Basic nutrition–we need to be healthy!

PRESENTATION: SUPER-NUTRITION MADE EASY AND DELICIOUS

by Craig “doc” Landry, clinical physiologist

(presentation outline)

Goal:

cellular nutrition

Prerequisites:

adequate chewing

gastro-intestinal health

liver/gall bladder health

adequate vitamin B-6 cellular reserves

healthy and adequate probiotic populations

adequate hydration

adequate mineral balance

Physiological Climate

At Mealtime:

calm

Food:

adequate temperature

adequate micronutrients:

vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, polysaccharides, and miscellaneous phytonutrients

balanced macronutrients:

protein, carbohydrate*, fat, fiber

Consumption Order:

protein donars* first

*Notes:

There are 2 kinds of carbohydrates…starchy and nonstarchy. Starches (grains, legumes, and root vegetables) promote premature aging and inflammatory diseases.

Protein donars are foods with an excess of protein to donate. They counterbalance carbohydrate donars at that meal. The following are protein donars:

animal source foods: cheese, eggs, animal flesh;

vegan source foods: chia, hemp, sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds; coconut meat; pine nuts; peanuts; and nutritional yeast

.

Doc`s Nutrition Suggestions

Yes:

protein donars first

stevia, honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup for sweeteners

fresh, mostly raw foods

coconut, palm, olive, and sesame oils

if you consume alcohol, less than 5 oz and only during meals

No:

starches (minimize or eliminate)

artificial sweeteners, sucralose,

sucrose, MSG nor pre-packaged foods

hydrogenated, soy, nor “vegetable” oil

GMO nor soy products

microwaved nor charred foods

Also:

Substitute “Doc`s Super-Hydration Solution” for drinking water. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of creatine monohydrate, 5 drops of SSKI , and 1 teaspoon of mag minerals into 1 gallon of purified water. Structure this solution by imagining that it has a beautiful liquid crystaline structure. Drink at least 1 ounce for every 2 pounds of body weight per day, mostly in the morning.

On awakening, consume at least 1 tablespoon of raw, unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar with your first Doc`s Super-Hydration Solution intake.

Take at least 130 mg of lithium orotate per day.

Include bee pollen, grass juices, and sprouted seeds and nuts in your diet.

Finish eating at least 3 hours before sleep, and be asleep by 10 pm.

Basic nutrition–we need to be healthy!

PRESENTATION: SUPER-NUTRITION MADE EASY AND DELICIOUS

by Craig “doc” Landry, clinical physiologist

(presentation outline)

Goal:

cellular nutrition

Prerequisites:

adequate chewing

gastro-intestinal health

liver/gall bladder health

adequate vitamin B-6 cellular reserves

healthy and adequate probiotic populations

adequate hydration

adequate mineral balance

Physiological Climate

At Mealtime:

calm

Food:

adequate temperature

adequate micronutrients:

vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, polysaccharides, and miscellaneous phytonutrients

balanced macronutrients:

protein, carbohydrate*, fat, fiber

Consumption Order:

protein donars* first

*Notes:

There are 2 kinds of carbohydrates…starchy and nonstarchy. Starches (grains, legumes, and root vegetables) promote premature aging and inflammatory diseases.

Protein donars are foods with an excess of protein to donate. They counterbalance carbohydrate donars at that meal. The following are protein donars:

animal source foods: cheese, eggs, animal flesh;

vegan source foods: chia, hemp, sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds; coconut meat; pine nuts; peanuts; and nutritional yeast

.

Doc`s Nutrition Suggestions

Yes:

protein donars first

stevia, honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup for sweeteners

fresh, mostly raw foods

coconut, palm, olive, and sesame oils

if you consume alcohol, less than 5 oz and only during meals

No:

starches (minimize or eliminate)

artificial sweeteners, sucralose,

sucrose, MSG nor pre-packaged foods

hydrogenated, soy, nor “vegetable” oil

GMO nor soy products

microwaved nor charred foods

Also:

Substitute “Doc`s Super-Hydration Solution” for drinking water. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of creatine monohydrate, 5 drops of SSKI , and 1 teaspoon of mag minerals into 1 gallon of purified water. Structure this solution by imagining that it has a beautiful liquid crystaline structure. Drink at least 1 ounce for every 2 pounds of body weight per day, mostly in the morning.

