Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium

Youth Symposium 4/7/07

Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium Final Draft Youth Symposium (4th/5th Grade)

I WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

( 10 Am ) Starting time

Have students and teachers come in and sit in large semi-circle on pillows in center of room. Presenters sit at the front of circle. The screen will be above the facilitators. Optional: have Purpose flipchart already up.

Announcement: Please take your seats everyone, we are ready to begin! (Ask teachers what their signal is for quiet and attention—use this here.)

(Facilitator Introductions/Welcome) (Emily) Welcome to the Youth Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium! We’re delighted to be with you all today! Today you’re going to be participating in an event that is designed to open us up to our connection to all the beings on the Earth, the state of the world and what we can do about it.

Lets take a moment to set up some game-rules…what can you tell us about how you be together….when I put my hand up like this, it means heart is open and mouths are closed.

My name is…everyone else shares their names with the group.

(Mike leads, all facilitators participate) Before we tell you a little more what you can expect today, we’re going to sing a song together. This is a traditional Native American song.

Listen and watch first, as we sing it, then join in. We will sing it several times.

We circle around, we circle around The boundaries of the Earth

Wearing our long wing feathers as we fly, Wearing our long wing feathers as we fly We circle around, we circle around The boundaries of the sky

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Okay, please take a seat as we watch this video. (Facilitators and students take seats during slideshow. Once all are seated, start ecospot.)

[1] Slideshow: Introduction, with music [Press Menu button to move immediately to (2) Ecospot]

[2] Eco spot: Connections [turn volume up before Ecospot starts] It’s the third planet from the sun -- a tiny sphere spinning through a moment in time -- a remarkable place that was kind enough to yield just the right elements to sustain a phenomenon called life where each creature is as unique as this world we call home, and a day begins in much the same way for all. Maybe that's when it crosses your mind. In the warmth from a ray of sun or the kindness of a stranger it occurs to you how one life touches so many others, and you begin to see how all things are connected like the blood that unites one family, and you come to realize that mankind did not weave the web of life. We're merely a strand in it, and whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves on the third planet from the sun.

(Emily)

(Logistics) We want to tell you a little of what you can expect today. We’re going to be together for two hours in the morning, then break for lunch and come back together for another two hours this afternoon. In both the morning and afternoon sessions, we will take a 10 minute recess.

The day we are about to spend together was created by The Pachamama Alliance. Pachamama is a word in the Quechua (Ke-chwa) language of the Andes that some translate as “Mother Earth,” but which more accurately encompasses the sacred presence of (the) Earth, the sky, the universe, and all time. This is an organization that works with indigenous people who live in the Ecuadorian rainforest to help protect their home. When they came to our country and saw how we lived with regards to how we treat each other and the planet, they said, if you really want to help us, what you can do is go back to your own people and help them to wake up from the trance that is driving them to use more, etc.

(Mike)- “How do you treat your home, your family, and your friends? With respect and love, so that you can enjoy it for as long as possible…we want to give you a glimpse into what the Achuar people of the rainforest experience every day, the vital part of the earth that helps us.

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We’re going to take a few minutes to get present to the power and beauty of the rainforest…

(Opening of sacred, precious space: Portal to the Rainforest)

Please close your eyes for a few moments take a deep breath. Become aware of your body and where you are this very moment. Become aware of the people sitting next to your. (Pause to give time for this.) And now, just listen to the sounds of the tropical rainforest … (Pause) [3] Slideshow + Rainforest sounds [music loops and stops whenever you press select/enter] We remember that all space is sacred space when we embody respect, love and connection. (Pause) We respectfully ask that the spirits of the indigenous people who were here before, the Skagit, Klallam, and Twana tribes, as well as your own ancestors and the people who have been important to you—your mother, father, and grandparents-- to guide us with their wisdom so that we might do the work necessary to protect our planet. Now, please slowly bring your awareness back into this room, take a breath, and when you are ready, open your eyes. (Pause)

[5a] Buffer slide: Earth

Time: 10:30

(Purpose) (Melissa)So, this brings us to the reasons we are all here today…

(Bring up poster/flipchart, and leave it in a visible location so that you can reference it throughout the Symposium)

To empower young people to help create a happy, healthy, and fair planet that works for all beings

To make possible an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on planet Earth.

