A Hopeful Perspective

This was emailed to me by the amazing Grace Lee Boggs, a long time activist in Detroit. It gives me a lot of confidence and hope to read that there are other people too who think that the dark times we are living in are just the opening act for the light to come.

The winter solstice is coming .. time to look forward to the return of the light.

V


ANOTHER WORLD IS NECESSARY
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE
ANOTHER WORLD HAS ALREADY STARTED

Michigan Citizen, Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 2005

We are in the midst of a great transformation, not only economically but
psychologically, culturally, politically, in our relations with one
another, to the Earth, to other species and to other peoples of the world, and
in our concept of ourselves and of our rights and responsibilities as human
beings.

To an unprecedented degree, as we approach 2006, millions of us are
aware that our present and impending disasters are not natural but man-made,
the consequence of our limitless pursuit of capital accumulation.

Up to now the main victims of this have been the peoples of the global
South. But now the chickens are coming home to roost. In our own countries,
the United States and throughout Europe, there are tens of millions who
for decades have been marginalized, living how they can, without any social
safety nets, unemployed, disempowered, disenfranchised, disengaged,
disrespected, and without a perspective of another positive future.

These people in the so-called informal sector are now being joined by
those who through centuries of struggle and sacrifices thought they could look
forward to a stable and secure future for themselves and their children.

At this moment and under these circumstances it would be easy to
despair. But this universal crisis is not only a danger but a promise, an
opportunity to advance ourselves and our societies to a new level, based
on a new vision, new principles and values:

* Respect for the limits of the earth
* Responsibility for community and notjust for self
* Concern for posterity into theseventh generation
* Partnership instead of patriarchalrelations
* A new concept of Work based on usevalues and skills
* Resistance to commodification of human relationships and of all life
* Local, sustainable and self-relianteconomies instead of one global
dominant economy
* Diversity instead of monocultures
* Restore the joy of living incommunity with all creatures
* Practice global citizenship topreserve the best of our historical
traditions
* Social justice and cooperation instead of exploitation and
competition

WHAT DO WE DO NOW? HOW DO WE GET FROM HERE TO THERE?

WE can begin by restoring our relationships to each other and to the
Earth

WE can create gardens, for food, health and to create a community as a
basis for resistance, for learning and enjoyment of young and old.

WE can create new subsistence skills to grapple with our present
problems and the challenges to come.

WE can transform our schools from job-and-career-oriented institutions
to places where children and young people can learn the values of teamwork,
serving the community, self-reliance and the joys of creativity

WE can initiate discussions in our communities locally, nationally and
internationally on new visions, a new perspective, and the profound
historical meaning of the great turning during this time in which we
live.

WE can share and spread the word of what people are already doing to
create a better world.

Grace Lee Boggs, Detroit, Michigan., Boggscenter.org
Maria Mies, Koeln, Germany, Women and Life on Earth (WLOE)
Shea Howell, Detroit, Michigan
Werner Ruhoff, Koeln, Germany
Hilmar Kunath, Hamburg, Germany
Elisabeth Voss, Berlin, Germany
Irina Vellay, Dortmund, Germany

This statement emerged from some o f the participants in the
International Workshop on Self-Organizing and Common Self-Reliance, Cologne, Germany,
October 20-22, 2005.

You're actually reading this thing ..

I stopped updating for a while because I was getting the impression that nobody was reading this. But I've heard from a few of you who say it's a helpful way to see what part of the planet I am on. So I'm going to keep going with this. At the very least, it's another way to journal even if y'all aren't reading.

But I think you are.

Well, the house is sold and gone. And I actually have a bit of money. For the next month or so I am just going to hang out, do art, settle in to my new place and not put any expectations on myself. Come January I'll start looking for a job. Don't think that will be too hard -- the kind of job I am looking for is the kind that doesn't take up too much space in my brain (literary credits to my friend Sarah A. for coming up with that very descriptive way of describing what I am looking for.) Maybe I'll go get a job at Best Buy for a while and just enjoy hanging around with all that gear (and take advantage of staff discounts, of course). And I've got my used bookstore gig. And there's always the old standby -- modelling for art classes (kinda cold in January but I'll just buy myself a fuzzy robe for the breaks). And I have two music students. All these little bits and pieces add up, especially since I have considerably reduced my cost of living.

