2020 Vision

2020 and the 2020s are poised to be surprising transformational years for most of humanity.

The following emergent and emerging global trends are likely to shape this transformation.

Disclosure of global secret agenda

• Hidden groups and organisations are being revealed.
• Self serving agenda are becoming more transparent.
• Disinformation is less likely to trigger emotional responses or be believed.

Expansion of consciousness

• Consciousness is consciously evolving.
• Indigenous knowledge, ancient wisdom traditions and spirituality are increasingly valued.
• Long standing assumptions and beliefs are being questioned, worldviews are expanding.

Awareness of a larger Self

• Psychic ability and higher sense perception are accepted as normal.
• Subtle energies and extradimensional beings are recognised.
• Unity of consciousness is more widely accepted.

Empowerment of individuals

• Localisation and globalisation are increasing individual participation and co-creative.
• Activism is becoming recognised as a full spectrum of subtle and overt being and doing.
• Love is increasingly chosen over fear, compassion over judgement, openness over closed minds/hearts.

Emerging cosmologies

• The universe is experienced as holographic in nature.
• Humans are seen as multidimensional beings.
• Humans have a galactic history, a galactic family and a galactic journey.

Systems change

• Climate change continues to highlight dysfunctional beliefs and systemic failures.
• Social, political and economic systems will continue to adapt or disintegrate.
• Species extinction reflects a changing planet.

Technological change

• Zero-point energy and antigravity devices become a reality.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics develop rapidly.
• Regeneration practices are increasingly important.

Healing modalities

• Vibrational medicine
• Holistic healing
• Multidimensional healing

The above trends may trigger news and events that will surprise, confuse (and possibly anger), challenge and enrich humanity during the 2020s and beyond.

For example, the following are most likely to become public knowledge over the next decade.

• Secret global organisations and self serving agenda.
• Ongoing planetary changes and ongoing denial/spin/control responses.
• Alien races, alien technologies, alien contact and alien relationships with Earth.
• Advanced prehistoric civilisations on Earth.
• Emerging new systems replacing decaying old systems (social, economic, political).
• Use of psychic skills and higher sense perception.
• Galactic human history and the galactic human journey.
• Multidimensional existence and the evolution of the multiverse (omniverse).

For some this will turn their notion of reality upside down.
Others will welcome the news because it affirms a reality they have long sensed.

It will be a decade requiring open minds and open hearts, critical reflection, conscious choice, compassion, generosity and love.

It will be a decade during which humanity remembers much that has been hidden or forgotten.

It will be a decade of learning to choose love over fear.

A Galactic Human Journey

“Statistically speaking, the probability that a highly conserved DNA sequence will change multiple times over 6 million years of evolution is close to zero…”  – Katherine S. Pollard, Biostatistician

“Our hypothesis is that a more advanced extraterrestrial civilization was engaged in creating new life and planting it on various planets. Earth is just one of them.” – Vladimir Sherbak (Astrophysicist) and Maxim Makulov (Astrobiologist)

“Sooner or later … we have to accept the fact that all life on Earth carries the genetic code of our extraterrestrial cousins and that evolution is not what we think it is.” – Maxim Makulov, Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute

Hybrid Humans: Scientific Evidence of Our 800,000 Year-Old Alien Legacy by Daniella Fenton (2018) is one of many sources that suggest human DNA has been manipulated many times by extraterrestrials over millions of years.

A picture is emerging of an intimate and complex relationship between humans and those we may perhaps genuinely call our alien cousins.

This picture is one of the galactic humans exchanging DNA and culture over millions of years.

I've collated a possible and I believe increasingly probable version of this Galactic Human Journey (3.5MB PDF) from a range of sources as part of my current participation in an Exo Studies Master Course.  It's a work in progress.

The Living Universe

A living universe has been the theme of my research over the last two years. I've chosen courses, documentaries and books that explore a contemporary understanding of life and the universe through multiple perspectives.