We believe that a healthy planet, a fair society, with happy, satisfied people living and working together is the most valuable thing we could spend our time creating.

We want to remind you that all of life is interconnected, that our current society is endangering many of those precious connections, and that you have the power both as an individual and by coming together as a community to make the world a better place.

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Time: 10:40

Flow of the Symposium) During the Symposium we’ll be looking at four basic questions: Remember, if at any time, you have questions about anything at all, what a word means, what we are taking about, etc. raise your hand because chances are someone else has the same question and it will only benefit the group.. (Bring up poster of Flow)

1. What are some of the problems in our world? 2. How did these problems happen? 3. What is emerging at this time? 3. How do we create a great tomorrow for all beings?

Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium Third Draft Youth Symposium

II WHERE ARE WE?

[6a] Buffer slide: Jungle River

(Mark) Well, now that we have identified why we are all here today, lets begin with the first step of looking at some of the problems that we are all facing today, with regards to living a fair, sustainable, and healthy life.

[9] Video: “Everything” If you’re a human being, this is your “everything.” Everything you know, everything you love, everything you need. The future, as Buckminster Fuller called it, our spaceship. And whether we think of it that way or not, it’s true. This miraculous, complex, and fragile vessel is carrying all of us on a journey through the vast, black ocean of space. Whether we like it or not we literally are all in the same boat. But unlike the Titanic, which didn’t have enough lifeboats, we don’t have any—and that should make you wonder, “What is the condition of our little ship, How is everything?” [9a] Buffer slide: Misty Valley

(Time:11:00)

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(Mark) So, how is everything? What are some of the problems – (Point to first question on chart) with regard healthy nature, fairness, and happiness in our world? What do you think are some of the problems we are facing? Raise your hand if you can think of a problem you’d like to share.

Take a few shares from large group re: problems

(Melissa)We’re going to divide into groups so that we can explore where we are as a society in terms of fairness, nature, and happiness. You will have an opportunity in your group to explore the facts and then to plan how you will share this information with the other groups.

Starting with this person here, (Point to a student), we are going to count to three and then start over again. So you’ll be one, you’ll be two, you’ll be three; then you’ll start with one again and so on. (Help students figure this out. Repeat instructions as necessary.) Remember your number. You will be using it when you get back from the break.

(Time: 10:45) We’re going to take a 10 minute break. When you come back, we will be doing an exercise that will help us further identify where we are as a community in regards to these three areas of how we live. Have a great break, see you in ten minutes. Break-10 Minutes

Students return after break, engage teachers in helping in the process of getting students organized into groups.

(Melissa) Production Notes: Room will be set up before hand, with materials for exercise.

Now, all the people with number one, you’ll come over to this side of the room. (Point to side of the room with Nature tables.) All the people with number two, you’ll go over here, (Point to side of the room with Fairness tables.) and all the people with number three, you’ll go over here (Point to side of the room with Happiness tables.).

Presenters help students find their tables and get into groups. We should have two or three adults per group to help facilitate.

Using the materials you have on the table in front of you, work together as a team to express what you feel to be strongest examples of these issues. You are not being graded here, so….You will have 30 Minutes.

Ring bell to call everyone’s attention back together. “Please raise your hands when you are listening…”

(Time:11:30)

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Okay. Now we’re going to change the groups up so that we can share and have a chance to learn from one other. So, here in the Fairness area, we’re going to have a Fairness group, a Nature group, and a Happiness group. We’ll do the same thing in the other areas, so that we’ll have three groups each with a Fairness group, Nature group, and Happiness group.

Adults, help the students move so that they are in the new groupings.

Once you are ready, the Nature group will start. Share with the other students what you created to show the problems we are facing with the natural world. You will have three minutes and then the Fairness group will get to share.

Ring a bell and give a warning when they are at 2 ½ minutes.

Alright. Now the Fairness group is going to share. You have three minutes.

Ring a bell and give a warning when they are at 2 ½ minutes.

