Earth Day and The Great Turning

As we commemorate Earth Day on April 22nd, we are called upon to recommit to protect our planet, and ensure that the human species and our fellow beings will have a long-term future. Founded in 1970, Earth Day is an internationally celebrated day, honoring the natural systems of the planet, and a day of action in support of climate protection.  The commemoration was first proposed by two different people, peace activist John McConnell, who created the iconic Earth Flag, and Senator Gaylord Nelson.

In an era of climate crisis, Earth Day reminds us of the urgency and importance of transforming our way of life . . . today! One resource for this is to reimagine these times as an epochal period of great change, one that many people are calling, The Great Turning.

The Great Turning is a phrase popularized by many people, including Joanna Macy and David Korten, that describes our current time period as a massive shift from the industrial growth society to a life-sustaining civilization. We may not make this transition in time to prevent catastrophic climate change . . . but billions of people around the globe are engaged in the three types of actions that support the Great Turning.

These three types of actions are:

Holding actions to slow the destruction of human-based systems on the Earth and other beings. These activities include all the political, legislative, and legal work required to reduce the destruction, as well as direct actions–blockades, boycotts, civil disobedience, and other forms of noncooperation and nonviolent intervention. These are important to stop the worst of the destruction, but they are not enough on their own; they must be supported with . . .

Creating new systems that support a life-affirming society, including local agriculture, reducing meat consumption, switching to renewable energy, creating mass transit systems, watershed protection and restoration, cooperative housing and eco-villages. And, to support the movement toward these visionary goals, it is also necessary to engage in . . .

Shifting beliefs away from old concepts of domination, separateness, greed and destruction, and towards new understandings of interconnection, general and living systems theory, deep ecology, cooperation and collaboration.

The three dimensions of the Great Turning are equally vital. Look around your community and notice how many people are engaged in one or several aspects of this work! Question your own participation – how do you contribute? What more could you engage in? What excites and intrigues you? For the Great Turning to be successful, we need all hands on deck! How will you be a part of this historic moment?

This article is from Rivera Sun’s book of nonviolent histories that have made our world. Click here for more information.

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Rivera Sun is a change-maker, a cultural creative, a protest novelist, and an advocate for nonviolence and social justice. She’s a love-based revolutionary and the author of The Dandelion Insurrection, The Way Between and ten other fiction, non-fiction and poetry books. Her essays and writings are syndicated by Peace Voice, and have appeared in over a hundred journals nationwide. Rivera Sun speaks and facilitates workshops in strategy for nonviolent change across the country and around the world. She connects the dots between the issues, shares solutionary ideas, and inspires people to step up to the challenge of being a part of the story of change in our times. www.riverasun.com

Learn more of Joanna Macy: http://www.joannamacy.net/thegreatturning.html

Watch a video by Joanna Macy on The Great Turning: http://www.joannamacyfilm.org/

Photo Credit: “Earth Flag created by John McConnell” By John McConnell (flag designer)NASA (Earth photograph)SiBr4 (flag image) – File:Earth flag PD.jpg, File:The Earth seen from Apollo 17 with transparent background.png, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32330734

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