The positivistic materialistic worldviews adopted several hundred years ago colonised much of the planet leading to an impoverished understanding of life where most of the universe is believed to be dead and without purpose.

Dominant materialistic worldviews have left many in a 'reality' of living on the third rock from the sun, as an evolutionary accident, exploiting resources for profit while avoiding death and taxes.

Global challenges such as climate change are forcing us to expand our worldviews. It's difficult to understand let alone address climate change from within a view of reality that helped create it.

Fortunately an increasing number of people are experiencing a very different reality.

It's a reality of a 'living universe' which is reclaiming aspects of our lives that have been trivialised, denied or ridiculed for centuries.

The living universe is about the expression of consciousness rather than dead matter moving in empty space. It's about our journey in consciousness. A journey which began light-years away a long long time ago.

The following mind-map charts my exploration of the living universe over the last two years.

It highlights topics that are largely hidden from the perspective of positivism and materialism.

"The eye is blind to what the mind doesn't see." (Chinese proverb)

Resolving current global challenges on this planet requires us to step back and see a bigger picture.

A much bigger picture.

A bigger picture of self, the planet, our galactic neighbours and the living universe.

See a more detailed version.

This isn't meant to be a comprehensive mind-map but rather a snapshot of my recent explorations.
It attempts to show some relationships between topics and how topics fit within my own worldviews.

Full Spectrum Activism

Graphic adapted from 'Subtle Activism' by David Nicol

Full spectrum social activism opens the door for everyone to personally and effectively respond to challenges such as climate change. And because the roots of climate change are deep within consciousness it may be that nothing short of full spectrum social action will address climate change.

For me 'full spectrum social action' is a view of social activism that, in addition to overt forms of activism, includes the 'subtle activism' of David Nicol, 'social activism as embodied practice' described by Terry Patten, 'sacred activism' promoted by Andrew Harvey and the 'spiritualised activism' of Matthew Fox.

"We're in a race between consciousness and catastrophe" according to Terry Patten.

Creative responses to the challenges of our times recognise the need to integrate inner and outer transformation says David Nicol. "...consciousness-based practices like meditation, prayer, and ritual, in addition to their positive effect on individuals, may play a subtle, yet crucial, role in supporting change in the world." (Subtle Activism)

The disenchanted worldview of mechanistic materialism adopted 500 years ago closed the door on the subtle and the sacred for many in contemporary western civilisation. According to Richard Tarnas today's global situation requires a re-enchantment of the cosmos bringing to individual and collective consciousness deep connection and meaning.

This notion of 'full spectrum social action' provides opportunities to those for whom more overt forms of social action are not a good fit for their skills, personality or current place in their life journey. Collectively we can cover the entire spectrum from subtle to overt social action.

More than that, it is becoming clear that subtle forms of social action at both the individual and collective level are not only effective but may be crucial for sustained systemic change and transformation.

Decades of research into meditation, distant healing, remote intention, global consciousness, non-local coherence provides strong evidence for the efficacy of remote subtle practices of individuals and groups. See Subtle Activism, A New Republic of the Heart, Connected: The Emergence of Global Consciousness or Science And Human Transformation: Subtle Energies, Intentionality, and Consciousness.

"The results of the research have consistently shown highly statistically significant correlations between the practice of [mediation]... and improvements in a broad range of indicators of social harmony in nearby populations, including crime rates, auto accidents, fires, war deaths..." (Subtle Activism)

Only a small percentage (1% or less) of the targeted population size was required for a group of meditators to demonstrate a measurable impact.

There are many international groups offering synchronised subtle practices for today's global challenges. The websites listed above provide links to some of these.

Epic Climate Change

The world is in a period of ‘great transition’ - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (2012)

‘The Great Turning’ of humanity is about crisis and possibility. It calls for an awakening consciousness. Joanna Macy (2010)

We’re in a race between consciousness and catastrophe as we move through an ‘evolutionary transformation’. Terry Patten (2018)

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Climate change is part of a bigger picture – a much bigger picture.

