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| This is a time of learning
around the globe. |
| The atrocities may make us angry
or fearful - but many are also searching for answers and a means of
understanding what has happened. |
| The
forgiveness test |
| On a day to day basis, do we
experience a microcosm of the misunderstandings, anger, and helplessness that
creates the bully and the terrorist? |
| Is our personal world so different
to the world around us? Do our organisations, membership groups and
institutions act so differently to the mighty and less mighty powers in the way
they interreact? |
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| How can we individually change the
way we act and react in the world? |
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| It is only with understanding that the
possibility of real change comes to life... |
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| SUPPORT FOR
ADULTS |
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| Free coaching and emotional
support is being offered by the UK and European coaching community for anyone
affected by these tragic events. Coaches offering their support are listed at
this website : Coachingzone.org |
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| If you or someone you know is
dealing personally or professionally with the grieving process, IAF Disaster
Intervention manuals are available for free download
iaf-world.org |
|
After Disaster - helping with personal
recovery
38 activities divided by the phase of recovery (in pdf format) from Paula
Yardley Griffin
 |
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Where next?
Messages of Hope
for Personal and Political Change
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British charities call for restraint. |
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In a
joint statement, 14 charities and aid organisations have warned against a
"descent into a spiral of violence". It says people must make sure
that more innocent lives are not lost.
The charities are calling on the US and its allies to use "measured
thought and statesmanship" and to assess the potential impact any military
action might have on "the poor, the innocent and the voiceless". They
say it is imperative that hatred did not become the order of the day.
The statement is signed by Christian Aid, ActionAid, Amnesty
International UK, CAFOD, Catholic Institute of International Relations, Oxfam
GB, Refugee Council, Saferworld, Save the Children UK, World Development
Movement, Voluntary Service Overseas, Children's Aid Direct, Concern and
Tearfund.
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Statement from The Muslim Council of
Britain |
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Blameless people must not pay the price for a crime they did not commit.
Greatness lies in upholding justice, even under such dire circumstances.
"This is an opportunity for the world community to demonstrate its core
values and principles remain triumphant, in direct contrast to the barbarity of
those that committed this atrocity."
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from the writings of Einstein |
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I think the most important question facing humanity is, 'Is the
universe a friendly place?' This is the first and most basic question all
people must answer for themselves.
For if we decide that the universe is an unfriendly place, then we will use our
technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to achieve
safety and power by creating bigger walls to keep out the unfriendliness and
bigger weapons to destroy all that which is unfriendly-and I believe that we
are getting to a place where technology is powerful enough that we may either
completely isolate or destroy ourselves as well in this process.
If we decide that the universe is neither friendly nor unfriendly and that God
is essentially 'playing dice with the universe', then we are simply victims to
the random toss of the dice and our lives have no real purpose or meaning.
But if we decide that the universe is a friendly place, then we will use our
technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to create
tools and models for understanding that universe. Because power and safety will
come through understanding its workings and its motives.
A human being is a part of the whole called by us 'universe'. . . a part
limited in time and space. He experiences his thoughts and feelings as
separated from the rest-a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This
delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and
to affection for a few persons nearest us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of
compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its
beauty.
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Marshall Rosenberg describes a simple process to enhance the chances of getting
your needs met in his book, Non-violent Communication
 Non-violent Communication
Click the American flag to read extracts |
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Whenever your needs are not met and you become upset,
first ask yourself, "What am I observing?" Separate your judgments
and evaluation from your observations and you will be less likely to
trigger defensiveness.
The second step is to identify what you are feeling. Avoid words
that require someone else to be there for you to experience your emotions, such
as ignored, rejected, neglected, abandoned, or abused.
You are empowered when you say you feel alarmed, annoyed, exhausted,
frightened, lonely, outraged, or sad, but you give away your power when you use
the vocabulary of the victim.
The third step is to determine what you actually need from the
situation. If you cannot be clear on what your needs are, it's very unlikely
that the other person is in a better position to figure it out.
The fourth step is to formulate a specific request. Ask for what
you need as specifically as possible. People are much more likely to respond to
a request than a demand.
Whether your request is met or not, ask yourself, what is the gift of this
situation? What can you learn from this circumstance about yourself and
life? What is the lesson that can raise you to a higher level of awareness?
Find the gift, even if it is not the one you originally anticipated.
Make the commitment to communicate your needs consciously, and you will waste
less energy in conflict. Accept your differences as a cause of
celebration.
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from Deepak
Chopra |
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Dear Friends, In light of the tragic events that occurred last
week, there is an ever-increasing need for us to know how to handle the
emotional turbulence that is part of an experience of this magnitude. The
unfathomable event that occurred last week had at its roots the emotion of
anger...
Like a werewolf on the night of a full moon, a really angry person turns into a
different kind of being - a being who suddenly sees the world in very simple
terms...He's past the point of seeing things from more than one point of view.
He just wants to wreak havoc on whomever or whatever has brought him to this
point.
I believe that the universe as a whole and human beings in particular are
evolving in a particular direction. The human race is moving toward
enlightenment, toward greater understanding, toward unity with spirit - and I
believe one of the great purposes of our lives is to further this process.
Anger, quite simply, is a step in the wrong direction. Anger is a step
backwards from enlightenment, a step backwards toward a survival-based mode of
existence in which might is right and winning is everything.
...A truly enlightened person recognizes the essential unity of himself or
herself with other people and with the universe as a whole.
Enlightenment moves us to help other people, even people who are strangers,
while anger moves us to harm people, even those we love...The direction of
enlightenment is toward unity. The direction of anger is toward isolation.
Enlightenment desires oneness, while anger promotes separation..
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So, what do we do with this emotion of anger?
Read this wise and loving look at ANGER
Anger
Wisdom for cooling the flames
by prolific Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh
Click the American flag to read extracts
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The Green Ribbon Campaign :
Responsible free speech |
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| In the face of pain and
despair, people often turn to music and literature, philosophers and
scriptures, for solace and inspiration.
Read or
share your own with a wider audience at Fast Company. |
|
| from Gary Zukov
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| This is an opportunity for a
massive expression of compassion. It is also an opportunity for a massive
expression of revenge. |
Which world do you intend to
live in --
a world of revenge or a world of compassion? |
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| The political will is
changing |
| Sanctions are being lifted from Muslim
countries such as Pakistan and India as thanks for their support; Israel finds
itself under pressure to continue negotiations with the Palestinians.
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| Can meaning be found if the result of atrocity
is greater good for all? |
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| from
a US Doctor recounting her experience at the scene |
By Thursday there were a lot of people
smiling and hugging each other. The human response to the tragedy made you feel
like somehow good was going to come out of this.
Whoever attacked the towers had failed, if their purpose was
to terrorize us. What it did was galvanize us
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Janet Penley,
writing from the USA |
| I read once that death is life's greatest
teacher; it is only through the lens of death that we can see clearly what is
important in living. On Monday the flags will be raised again to full staff and
we are encouraged to resume our daily lives. Will we go forward from our
temporary grounding with reordered priorities, deepened values, and better
individual and collective judgment? I hope so. That's one way we can make
something good out of something so bad. |
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