Like others, I was concerned about the appropriateness, marketability, and wisdom of planning a third annual, in-person climate justice conference at The Mountain. We transitioned dates and retreat length to be responsive to health safety, and we adopted Charles Eisenstein's writings about "The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible" to combat the doom-and-gloom perspective that's so seductive these days. We reached out to a diverse group of presenters, stitched together a schedule that promoted both idealistic macro and micro thinking, and promoted the event widely to see if anyone would want to come. And we waited and hoped and prepared the space. And they came!
Nearly three dozen brave souls grew in community over A More Beautiful World Weekend, respecting safety protocols and engaging each other in meaningful conversations at morning circle, at outdoor social hour, and around the nightly campfire. Participants ushered in the mornings with forest walks and meditation. They read together and discussed thought-provoking excerpts from Eisenstein's book. They harvested food from the farm and ate it at their meals. They explored strengths-based psychology and collectivist business strategies and seed saving and soil regeneration. They asked questions of an activist panel whose representatives spanned five decades of artistic, political, and scientific activism. Most importantly, they discovered in each other allies in the quest to transition away from a failing story of separation and in to a new story of interbeing.
The Mountain Staff was prepared in all ways to welcome guests safely back to the campus. The weather cooperated beautifully, and the Mountain Magic was definitely alive and well! I'm confident that The Mountain's commitment to the UU seventh principle (respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part) will generate continued programming to educate and empower participants like this program did. I'm already thinking ahead to our next gathering!
- Jon Reese, Program Coordinator
We would like to thank everyone for their participation in co-creating this event! We look forward to what it may mean for the future of creating programming based around the concept of truly inhabiting a more beautiful world.
Below you can review our collective resources and interviews.
- Tanner Csonka
Download our daily reading prompts and group shared resources that aim to move towards a more beautiful world:
Watch our discussion with Charles Eisenstein, author of The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible:
Watch our discussion with Aly Tharp of the UU Ministry for Earth:
View our good news slide show: https://tinyurl.com/MBWWslides
Learn More about Charles Eisenstein: https://charleseisenstein.org/
Dive into a comprehensive exploration of solutions to climate change and the Earth's Bioregions: https://www.oneearth.org/
A tribute to the weekend from some Mountain Folks that aim to make the world a little more beautiful. A duet by Julia Townsend and Hannah Leeper.