It’s a bigger picture of transformational change of epic proportions rarely experienced by humanity. And it’s happening now!

Some say that the earth and humanity is ‘levelling up’ – and feel called to embark on epic/mythic and sometimes dangerous journeys to do what they can.

They may choose to play the role of ‘hero or heroine’ – and there have been many great examples over the last 50 years of climate change. But we can’t be saved from climate change by the lone archetypal hero/heroine on journeys to overcome the ‘dragon’. The hero archetype in particular - which still dominates mass media – takes people on old masculine journeys of aggression, persistent conflict, linear thinking and violence.

The hero/heroine may be necessary to raise awareness but it isn't sufficient to instigate whole systems change.

Some have written about the new ‘gendered journey’ which is a more inclusive evolved archetype. The gendered journey is emotional rather than cerebral - it’s a journey of transformation.

But this too has fallen short when dealing with the complex relationship between climate change, the biosphere, sociocultural systems and social justice issues.

Maya Zuckerman says it’s time for a ‘collective journey’ where groups of people rise to a call and “move beyond their own individual experiences to a cohesive collective that is both the sum of all individuals and also a new entity entirely.”

Some believe the #MeToo movement and the Arab Spring are examples of the new 'collective journey'.

Zuckerman sees the collective journey as a nonlinear, multidimensional, physical and digital experience of diverse people, groups, tribes, cultures, and networks coming together for a higher purpose and a common cause.

Some see Game of Thrones as an example of a collective journey archetype. The hero can die instead of saving the day.

Perhaps climate change and its deeply connected social justice issues need all of the above – hero/heroine journeys, gendered journeys and collective journeys – and more.

Some feel called to adopt new (or ancient) roles of the champion, the steward, the sage, the shaman, the magician, the lover, the wise gardener, the trickster, the peaceful warrior, the elder… These bring to awareness different ways of being, new intuitions, new wisdom, new opportunities, new dreams and visions of the future.

Climate change is a wake-up call. The epic nature of our interconnected global challenges invites an epic response – individually and collectively.

And this response is not all doom and gloom. Terry Patten reminds us that responding to a deeper calling can bring us into flow with inspiration, wonder and joy.

We need to adopt new roles and explore new narratives with evolved archetypes that tell the story of “the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible”.

Image: darksouls1 Licence: CC0

Local Climate Change Conversations

I've been exploring local climate change conversations. Some have been active for years and many have begun since the last federal election.

Not included are groups discussing renewable energy options or consumer choices.

A Climate of Emergence

A Personal Response to the ‘Climate Emergency’

My city council has joined many cities, councils, universities, doctors, hospitals and business around the world in declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’.

While many people now accept that climate change is an important issue few feel able to do much about it. I believe everyone can contribute in their own way - and many are.

Terry Patten believes many live within a ‘Consensual Trance’ that tacitly accepts ‘official’ narratives (however unfounded they may be) and encourages us to repress, deny or reject inconvenient truths.

This consensual trance has its roots in the beliefs, assumptions and worldviews that are several hundred years old. These eventually generated the interconnected complex systems of western culture that many now recognise no longer serve humanity and are degrading the planet.

Complex systems are hard to shift - partly because they require ‘systems thinking’ to understand them and partly because they are underpinned by personal and cultural beliefs and assumptions that are generally unquestioned.

The Buddhist notion of a ‘Hungry Ghost’ captures another issue that drives existing social systems and cultures - and contributes to an early World Overshoot Day.

People behaving as a hungry ghost have an insatiable desire driven by the need for deep meaning and purpose in life. They attempt to fill this inner void by consuming things and experiences that give short term comfort but that can never satisfy the soul. There are many hungry ghosts on earth today.

Deep seated fears also play a role.  Aspects of contemporary western society reflect the personal and collective fears of lack or attack borne of a strongly held belief in the separation of self from others and nature - within a purposeless universe. This drives competition, exploitation of resources, fear of the other and annual global military spending of US$4.9 (AU$7.2) billion dollars a day.

