual energies and values.
10 Reasons
for Hope: Evolving Values in the Early 21st Century
Join Jim for an
upbeat look at a world in the process of a major advance in cultural evolution.
It may not seem like it, but ours is one of those rare times of sweeping
positive change in understanding and values. We'll consider 10 signs of change
that will get you thinking and hoping again. Among them: An emerging global consensus of values grounded in
new approaches to peace and conflict transformation, social and economic
justice and human rights, and ecological sustainability. Along the way, we'll
consider vital corollary developments, from women's empowerment to the global
interreligious movement and the rise of integral thinking.
Education
for a Better World: envisioning, exploring, and experiencing a model of
education that empowers, informs, enlivens, and plants the seeds for a
peaceful, just, and sustainable future.
How
do we prepare our children (and ourselves) to be wise, compassionate, and
capable stewards of the planet? How can we be informed about our world without
succumbing to apathy and despair? How do we translate our deepest yearnings for
the planet and future generations into meaningful and effective action?
These
are the kinds of questions that led to the creation of Global Village School
(www.globalvillageschool.org) Using Global Village as a model, we will discuss
methods of teaching peace, justice, diversity, and
Participants will reflect
together upon their own experiences and visions. In addition, everyone will
receive a list of books, Web sites, and other resources that can be easily
integrated into educational programs in schools, spiritual communities, or personal
study.
Tuesday,
October 4, BREAKOUT SECTIONS
4:00 -
5:30 pm
Rev. Wendy Craig Purcell, John McNeil and
Christine Elliot
Church of Today, San Diego, CA
Courage, Conviction and Commitment: Broadening
Your New Thought Ministry To Include Spiritual Activism
"It
is more important to create a safer, kinder world than to recruit more people
to the religion that happens to satisfy us."
~ Dalai Lama
Reverend Wendy Craig Purcell has stepped
forward into the realm of leading her Unity Church into spiritual activism. At
her Church of Today in San Diego, a group of over 70 congregants meet regularly to educate themselves
about how to advocate with Congressional Representatives to pass the Bill to
establish a cabinet-level Department of Peace. Wendy has also sponsored
speakers and activities at the church encouraging her congregation to apply
their spiritual principles in the broader context of world events. In this
session Wendy will share her experience Òwalking the fine lineÓ between maintaining
her support of the spiritual growth of her congregation, while encouraging them
to go beyond and to truly live their spirituality
to make positive changes in our world. John McNeil and Christine Elliot are
co-coordinators of Church of Today's 'Americans For the Department of Peace'
group and will share their perspectives of participating in the Church's
evolution into spiritual activism.
"It
isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough
to believe in it. One must work at it."
Power vs. Force: Spiritual and Practical
Dimensions of Nonviolence
Imagine connecting with the human spirit, in each person,
in any situation. Imagine interacting with others in a way that allows
everyone's needs to be equally valued. Imagine creating organizations and
life-serving systems responsive to our needs and the needs of our environment.
The process of Nonviolent Communicationª (NVC) helps
connect us with what is alive in ourselves and in others moment-to-moment, with
what we or others could do to make life more wonderful, and with an awareness
of what gets in the way of natural giving and receiving.
NVC strengthens our ability to inspire compassion from
others and respond compassionately to others and ourselves. NVC guides us to
reframe how we express ourselves, how we hear others and resolve conflicts by
focusing our consciousness on what we are observing, feeling, needing, and
requesting. It is a process of empathy and honesty, and is sometimes described
as 'the language of the heart.'
"It takes presence, practice, tools and skills to
live joyfully and nonviolently in this world. We will learn several
processes for returning ourselves to the true power of presence, receive
specific tools and get a chance to practice and develop skills for
compassionately creating a fully lived life."
Diane V. Cirincione, Ph.D. & Barbara Marx
Hubbard
"Regenopause" (Yes, it's what you think it is!)
Gandhi King Season for Nonviolence
Symposium
205 U.S. cities and 10 countries,
1998-2006
Working as a co-founder with Arun Gandhi of the M.K.
Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, AGNT is the official Convener of the Gandhi
& King: A Season for Nonviolence. The 64 day period between January 30, and
April 4, 1998 commemorated the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of these
legendary peace-makers. Launched and closed at the United Nations from
1998- 2005, the Season empowered the formation of task forces to implement over
400 programs and projects in nonviolence in 205 cities since inception. Now
institutionalized on a grassroots level, the Season has become an annual event.
SNV 2006 is forming now. For invaluable
information on how to lead or participate in your community, and for deeply
inspiring insight on these great peacemakers and the essence of their
philosophy, be sure to attend.
Tuesday,
October 4
7:30 Ð 9:30
pm Fiesta
Ballroom
"You will be Guided"
Weaver: Dr.
Roger Teel
James
Redfield & Salle Merrill Redfield:
AW2005
Behind-the-scenes
highlights from the feature film,
"The
Celestine Prophecy"
Join James Redfield, author of
the worldwide bestseller, The
Celestine Prophecy, along with Salle Merrill Redfield, author of the Celestine Meditations as
they chronicle the synchronistic journey of The Celestine Prophecy from a global bestseller to an upcoming major
motion picture. They will share Òbehind the scenesÓ visuals and a never
before seen trailer for the film.
At the end of the last century, The Celestine Prophecy, a worldwide bestseller, introduced millions of
readers to an appreciation of spiritual awareness and became an unprecedented
publishing phenomenon. Now just in time for the changing
world, the mystical messages of the book that inspired million has been
made into a compelling film, featuring an international cast including Matthew
Settle, Thomas Kretschmann, Sarah Wayne Callies, Annabeth Gish, Hector
Elizondo, Joaquim De Almeida and Jorgen Prochnowd
This long-awaited feature film adaptation of the sensational bestseller The
Celestine Prophecy (Warner, 1995)
will be hitting movie screens nationwide in early 2006. Written by James
Redfield and Barnet Bain, Oscar-winning producer of What Dreams May Come, and
produced by Barnet Bain, Terry Collis and James Redfield, the film version of
The Celestine Prophecy is certain to re-ignite interest in Intuition and
Synchronicity in meeting the challenges of a world in transition.
Musical
performances by:
Dena Isha
V. Khali
Brenda Marie Eager
Rickie Byars Beckwith
Full Day Institute Intensives
10 am Ð 4 pm (Houston, Hubbard,
Kenney)
($100 w/attending conference; $125
Institute only/no conference)
1 pm Ð 4 pm (Unity)
($50 w/attending conference; $75
Institute only/no conference)
EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT PRE-REGISTERED,
it is not too late to attend these rare opportunities for full-day intensives
with dynamic conference presenters. Register anytime before 9:30am
Wednesday at Fiesta del Sol Registration Counter.
Fiesta Ballroom 7
"Social Artistry and Life Purpose"
Jean Houston is a
scholar, philosopher, cultural historian, storyteller and internationally
renowned seminar leader in the human potential field. A prolific writer and
author of 20 published books.
We find ourselves in the midst of the
most massive shift of perspective
humankind has ever known. A new set of values--holistic, syncretic,
relationship and process-oriented, organic and spiritual--is rising within us
and around us. Though the forces
of entropy and fear seek to contain or regress us, we know there is no going
back. Not only has the time come to step into our own social artistry and
higher life purpose, but it comes just in time to serve a world in desperate
need of our gifts. Come discover your
place in the world scheme.
"Experiencing the Communion of Pioneering
Souls"
Barbara Marx Hubbard is the
founder and president of the Foundation for Conscious Evolution; Rev. James
L. Lockard serves as Pastor of the Westlake Church of
Religious Science, and is on the Board of Directors of Religious Science
International; Carolyn Anderson is a
co-founder and the co-director of Global Family, an international peace
education organization affiliated with the United Nations.
Ministers and laypeople are invited to join Barbara
Marx Hubbard and
Rev. James Lockard in a new exploration to combine
the principles and
Practices of New Thought and Conscious Evolution -
two pioneering spiritual/socialphilosophies to serve our planet in these
critical times.