I have also applied to be a sessional instructor for the Radio Broadcasting course at the University -- that WOULD take up a lot of space in my brain but I am up for it.

I'm liking being back in Windsor. The "there's no place like home" sentiments have slightly worn off but it's still good. I've been back long enough to see that Windsor hasn't changed a whole lot in 25 years. In some ways, it's a really progressive place. In other ways, it's a black hole.

The things that are good:

a) the river -- it's the only place I've lived where the boats are actually close enough to see more than an outline. And the riverfront became a lot prettier in the days after I left. Great sculpture garden too.
b) there's a lot of progressive politics here
c) wonderful friends, especially my friend Mary who has provided me with a wonderful place to overwinter.
d) a good university (DESPITE what Macleans magazine says)
e) a very cute little apartment. I am enjoying "small" -- I loved my big house but I am finding this place much more manageable. And easier to decorate -- in my house, things had to be very large and dramatic to be noticed. Here, the smallest things don't get lost.

The things that are not so good:

a) the pollution. Steel plant just across the river. Gee, just like Hamilton.
b) gawd, is this city ever American
c) there is a really underdeveloped understanding of the role of arts and culture at the civic level (true everywhere, but it's especially bad down here). This filters down to the level of the ordinary folks, causing things like no money for art, the sense that artists are society's equivalent of the flea on a dog's back. The up side, though, is that there is a resilience and a frontier mentality among the people who are just going ahead and doing art anyway. And that creates a vitality and energy that is different than that which exists in places where we are validated a bit more.

Overall, there are more good reasons to be here than not. At least for a while.

I still want to go east. The winds are not blowing in that direction yet but if I pay attention I will know when it's time.

For now, I have a sound art installation I have to get working on. I will post details here tomorrow. Or maybe later today.

Get in touch! My email is getting really boring.

What I want for Christmas

Just about says it all, doesn't it? You can get these from the Rabble Podcast Boutique -- only $16.50! Pretty cheap price for a whole bunch of cheeky attitude, if you ask me


and oh ya .. that would be size Medium ...

ssshh .. don't tell anybody

I'm supposed to be working. It's Sunday afternoon and I'm at my new few-hours-a-week-when-we-need-you musty used bookstore job. It's my first day all by myself here. I'm liking it. Just me and a whole bunch of thinkers who have collectively penned no less than 3 trillion thoughts.

Okay, so maybe I should be working but I think I will allow myself a little break from my very busy day. Besides, there are a lot of ideas in here -- it can get very overwhelming if I'm not careful.

There are a lot of books in here, you bet. And this is probably only .000000000000001111111111111 of all the books published in the world and exist at this point in time. That doesn't count all the countless millions that have been burned down through the ages.

On second thought, make that number .00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
0000000000000011111111111111111111111111111111111111
111111111111111. And that's probably a conservative estimate.

Doing well. Always searching for the right balance between being and doing. Finding it occasionally and trying to go easy on myself when I don't get it right.

More later. Got lots of radio shows coming up and cool things for people to listen to.

Settling in to Windsor West

Just thought I'd pop in with a bit of an update for those of you who check this out to see where I am.

I'm settling in nicely into my little basement live/work space on the west side of Windsor. Most of the time it feels energizing to be here. I've got a couple of grants in, plus am preparing a submission for a sound art installation here in Windsor. And my podcast debuts on Tuesday at Rabble.ca -- it's called "The House of Sound and Story" and will focus on the good things artists are doing to build this house we call earth. My first program will be about Penn Kemp's Poems for Peace project and will be a performance and discussion about how words create and destroy peace.

I am also starting a radio show at CJAM on November 23 addressing the same kinds of themes. And I'm playing piano again, thinking about taking a composition course in music come January.

And dog training lessons, likely skating lessons with my 6 year old niece Emily.

Got a couple of loads of stuff to get from Hamilton yet and then I'm done and out of there. It's been a long haul ... the change is very welcome.

More later about my sound installation ... it will be really great to get back into circulation again.