Our beliefs and assumptions are embedded in our stories - stories that need to be changed if we are to successfully address the ‘climate emergency’ and related global challenges.

Fortunately there are new stories based on discoveries made over the last century that speak of the fundamental interconnectedness and consciousness of everything.  The universe and life are interpenetrating wholes. These new stories are only just beginning to impact contemporary culture.

The new stories reinforce some indigenous knowledge and practice as well as humanity’s ancient wisdom traditions. Duane Elgin believes that "a great transition story can awaken our collective imagination and orient our actions. With a common story, we can see our place and our part; our lives become more meaningful; change is less overwhelming and stressful; and we can see how to cooperate more readily."

One of the new stories is that the evolution of life includes the evolution of consciousness. In some versions of this story humanity and the earth are currently evolving much faster than in the past. Humanity is now conscious of this evolution and can begin to influence its direction through conscious evolution.

Joanna Macy describes ‘The Great Turning’ as the transformation of society, including people’s relationship with one another and with Earth, and links this to an emerging story of expanded awareness, ecological sustainability and social justice. Some estimate there are approximately 2 million organisations now working within this new story to change collective consciousness.

Annick De Witt highlights the "critically important phenomenon of worldviews in the urgently needed transformation to sustainable societies.” Traditionalist, modernist and postmodernist worldviews (or frames) each have valid though only partial perspectives of our world.


Charles Eisenstein believes today’s obsolete though still widely held 19th and 20th century beliefs and assumptions limit our view of what is real, possible and practical thus limiting our options to address climate change and related global challenges.

Addressing climate change requires the emergence of new ways of thinking and being. Albert Einstein noted that we can’t fix problems from the consciousness that created them.

New ways of thinking have emerged from interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches that take us beyond discipline boundaries. Integral and holistic worldviews are including and transcending the perspectives of previous worldviews. Wicked problems, social foresight and futures studies provide new tools to assist in the co-creation of emergent preferred futures.

These new ways of thinking emphasise inclusive discourse, collaboration, co-creation and transformation. Every generation, culture, group, people, nation, gender, discipline... has a necessary and vital voice.

Several big picture stories have emerged with close parallels to cosmologies in both indigenous cultures and ancient wisdom traditions. Big History, The Universe Story, Great Transition Stories, The Story of Interbeing, Living the New Story, Cosmic Evolution and Evolutionary Consciousness are some examples.

Spirituality (not religion) is a common theme through many of these new stories. They are driving the current global ‘Spirituality Revolution’ which feeds the soul of the hungry ghost providing a coherent sense of meaning and purpose. People are increasingly experiencing a personal spirituality through a sense of the sacred, peace, connection, awe, love or presence in nature and through indigenous practices.

The emergence of a new contemporary spirituality can be seen in Spiritual Ecology, Sacred Economics, Holistic Education, Transpersonal Psychology, Integral Theory, Spiritual Intelligence, Spiritual Activism, Indigenous Wisdom, Global Consciousness Project, Mindfulness, Politics of Love, Pedagogy of Universal Love, Economics of Happiness, Conscious Evolution, Sacred Earth, Fourth Bottom Line, Conscious Capitalism, Conscious Business, and many more.

Spirituality is about unity and wholeness, intuitive wisdom and inner guidance, sacred places and unbroken connections, mindfulness, conscious evolution and awakening, deep peace and joy, presence and purpose, compassion, unconditional love, and much more.

A spiritual perspective on the climate emergency can lead to the emergence of new insights and new possibilities for individual and collective knowing, being and action. Spiritual awareness can provide access to a range of powerful spiritual tools and practices.

Spiritual intelligence recognises the multidimensional nature of life and the universe. It understands there is no separation and little to fear but fear itself. Spiritual intelligence/awareness/insight is more effectively accessed when the mind and emotions are calm and the body is peaceful.

Spiritual practice is unique to each individual. It may be a mindful walk in nature, meditation, positive affirmations, compassionate service to others, physical movement and breathing, active listening, or peaceful quiet time.

