The Awakening the Dreamer Youth Initiative was officially launched in November!
Learn more about the Youth Initiative and get involved: http://awakeningthedreamer.org/youth
Learn about the latest activities in South Africa, Ecuador, Oregon, Maryland and New Mexico:
Consumption Course with ATD Symposium, plus Youth Plans Growing
Ecuador:52 University students and professionals participated in the ATD Symposium during the Responsible Consumption Course at the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales Sede Ecuador (Faculty of Latin American Social Sciences in Ecuador) November 15. The Caminantes facilitator team also met to plan Ecuador Youth Symposiums that would include developing parallel activities to complement the full day Symposiums and embed local Ecuadorian information to strengthen the experience. Contact: Valentina Benavides
Pachamama Plett Group Established Extended Program
South Africa: Facilitator Elize presented the Symposium to a group of South African rural youth, mostly teenagers, using only the presenter’s manual--lack of access to technological tools prevented use of audio-visual elements. The very positive response she received illustrates the power of the Symposium’s message even with divers adaptations. The Pachamama Plett team, some with youth related careers, met December 7th and developed plans to reach greater audiences with the ATD Symposium, along with creating an extended two-day program for the Youth, which would include dance, drama and music. Contact: Carole Surya
Seeding a New Dream, Portland State University
Portland, Oregon, US: A powerful and engaging Symposium was embedded in Portland State University’s inaugural celebration of National Sustainability Education Week: Educating for Citizen Leadership. Several participating youth, young adults, and young at heart expressed enthusiasm to bring the Symposium to a younger audience with their reignited hope “committed in action,” as Julia Butterfly Hill invites. The Portland facilitator team, Earth Wisdom Alliance, hosted & facilitated the November 14th Symposium, which they’d collaborated on for several months. The local inter-generational Youth Initiative team met on November 24 developing plans for five Symposiums in the coming year with connections to a variety of other youth related organizations. Contact: Angela Hamilton
Symposium Woven into Youth Environmental Leadership Week
New Germany State Park, Maryland, US: As part of the Highlands Environmental Leadership Program (HELP) weekend, the Boy Scout Venturing Crew shared the Symposium with 34 high school students and 10 other community members at New Germany State Park in Maryland. Results from the successful inter-generational Symposium included 10 high school students signing up for Facilitator Training and all attendees signing their Commitment poster. The Symposium perfectly complemented the other weekend leadership training activities on teamwork and self-awareness. A candlelight vigil on behalf of countries most devastated by climate change was synchronized with 1000s of other vigil groups around the world Dec 11. Contact: Paul Kazyak
Bus the Change - An Awakening the Dreamer Living School
Mora, New Mexico, US: In late summer 2010, 'Bus the Change' will offer the Awakening the Dreamer Youth Symposium and a complementary whole system curriculum to schools and communities throughout the nation. This will include sharing Permaculture design, Nonviolent Communication, Restorative Justice Circles, performance arts, movement, The Principles of Co-creation, nutrition and Joanna Macy's the Work that Reconnects. Tour facilitators will participate in a multiple week training based at the Hummingbird Community. Training will support youth leaders to embody the transformative nature of the mobile synergy school. Contact: Peregrine Zoe Whitehurst or Clayton Barker