On awakening, consume at least 1 tablespoon of raw, unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar with your first Doc`s Super-Hydration Solution intake.

Take at least 130 mg of lithium orotate per day.

Include bee pollen, grass juices, and sprouted seeds and nuts in your diet.

Finish eating at least 3 hours before sleep, and be asleep by 10 pm.

Overview of this site

Neighborhoods are powerful catalysts for change. This site offers many examples of how people working in neighborhoods have made profound differences. I hope you will share your examples of positive actions taking place in neighborhoods.

A Garden tour, potluck, and sharing of knowledge

I wrote this last May 2008 and thought that is was pertinent. Patrice, founder and director of Foundation Farm, is one of my heroes. You may know him from the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market. Check out his website

Neighborhood Garden Party

Patrice, a local farmer who is passionate about growing food and teaching others to do the same, came to our neighborhood to share some of his knowledge and experience. It was great that about 15 people attended throughout the evening.

Patrice started out by giving his insights on no-till gardening that Mary Thornton and I are implementing in a large plot on the farm. We are experimenting with his method by creating 36 and 48 inch rows, with 36 inch paths. We put down soil amendments such as paramagnetic rock, green sand, and other exotic additions purchased from Nitron. We also put a two inch layer of lama manure on the row, put newspaper down, then put about 12 inches of loose hay on top of that. We leave the paths with grass, and will mow regularly, paying close attention to the edges to keep the grass from growing into the bed. We have already cut through the newspaper after about 6 weeks of having the newspaper/hay mulch in place, planting tomatoes and basil and the hope is that the mulch will kill the Bermuda and we don’t have to dig it all out. I’ll look forward to letting you know more about how this technique works.

One of the wonderful things about the evening was that people who didn’t know each other in our own little neighborhood got to be connected. We are all so busy it is hard to connect, but having a gathering with a common interest such as this was really effective. Patrice is super busy, also, but he had to be in town that day, had some extra time, and I seized the moment to ask him to share his knowledge. I notice that when someone from the outside comes who has something interesting to share—more people show up to my gatherings.

We had a potluck as well—and it was so great because I asked neighbor Brad just the day before if he would be willing to have it at his place because the weather was going to be cool, and my place is very tiny. I love having a neighbor like Brad who is always ready to share his space. He told me that I could use his home for gatherings any time, and I recall fondly the time when I couldn’t get a hold of him and used his house anyway for a band rehearsal. I was a little uneasy about using his home without checking in-even though he said it was okay. He was glad I had seized the moment, and thought it was great that his home was used for something fun and meaningful as well.

We also went on a tour of most of the gardens in our neighborhood. Some people weren’t aware of all the gardens, and really it was impressive how many people are working on growing food this year. I am realizing that growing food is something that really brings people together to cooperate and share ideas. I continue to realize that it is essential to find those things that are really important to people, and which transcend religious, political, class and other belief systems. Seems so simple!

It was encouraging to see neighbors who had seemed somewhat dissatisfied with our neighborhood, wishing they could move out to the country to have more space, seem to enjoy themselves. Later I heard them say that we have a lot of great neighbors. One person who could only make it for the potluck (I like to have gatherings where people can feel comfortable to drop in at any time), shared about her tiny 6 sided garden and how they cut out the bottom of a tent to make it into a green house. She also told me about how they made a tiny path on which she put small pieces of bamboo to make the path pretty. I had just helped someone make a similar garden, and I was able to pass on the idea of bamboo on path and tent for green house.

In the following week, I noticed a lot more mulch on the garden—partly because of Patrice’s singing the praises of mulch as a way of feeding the micro-organisms and adding essential humus to the soil. People in our neighborhood shared hay with each other. One person brought a whole large bale to one couple. Another person shared her resources of a whole barn load of hay which was utilized by some other gardeners.

We are so blessed in our small neighborhood to have acres of fertile land on which to grow food. It is an unusual place—27 acres with about 27 rental homes—and a land lord who is thrilled that people are utilizing the land for a useful purpose. Everyone is into organic gardening and sustainable living.

