The Heart of Sustainability

Amidst the doom and gloom that dominates the headlines, a different kind of story is unfolding. The players are activists, visionaries and cultural innovators, the backdrop is the tipping point of our global and environmental challenges, and the narrative is the molding of a new paradigm to shape our collective future.

Introduction. Disconnect between ecological crisis and personal well-being. Cannot dismiss theemotional component for solving the ecological crisis. Biophilia as bridge between humans and nature. Changing the world from the inside out.... solutions are already here.... Confluence of two (R)evolutions: consciousness and ecological...From three Es plus 1to three 3 Cs plus one (conscious, creative, compassionate, plus 1:connected).. New perspectives: parts to whole; scarcity to abundance1. Creating New Stories. Creating A New Story. Stories as ways of envisioning the future. Creation stories: aboriginal songlines; stories of global unity: miners in Chile. Barbara Marx Hubbard: New Birth 2012. Changing the perception: Wade Frazier (abundance)2. From Three Es to Three C's. Shift from outer 3 Es (Ecology, Economy, Equity) to inner 3 Cs (Conscious, Creative,Compassionate)Conscious: aware, mindful, recognize of the power of intention. a shift from a mental model of scarcity to one of abundance, prosperity andpossibility... Examples: Kogi tribe: we are an integral part of Nature not separate from it. Business: Conscious capitalism and mission-based organizationsCreative. Originality of thought and expression. Create a new level of thinking and interacting to solve the global problems: climate change, loss of biodiversity and population.... Compassionate: Self compassion and deep sympathy, desire to alleviate the suffering or misfortune of others. Creating a larger context bigger than ourselves. Examples: Compassionate Action Network International: Compassionate Charter andCompassionate Cities Campaign: Insight Prison Project. Connected: An association, relationship with others. Connecting with: self, spirit, each other. Conditions for Connections3. Finding Meaning and Happiness. Social Ecotones: Our community/cultural: connecting to our fellow beingsIdentifying our "tribe"? like-minded people... what connects us?Examples: Miners rescue in Chile... story of hope and triumph. Mental models of meaning: efficiency vs. beauty; scarcity vs. abundance. Bhutan's Gross National Happiness index, and Happy Planet Index: developing new tools to recalibrate the objective and measure of economic progress. Also, GPI genuine Progress Indicator as a sustainability measure.. UN Happiness Project4. Busting the Myths. Three Levels: (1) personal, (2) institutional and (3) society's myths.. Personal belief systems: what can I do? The stories we tell ourselves; positivity ratio of3:1 (Barbara Fredrickson's Positivity). Institutional: corporate culture; best places to work, character, ambiance, ethic,mission/vision of organization. Society's: It's "game over," humans are doomed; "Affluenza has won the day..." Sustainability is a fad... How to combat these stories; Frances Moore Lappe's "Thought Traps." 5. Leading from the Heart. Comparison of traditional leadership and servant leadership. Leadership as "living networks" and "communities of practice.". Learning leadership strategies from nature (living systems and self-organization) (Capra). Role of conservation psychology at bedrock of new leadership style6. Activism with Soul. Sacred activism (Andrew Harvey). Compassion-in-action in activists. Facilitation of technology in activism. Examples: Kickstart (Bhutan movie); Free Money Day; Occupy, Berkana Collaborative; Code for America; Better Block; 350.org; Institute for Sacred Activism, World Café, Pachamama Alliance; Twitter: Osseo Nice things7. Connecting the Dots. The major challenges and biophilic approach. Role of technology: Kickstart, Indiegogo, crowd science, "KONY 2012" effect,. Climate change and human behavior. Holistic Education. Examples: Schumacher College, CIIS, The Small School. Emotional and Ecological Intelligence (Goldman: Ecoliterate). Contests and Prizes. Examples; Lemelson-MIT Program8. Envisioning a Compelling Future. Future Scenarios: Herman Daly, David Holmgren, Tellus Inst., Barbara MarxHubbard.... Qualities of transition to new paradigm. Old systems decay, transition activators, and new system builders. Creating new economic and social systems. Scenario planning Sidebar ProfilesThe sidebar profiles highlight the perspectives of well-known and lesser known leaders in the sustainability field. The sidebars will include brief responses to questions such as: What gives you hope? What is humanity's greatest asset? What are global problems that are most urgent and why? Are you optimistic about our capacity to solve complex global problems? Why? People profiled include:Sidebar ProfilesJoanna MacyJanine BenyusBrother David Steindl-RastJurriaan Kamp Sister Gervaise David Suzuki Fritjof Capra Annie Leonard Brian Dunbar Kenny Ausubel Jane GoodallElizabeth ThompsonMark SamolisResourcesThe resources section will include relevant organizations and online publications, newsletters, list servers and blogs.Annotated BibliographyAnnotated bibliography of relevant books.NotesReferences to cited sources.Index