Untitled Document
NEW MOON UPDATE
January 2007
UPDATES FROM THE SOUTH
Ecuador Elects Progressive President
The November 26th election in Ecuador confirmed Rafael Correa as President. He is a progressive thinker whose ideals and vision seem to be aligned with Pachamama.
Correa's agenda includes looking at new structures that will directly deal with poverty and inequality, education, health and housing needs. As an advocate of environmental rights, Correa also wants to ensure that Ecuador's environmental resources are protected. He supports a plan to create a protective zone in the Amazon rainforest and build the economy without relying on oil exploitation. Consequently, there lies a greater context for protecting the rights of indigenous people and sharing the environmental resources of the country. Early in his career he did volunteer work in remote Andean indigenous villages where he learned and still speaks the Quechua language.
Correa, who served as the country's minister of finance, opposes free market economic policies that have proven to be debilitating and ineffective for Ecuadorian campesinos and indigenous people. He has criticized Ecuador's congress, referring to it as a 'sewer' of corruption, and is committed to re-examining the economic structure to ensure that its resources are invested in the people.
It is believed that Correa's election will create a supportive environment in which to continue Pachamama's work.
For a more detailed article by the International Relations Council titled, Ecuador Chose the Path of Change and Sovereignty, click here...
UPDATE FROM THE NORTH
Australian Allies Work to Change the Dream
In an atmosphere of social and political activism, determination and spirit, this fall marked the premier of the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium in Australia. Four courageous women, Dot Green, Tathra Street, Maria Straub and Lorna Steward, led a team of forty in Melbourne and fourteen in Sydney. Events in the two cities were hosted and produced within two weeks of each other.
Of the 158 people who attended the first symposium in Melbourne, 76 declared their interest in training to be facilitators and community leaders of the symposium, while 54 people committed to support the growth of the Awakening the Dreamer initiative in Melbourne.
This extraordinary achievement was followed by a successful symposium in Sydney. Nearly half of the ninety-one participants expressed interest in training to lead symposiums and to bring it into their communities. Both Melbourne and Sydney now have flourishing groups, committed to the training of facilitators and holding regular symposiums.
The success of these symposiums is due to the hard work and great heart of the teams who presented introductions week after week, (night after night, in some cases), had countless conversations, asked for media support, passed out flyers, created a website and held a common intention. This was a real grassroots effort that succeeded in building community to continue the work of creating a new dream and staying awake.
Many people are awake and working on these issues in Australia, a country that has the fourth largest ecological footprint per capita in the world. In fact, the Queensland Government and its capital city, Brisbane, just committed to have the Earth Charter be the guiding principle of their governance. The symposium resonated deeply with most attendees, both the experts who have spent years working in related fields and those who just saw Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, and were moved to learn more. This is the beginning of a robust and flourishing Awakening the Dreamer community in Australia!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Two new powerful and timely films made by Pachamama members
are available for purchase on-line:
CRUDE IMPACT by Jay Wood
This powerful new documentary explores the interconnection between human
domination of the planet and the discovery and use of oil. The film exposes
our deep-rooted dependency on the availability of fossil fuel energy,
examines the future implications of peak oil, and chronicles the collision
of our insatiable appetite for oil with the rights and livelihoods of
indigenous cultures, other species and the planet itself. This Special
Edition DVD includes over 2 hours of additional interviews with Pachamama
Alliance Co-Founders Lynne and Bill Twist, and 50% of the profits from this
sale goes to The Pachamama Alliance. To purchase,
click here...
Awakening Universe by Neal Rogin
This amazing new film shows how science, spirit and ancient indigenous
wisdom are now all converging to reveal that we stand in the very heart of
that which created us. An entirely new context for human life is arising in
our lifetime, with the potential to transform forever our sense of
separation, isolation, and alienation into one of connection, commonality
and communion. To learn more and to purchase, click here...
UPCOMING EVENTS
Re-Ignited by the Collective Spirit of First Peoples
Tuesday, January 9th - San Francisco:
Join us for a special monthly gathering as founder and executive director of The Netza Project, Lisa Martin, shares her experiences and effectiveness in transforming indigenous education and empowering economic opportunity for women in rural Mexico. She will share her ongoing learnings about the healing power of First People's values: generosity, wisdom, respect, integrity, strength, fortitude, collaboration and humility. For more information, click here... To RSVP, click here...
Peace In the New Year
December 31, San Francisco: You're invited to ring in PEACE for the New Year with members of several Bay Area progressive organizations. After years of activism, this is a time to revel, be hopeful, and re-energize for what is ahead. Sponsored by Codepink, Gold Star Families for Peace and Global Exchange. With co-sponsorship by The Pachamama Alliance, Rainforest Action Network, League of Young Voters, and many more. The night includes dancing, music, merrymaking and performance, a magnificent view of the fireworks and city skyline. For more information and to buy tickets, click here... or call 415-575-5555.
NEW MOON ACTION
Have Yourself a Sustainable Little Holiday
Season's Greening! The holidays are here, so time to watch your waste, indeed. Did you know that the amount of total waste increases by 25% during the holiday season? Most of that increase stems from higher demands for things such as, gift wrapping paper and ribbons, etc. To find out how you can lighten your ecological footprint this season, click here...
RELATED NEWS
Half the Peruvian Amazon Leased for Petroleum Development
By Environmental News Service: Conservation groups based in Washington warned that the Peruvian government is signing so many contracts with multinational oil companies that half the rainforest of the Peruvian Amazon is now covered with oil leases.
For the full story,
click here...
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