A spiritual response to the climate emergency respects a sacred and evolving earth. Any inner work to love self and others complements and strengthens our outer actions.

A spiritual perspective inspires and empowers individuals to express their unique gifts for the benefit of all. Some who hold a spiritual worldview may feel a deep and specific ‘call to action’ while others quietly impact on those they meet on their life journey through their gifts, presence and love.

Contemporary spirituality greatly increases the ways in which every person can help to transform society and meet global challenges with optimism, creativity and joy. It's grounded in the co-creation of preferred futures within our local communities, driven by love and compassion, and empowered through our fundamental multidimensional wholeness and connection.

A spiritual view of the climate emergency sees the opportunity for the evolution of humanity resulting in the emergence of a new awakened consciousness that co-creates the "more beautiful world that our hearts know is possible."

Some say that the planet doesn’t need saving - it needs loving. That's something we can all do.


'Saving humanity' may be more about giving and receiving invitations to awaken into an expanded consciousness through love. It may be more about compassionate respectful listening to people with different worldviews than pointing the finger and identifying 'the cause'.

Breath first, heart next, mind last.

Global issues and self-identity, consciousness and culture

Attending day one of Progress2019 reinforced for me the importance of self-identity, consciousness and culture in addressing the range of interconnected complex national and global issues that we face.

Too often we focus on the behaviours of others or on outdated systems. We point the finger instead of listening more deeply to self and those who think or feel differently. We often operate within our own silos and debate within echo chambers.

We often think and do as we always have done and risk developing solutions within previous mindsets that only perpetuate the problems we are attempting to solve.

‘Integral thinking or frameworks’ add new lenses to our view of complex issues. In addition to systems and behaviours they consider psychological and cultural perspectives.

In ‘How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate’ Andrew Hoffman states “social debate around climate change is no longer about carbon dioxide and climate models. It is about values, culture, worldviews and ideology.”

In describing effective communication and policy-making for climate solutions Annick De Witt and Nicholas Hedlund recognise “the critically important phenomenon of worldviews in the urgently needed transformation to sustainable societies.”

An ‘integral framework’ maps four essential terrains for successfully addressing complex issues. The following brief sketch of these terrains was adapted from Integral Environmental Sustainability.

🔹 Psychological Terrain - Self and Consciousness 
Contexts: Self-identity and consciousness, intentions, personal values, mindsets, religious and spiritual beliefs...
Transformational Tools: Self questioning, introspection, mindfulness, counselling, journaling, prayer, meditation, immersion in nature, vision quests...

🔹 Cultural Terrain - Culture and Worldviews
Contexts: Cultural appropriateness, collective perceptions, collective vision, collective interpretation of inequalities...
Transformational Tools: Dialogue, inclusive strategic planning, organisational learning, community visioning, storytelling.

🔹 Behavioural Terrain - Brain and Organism, Actions
Contexts: Brain chemistry, physical health, behaviours, skills, capabilities...
Transformational Tools: Diet, hygiene, medication, skill building, guidance from a respected authority...

🔹 Systems Terrain: Social Systems and Environments
Contexts: Visible societal structures, systems and modes of production, strategies, policies, natural systems...
Transformational Tools: Policy making, organised protest, systems and transformational thinking, complexity and chaos theories, natural resource restoration and management systems... 

Worldviews Test

Annick De Witt offers a useful Worldviews Test to increase self-awareness of our own often unquestioned beliefs and assumptions.

A personal global issues change strategy - Part 2

'Ways of Being’ are just as important, if not more important, than ‘Things to Do’ when it comes to my personal rethink addressing issues of concern such as climate change. 

This is because when moving away from 19th century materialist, positivist and reductionist assumptions and beliefs about nature and humanity we have an entirely different view of reality. No longer are humans separate machines living on the third rock from the sun in a purposeless and largely dead universe. 

Humanity lives as a connected whole interdependent with a living planet within a universe that is interconnected at the deepest levels. The universe is more like a thought than a thing.

