Deep Ecology workshop

Hosted by Engage! InterAct, with John Seed

12-15 April, 2002

De Poort conference centre, near Nijmegen, Netherlands

The Facilitators

John Seed is an environmental activist from Australia who also facilitates workshops around the world that address issues which concern activists and compromise their effectiveness everywhere - such things as burn-out, hopelessness and disempowerment in the light of the immensity of the challenges that we face, and the complacency and denial of the population at large. John has been working for the rainforests since 1979. His cv and more information about his workshops and activism may be found at www.forests.org/ric/deep-eco/welcome.htm.

The Workshop

Many activists feel that we are too busy responding to the relentless and urgent crises that face us, to have the time to look after ourselves. This workshop combine despairwork and deep ecology to provide a renewal of energy, vision and community that more than compensate participants for the time lost from the "coal face".

Despairwork transforms the feelings of pain and frustration, anger, fear and grief that assail anyone whose work brings them into daily contact with the horrific reality of what is happening to our world. Denying these feelings ties up huge amounts of energy, shuts down important areas of our intelligence, motivation and connectedness. Our pain for the world is only morbid if denied. Validating and opening to these feelings in a safe and supportive context reliably results in a spontaneous outpouring of empowerment and reconnects us with the larger web of life.

Experiential deep ecology processes strengthen our connectedness to this web and extend our realisation of identity with the Earth we struggle to defend. As Arne Naess (Norwegian professor of philosophy who coined the term "deep ecology") points out: "Ecological ideas are not enough. We need an ecological identity, an ecological self". Through processes like the "Council of All Beings", we extend out identity through space and acknowledge our kinship with the myriad species and landscapes of the Earth. Through the "Timeline of Light" ceremony we recapitulate the Epic of our evolutionary journey and come home to who we truly are.

The workshop concludes with integration exercises and networking with the other activists present to prepare us for effective and sustained action.

Practical Details

Participants will arrive from around 6pm on Friday 12^th April. There will be an initial meeting at 9pm. Departure will be after lunch on Monday 12^th April.

Accommodation will be camping in tents. Please bring your own tent. If you do not have one, we can rent one for you at cost-price – please contact us. Food is included in the cost, and will be prepared vegan and organic. If you have any food allergies, please let us know.

We are camping in the grounds of the Conference Centre ‘de Poort’ which has 24 acres of private land. ‘De Poort’ is situated in Groesbeek, near Nijmegen. They say: "This area consists of an extended forest, providing quietness space and a cosy informal atmosphere. This means in other words, that a professional attitude is closely related to a spiritual life-style. Being able to offer more than one expects, has always been the engine in our work." See http://www.depoort.org.

Cost

Euros 180- per person for the whole event. The only extra costs would be for tent hire if you do not bring your own. You are responsible for your own travel arrangements. It may be possible for some participants to offer work exchange in part payment – please contact us for further details.

The facilitators offer their work free of charge. All proceeds from the workshop go to support the Los Cedros Biological Reserve in Ecuador. Information about this project may be found on the web: http://forests.org/roc/projects.

Bookings

Please mail us your name, address, telephone no. and email. We will then send you an invoice for the costs, which once you have transferred it to our account will confirm your place on the course.