Health and Diet Scottish Recipes Ferret for Ferrets


[pf] [NewAgreements] Sustainable Living Network Newsletter (fwd)
by Steve Habib Rose
30 November 2000 16:45 UTC

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 18:45:04 
From: Patricia Mikkelson 
Reply-To: NewAgreements@egroups.com
To: ozarkecovillages@hotmail.com, newagreements@egroups.com
Subject: [NewAgreements] Sustainable Living  Network Newsletter

SUSTAINABLE LIVING NETWORK NEWSLETTER   NOVEMBER 28, 2000

Editor: Patricia Mikkelson, Director and founder of Sustainable Living 
Network     ozarkecovillages@hotmail.com

MISSION OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING NETWORK: To help people to create a vision of, 
and then live, a sustainable life.

To provide education, experiences and resources which make it easy and 
enjoyable for large numbers of people, especially (but not only!) parents 
and children, to harmoniously create a sustainable culture.

PATRICIA'S INTERPRETATION OF WHAT SUSTAINABLE LIVING IS: To make decisions 
about how we live our day to day lives based on the question: "Will this 
action be beneficial to the seven generations that come after me?" Answering 
"yes" means the action is sustainable. Answering "no" means the action is 
not sustainable. The answers may not always be clear, but thinking about the 
question is usually beneficial.

HISTORY OF THE SUSTAINABLE LIVING NETWORK

I founded the Sustainable Living Network  two years ago, and then 
discontinued it because I didn't think there was adequate interest. When 
Julia Butterfly came to speak in February 2000, I was inspired to start the 
Lorax Society which evolved into a chapter of The Art of LIVING Coalition 
last March, 2000. I was interested in being a part of a larger organization 
rather than starting something on my own. I realized recently that my 
specific goals are different from TAOL Coalition, although our mission is 
essentially the same. Thus I have chosen to create my own autonomous 
organization.

I feel very grateful to Frankie Lee Slater, director and founder of The Art 
of LIVING Coalition, for her mentoring and support. I give her credit for 
helping to inspire me to get clearer on how I want to share my gifts and 
live my dreams. I will be exploring with her how we can be mutually 
supportive.  Frankie Lee can be contacted at liveart@concentric.net.

GOALS OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING NETWORK:

I have established the following goals as ones that the Sustainable Living 
Network will support. If you would like to add more goals and or recommended 
resources, I will be happy to add them if they align with the network's 
mission.

**PARENTING: Raise kids in a healthy way: Recommended resource: HOW TO TALK 
SO KIDS WILL LISTEN  LISTEN SO KIDS WILL TALK; see the article "Gifts of the 
Spirit, Gifts from the Heart" at http://web.archive.org/web/20030424021543/http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com/

**CHOICES FOR CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: Support Parents in educating their 
children as they choose, including HOMESCHOOLING,UNSCHOOLING, AND 
ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION: Suggested resources:  www.edrev.org, 
www.homeschoolnewslink.com/, www.midnightbeach.com./hs

**ALTERNATIVES TO MONEY SYSTEM: Support alternatives to using money 
including  L.E.T.S. (LOCAL ECONOMIC TRADING SYSTEM), BARTER, ALTERNATIVE 
CURRENCIES: Suggested resources: L.E.T.S. web sites: go to yahoo.com, search 
for local economic trading system

**PHYSICAL LEARNING CENTERS: Create Learning Centers in any neighborhood 
which wants one: Suggested resources:  
http://web.archive.org/web/20030424021543/http://www.creatinglearningcommunities.org/

**COMMUNITY BUILDING: Create intentional communiities and other cooperative 
living situations: Recommended resources:  www.ic.org., www.cedworks.com, 
www.ishmael.com

**URBAN WELL-BEING: Create Livable Cities including neighborhood 
associations: Recommended resource: Coalition for a Livable Future: 
www.clfuture.org

**PEACE: Social change through non-violent actions and inner work such as 
prayer and meditation: Recommended resource: www.nonviolence.org; Greg 
Braden's book, THE ISAIAH AFFEC;, Natural Law Party: naturallaw.org