How human beings ‘Be’ is as profoundly important as what human beings ‘Do’. In fact how we ‘Be’ often drives what we ‘Do’. 

So my personal approach to climate change and other issues of concern begins with ‘Ways of Being’. Within our deeply connected lives, ways of being can have dramatic and often surprising consequences. One of these consequences is to make the things we do much more effective.

Ways of Being

🔹 Be in Nature

Being in and with Nature builds connection, relationship and respect.
Nature teaches, communicates, calms, heals and reinvigorates.
Commune with Nature's intelligence and planetary consciousness.
Honour the beautiful, mysterious and sacred in Nature.

🔹 Be fully present

Being fully present in the moment enables subtle perception, intuition, insight and a deeper intelligence. Breathe first, heart next, head last.
Mindfulness brings deeper awareness to tasks.
Witness self and others. Take a step back and see the bigger picture.
Be still and listen to Self. Be meditative and centred.

🔹 Be loving, peaceful and joyful

Look for the common good. Forgive self and others.
Love self and others. Be inclusive.
Be discerning not judgmental.
Be myself. Be playful. Be in the flow.
Honour the sacred in self/Self and others.

🔹 Be the change I want to see

Change self, invite others, be flexible.
Be positive and inspiring.
Live in the present rather than the past or future. Letting go.
Read/view inspirational content, meet inspiring people.
Strive for the highest aspirations of the human spirit.
Step into own wisdom and power.


Things to Do

🔹 Make conscious choices

Make sustainable ethical choices for purchasing, consuming, voting, sharing...
Consume local products/produce as much as possible.

Engage in regenerative whole systems gardening practices.
Delete news feeds (digital and traditional) that are sensationalist, repetitive, negative, or contain disinformation.
Choose inspirational content and people. Seek indigenous knowledge, ancient wisdom and spiritual emergence.


🔹 Contemplative practice

Question own beliefs, assumptions and world views.

Holistic practices - body, mind, soul.
Meditate - deep listening, insight, intuition.
Breathing and body movement disciplines.
Walk in nature.


🔹 Provide support to others

Active listening, compassion, positive affirmation.
Give time, skills, dollars.
Facilitating, mentoring.
Social media support - likes, shares.


🔹 Personally meaningful participation

Build positive relationships.
Follow individual calling/passion.
Maintain personal well-being.
Where does my deep gladness meet the world's deep need?


🔹 Co-create preferred futures

Envision together. Conscious evolution.
Participate respectfully, inclusively and positively.
Create the new rather than fix the old.
Share inspirational stories and journeys.

(See previous post on this topic.)

A personal climate change strategy - Part 1

I’ve been rethinking my personal response to climate change with the intention of rethinking my approach to a range of local and global issues.

This has involved:

🔹 updating my understanding of climate change

🔹 listening to those with views different from my own

🔹 deepening my knowledge of who we are and the nature of reality

🔹 researching local climate actions over the last decade

🔹 reading existing climate change action strategies


Below is an early summary of some key points from recent reading and thinking.

This is a living document which will be updated as I proceed to think about what personal actions might arise.


🔹 My understanding of climate change

Climate change is one of a number of long term and related changes currently impacting the planet and life on it. Many but not all are caused consciously or subconsciously by humans.

A key contributor to most of the adverse changes taking place has been a lack of respect for nature or the ‘other’. This was largely driven by the erroneous notion that humans are separate from nature and each other.

Climate and related changes are systemic in nature involving complex interdependence and wicked problems and solutions thinking.

All systems work to maintain themselves so a focus on creating the new may be more effective than fixing the old.


🔹 Listening to those with different views on climate change

Many of those with different views to my own on climate change have different world views based on different beliefs and assumptions about the nature of reality.

Most Australians are concerned about climate change.

Most Australians accept the same basic human values.

A few of the very wealthy choose to cloud discussion and democratic process with targeted and sophisticated disinformation.

Many people have other pressing survival and well-being issues to deal with.

