The days are getting shorter, the light coming through the trees hits the windows at a different angle. Is that a cooler breeze in the evening?
Summer is entering its last weeks, and with it, our attention is heightened on the challenges of the fall. For some, that means accepting that school will not be “normal”, and that our children will be entering the school year as remote learners or home-schoolers or with strict new protocols in place for in-person classes. For others, it might be that fall brings a sense of new possibility, as we subconsciously enact the rituals of preparing for the winter ahead, the heavy work of harvest, that process of bringing our work to fruition, and putting stores away for leaner times.
We have accepted that this year has been like no other in our lifetimes, and that it is unlikely we will be hopping back into our familiar reality anytime soon. We are surrounded by evidence of broken systems reeling, people falling out of their routines or jobs and finding no safety net, and a growing anger at racial injustice, potential election tampering (#savetheusps), and unconscionable delays in providing assistance to families and communities in need right now. At the same time we are experiencing a renewed appreciation and investment in local community, collaboration, food justice, and mindfulness as a source for inner strength and courage. New systems are being manifested and the ongoing, vital kitchen table (or Zoom) discussions happening everywhere help us see where to go next.
How are you taking care of yourselves and connecting with others to move towards a new reality and Just Transition? What has changed for you in your life and in your assumptions? Are there new relationships and projects to focus on?
GWI is bringing another round of workshops to the community this fall. If you haven’t yet experienced our Just Transition Primer, it is the core introduction to the Just Transition framework that we think provides a foundation for us all to collaboratively build a new world that is just, equitable, regenerative, and meaningful. We heard that the workshop Navigating Conflict has been so powerful and useful in this moment that we are bringing it back again – please sign up soon, space is very limited. We also have an ongoing commitment to providing a space to discuss and experience Radical Mindfulness, because as Shri Shiva Rudra Balayogi says, “We say we want peace in the world, yet we’re not peaceful ourselves.”
We are connecting and working with so many of you on projects and initiatives that range from Illumination, our new blog series, to partnerships that will bear fruit this fall in community gatherings, intentional introductions, communities of practice, support for cooperative development, and the launching of new initiatives we are only just imagining now. The GWI Network is a resource for so many of us engaged in the movement for Just Transition.
We are so grateful for your Good Work. Let us stay the course as we enter the fall, holding each other, creating a stronger net of support.
With warmth and hope,
Aja, Caitlin, Hélène, Micah, Susan, and Terri
Worker Trustees of the Good Work Institute
