The Big One

This weekend sees the Big One – an invitation for everyone to Unite to Survive – a non violent family friendly four day long protest in London. A protest which culminates in a demand to the Goverment, who we can no longer trust to act in the best interests of people and planet. (Perhaps we never could, and we are just beginning to see this more clearly?)

In my view, protests such as these fit within what Vanessa Muchado de Oliveira frames as the Radical Reform Space in her book Hospicing Modernity. Required work to reduce harm, yet won’t create the future that in our hearts and souls we are deeply longing for. It is an essential harm reduction strategy. 

The future we long for lives in the ‘Beyond Reform’ space. The least invested in space, as we often get stuck in rescuing and reforming that which is beyond reform. 

It takes courage to say, let’s help this system die, especially when vultures are circling to extract all the cash. We tend to keep systems on life support machines instead. We give them all the oxygen, offer up our own breath, depleting opportunities for new, fresh and fair growth. 

There’s much we can do locally though, with our feet in the soil and power in our hands that can build the just future we are longing for. 

The disconnection from planet earth is a symptom of our sickness.

As we heal, we open our hearts, to the planet and each other. From individualism to connection, the home of empathy.

When we focus on the hyper local, connecting humans and other than humans where we live, then the ripple effect can be felt globally. 

Act small to make big changes. The days of hero leaders driving changes are almost over as we shift to more circular modes of convening and stewardship. 

To get there requires compassionately hospicing that which is no longer needed, that which upholds the status quo- patriarchy and paternalism, and instead, midwife the shared future together, centring those at the edge and most harmed by the period of capitalism that we have almost survived. 🤞

Feel the Earth around you. 
Feel the Earth within you. 
There are no edges 💕