Okay. Now the Happiness group is going to present. You also have three minutes.

Facilitator rings bell to bring attention back to front of the room.

Now lets hear a few example of what people came up with. Lets have one share per category at each table.

Facilitator takes shares from the room, going from each table until finished.

(Time:11:45) (Emily) Now, we’ve learned from each other about many of the problems facing the Earth and humanity in terms of nature, fairness, and happiness. These problems feel really big, when we hear them all at once this way. I know that for me, it can make me feel overwhelmed, like there is so much to do, I don’t know where to begin. It is important to let yourself experience whatever emotion you might be having-it could be a new sense of clarity, answers, sadness, or anger, or confusion. Some of you might not feel anything except your stomachs growling…close your eyes and take about 30 seconds…lets take a moment to share with one another how listening to how our waters are polluted, the animals are suffering…makes us feel

Facilitator takes a few shares from group, until it is there is an obvious continuity between students, playing it by ear.

(Mark) What these feelings mean is that we are not separate from the Earth or each other. We are a part of a big, vast whole. This is sometimes called “The Great Web”, and what it means is that if I do something over here, it is going to affect you over there. When we come back from lunch, we are going to do an exercise that will show us just

6 Youth Symposium 4/7/07 how connected we are. We are also going to look at how we got ourselves into this mess and then see what we can begin doing together to get ourselves out of it!

(Melissa) Now it is time to take our lunch break. You will have 1 hour. A bell will ring 10 minutes before signaling that it is time to finish up, go to the bathroom, and get ready to come back to the room. Please try and be on time, so we can spend as much time together this afternoon as possible.

OK, here is an assignment we would like you to do while at lunch. First of all, make sure that you spend at least 30 minutes having FUN! Having fun is very important for the healing of our world. Next, take a moment to notice the food that you are eating. Try and see if you can figure out how many steps it took (hands that loved it) to be the lunch you are now eating. And third, spend a few quiet moments appreciating the beauty that surrounds us all the time.

Time: 12:00-1:00 Lunch Break

Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium Youth Symposium

III HOW DID WE GET HERE

Time: 12:50 Facilitator rings 10 min. bell; Slide on screen for students to return to?

Time: 1:00

(Good News: Not being done to us) Welcome back.

(Mike) Before lunch, we were looking at some of the problems on our planet. How did we get here? That’s an important question. We got separated from ourselves, each other and the earth which is our home, and started to think that others not like us-especially those of different skin colors—and nature were beneath and less than the dominant civilization of white peoples.

Older civilizations, in contrast, saw things very differently.

(Mark)(Indigenous worldview demonstration with fingers)-Mark In our modern culture here in the north, we think primarily in terms of the individual and individual welfare as the overwhelmingly important thing (Hold up the fingers on

7 Youth Symposium 4/7/07 one hand at about eye level in front of you, covering the bottom third of the fingers, where they attach to the hand—so they look like mini-finger puppets), and that all the wisdom is in here (fingers). In the indigenous cultures we’ve observed, they view the individual as meaningful (wiggle fingers), but even more meaningful, and more important, as part of a community that works together and lives together (Remove your covering hand and flex the fingers as if working together)—individuals are like fingers on a hand that accomplish more when working together for a common purpose.

And, in the indigenous world we’ve seen that the human communities (Indicate your two open hands with fingers extended) are completely integrated into and guided by the wisdom of a larger whole—the Universe—that functions as one being (Use your hands to refer to your whole body). The human community is not separate from the Universe. It’s part of it, and the welfare of the hands (Wiggle your hands) is guided by, and in harmony with, the wisdom that is present in the whole Earth. (Refer to your whole body again) *Full version demonstration