I look forward to sharing with you more about all the incredible crops that are being grown. A few gardeners have lots of greens to share, and have told me I can help myself to all I want. That is a blessing! There is an abundance of wild edibles to be had as well, including chickweed, plantain, dandelion greens, wild lettuce, lambs quarters, clover, violets, and sour dock. I love walking around my neighborhood picking these fresh in the morning with the dew still clinging to them, and making green smoothies out of fruit and greens.

Examples of things that can happen at Community Gatherings

 

Here are some examples of things that can happen at a Community Gathering

 

173 WAYS TO BUILD SOCIAL CAPITAL

 

The first 144 ideas were from
The Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America

 

Definition of Social Capital, by Robert Putnam, Author of BOWLING ALONE and BETTER TOGETHER

 “The central premise of social capital is that social networks have value. Social capital refers to the collective value of all “social networks” [who people know] and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other (norms of reciprocity)

Social capital is built through hundreds of little and big actions we take every day. We’ve gotten you started with a list of nearly 150 ideas, drawn from suggestions made by many people and groups. Try some of these or try your own. We need to grow this list. If you have other ideas, email us.

I, Patricia Mikkelson, conceptualizer of the Community Gathering, have put stars at the end of each activity to show how the Community Gathering can make these things more possible. When people show up at a weekly Community Gathering,knowing there is a free meal, childcare,  transportation, and meaningful/fun activities for the whole family– then they are going to be much more likely to be involved with all of these projects.

*means that an announcement can be made, flyers handed out, this can be listed on a newsletter, and a bulletin board, or you can just talk to a few people about getting involved, or the idea can be introduced somehow.

** means that this event can easily be organized at the gathering

***means that this activity can actually take place at the community gathering

1.      Organize a social gathering to welcome a new neighbor***
2. Attend town meetings***
3. Register to vote and vote***
4. Support local merchants**
5. Volunteer your special skills to an organization***
6. Donate blood (with a friend!)*
7. Start a community garden**
8. Mentor someone of a different ethnic or religious group***
9. Surprise a new neighbor by making a favorite dinner–and include the recipe*
10. Tape record your parents’ earliest recollections and share them with your children***
11. Plan a vacation with friends or family***
12. Avoid gossip***
13. Help fix someone’s flat tire*
14. Organize or participate in a sports league**
15. Join a gardening club***
16. Attend home parties when invited**
17. Become an organ donor or blood marrow donor.*
18. Attend your children’s athletic contests, plays and recitals*
19. Get to know your children’s teachers*
20. Join the local Elks, Kiwanis, or Knights of Columbus*
21. Get involved with Brownies or Cub/Boy/Girl Scouts***
22. Start a monthly tea group***
23. Speak at or host a monthly brown bag lunch series at your local library**
24. Sing in a choir***
25. Get to know the clerks and salespeople at your local stores***
26. Attend PTA meetings*
27. Audition for community theater or volunteer to usher**
28. Give your park a weatherproof chess/checkers board***
29. Play cards with friends or neighbors***
30. Give to your local food bank***
31. Walk or bike to support a cause and meet others**
32. Employers: encourage volunteer/community groups to hold meetings on your site*
33. Volunteer in your child’s classroom or chaperone a field trip*
34. Join or start a babysitting cooperative***
35. Attend school plays
36. Answer surveys when asked***
37. Businesses: invite local government officials to speak at your workplace*
38. Attend Memorial Day parades and express appreciation for others**
39. Form a local outdoor activity group

40. Participate in political campaigns***
41. Attend a local budget committee meeting*
42. Form a computer group for local senior citizens***
43. Help coach Little League or other youth sports – even if you don’t have a kid playing*
44. Help run the snack bar at the Little League field*
45. Form a tool lending library with neighbors and share ladders, snow blowers, etc.**
46. Start a lunch gathering or a discussion group with co-workers **
47. Offer to rake a neighbor’s yard or shovel his/her walk *
48. Start or join a carpool**
49. Employers: give employees time (e.g., 3 days per year to work on civic projects)*
50. Plan a “Walking Tour” of a local historic area**
51. Eat breakfast at a local gathering spot on Saturdays**
52. Have family dinners and read to your children*
53. Run for public office**
54. Stop and make sure the person on the side of the highway is OK*

