New Year 2011 — Civil Society Is On The March

31 December 2010

The greatest discovery of my generation is that

human beings can change their lives by modifying their mental attitudes.

-- William James

American psychologist and philosopher (19th century)

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

-- Margaret Mead

American sociologist and anthropologist (20th century)

      New Year 2011 will increasingly see change begin in more, small circles of citizens worldwide.
     The Good News Agency -- http://www.goodnewsagency.org -- was founded in 2000 by Italian journalist Sergio Tripi ( S.Tripi@tiscali.it ).

     This month Tripi boldly announced:

CIVIL SOCIETY IS ON THE MARCH

Editorial by Sergio Tripi

Good News Agency -- Rome  -- 03 December 2010 (bottom of page)

http://www.goodnewsagency.org/english/bollettinoeng/year11/GNAXI180-eng.htm

      "On reflection, these are really revolutionary observations, because they assign to humanity as a whole, but also to every single inhabitant of this planet, the responsibility and the faculty for contributing to the creation of a better future," says Tripi
     Our new context is "based on the emerging values of unity in diversity and of the consequent responsibility for sharing."

     A once-silent global army is on the march, responding with "growing determination to solve the serious problems of our times with altruism and a strong spirit of sacrifice for their solution." 
The new"explosive power...knocks down the fences" between favorite doctrines, narratives, and diverse people in our human family.
     Our "march of civil society...can no longer be halted," declares the Italian scholar of life on Earth.


Civil Society in 2011:
Largest Movement
in the World

People are organizing themselves to respond to challenges that governments alone are incapable of addressing.
     Citizens together are engaging -- manufacturing humanity's antidote and immunity to the deadly HRV -- Human Relationship-Deficiency Virus -- described at http://traubman.igc.org/nigeriahrv.pdf
     Beyond old ideologies, vastly diverse women and men are building capacities to transcend each global problem.
     In this age of community, the inventive citizens and their initiatives largely fly under the radar of the popular media.

They are not waiting for governments and traditional institutions, but are eager to cooperate.
     This unnamed, tireless, global movement of garden-variety citizens is growing and spreading worldwide.
     The origins are tens of thousands of small circles of communicative, creative youth and adults.
     These Cultural Creatives are the indigenous and the worldly, from diverse races, continents, and faith traditions.
     Exploring possibilities and solutions, small circles of people are discovering and modeling what to do.

Blessed Unrest:

How the Largest Movement in the World

Came into Being. . .and Why No One Saw It Coming

Paul Hawken --Bioneers Address

6-minute video

English

http://www.blessedunrest.com/video.html

English with Hebrew subtitles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5L7XIjV4Jw

2011 Examples of
Civil Society on the March

#1 - An adult
     New Year 2011 following December's universal celebrations of light is a good time to remember that the religions that sometimes divide us have much history in common.
     The world faiths all began with a principal revulsion from violence.
At each religion's core is The Golden Rule -- http://www.scarboromissions.ca/Golden_rule/sacred_texts.php
     We are advised to treat everyone else exactly as we wish to be treated.
     Practicing this life often begins in small circles.

     One example is a simple, face to face interfaith group of a handful of women in Buffalo, New York.
     It was begun by one person, Lori Newberg ( lowiellen@gmail.com ), a Jewish woman in search of knowing about "other" and what it takes to bring people closer.
     The Buffalo group was inspired by The Faith Club -- http://www.thefaithclub.com/ -- authored by three women in New York City -- one Muslim, one Christian, and one Jew.
The Faith Group of Buffalo started this past summer and meets every several weeks.

Finding a Religious Common Ground

CBS News -- 26 December 2010

7-minute video

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7185922n

READ and SEE more at:

Three WNY women start faith club

WIVB-TV News -- Sunday, 26 Dec 2010

1 min video

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/three-wny-women-start-faith-club

#2 - A youth for our times
Zoe Meadow, a 12-year-old Boston-area artist, in Spring 2010 was preparing for a her Bat Mitzvah right-of-passage Jewish ceremony.
Her Bat Mitzvah dream was to create a calendar with art work from Palestinian and Israeli teenagers.
     Zoe ( ZMMeadow@gmail.com ) had been inspired in 2009 by viewing in her Sunday School the 2001 Oscar-nominated movie, PROMISES -- http://www.promisesproject.org/
She searched for Palestinian and Israeli youth paintings or drawings to symbolize "something that is important to them in their daily life."
     Zoe asked each to write a paragraph or two that could accompany the printed art, explaining the artist's purpose in creating the image."
     Her larger purpose was to sell the calendars and donate all net proceeds to three relationship-building organizations, equally:

ArtsBridge -- http://artsbridgeinstitute.org/
Hand in Hand Schools -- http://www.handinhandk12.org/
Seeds of Peace -- http://www.seedsofpeace.org/

     Zoe never gave up.
     This New Year, Zoe's 2011 dream calendar is online:

MAKING CONNECTIONS

2011 Calendar

Israeli & Palestinian youth art

http://www.zazzle.com/zoes_bat/gifts?cg=196247312256781408

    She has already sold 60 calendars.
    Even more, Zoe decided to additionally donate all the cash gifts she received from her Bat Mitzvah as well.
     It totaled over $3,300, and has already been sent to the three groups who bring Palestinian and Israeli youth together for the Middle East citizen peace process.
SEE PHOTOS of Zoe's ceremony at http://traubman.igc.org/zoe.pdf

In 2011, Civil Society Is On The March!!!


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These and hundreds of other success stories are preserved at http://traubman.igc.org/messages.htm