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Active Hope for Activism

a gathering of regenerative practice for those

involved in non-violent activism and civil disobedience

6th– 9th June 2019

As we increasingly face social and political crises, and climate and ecological emergency, it's vital that we build our resilience as communities and movements to sustain ourselves through the struggles ahead. This gathering offers an opportunity to experience a couple of related concepts/practices:

  • 'Active Hope' (described by Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone in their book of the same title)

  • ‘The Work that Reconnects’ (developed by Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown, and set out in their book: 'Coming Back to Life')

 

The Work That Reconnects leads us through four stages: expressing our gratitude for this extraordinary living planet; honouring our distress/fear at what's happening to the earth and its creatures (including us humans); seeing our interconnectedness through new eyes and stepping out with 'active hope' into positive action.

We intend for this gathering to be a deeply nourishing space for all involved, inter-weaving the Work that Reconnects with meditation and time immersed in summertime nature. What better way to do this than converging on a beautiful Shropshire field as the summer solstice approaches, to cook and eat together, to sleep and wake under canvas and to collectively practise hope.

uprooted fallen sweet chestnut low res.j
ash tree canopy low res.jpg

Who is this gathering for?  

 

This is an invitation for those involved in non-violent direct activism (as direct participants or in essential support roles) to come together to share in practices of ‘Active Hope’, allowing the regenerative process of the Work that Reconnects to enrich our lives and nurture us, recognising the intertwined needs of personal and planetary wellbeing.

The gathering is also an invitation to form a temporary community, in which we eat together, support each other, share practical responsibilities for the camp and create our own entertainment around the campfire.  The gathering will be held at Crabapple Community, nestled in the green arms of the rolling Shropshire countryside.

The shape of the gathering:

Day 1 (Thursday): Arrival from 4:30pm, set up camp, share food and meet each other; 6pm start.

Day 2 (Friday): Landing into the space together, an introduction to the Work that Reconnects, stepping into the spiral of The Work That Reconnects through immersive practices. All with generous space for meditation, time in nature and socialising.

Day 3 (Saturday): Continuing the journey through the spiral of The Work That Reconnects with generous space for meditation, time in nature and socialising. An evening of fireside ceilidh of the traditional kind – created by us all - welcoming word, voice, music and movement.

Day 4 (Sunday): Share food, break camp and depart.

Things to bring:

 

  • Tent and sleeping bag, ground mat, torch, toiletries etc.

  • Clothes for wet weather and for gorgeous sunshine.

  • Warm clothes and blankets for outdoor evening activities.

  • Musical instruments if you'd like to share music.

 

Our venue is a camping field with uneven surfaces. If you have any concerns about access please contact us before booking.

Covering Costs: We aim to make this gathering one of giving. Our costs are to cover absolute basics. The facilitators are gifting their time, and as much as possible is given freely to bring this event into being. We need on average to cover £40 - £45 per participant, this will meet site, food and materials costs. Whether you can afford above or below this average amount you are equally welcome.  Any surplus after all costs are covered will be paid forward to support similar events in the future.

We ask for a £15 deposit up front to affirm your commitment to attend, allowing clarity for us in planning and fairness in allocation of the 20 places available. We will be transparent about our costs and if necessary will invite further contributions at the gathering to cover any remaining costs.

view from house towards Haughmond Hill -

More Details

Sharing camp responsibilities: We intend for this gathering to embody an ethos of community, with collective responsibility for ‘village life’ including supporting the camp chef with food preparation (i.e. vegetable chopping), washing up, recycling, collecting firewood etc.

Sharing practice:  Many enjoy starting their day with a centring, energising or grounding practice. We’d like to open this up for anyone to offer a short pre-breakfast session e.g. leading yoga/tai chi/chi gong etc, please let us know if you’d like to contribute.

​Venue Facilities: Basic washing facilities, compost toilets, tented kitchen area, yurt, marquee, meadows, woodland and wide skies.

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