55. Host a block party or a holiday open house **
56. Start a fix-it group–friends willing to help each other clean, paint, garden, etc.***
57. Offer to serve on a town committee*
58. Join the volunteer fire department*
59. Go to church…or temple…or walk outside with your children–talk to them about why its important***
60. If you grow tomatoes, plant extra for an lonely elder neighbor – better yet, ask him/her to teach you and others how to can the extras*
61. Ask a single diner to share your table for lunch*
62. Stand at a major intersection holding a sign for your favorite candidate**
63. Persuade a local restaurant to have a designated “meet people” table**
64. Host a potluck supper before your Town Meeting***
65. Take dance lessons with a friend***
66. Say “thanks” to public servants – police, firefighters, town clerk…***
67. Fight to keep essential local services in the downtown area–your post office, police station, school, etc.***
68. Join a nonprofit board of directors*
69. Gather a group to clean up a local park or cemetery***
70. When somebody says “government stinks,” suggest they help fix it*
71. Turn off the TV and talk with friends or family***
72. Hold a neighborhood barbecue**
73. Bake cookies for new neighbors or work colleagues**
74. Plant tree seedlings along your street with neighbors and rotate care for them**

  75. Volunteer at the library*
76. Form or join a bowling team**
77. Return a lost wallet or appointment book*
78. Use public transportation and start talking with those you regularly see*
79. Ask neighbors for help and reciprocate**
80. Go to a local folk or crafts festival**
81. Call an old friend*
82. Sign up for a class and meet your classmates***
83. Accept or extend an invitation***
84. Talk to your kids or parents about their day***
85. Say hello to strangers***
86. Log off and go to the park**
87. Ask a new person to join a group for a dinner or an evening***
88. Host a pot luck meal or participate in them***
89. Volunteer to drive someone*
90. Say hello when you spot an acquaintance in a store*
91. Host a movie night***
92. Exercise together or take walks with friends or family***
93. Assist with or create your town or neighborhood’s newsletter***
94. Organize a neighborhood pick-up – with lawn games afterwards***
95. Collect oral histories from older town residents***
96. Join a book club discussion or get the group to discuss local issues***
97. Volunteer to deliver Meals-on-Wheels in your neighborhood*
98. Start a children’s story hour at your local library***
99. Be real. Be humble. Acknowledge others’ self-worth***
100. Tell friends and family about social capital and why it matters***
101. Greet people***
102. Cut back on television***
103. Join in to help carry something heavy***

104. Plan a reunion of family, friends, or those with whom you had a special connection***
105. Take in the programs at your local library*

106. Read the local news faithfully***
107. Buy a grill and invite others over for a meal**

108. Fix it even if you didn’t break it***
109. Pick it up even if you didn’t drop it***
110. Attend a public meeting***
111. Go with friends or colleagues to a ball game (and root, root, root for the home team!)**
112. Help scrape ice off a neighbor’s car, put chains on the tires or shovel it out*
113. Hire young people for odd jobs***
114. Start a tradition***
115. Share your snow blower*
116. Help jump-start someone’s car*
117. Join a project that includes people from all walks of life***
118. Sit on your stoop*
119. Be nice when you drive*
120. Make gifts of time***
121. Buy a big hot tub
122. Volunteer at your local neighborhood school*
123. Offer to help out at your local recycling center**
124. Send a “thank you” letter to the Editor about a person or event that helped build community***
125. Raise funds for a new town clock or new town library***
126. When inspired, write personal notes to friends and neighbors***
127. Attend gallery openings*
128. Organize a town-wide yard sale***
129. Invite friends or colleagues to help with a home renovation or home building project**
130. Join or start a local mall-walking group and have coffee together afterwards**
131. Build a neighborhood playground**

