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I can hear some ...(when they read the book)... being highly critical of what must seem an impossibly unrealistic dream, a romantic idealism. But perhaps we need to remember this story. We have to keep alive that hope, the hope of making a difference, however small that difference may be. How can we afford not to take action? Action may not always be as simple as stooping down to throw a starfish back into the sea. It may require courage, open mindedness and a huge leap of faith, but a leap of faith that is fundamental to accepting and taking on the role of healers to a wounded world. How we shape the future of that world for our children is in our own hands. Full acknowledgements of books and websites consulted and quoted in writing this book are in the Notes and References. Between them they form a huge resource. (The Appendix then includes a ) selective and annotated collection of organizations and their websites, with a few additional books also noted,....to complement those resources and the chapters that have gone before, to inspire and enable response and action; I have drawn them up as a further tool to help the reader become involved with something that will make a difference. With so many ideas from which to choose, surely we must all be able to find something we can do to help. That is why I have spent so much time and energy completing this book, with such a wealth of information included. To inform is to enable. First I briefly want to sketch my own journey of hope and inspiration that led to this book. My Journey Once the idea for this book emerged, one of my earliest inspirations was then undoubtedly Soil and Soul, People versus Corporate Power, the wonderfully spiritual book by the Scottish human ecologist, writer and campaigner Alastair McIntosh, (Aurum Press 2004). Here I found the stories of the Scottish Western Isles of Eigg and Harris and how in both places a few local islanders overcame the might of 'landlordism' and corporate might respectively to protect their community and their land. .... His later book, Rekindling Community: Connecting People, Environment and Spirituality (Schumacher Briefing, Green Books 2008) I can also strongly recommend, with practical examples of community building at work; real life stories that have happened, and can happen again, and can make such a difference to the world around us. Another early influence came from the work of Satish Kumar, editor of Resurgence, the magazine that is at the heart of earth, art and spirit, dedicated 'to the service of soil, soul and society.' I recommend his article, 'Spiritual Imperative,' in that publication, Issue 229, March/April 2005, and more recently his beautiful book, based on the Indian Ayurvedic tradition as applied to our work and our environment, Spiritual Compass: The Three Qualities of Life (Green Books, 1st edition 2007). All matter, he says, is imbued with spirit, and spirit manifests through matter. I then found in a secondhand bookshop the first edition, from 1993, of Larry Dossey's Healing Words, The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine. (HarperCollins; new edition 2007) and Leslie Weatherhead's Psychology Religion and Healing (revised reprint 1955) now reprinted in Paperback by Stewart Press, 2007). I took these away on a yoga retreat to Mallorca, was inspired by their work and as a scientist I have followed Dossey's ideas since with increasing interest. Dossey is a prolific author. His latest book is The Science of Premonitions: How Knowing the Future Can Help Us Avoid Danger, Maximize Opportunities, and Create a Better Life (Ploom, paperback due April 27, 2010) During those early years of research I was introduced to The Scientific and Medical Network. This network for science and medical professionals was founded in 1973 to explore the frontiers of science, medicine, spirituality and human experience. It counts many eminent scientists among its members, and its aims are not only 'to provide a safe forum for the critical and open minded discussion of ideas that go beyond conventional paradigms in science, medicine and philosophy,' but also to 'integrate intuitive insights with rational analysis in…investigations, to encourage a respect for Earth and community which emphasizes a spiritual and holistic approach and to challenge the adequacy of 'scientific materialism' as an exclusive basis for knowledge and values,' while maintaining the highest standards of scientific scrutiny and objective principles." |
An extract from the Appendix of Healing this Wounded Earth Journey of Hope - Words into Action "Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world - indeed it's the only thing that ever has." ....American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead |
"There is an old story of a man who was walking along the surf at the edge of the sea. Every now and then he knelt down to pick up one of many hundreds of starfish left stranded by the tide, and threw it back into the water. 'Why are you doing that?' asked his friend. 'How can that make any difference?' 'It makes a difference,' came the reply, 'to that one.' |
What will become immediately obvious to the reader is the vast wealth of effort now being expended by so many institutes and organizations in developing and promoting their ideas within this new era of consciousness, spirituality and healing. There are so many pockets of activity and influence, and new similarly motivated organizations continue to appear. There must be plenty of overlap and too much duplicated effort. There is a clear need for an umbrella organization, a network, to coordinate all this effort, for joined up thinking. The faith organizations have the International Interfaith Organisations Network. But what is otherwise available? The Scientific and Medical Network has recognized this need to bring together initiatives, to pool resources, to make the most of the many different efforts being made to heal our world, but most importantly the need to promote action. |