Jim and Barbara will work with leaders in New
Thought and evolutionary
understanding to discover together a new
developmental path for the
universal, cocreative human now being born in our
midst. We will offer
and co-develop new templates for cocreation and
conscious evolution
within the churches, and beyond in the larger
world. We feel that this
initiative will deepen New Thought and Conscious
Evolution and bring
something new to the world that is deeply needed,
and know that New Thought is ready to emerge as a guiding force of the
conscious evolution of humanity
Also at this Institute, Barbara and Carolyn Anderson
will offer a new process for evolutionary spirituality including a
Co-ordination and the formation of Universal Communion Circles to help us
stabilize our consciousness as evolving humans.
Fiesta Ballroom 9
"Cultural Evolution and Cultures of Peace"
Jim Kenney is
Executive Director of the Interreligious Engagement Project (IEP21) a founding
trustee, and Global Director (1995-2002)
of the Parliament of the WorldÕs Religions. A. Rashied Omar is a
Muslim imam from Cape Town, South Africa, a Trustee of the Council for a
Parliament of the WorldÕs Religions and Coordinator of the Kroc Institute's
Program in Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding at the University of Notre
Dame.
Are we living in a time of accelerated cultural
evolution? If so, what are the signs? Is there an emerging consensus of
positive approaches to peace, justice, and sustainability? And what are the
implications for conflict transformation in our own communities, regions, and
religious groups? This intensive workshop will bring it all together: cultural
evolution, peacemaking, conflict transformation, and community action. We'll
recap the big ideas from the plenary presentations and then move to small group
and whole group discussions of personal stories on the themes
of cultural evolution and peace activism. We'll conclude with a detailed
exploration of what is being done and what
can be done. If you're committed to understanding the change that's
underway, to making a difference, and to taking something home to your own
community, this is the workshop for you.
Fiesta Ballroom 10
1-4 pm
"Current Scientific Research
on Prayer and its link to Our Well Being"
Mitchell W. Krucoff, M.D., Professor
of Medicine/ Cardiology, and Suzanne Crater, R.N., both from Duke University
Medical Center and co-directors of the MANTRA and MANTRA II studies; Marilyn
Schlitz, Ph. D., Vice President of Research
and Education for the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), and Senior Scientist
at the Research Institute at the California Pacific Medical Center;
Bob Barth, director
of the Office of Prayer Research. The Office of Prayer Research is committed to
strengthening humanity's understanding of prayer through available research and
education
The scientific and medical communities have greatly increased their study of
the power of prayer and other noetic therapies in the last few years. Woven
into these studies are the underlying effects of prayer, religion, and spirituality
on the human condition.
Come interact with experts in the field; examine current trends and findings;
and develop practical tools you can take with you.
What roles do prayer and noetic therapies, including touch therapy, stress
relaxation, and imagery, play in the healing process? What trends or
breakthroughs can be understood by closely reviewing over 200 scientific prayer
studies? This workshop will answer these questions and more. I will also
provide a framework for discussion and development of practical applications to
use in living a better life.
Ministers' Lounge and Meditation
Room
Throughout the conference...
Fiesta 12
Wednesday, October 5 & Thursday, October 6
12:15-1:30pm
Fiesta
12
Ministers: Bring your lunch and participate in dialogue facilitated by Rev.
Kathleen Verigin, Senior Minister, Abundant Life Center, Vancouver, WA,
and members of the AGNT Leadership and Advisory Council
We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For!
But Are We Taking Care of Us?
The beauty of New Thought is that we can change our lives by changing our
thinking. The curse of New Thought is that this principle often overlooks the
reality of the human condition, stress and burnout. Spiritual leaders are human
beings who have answered a calling to be of service. Today the literal calls
come to us through a wide variety of avenues, phone, fax, email, text messages,
etc. Today the spiritual calls are coming from all over the world, not just
within the safety of our spiritual communities. How are spiritual leaders
coping in a local and global context with the stresses associated with being a
minister? What is the sacred inner pilgrimage for the contemporary minister?