(Web of Life Activity) (Mike and Emily) So, let’s do an activity that demonstrates this unity. We call it the Web of Life. This activity will help us have a better understanding of how everything is dependent on everything else. It is important to remember that animals and plants have an important part on our planet. Okay, we need everyone to quickly arrange themselves into 8 groups, with about ten people in each. Lets stick with counting-begin at one and count to ten eight times. Al, the ones over hear, all the twos over here… Have teachers and facilitators participate with each group, helping to do the exercise.. 1 Pass out necklace cards to all the students 2. Everyone stand in a circle. Think about which card represents what all life needs to grow (the sun). Hand the end of the yarn to the "sun" card. 0. What would be next in the chain? It would be plants, so everyone with "plant" cards would take a section of the yarn. The sun person still needs to hold tight to the end of the yarn. 0. Continue through the list in the same manner until all the labeled cards have been used. When all the cards have been used discuss what would happen if one of the items were removed from the environment. Start removing things from their environment. If something will not survive with another thing, another critter must be taken out of the web. As the chain collapses, discuss the importance of each living thing in every habitat.

So, how was that for everyone? Did you learn something new that you would like to share?

(Mike)Now we’ll look at the history of how we got where we are today, and will learn that we made this mess and can get out of it.

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Play Video Presentation: How Did We Get Here? (about six minutes)

It’s about how the way we think, what we assume to be true and good without considering other points of view. Let’s see some examples of what we call “unexamined assumptions,” or the failure to look at and evaluate our thoughts.

(Examples of unexamined assumptions) (Mark) Julia Butterfly Hill is young activist we know and love who spent two years living in a thousand-year old redwood tree to protest the destruction of an old-growth grove of redwoods and has since created an organization called Circle of Life. While living in the tree, she gave quite a bit of thought to unexamined assumptions. Let’s hear what she has to say:

[25] Video: Julia Butterfly Hill When you say you’re going to throw something away, where’s “away”? There’s no such thing and where “away” actually is is social justice issues and environmental justice issues. Every plastic bag, plastic cup, plastic to-go container, that is the petroleum complex in Africa, Ecuador, Columbia, Alaska, you name it. Every paper bag, paper plate, paper napkin, that is a forest. Every thing that is called waste or disposable is the ways in which we are saying that it is acceptable to throw our planet and its people away. Disposables are one of the huge magnifiers of how we've lost our connection to the sacred, so we just take it for granted that we're going to go in the coffee shop and get coffee that came from an exploited community somewhere where a forest was destroyed for a monoculture, put it in a paper cup that used to be a forest, put a plastic lid on top of it that used to be an indigenous community somewhere in a beautiful area, drink it, and then throw it away where it goes back and pollutes a nature community or a human community at the end. I am so fiercely passionate about it because I will know in my heart that as long as we are trashing the planet and trashing each other, a healthy and a holistic, and healed world is not possible. We cannot have peace on the Earth unless we also have peace with the Earth. [25a] Buffer slide: Hummingbird (Pause for a moment after video)

(Melissa) Let’s take a moment to see how this all works. Immediately when we hear Julia say, “Where is away?” we “wake up” to the fact there is no “away.” That is an unconscious—and mistaken—assumption. And all of a sudden we see that this unexamined assumption leads to actions – dumping of wastes, releasing carbon gases out of our smokestacks and tailpipes – that make sense if there really is some place that’s “away.” We can see that this mistaken assumption leads to actions that have very real – and completely unintended—consequences.

So, please form into small groups of 2-3 students. Just sitting where you are. Then see if you can discuss and write down just 2-3 kinds of assumptions and thoughts which have caused us to have the kinds of problems we have today. For example, recalling the video you saw, what did the conquerors and takers throughout history have to think about those

9 Youth Symposium 4/7/07 they conquered and killed in order to be able to do what they did? What did they have to think about the natural world? For example, nature’s resources are infinite..

(After the kids have talked for 3-4 minutes, ask representatives to raise their hands, stand and offer what was discussed in their group.

ENGAGING IN CHANGING THE DREAM Youth Symposium

(Melissa, cont.) We’ve seen that human actions are doing damage to that web. These actions, however, are not because humans are bad or evil—they are because we are mistaken. They are because we are acting based on mistaken assumptions, like there is someplace “away” where we can throw our garbage.

IV What Is Emerging?

