16th Oct 2014: Exploring the Dream of the Earth; My First Person Inquiry by Helena Kettleborough

Dream of the Earth Thomas Berry

Come along to The Castle Hotel at 7pm to listen to Helena’s talk. Share a crust of bread, and hear the reflections she has to share…

 

Title of talk:

Exploring the Dream of the Earth (Berry, 1988) – a first person inquiry of discovery and understanding
by Helena Kettleborough
 

Bullet points of what you would like to talk about:

  • Part of a three decade journey expressed in last five years through a PhD.
  • Share one part of the PhD – living, reflecting, learning, glimpsing the Dream of the Earth
  • Setting context: challenges facing humanity and the planet and the solutions – references to evidence in the literature/media
  • Exploring tools for travel – arguing we need tools and equipment as part of the journey
  • Tools I’ve explored: action research
  • Paradigms and paradigm shifts as part of action research
  • characteristics of action research
  • First person action research as methodology
  • Glimpsing the Dream of the Earth (Berry, 1988)
  • Explorations from Thomas Berry, cultural historian
  • Using extended ways of knowing (Heron, 1996) from action research, to explore journey and questions of validity
  • Some stories of how I came to understand the Dream of the Earth

A few paragraphs on your subject:

The talk is intended as an offering and an opening of doors, for the audience to create their own journey. I offer my own journey and reflections and references to other literature, ideas and practice.
There is a continuous and growing range of literature and policy reports urging action if disastrous effects on the planet are to be avoided, including Leopold (1946), Carson (1962), Lamb (1978), the Millennium Eco Assessment (2005) and reports from the IPPC (2007, 2004). Increasingly, reports outline that if action is not taken the outlook is grim in terms of the climate change and social justice issues (Blue Planet Laureates 2012, OCED, 2013) and biodiversity (OPOS, 2013). Even a brief study of these reports reveals the holistic nature of the changes required through all aspects of society.
There is a rise in ideas advocating a wider paradigm within which to place our actions in order to gain the energy and understanding to undertake the comprehensive changes required. Lovelock sees planet Earth as an interconnected whole (2009); Berry (1999), Berry and Swimme (1992) and Swimme and Tucker (2011) advocate a new universe story. Korten sees that only through ‘Earth as community’ can we address the social justice challenges facing humanity. This wider paradigm sees humanity take our place within our 13,800,000,000 year history. Cultural historian Thomas Berry proposes the idea of the Dream of the Earth, not a human dream but the dream of the whole Earth community.
The purpose of the talk is to show how I found my way into this wider universe and in particular the ideas of the Dream of the Earth. I argue that in order to make this journey, we need tools and the tools I will share are from action research
 

A few paragraphs about you:

Practitioner-scholar, with a Masters in Responsibility in Business practice (2002), a Diploma in Action Research (2009) and a PhD (2014). I am now writing up my PhD for publication and taking the ideas out, of which this Ragged talk is part. Community activist, through local residents group in Rusholme, joint co-ordinator Imagine Rusholme! a neighbourhood appreciative practice summit and now working on Creative Rusholme, bee friendly streets and big tidy ups.
Experienced manager in fields of social justice in communities in the North West around neighbourhood management, social inclusion and diversity and equalities. Co-ordinator, Greater Manchester GreenSpirit Group. Organise ‘Books in a Suitcase’ a collection of ecological, cosmological and spiritual books for sale, which are not easy to find in main stream book shops or online. They will be available at the talk.
 

What free internet knowledge resources would you recommend to others if they wish to explore your chosen theme further?

Journey of the Universe: www.journey of the universe.org
GreenSpirit http://www.greenspirit.org.uk/
Action research: a great list of resources to get you started at: http://www.peterreason.eu/
 

What are your weblinks?

Public Email – [email protected]
 

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