132. Become a story-reader or baby-rocker at a local childcare center or neighborhood pre-school***
133. Contra dance or two-step***
134. Help kids on your street construct a lemonade stand***
135. Open the door for someone who has his or her hands full***
136. Say hi to those in elevators*
137. Invite friends to go snowshoeing, hiking, or cross-country skiing***
138. Offer to watch your neighbor’s home or apartment while they are away*
139. Organize a fitness/health group with your friends or co-workers***
140. Hang out at the town dump and chat with your neighbors as you sort your trash at the Recycling Center*
141. Take pottery classes with your children or parent(s)*
142. See if your neighbor needs anything when you run to the store*
143. Ask to see a friend’s family photos***
144. Join groups (e.g., arts, sports, religion) likely to lead to making new friends of different race or ethnicity, different social class or bridging across other dimensions ***

 

The following are suggestions I, Patricia, have made:

146. Start a success team and encourage each other in following your dreams***

147.    Facilitate a music jam session and encourage people of all ages and stages of talent to participate***

148.    Start a free geeks group and make it easy for people of all incomes to get computers**

149.    Start a life-long learning center and have classes for all ages in every conceivable subject***

150.    Have a dance jam where people bring their favorite music to dance to***

151.    Make an effort to include in all activities people who are under served and underheard***

152.    Teach a class in Non-violent communication or some other effective communication technique, and encourage people to start speaking in ways that build bridges of compassion***

153.    Start a listening buddies network so that every single person in your neighborhood has  number of people who can listen empathically to them in times of trouble.***

154.    Organize a neighborhood-wide emergency preparedness plan using something like 3 steps to neighborhood Preparedness***

155.    Start a neighborhoodlink or some similar website to connect neighbors***

156.    Raise funds to help bring in a consultant who can facilitate a three day meeting to help the neighborhood create a shared vision using effective change making facilitation techniques such as Future Search or Open Space Technology***

157.    Start a group to help localize the economy***

158.    Organize a networking group of local business people***

159.    Organize a food drive***

160.    Help single parents with childcare***

161.    Sponsor a 12 step group or other support group for addictions***

162.    Start a mentoring/coaching network***

163.    Have study groups to learn about different religions and foster a spirit of tolerance and understanding***

164.    Bring people of all ages and background together for a sing along***

165.    Organize a talent show where people of all levels of skill are encouraged to share their gifts***

166.    Host a local mic having poetry,music, prose, comedy and drama, encouraging people of all levels of talent to participate***

167.    Host conversation cafes and discuss a wide variety of topics relating to civic engagement

168.    Host study circles and learn more about the important issues that effect us all

169.    Learn more about the importance of civic engagement***

170.    Have book studies on such books as Bowling Alone, Better Together,

171.     Make a list of all the books which relate to building social capital and build a library accessible to all

172.    Inspire people to pay a fee like ten dollars a month to pay a natural connector in the community to do that full time.

173.     I have about 200 more ideas—no time now! (Patricia)

Powerful video: Why we need churches involved in neighborhoods

http://connectingthechurch.wordpress.com/2006/04/03/the-church-is-everywhere-part-2/

Human needs: can community gatherings help meet those needs?

What if our community gatherings could be designed to meet all human needs at one time? Would that be amazing or what? Manfred Max-Neef has done extensive research and listed what he perceives is our basic human needs on the chart below. I will be looking at these needs as I continue to design the Communty Gathering. See the link after the chart to learn more about Max-Neef.

Fundamental Human Needs	Being (qualities)	Having (things)	Doing (actions)	Interacting (settings)
subsistence	physical and mental health	food, shelter work	feed, clothe, rest, work	living environment, social setting
protection	care, adaptability autonomy	social security, health systems, work	co-operate, plan, take care of, help	social environment, dwelling
affection	respect, sense of humour, generosity, sensuality	friendships, family, relationships with nature	share, take care of, make love, express emotions	privacy, intimate spaces of togetherness
understanding	critical capacity, curiosity, intuition	literature, teachers, policies educational	analyse, study,meditate investigate,	schools, families universities, communities,
participation	receptiveness, dedication, sense of humour	responsibilities, duties, work, rights	cooperate, dissent, express opinions	associations, parties, churches, neighbourhoods
leisure	imagination, tranquillity spontaneity	games, parties, peace of mind	day-dream, remember, relax, have fun	landscapes, intimate spaces, places to be alone
creation	imagination, boldness, inventiveness, curiosity	abilities, skills, work, techniques	invent, build, design, work, compose, interpret	spaces for expression, workshops, audiences
identity	sense of belonging, self- esteem, consistency	language, religions, work, customs, values, norms	get to know oneself, grow, commit oneself	places one belongs to, everyday settings
freedom	autonomy, passion, self-esteem, open-mindedness	equal rights	dissent, choose, run risks, develop awareness	anywhere

