Ananda Seva September Newsletter 2022

A New Era Arises

NEW ERA CONVERGENCE Report

The New Era Convergence arose out of a sense of urgency on the part of a few PROUTists to go beyond their “piece of the puzzle” and collaborate with others working toward the liberation of society in their own unique ways, and to sew the seeds of a movement that guides humanity to a brighter future. After five months of planning - securing a site, seemingly endless meetings, reaching out to others, creating a website and promotional materials, securing funding, developing a program that allowed for openness within a structure for to contribute – the time for the event finally arrived! The original vision was ambitious in terms of numbers for attendance and capacity to create something that would live beyond the event.

The good news is we reached our goal! There were fewer attendees than our original goal, but the size of the group actually created a greater opportunity for in depth work together, forming deeper connections, and forging relationships that inspired participants to take the New Era Convergence forward.

A third of the participants were from the River Road neighborhood in Eugene, OR and have already made plans to reconnect to take on “next steps”. Participants came from Southern California to Northern Washington and as far east as Kansas City, MO. – over 45 in all! Todd Boyle, a local videographer, volunteered his film making skills to document the event! Stay tuned in to the New Era Convergence website for updates and a full report on the proceedings.

The 2022 New Era Convergence created a strong foundation that we believe will continue to expand and inspire many to move together into a bright future!

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Transformation Education

FALL SEMESTER COURSES

Our fall semester courses are live for registration! Learn more about our course offerings and register now with sliding-scale payment options.

FALL 2022 Classes

PROUT’s Theory of History 

Instructor: Ravi Logan

Course details: 2-part course

Class description: PROUT offers a new theory of history, one that provides empowering insights for those who want to understand historical dynamics so they can revitalize the progressive movement of society. In this time of planetary transformation, the insights provided by PROUT’s theory of history are particularly valuable. In this short survey course, we will cover the topics of collective psychology, the systaltic movement of societies, the rotation of social classes in position of social dominance, the concept of progress, and the methodology for bringing evolutionary and revolutionary change. We will also look at the six factors that are essential to sustaining civilizations. Supplemental readings will be provided for those who wish additional learning resources.

Beyond Identity Politics: 

Universal Social Equality as a Basis for Freedom and Liberation 

Instructor: Jason Schreiner

Course details:  2-part course; open to all

Description:: Our contemporary world is riven with social antagonisms and political vitriol that many blame on “identity politics,” a term that gets tossed around often but without clear understanding of what it means or entails. So, what is “identity politics,” and why is it so charged? Where did it come from, how did it develop, and what are its implications?  Are there are other forms of political engagement and social movement more suitable to the challenges we currently face? In this two-part course we’ll explore these questions and examine the possibility that identity politics does more to reinforce the status quo than to challenge it. As an alternative, we’ll consider how neohumanism engages issues of identity and advances universal social equality as the basis of human freedom and liberation. 

FALL 2022 Learning Communities

In addition to our courses, we'll also be offering two learning communities. A learning community is a regular gathering of people who share a common interest and want to deepen their knowledge on that topic together. Rather than a teacher, a facilitator will guide these sessions so that the learning process can be collaborative. Each learning community will meet for 4 to 6 weeks weeks.

Integrity and High Ideals in Modern Life

5 weeks in Oct.

Facilitator: Alberta Pedroja

Description: Unwavering commitment to a set of ideals is a desperate need for our time, and people who demonstrate integrity and high ideals are essential. This 5-week course will use an interactive approach to learning in order to deepen understanding of and commitment to cardinal values that can form the basis of the leadership we need for a sustainable future and a life full of purpose and joy. Attendees can expect to express their highest and best in their daily lives and become of beacon of hope and inspiration to others.

Goals: Participants will 1) deepen their connection to yama/niyama, 2) demonstrate the relevance of yama/niyama in modern life, 3) utilize a method for discovering, expressing and sharing personal experiences, and 4) build community based on shared moral principles.

Ayurveda and Yogic Life

4 weeks in Nov.

Facilitator: Kaverii Blocklinger

Description: facilitated group learning community

Interested in learning about Ayurveda and how to incorporate it into a yogic lifestyle? Join our learning community! Topics may include: elements in nature, bringing balance and greater health, how the seasons, cycle of the day and phases of life help us understand how to care for ourselves, the five flavors and how to incorporate these into our meals. Together we will create a community that will support us moving towards the healthiest version of ourselves.