(Mark) The Emerging Dream Is this the only way to view things, or is there a bigger view to consider…

What's emerging? Modern Science/physics on macro & micro discovering what ancient wisdom cultures have been sharing for years- we are all connected & we all come form the same source... (Would try to make in kid-friendly language, and fill in slightly)

Historically how suddenly change has occurred i.e. British colonies, Soviet/Berlin wall, Civil Rights, eco movement suffrage (would tell only a couple short personal stories exemplifying change)

Play Desmond Tutu piece

New emerging dream more recycling, more efficient light bulbs demand growing for less polluting cars consumers demanding, and companies wanting to grow (coffee) ED/NGOS in every country

10 Youth Symposium 4/7/07 people responding in many ways ???others (that help become examples for their 'getting into action' part, or that they can relate to)

The truth is that all over the world people have been working on creative solutions to the problems we looked at this morning. There are already many solutions for almost every one of these issues. None of the solutions solves the whole problem, but each addresses and resolves a portion of the whole problem. People all over the planet are coming together like never before to invent new ways of doing things, new kinds of buildings, new ways of measuring progress, new kinds of cars, etc. Can any of you think of any examples of things people are doing differently to help the planet?

One facilitator takes shares, while another writes it on the board..

Where do we go from here?

(Melissa) The question is, what can we—you and I—do about it? How can we help what is emerging take root and grow in our families and our communities. What actions can we take?

You and I can help to bring about this new way of thinking about the world. We’re going to do an exercise now to help us think of as many different ways we can make a difference as possible.

Logistics: Room should be set up with poster paper on walls around the room (or on 12 tables arranged around the edge of the room). The posters should be labeled with large numbers clearly visible to all. There should be pens available at each station, either on the table or hanging from the way. Each station should have a different label—for example: 1.What are some ways we can save energy? 2.What food choices can you make? 3.What are some things we can do with less of? 4.How do we save on gas/CO2? 5.Ways to minimize trash? 6.Ways we can conserve water? 7.How do we use less packaging? 8.What do we do about poor people? 9.What can we do to make people happy? 10. What can you do at home? 11. What can you do at school? 12. What would you like to volunteer for?

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Evergreen Teacher leads this section..

We’re going to get into groups again. In your group, you’ll go around the room and help each other think of real actions you could take in many areas of your life that will help to make the world a more fair, happy and healthy place. Then at the end, we’ll share our ideas. You will have about 3 minutes at each station. When I ring the bell, it will be time to move to the next station.

We’re going to count again. This time from 1 to 12. Again, remember your number. We’ll start with you.

Presenter, point at one student, assist students in counting off—starting over each time they get to 12.

Now, if you were a number 1, you’ll go over here. If you were a number two, over here.

Continue pointing out posters/tables until all students have joined groups.

Facilitators, work with groups to come up with and write their ideas on the posters. Help them to move on to the next station in a timely manner.

Okay. Now we’re going to share some of our ideas. Just stay where you are. In your group, read over all the ideas in that category. Is there one that stands out? Is there one that you think you might want to take on—to bring to your community or the entire school? Think that over with your group for a minute and then we’ll call on a couple of groups to share. Decide who’s going to be the spokesperson for your group.

Okay. Does anyone have any ideas they’d like to share?

Excellent! Those are some great ideas. Don’t forget that you have a great community here at your school to bring those ideas and dreams to life.

(Emily) Before we end today, we’d like to show you one last video and then come together as a community to sing a song to honor our Mother Earth.

. Time: 1:45 Play Wombat Video

Now let’s gather in a circle again to end our day together. We have many things that we are grateful for, and this is a perhaps one of the most important ways we can ensure a

12 Youth Symposium 4/7/07 world that is fair, happy and healthy. What are some things you are grateful for? We are going to sing a song again, and this is a song of thanksgiving that comes from Nigeria, in Africa. Take shares…

So now listen to the words, they mean Thanks to you Great Creator, Thank You God, or Pachamama…..

OShay Baba Lua OShay OShay Baba Lua OShay

OShay Baba Lua OShay

Baba, Baba, Baba, Baba Ba, ba, ba, ba

OShay Baba Lua

Thank you so much for allowing us to be with you today and to learn together. We also want to thank all the people who made this day possible including…