Kosmos Newsletter
Creating the New Civilization for the Common Good
September 2012
Current Issue: Print
Subcribe: Print
Dear Friends of Kosmos,
When the articles start arriving for the next issue, I am always excited to see the progress we are making towards creating ‘another future.’ One outstanding contribution is from 28-year-old Vanessa Fisher who explains in soulful prose and poetry her journey as a global nomad to de-construct her Western conditioning in order to become a servant of the whole. And today even more news—a surprise award-winning photographer/journalist has just agreed to collaborate on some outstanding visuals depicting climate change—some of the most beautiful we have ever seen. There are several outstanding articles on 21st Century Spirituality, as well as new approaches to the commons and transformational leadership. When I think we can’t top the last issue, I am thrilled when I realize—yes we can!
Be sure to subscribe to our hard copy journal now to be the first to learn about the latest developments that are hopeful signs of a new era arising.
Nancy
CULTURE OF PEACE
UN HIGH LEVEL FORUM ON A CULTURE OF PEACE
As many as 17 KOSMOS colleagues will be attending this high-level forum at the United Nations on Friday, September 14. Several have been responsible in making this event a reality, particularly Avon Mattison, featured in the Fall | Winter 2004 issue of Kosmos Journal and Sharon Deep of the Spiritual Caucus. (Kosmos is co-founder and an active member.)
It is significant that this forum will open with an appropriate ceremony in the magnificent hall of the General Assembly of the United Nations, with addresses by the Secretary General and the outgoing president of the General Assembly.
You will be able to watch a live web cast at:
http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/c/dpi-ngo-briefing.html
To register for the event, go to:
INTEGRAL CITIES
CITIES 2.0
Kosmos Associates is a proud supporter of Cities 2.0. My colleague, Marilyn Hamilton, has invited 50 visionaries to join her in re-envisioning the future of the city, September 4-27. The United Nations called for the development of national urban policies to ensure developing countries are not overwhelmed by urbanization, which “can be compared to a tsunami for its staggering growth which can surpass cities” capacities to manage it. Marilyn has a good idea of what that involves as we recognize cities as living systems and relationships their prime currency.
Kosmos published a review of her brilliant book Integral City: Evolutionary Intelligences for the Human Hive in the Fall |Winter 2008 issue.
The Cities 2.0 conference is organized in an especially interesting and unusual way. For more information, check it out here.
AFTER RIO+20
AFTER RIO+20 – MOVING BEYOND 2015
October 15-19 are the dates for the upcoming conference at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey, USA. Several KOSMOS colleagues will be speaking and our own Uchita de Zoysa will deliver the keynote speech on People’s Sustainability Treaties in a Post Rio+ Future: Advancing a Global Citizens Movement Around Sustainable Development. Uchita is the dynamic coordinator of The Widening Circle (TWC). Nancy Roof, a member of the core group, will be meeting with the other members of TWC in New York City following the conference.
AWAKENED WORLD 2012
AWAKENED WORLD 2012
We are now preparing to participate in the Awakened World 2012 Conference, October 13-21, 2012 in Rome and Florence. Kosmos board members attending include Nancy Roof, facilitator, Tara Stuart, participant and James Quilligan, speaker. The conference is shaping up now with more particulars available at the Association for Global New Thought. 21st century spirituality discussions will center around four domains: Reconciling with the Other; Transforming Society; Embracing the Earth Family; and Discovering the Sacred. These domains will be developed in stages from Signs of Change; Systemic Shifts; Engagement; to Embodiment. We’ll be engaging in a Women’s Spiritual Group and much more.
ETHICAL MARKETS
TRANSFORMING FINANCE STATEMENT BASED ON ETHICS AND LIFE’S PRINCIPLES
In a brilliant move, Hazel Henderson, Kosmos Advisory Board member, has collaborated with Biomimicry 3.8 on creating a “Transforming Finance Statement Based on Ethics and Life’s Principles.” Nancy Roof is a proud signator along with 50 others. Supporting a new civilization based on the principles of nature is a foundation of the work of KOSMOS as well,. As a member of Hazel’s EthicMarket Board of Advisors, Nancy recently voted for the best advertisements that reflect ethics and life principals. The winners will be announced later this Fall.
CHEMICAL HEALTH HAZARDS
UN CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION TO REDUCE CHEMICAL HEALTH HAZARD
On one of the last summer weekends of the year, I began to notice hundreds of dead mosquitos on my deck. Then I smelled the faint scent of chemicals. I raced to click on Google to find out the details of what was being sprayed and if it was a danger to me or my two puppies, The official word was “no risk.” Liek so many others, I am skeptical of “the official word” on these issues. It seems that many at the UN are also skeptical. Find out how they are proposing to deal with this potential threat to our health and environment.
EMPOWERING PUBLIC WISDOM
PIONEERING SPIRITUAL ACTIVISM FOR CHILDREN OF THE EARTH
Our colleague Nina Meyerhoff has spearheaded spiritual activism for children around the globe for decades. KOSMOS reported her work in an earlier issue when we were inspired in meeting some of these children and youth and seeing Nina in action. Now she has compiled what she calls her legacy, a handbook of the most effective experiential exercises that she has used in her trainings. This handbook is actually an inter-generational tool that can be used by all who work in groups.
VANGELIS HYMME
AMERICA THE POSSIBLE, BY JAMES GUSTAVE SPETH
We have just heard that Gus Speth is publishing the third volume of his award-winning American Crisis series—titled America the Possible— due out this month. We recommend all of his books and look forward to his latest.
“He looks unsparingly at the sea of troubles in which the United States now finds itself, charts a course through the discouragement and despair commonly felt today, and envisions what he calls America the Possible, an attractive and plausible future that we can still realize. Speth identifies a dozen features of the American political economy—the country’s basic operating system—where transformative change is essential, and he explains how system change can come to America.”
Read an excerpt here.
Free Online Sample Issue
of Kosmos Journal
aesthetic wisdom
award-winning photography
80 evocative pages | no advertisements
Subscribe Now
“Kosmos Journal carries in every word and picture the sense of the global culture that is emerging. Beautifully illustrated, brilliantly written by leading evolutionary agents, it holds a unique place in the formation of a wisdom culture.”
– Barbara Marx Hubbard, Futurist
Kosmos Journal is a non-profit, private foundation that brings together individuals working to create a sustainable, equitable, just and compassionate new world civilization.