**TEAM LEARNING: Empowering people to achieve their personal and collective 
goals through working together. Recommended resources: 
www.openspaceworld.org, www.fieldbook.com

**DAY TO DAY SUSTAINABLE LIFE STYLE: Live a life of joyful and voluntary 
simplicity:recommended resource: www.simpleliving.net

**HEALTHY FOOD FOR ALL: Support ways of growing food that are kind to the 
earth and easily, affordably obtained--including people growing their own. 
Recommended resources:  SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE http://web.archive.org/web/20030424021543/http://www.sare.org/, 
www.attra.org;  URBAN GARDENING http://web.archive.org/web/20030424021543/http://slug-sf.org/

**GETTING FREE FINANCIALLY: Being able to live in a way that money is 
handled in construtive ways including making wise investments and living 
debt-free: Recommended resources: Book: YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE, 
www.newroadmap.org

**OPTIMAL HEALTH: Find personal balance and peace of mind through effective 
methods which are affordable, and easily doable addressing all levels of 
consciousness: emotional, spiritual, physical,and mental.

**SPIRITUALITY: Discover and practice spiritual principals that work, and 
which help each person discover the truth within, and which do not have need 
to force others to comply with.

**ECO-CENTERED CULTURE: Help to make a transition from a people centered to 
eco-centered world view which takes into account the well being of the 
planet and all it's inhabitants. Recommended resources: www.ishmael.com, 
http://web.archive.org/web/20030424021543/http://www.nonviolence.org/tranet/

**CONNECTION WITH NATURE: Connect deeply with the earth's energies in order 
to help to know that we truly are a part of the earth. Recommended 
resources: Institute for Deep Ecology: ide@igc.org; Working with nature 
spirits: www.naturekingdom.org

**COMMUNICATION: Learn and practice effective communication methods which 
helps: create dialogue between opposing sides; encourage cooperation and 
authenticity; resolve conflicts; and prevent conflicts. Non-Violent 
Communication: http://web.archive.org/web/20030424021543/http://ww.cnvc.org/, the book: WISDOM CIRCLES: A GUIDE TO 
SELF DISCOVERY AND BUILDING COMMUNITY IN SMALL GROUPS

**RIGHT LIVELIHOOD: Support people to discover and do work which they love 
to do and which helps the earth in some way.Recommended resource: CAREERS 
FOR HEART AND SPIRIT: A self-study career planning program for indidviduals 
who seek personal transformation, joy and peace in their lives

**BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS: Assist large and small money making and 
non-profit organizations in becoming sustainable: Suggested resource: 
www.naturalcapitalism.com, www.fieldbook.com

**ATTITUDES TOWARD LAND AND RESOURCE OWNERSHIP: Promote ways to use land and 
resources in an equitable manner so that everyone can get their needs met. 
Recommended resource: Land Trust Alliance: http://web.archive.org/web/20030424021543/http://www.lta.org/

WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR RIGHT NOW:

I am looking for people to partner with who:

A.  Are passionately interested in the goals I have presented,
B.  Love children and would like to help me with education and care of my 
children
C. Want to be part of the intentional community my family and I are 
creating.
D. Envision their involvement as being their right livelhood.
E. Have good communication skills
F. Are responsible, committed to being in integrity and able to make and 
keep agreements.

If you want more information about my child-raising philosophy, my 
background, what the organizational structure looks like, and our vision of 
community, please let me know and I will send you more information.

FUTURE PLANS

In the next newsletter, I will be notifying you about a monthly local 
networking meeting where people are invited to do the following:

1. Share about what they are doing in their business, non-profit 
organization, or as individuals--relating to sustainable living. Give and 
receive support.

2. Start bartering using  the LETS  system(Local Economic Trading System)

3. Brainstorm on various topics which relate to the goals stated above.

4. Identify key people and organizations who are already working on the 
network's goals locally and figure out ways we can all cooperate to achieve 
our collective and individual goals.

CONCLUSION

I hope to hear from you about what you think about the ideas I have 
presented in this newsletter. Thank you very much in advance.

In peace,
Patricia Mikkelson
Director and founder of Sustainable Living Network
ozarkecovillages@hotmail.com