Can burnout be transformed into re-igniting our sacred fire walk?
Wednesday,
October 5,
7:30
- 9:30 PM Fiesta
Ballroom
"You
will be Changed"
Weaver:
Rev. Mary Omwake
Jean Houston
Jean Houston
writes: "I believe that purpose is two-fold: we have a local
purpose and a
global purpose. Taken together
they call us toward greater awareness and higher usefulness.
Increasingly,
individuals are feeling a depth of call to high destiny. however, the call is now democratized
and planetary. In these times of
tremendous upheaval, the need is urgent and the only maps or designs lie within
the soul.
How can we
align ourselves with the highest purpose and live fully primed in its
power? I want to offer he
participants in the AGNT conference ways in which they can feel themselves
charged by purpose, aware of their higher destiny, and dedicated to moving
toward it with excitement, joy and panache."
Musical
performances by:
Manose
JD Martin
Jan Garrett
Dena Risha
Charles Holt
Rickie Byars Beckwith
Ester Nicholson
Thursday,
October 6 SPECIAL
EVENT
7-9:00 am
Meet in Fiesta
Ballroom Ð Guided walk in nearby low desert
The Pilgrimage
Walk
A short, silent,
symbolic walk from La Quinta grounds, via residential street, and inward along
easy path toward mountains farming the beautiful low desert. Then back to La
Quinta for closing chant in time for 9:30 plenary program in the Fiesta
Ballroom.
7:00 am SHARP Meet in silence in
Fiesta Ballroom for opening prayers and the sounding of the bell signaling the
beginning of the silent walk. We will walk together in silence, in solidarity
with pilgrims walking throughout the world. Guided by Rev. Ellen Grace O'Brian, Spiritual
Director of the center for Spiritual Enlightenment, San Jose, California.
The difference
between a journey and a pilgrimage is this: on a journey, reaching the goal
means success; a pilgrimage is successful only when each step becomes the goal.
-- Brother David Steindl-Rast
As pilgrims we leave behind what is
already known; we let go of our agendas and expectations and walk forth into
the desert attending to the heart as our guide for the journey. This
extraordinary opportunity for a silent pilgrimage at the midpoint of the
conference offers those who embrace it a turning point, a threshold opening
upon inner vistas of possibility. To embody our inspiration we walk in prayer,
becoming the prayer itself. And as we walk, the prayer prays us, and changes
usÑone conscious step at a time. When Rabbi Abraham Heschel walked with Dr.
Martin Luther King in Selma he said, "My feet are praying." In this morning
pilgrimage, we will pray with our feet as we open ourselves fully to being
instruments of peace in our awakening world.
Thursday,
October 6
9:30 am -
Noon Fiesta
Ballroom
"You Will Be A
Blessing"
Weavers:
Rev. Howard Caesar, Tom Zender
"The Art of Pilgrimage: Transforming Our Inner Life By
Walking Through the Outer World"
For millennia,
pilgrimage has emphasized deep attention and devotion to the Divine presence in
every moment. Over the last decade the world has witnessed a phenomenal
resurgence in the ancient practice of pilgrimage, the spiritually
transformative journey to a holy place. More people are taking spiritual
journeys to both sacred and secular sites than at any time since the middle
Ages. This movement has transformed the travel industry as well as widened the
scope of spiritual experience.
This presentation will
utilize a multimedia approach to the revival and relevance of pilgrimage as we
explore its rich variations, ranging from Aborigine, Native American, Islamic,
Christian, Jewish pilgrimage, to non-traditional ones, such as visits to
artists and writer's homes, military gravesites, nature preserves, and
ancestral roots. We will also discuss the deeper implications of pilgrimage as
a model for seeking the sacred in everyday life.