You can learn more about

MANFRED NEEF in this very interesting article

http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/background/maxneef.htm

Social Capital generated at community gatherings

I think the Community Gathering is an ideal place where people can be inspired and empowered to do things that are constructive in society. The Community Gathering makes it easier for people to be and do good. Here is a definition of social capital (author unknown–sorry about that–I lost track of where I got this)

What does “social capital” mean?
The central premise of social capital is that social networks have value. Social capital refers to the collective value of all “social networks” [who people know] and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other ["norms of reciprocity"].

How does social capital work?
The term social capital emphasizes not just warm and cuddly feelings, but a wide variety of quite specific benefits that flow from the trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks. Social capital creates value for the people who are connected and – at least sometimes – for bystanders as well.

Social capital works through multiple channels:
Information flows (e.g. learning about jobs, learning about candidates running for office, exchanging ideas at college, etc.) depend on social capital norms of reciprocity (mutual aid) are dependent on social networks. Bonding networks that connect folks who are similar sustain particularized (in-group) reciprocity. Bridging networks that connect individuals who are diverse sustain generalized reciprocity. Collective action depends upon social networks (e.g., the role that the black church played in the civic rights movement) although collective action also can foster new networks. Broader identities and solidarity are encouraged by social networks that help translate an “I” mentality into a “we” mentality. What are some examples of social capital? When a group of neighbors informally keep an eye on one another’s homes, that’s social capital in action. When a tightly knit community of Hassidic Jews trade diamonds without having to test each gem for purity, that’s social capital in action. Barn-raising on the frontier was social capital in action, and so too are e-mail exchanges among members of a cancer support group. Social capital can be found in friendship networks, neighborhoods, churches, schools, bridge clubs, civic associations, and even bars. The motto in Cheers “where everybody knows your name” captures one important aspect of social capital.

For more information on social capital, read Chapter 1 of Bowling Alone or see the following.

Civic Practices Network (CPN) has a good description of social capital.

Briggs, Xavier de Souza. “Social Capital and the Cities: Advice to Change Agents.” National Civic Review 86, No. 2 (Summer 1997): 111-118.

Berry, Jeffrey M., Kent E. Portney, and Ken Thomson. The Rebirth of Urban Democracy. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 1993.

Ehrenhalt, Alan. The Lost City: Discovering the Forgotten Virtues of Community in the Chicago of the 1950s. New York: BasicBooks, 1995.

Lemann, Nicholas “Kicking in Groups.” Atlantic Monthly (April 1996): 22-24.

Loury, Glenn “The Social Capital Deficit.” The New Democrat (May-June 1995): 28-29.

Loury, Glenn, “The Divided Society and the Democratic Ideal.” Boston University’s University Lecture, 1996.

Portes, Alejandro & Patricia Landolt, “The Downside of Social Capital.” The American Prospect 26 (May-June 1996): 18-21, 94. http://epn.org/prospect/26/26-cnt2.html

Potapchuk, William R., Jarle P. Crocker and William H. Schecter, Jr. “Building Community with Social Capital: Chits and Chums or Chats with Change.” National Civic Review 86, No. 2 (Summer 1997): 129-140.

Putnam, Robert D. Making Democracy Work. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993.

Schambra, William and Michael S. Joyce. “A New Citizenship, A New Civic Life.” The Hudson Institute: 139-163.

Skocpol, Theda. “The Tocqueville Problem.” Address to Annual Meeting of the Social Science History Association, New Orleans, October 12, 1996. [There is an adaptation of this available here.]

