Our Conversation on Primrose Hill on Tuesday 10 September
We conversed on our intent and actions in the world:
Taking steps, showing courage, speaking truth to power
Challenging ourselves to be more ambitious
Our stance in our over-provided ‘first’ world (‘less’)
Being accountable to our fellow human beings and other species on the planet
Noticing that many who are much worse off than us are living wise lives
The danger of elitism
The importance of context and education
Much that is challenging – and also grounds for optimism and momentum, for instance in the growing move from shareholder to stakeholder, the growing attention to responsible business, the accentuating importance of organisational and individual purpose
We noticed that, without collaboration, our individual and organisational efforts were constrained. We talked about listening, about truly understanding the needs of others, about common ground, about alignment. We talked about the importance of place, community, dialogue across diversity, common ground again.
And we explored our inner world, bringing our deep intent into being and action in the world:
Our deep, profound inner resources
Listening, attending, reflecting, digesting, embedding, choosing what to enact
Our unconscious self, moving into consciousness
The ‘prick’ of conscience, noticing what is right (do the words ‘ethics’ and ‘moral’ matter?)
Some of the quotes that Jane brought to our attention (much more in her article):
Conscience is ‘the pearl of great price; it is both the instrument and the supreme realisation of visionary seeing….With the awakening of this eye, you no longer see Wisdom; you are Wisdom’ (Bourgueault)
‘We are not treating the moral dimensions with the same respect we are treating the other Q’s (intelligences). It is really as simple as that’ (Jawad and Kakabadse)
Shwartz and Sharpe – psychological research has tended to focus on ‘moral skill’ (insight, empathy, perspective) rather than ‘moral will’ (commitment to the wider good)
And Ali’s reading of part of Ben Okri’s wonderful poem, Mental Fight (title taken from William Blake):
“You can’t remake the world
Without remaking yourself.
Each new era begins within.
It is an inward event,
With unsuspected possibilities
For inner liberation.
We could use it to turn on
Our inward lights.”
“If – as a consequence of our work together and in league with other likeminded groups across the world - we, the human race:
· Live in liberty, with truth, freedom of expression and justice at the core of our existence
· Place the health and longevity of planet earth and all who live on it at the forefront of our attention
· Delight ourselves and each other with our joy, humour, optimism and sense of fun
· Live in harmony and compassion, embracing difference in a spirit of empathy, kindness, tolerance and love
· Explore and deepen our wisdom, self-knowledge and creativity through vibrant dialogue, learning, science and art
· Move forward every day with a deep sense of collective endeavour, courage, vigour and vitality to improve the lives of all on the planet…..
………How would that be?’”