Ela Gandhi & Ashish
Ramgobin
"A Holistic Approach to Social Problems"
Now ten years into our fledgling democracy, the civil society organizations in South Africa, have been forced to re-evaluate our
methods of providing services to the disadvantaged communities. Funding for community development is being compromised,
needs are increasing and society is degenerating. With her involvement within
the democratic regime and as an activist in civil society, Mrs. Gandhi,
presenting with her daughter, Ashish Ramgobin,
realizes the overwhelming need for coordinated services to be provided. We
therefore began a process of building a coordinated approach to our work with
other like-minded organizations.
Together, the network of these organizations work toward attitudinal change, the rebuilding of moral values, active practices of
nonviolence, sustainable livelihoods and practices, interfaith tolerance and
harmony, and national empowerment. Our
approaches and methods vary to ensure that each sector of our society is
appropriately targeted. However, because we have shared values, the impact of
our work is complementary and holistic. In this spirit, the organizations
have jointly decided to set up a centre for nonviolence which will provide all
the services listed below and further it will provide courses on non violence
as a discipline.
Musical
performances by:
Manose
Krishna
Charles Holt
JD Martin
Jan Garrett
I Dream of Rain
Ester Nicholson
Thursday,
October 6, BREAKOUT SECTIONS
2:00 Ð
3:30 pm
The Art of
Sacred Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred
This in-depth session
will follow the "great round" of pilgrimage from the Longing and The
Call to Spiritual Adventure, down the Pilgrim's Way, through the Labyrinth,
until we reach The Arrival at the sacred site, before coming full circle to the
last stage, Bringing Home the Boon. The session will include slides, film
clips, music, writing and meditation exercises, and robust discussion.
"Media,
Message and Meaning"
Founder
and Principal of The Visioneering Group, has a diverse background. A skilled and experienced communicator,
administrator, musician, teacher and entrepreneur, the thread that runs through
Raatz's professional life is an abiding commitment to others' excellence and
success ... and to the unfolding process that's lifting all of humanity to a
new level of conscious expression. Since 1988, The Visioneering Group (TVG),
whose mission is "Linking Spirit, Vision and Values with Communication to
Promote a Positive Future," has represented many of the foremost authors,
books, films and musical projects in the transformational Cultural Creatives / "new thought" movement, bridging
clients' messages from this group into the mainstream marketplace.
"When you awaken and suddenly recognize your own place in the evolutionary process, you realize something BIG: that it's all up to you. Consciousness is not going to evolve by itself. If the evolutionary potential inherent in consciousness is going to be activated, you have to be responsible for it. Why? Because it is only through the human vehicle that the creative principle, the God impulse that initiated this whole process, has the capacity to know itself." Don't miss this rare opportunity to engage in intimate dialogue with one of today's most dynamic spiritual teachers. Discover how you can actively engage in the evolution of consciousness, and experience the profound significance of your own transformation on our collective future.
Fiesta Ballroom 10
Cynthia Henson & Rita Marie Johnson
"The Peace Army of Costa Rica is
pursuing the right idea with the right methods in a visionary social
experiment. By teaching proven skills for 'feeling peace' and 'speaking
peace', this unique project will impact the consciousness of an entire country
and demonstrate that lasting peace is both practical and possible" (Deepak
Chopra).
The Peace Army holds a
vision of Costa Ricans passing on two skills of peace from generation to
generation. Peace Army trainers offer the two methods to teachers who then pass
them on to their students:
Thursday, October 6, BREAKOUT SECTIONS
4:00 Ð
5:30 pm
Rev. Ellen O'Brian
Silence, Social Action
and Paradigm Shift
Spirit
and Radical Justice
In
the words of John Berger, "We only see what we look at." What the New
Thought movement looks at with great passion is the one Spirit that connects us
all. But that interconnectedness also exists in the "real world,"
literally from the ground up. How we grow our food, spend our money, make our choices
and raise our voices impacts every living thing directly.
Radical
Justice requires that we look at all that, too, unflinchingly. It's
about
heart, not guilt. It's about truth, not blame. It's about letting go
of
comfort and privilege in order to find our deepest calling. It's about
speaking
truth to power, with joyful, thunderous conviction, and fighting
with
great courage for a world that reflects the very best in all of us.