Vanourek, Gregg, Scott Hamilton, and Chester Finn. Is There Life After Big Government?: The Potential of Civil Society. The Hudson Institute.

Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman Schlozman, and Henry E. Brady. Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1995.

Walzer, Michael, “Civility and Civic Virtue in Contemporary America.” In Radical Principles: Reflections of an Unreconstructed Democrat. New York: Basic Books, 1980.

Walzer, Michael. “Idea of Civil Society.” Dissent (Spring 1991): 293-304.

Wilson, William Julius. When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor. New York: Knopf, 1996.

[for more in depth information on Social Capital visit www.ksg.harvard.edu/saguaro/]

 

Social forum: a way to connect with thousands of other similar minded souls

Link to the US social forum

https://www.ussf2007.org/en/faq

 

A kind of analysis of US social forum

http://leftturn.mayfirst.org/?q=node/670

 

This one is the speech by Howard Roark in Ayn Rand’s fountainhead-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc7oZ9yWqO4&NR=1

 

principles and revolution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G0XH9qmFsA&feature=related

 

Blessed Unrest: Paul Hawkens indirectly writes about the livable neighborhoods movement

Blog Blessed Unrest

Here’s an excerpt from BLESSED UNREST, by Paul Hawkins This book really instilled a lot of hope in me, and hope is always handy to have around! Here’s the conversation we had (me talking to his words written in his book) My words are in italics.

The earth’s problems are everyone’s problems, and what modern technology and the movement can do is distribute problem-solving tools.

That is why I am so excited about encouraging livable neighborhoods-even livable blocks. The tools are obtainable, doable, and manageable.

Not surprisingly, people don’t know that they count in such a mal-ordered, destabilized world don’t know that they are of value. A healthy global civilization cannot be constructed without building blocks of meaning, which are hewn of rights and respect.

Every time I speak to a neighbor or anyone respectfully—wave at them and smile, ask them meaningful questions like, “what would you do if you had a million dollars” those building blocks are being hewn.

What constitutes meaning for human beings are events, memories and small dignities, gifts that rarely emerge from institutions and never from theory.

Yes, we just need to do it. I just developed the habit of talking to and smiling at just about everyone I come into contact with. Something has shifted in me—I see everyone one as God’s child, special and loved and with a purpose. Feels a lot better than judging.

While they are organizing themselves into the largest movement in the history of the world, the movement only happens one person at a time. But how does one become an environmentalist, or human rights campaigner. There are no missionaries.

Actually, there are starting to be many Christians who see their missional work as being right smack in the middle of the neighborhood. The missional church means that people go out to the people to be the hands and feet of Christ, rather than bring people to the church. Also, I want to train people to be like peace corps volunteers or missionaries so that there will be a trained Neighborhood Orgtanizer in every neighborhood, and a community organizer in every city.

There are no postings offering lessons.

Things change fast these days. Go to my website. You will find lessons! I even link to groups that offer lessons!:Concerned individuals have to work it out for themselves and find colleagues that will mentor them. Mentoring is important. Part of the training is learning how to find the mentors, and also train mentors to be effective. Movements are the expression of changed attitudes and how each person comes to realize his responsibility to the greater whole is a unique experience. More and more books are being written where people share how they transformed their neighborhoods. Once it is done a few times, the only thing that needs to be done is to share it and duplicate over and over—keep refining and sharing information to ever more improve the process.

Science now knows that while still in diapers, virtually all children exhibit altruistic behaviors. Concern for the well being of others is bred in the bone, endemic and hardwired.

When children are raised in an environment where they are treated with respect and use such models as non-violent communication , these attributes easily blossom. We became human by working together and helping one another. According to immunologist Geral Callahan, faith and love are literally buried in our genes and lymphocytes and what it takes to arrest our descent into chaos is one person after another remembering who and where they really are.

This remembering comes from being nurtured as children, or healing our childhood wounds when we are adults. I yearn to help create environments where, as Dorothy Day stated, “we make it easy for people to be good.” In a neighborhood where people can attend a weekly community gathering I really think people will experience their goodness, and then perpetuate it throughout the week.

Thanks, Paul Hawkins, for your wisdom. I was glad to put in my two cents worth. You are a great listener