NEW ON TEACHABLE:

Teachable gives participants the option to take on-demand courses at their own pace. We now have 14 classes up on the platform covering a variety of topics. Check out our two new courses and get 30% off with the coupon code "Summer" though September 30th.

System For a New Era

This class will present the system that P. R. Sarkar articulated for realizing a new era of humanity. Sarkar called this system the “panacea” to solve the problems of human existence, and he designated this new era as the “rule of rationality.” To understand what Sarkar means and envisions, we’ll examine how the five major components he introduced for manifesting this new era – PROUT, neohumanism, aesthetic science, microvita science, and intuitional science – interrelate and interact together as a single, integrated system. We’ll explore how this system is designed according to a set of guiding operative principles that maximize balanced development of physical, mental, and spiritual potentialities and advance humanity towards spiritual and social fulfilment.

Humanity at a Crossroads:

Preparing for the Fall of Capitalism

More and more people are questioning how long capitalism can maintain, given its overuse of earth’s resources, its extreme concentration of wealth among a few, its inability to adequately respond to climate change, its dominating impact on government, and the fragility of its globalization of the economy. How and when will capitalism end? What will be the social dynamics that its fall will put in play? How best to prepare for the social turmoil that will arise? What is a viable social vision to replace capitalism and how can this be put into practice? This class will offer the best thinking from the PROUT Institute on these questions and will provide opportunity for discussion by participants.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT:

Charly Swing

Art City:

Creating Quantum Change Through Art

ArtCity was founded by Charly Swing in 2016 with the intention to create quantum Chang Through Art. 

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ArtCity is where artists and community members work collaboratively with municipalities, businesses, and organizations to collectively impact change through art. From 2017 through 2020 the Cultural Services department of the City of Eugene utilized our placemaking concepts to initiate creative initiatives that were intended to elevate the perception of Downtown Eugene and the 97404 area. This work continues Downtown through BEAM, an annual pop-up event that transforms the Downtown Park Blocks as a showcase of diverse works of art that incorporate light. And the EugArt-404 collective of artists works with their neighborhood associations creating placemaking change through art

The latest project of Art City is called Culture Rising

Culture Raising is a temporary public art project along a 100 foot fenceline in the new Riverfront Park. The artwork brings awareness to the Native American people and cultures in our community. Through this installation, the public will see larger than life faces of Native American people who live in our community. Half of each elder’s face is matched with a youth or young adult face, representing the past, present and future of the cultures and emphasizing unity.

More from the Convergence:

Charly Swing led an open source session on Conscious Reflection giving rise to creative expression that included art, song and poetry. Heather's Poem came out of the session and really captured the essence of the convergence. Enjoy:

Heather’s Poem 

On the first day of the convergence

Clare's shirt invited us

Dandelion fluff

A seed waiting to detach

And fly free

When night came

She opened the blinds

To reveal a sunset so big so pink

Some of us couldn't sit still

We staggered to the deck

To witness the sky

In the middle of a sentence

Song followed

David's strong, clear voice

Reminding us

We are welcome here

In the morning I rose

Expectant curious ready to stretch

Galen opened up the space

With no expectations or requirements

We stood in tree pose

Perfectly balanced

At breakfast there was talk of turkeys

Wilder than the ones we have in the city

Watching from the deck

We saw them cross the open field

Some opening and closing their wings

Leaving feathers behind

Back in the lodge

Ravi broke the ice

We melted into each other's voices

Sharing our fears about the end

And the unknown new beginnings

A moment of despair at the enormity of the ask

To survive in hard times

But Jason reminded us that we could

And we remembered

The possibilities in our unity

We celebrated in dance

With open hearts we let go

The bravest and readiest grieved

While others learned how

Under the beating drum

The sunset behind the trees

We did not need to see it's glory

We could feel it

Now here alone

On a bench I claimed as my favorite

I watch the turkeys return

This time the young ones

They circle our tents

Under the gaze of their adult guardians

Before gathering to return to the wind

by Heather Sielicki