Come
to this lively interactive workshop and brainstorm your own form of
Radical
Justice. Discover how to make it a cornerstone of your daily life.
Ela Gandhi & Ashish
Ramgobin
A Holistic Approach to
Critical Problems in our Society.
Ela
and her daughter, Ashish, have made a long journey to share with us the models
they have developed. You will be
amazed to learn their significance to our own growing imperative to create here
in the U.S. stronger, spiritually-based grassroots networks, and alternative
systems for social sustainability.
Ela
and Ashish write: Now ten years into our fledgling democracy, we, the civil
society organizations, have been forced to re-evaluate our methods of providing
services to the disadvantaged communities. Development funding is being
rationalized, needs are increasing and society is degenerating. With my
involvement within the democratic regime and as an activist in civil society, I
realized the overwhelming need for coordinated services to be provided. We
therefore began a process of building a coordinated approach to our work with
other like-minded organizations. The organizations that form part of this
network are listed below with their primary work and goals.
Together,
we work towards attitudinal change, moral regeneration, active practices of non
violence, sustainable livelihoods and practices, interfaith tolerance and
harmony and nation-building. Our approaches and methods vary to ensure that
each sector of our society is appropriately targeted. However we have shared values and thus the impact of our
work is complementary and holistic. In this spirit the organizations have
jointly decided to set up a centre for nonviolence that will provide all the
services listed below and further it will provide courses on non violence as a
discipline:
Satyagraha - In Pursuit of Truth
In
order to promote community education we started a newspaper in 1999. As the
idea was to promote Gandhian values we called it Satyagraha. Its focus is on:
The
Gandhi Development Trust (GDT)
Established
on the 19th August 2002, our mission is to build a spirit of
reconciliation, to help create a
common nationhood, to create a
culture of peace and nonviolence, to work on issues of development and
empowerment, to promote a deeper understanding of democracy, to promote human
values, to learn from and about our history, to mobilize the community to work
for change through the inspiration of our powerful heritage.
The
World Conference on Religion and Peace
Extensively
involved in promoting religious tolerance, peace education in schools, dialogue
between culturally and religiously diverse groups on HIV and AIDS and building
harmony among all South Africans.
Participative Development Initiative
An NGO working towards the promotion of sustainable
development as a tool towards eradicating poverty. The organization is
currently developing a sustainable development centre at the Phoenix
Settlement, where people will benefit from sustainable livelihoods promotion,
post graduate courses on Sustainable Development, organic seed production and
incubation facilities for small business. PDIÕs primary contribution to this
process is the development of a holistic approach to community and individual
growth in South Africa with emphasis on personal development as a catalyst for
social development.
The Domestic Violence Helpline(DVHL)
Set up in 1998 and provides a 24 hour telephone
counseling service as a primary focus.
In addition it provides empowerment through skills training in crafts
making and marketing as well as education and awareness programs in communities
and schools. This project is a
small neighborhood project and is presently engaged in establishing a
networking and cooperative relationship with other nonprofit and community
based organizations in order to provide a holistic service to victims of violence.
Harry Morgan
Moses, D. D.
The
Conscious Diplomacy of New Thought
Our world is in the process of
awakening into universal consciousness. The awakening to spiritual principals,
which belong to all people, traditions, religions, and ways of life will
emanate out through our religious, secular, business and political
institutions. The understanding of the "window of perception," which New
Thought offers gives us the opportunity to be conscious in our networking and
brings forth the opportunity for spiritual diplomacy.
Thursday,
October 6,
7:30 -
9:30 PM Fiesta
Ballroom
"You will be a Blessing"
Weavers: Dr. Christian
Sorenson, Rev. Carol Carnes photos
In
this session A.T. Ariyartne will share his own personal journey for the past
fifty years to build up, perhaps, the world's largest people's participatory
movement, elaborating how, with each step whether he succeeded or failed but
enriched himself spiritually. This pilgrimage was one that was filled with
insurmountable challenges that required an abundance of loving kindness,
compassionate action, pleasant language, equanimity and noble effort. A.T.