Climate change can trigger a range of emotional responses such as anger, denial, grief, depression, panic, helplessness.


🔹 Knowledge of who we are and the nature of reality

Most people are still catching up with 21st century views on what it means to be human, the interdependence of nature and the planet, and the fundamental nature of reality.

Dominant 19th and 20th century thinking make it difficult to understand the nature or the severity of many current global problems and severely restrict the range of possible solutions that are considered.

Questions and proposed actions are often still embedded within older world views that caused the problems in the first place.

The potential for humanity to effectively address current global issues is restricted by adversarial approaches, the need to be right, the expectation that ‘somebody else’ will fix them, lack of empowerment or lack of compassion.

A deep sense of the sacred is emerging based on indigenous knowledge and ways of being in the world, ancient wisdom traditions or personal spiritual experience.


🔹 Researching local climate change actions over the last decade

There are a number of existing climate change organisations, groups and networks.

There are a number of existing climate change agenda, policies, projects and reports.

Local expertise in successful climate change mitigation has been building.

Climate change activism is changing as the limitations of previous adversarial approaches become evident, many long term activists suffer burnout, and youth join.

New questions are being asked as we learn from the climate actions of the past and the transparency of vested interests increases.

Climate actions should be effective as well as personally sustainable, meaningful and joyful.

Climate actions should focus more on creating the new rather than attempting to fix the old.


🔹 Reading existing climate change action strategies

A number of community, government and organisational climate change action strategies exist at local, state, national and global levels.

Future vision documents often contain climate change actions.

Community discourse and consultation on preferred futures often refer to climate change.

‘Futures studies’ and ‘social foresight’ organisations research systemic, sustainable, agile, integral, holistic and transformational change methodologies.

A New Kind of Curious

Vika Viktoria's message about curiosity epitomised much of my Newkind Festival journey.
Vika described curiosity as a bridge to human connection - and 'relationship wealth'.

She led a powerful active listening exercise where we asked each other why we came to Newkind - seven times. Questioning became deeper as we probed the meaning of key words in the given responses.

Emotional, intellectual and social curiosity can become a way of being.
Deeper questioning surfaces values, assumptions and worldviews. And wisdom.

Newkind presenters and participants quickly became a coherent Newkind community.
A community interested in social justice issues through self discovery, change and transformation.

It's a community with a deep and genuine curiosity of 'the other', of the bigger picture and of new possibilities.
There's an openness to what the events and the people we encounter in life have to teach us.

Participatory conversation and heart-centred localisation was a common theme.
In what ways can I and my community/communities live in deep connection with nature and each other? What are the optimal and human scales for what we do?

Most participants were curious, positive and playful.
There was just as much focus on what works as what needs to change.
There was a recognition by many that in these times that some find emotionally and mentally challenging there is just as much good news as bad (although the good news is not always as visible in traditional or social media).

Some presenters spoke about spirituality.
I would add spiritual curiosity as an important way of being.

Just as many recognised the importance of whole systems approaches in social activism some were open to holistic - Body-Mind-Soul - perspectives. There was a genuine openness and respect for indigenous spirituality. Religious traditions were seen by some to be lacking in empowering spiritual perspectives and practices for the individual.

I'm sure there were as many journeys through the Newkind Festival as people.
It was a rich and deeply satisfying experience.
It's an experience I hope to repeat.

A New Kind of Journey

Next week I’m attending the Newkind Festival/Conference designed to “inspire and activate the next generation of global changemakers and social justice champions.”

I’ve spoken to several people who’ve attended or presented at Newkind and their advice was “you’ve got to go.”

Newkind will be radically different from my previous work-related conferences. 500 people will be camping ⛺️ I haven’t camped for at least 20 years 🙂

It’s ‘zero-waste’ and its impact will be measured against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Importantly for me it’s an opportunity to hear and network with people who are focussed on positive change for humanity and the planet.

It’s also an opportunity to listen deeply to others, self and Self.

And to practice “Breathe first, heart next, mind last.”