Ariyaratne single handedly led tens of thousands of pilgrims who believed and
joined him in this pilgrimage. Over this fifty-year period these pilgrims
collected a vast ocean of spiritual energies ready for sacred action.
Dr.Charika
Marasinghe
A
Living Pilgrimage: From heart
to heart, from mind to mind
Charika will walk you through the spiritual journey of Vishva Niketan. In this journey you will meet humble rural village folks, energetic urban and rural youth, agitated prison inmates, iron-hearted prison officers, worn-out corporate managers, stressed-out school children, joyous but anxious expectant mothers and their spouses etc. You will witness how Vishva Niketan's spiritual message of healing the mind, healing the society and healing the environment has journeyed through the hearts and minds of these people thus transforming their own lives and the lives around them.
Andrew Cohen
"Evolutionary Enlightenment is all about creating the future. When the free
will of the individual lines up with the imperative to evolve, human life is
transformed. You begin to see your own evolution as nothing less than a sacred
obligation." Andrew Cohen is a
spiritual teacher unique in his ability to communicate a context for human life
that is vast, inclusive, and implicating. He asks and boldly answers the
questions, Who are we? What is our essential purpose? How shall we live in a
rapidly changing world that may literally be at the tipping point? Calling us
to rise to a higher level of consciousness not only for our own development but
for the sake of our collective future, Andrew will draw you into his unique
perspective of Evolutionary Enlightenment, revealing a new order of human
potential, one with the power to transform our culture and our world.
Musical performances by:
Cal Bennett
The Agape International
Choir
Rickie Byars Beckwith
Friday,
October 7
9:00 am -
Noon Fiesta
Ballroom
Closing
Ceremonies: "As Our True Pilgrimage Begins.."
Weaver: Rev.
Argentina Glasgow
Rev. Wendy Craig Purcell Ð Church of Today Unity, San Diego
CA
Dot Maver Ð Executive
Director, The Peace Alliance
Christine Elliot and John McNeil - Co-Coordinators, 'Americans For the
Department of Peace'
"Our Spirituality Demonstrated: Creating Peace Through
Spiritually-Motivated Social Activism"
Just as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. began his civil rights
movement in his church, New Thought ministers are beginning to encourage
spiritually-motivated social activism in their congregations. Many of us,
ministers and congregants, feel drawn by Spirit to make a contribution to the
evolution of our world, but may feel overwhelmed by the scope of the task. Our
presenters will share their personal experiences in initiating social activism
in the form of activities advocating in support of the Bill to establish a
cabinet-level Department of Peace, specifically Church of Today Unity in San
Diego: the joys and challenges, and how social activism presents a unique
opportunity to apply our spiritual principles in a bigger context than New
Thought traditionally has done. Attendees may want to consider forming their
own Department of Peace activist groups within their churches or selecting
other global causes for making a concrete difference in our world.
"Those
of us born into this period bear an enormous responsibility, as we have chosen
to be alive in physical form at the time of one of the most significant and
crucial evolutionary developments in humankind's long history on the earthÉYou
will either play a role by doing nothing, or you will play a role by doing
everything that you can to create the outcomes of your choice as humanity
creates its collective tomorrow."
Neale Donald Walsch
Conversations With God Weekly Bulletin: July 24, 2005
INAUGURAL
BARBARA MARX HUBBARD
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
For the past forty years,
Barbara's unprecedented contribution to the shift of social consciousness on
this planet has never wavered. Now in her 75th year, this founding
elder Emeritus of the Association for Global New Thought will be honored by her
entire community with this honor to be presented annually in her name. It is
with great love, gratitude and hope, in light of the possibilities she has
uniquely envisioned, that we invite you share in this historic celebration,
enjoy a short video biography, and be inspired by Barbara's original remarks on
this occasion.
Musical
performances by:
Cal Bennett
Krishna
The Agape International
Choir
Rickie Byars Beckwith