Dear reader,
Examining the bigger picture and finding our place in it all is an important part of being an effective change-maker. But what about the big questions – the existential questions, the metaphysical questions? Where do these fit into the change-maker’s grand plan? Or do they have a place at all?
Issue 9 of SHIFT gets to grips with the meaning of spirituality, our deep yearning for connection to one another and the natural world, and how this can be channeled to co-create a sustainable and just future.
In this issue of SHIFT author and psychotherapist Carolyn Baker considers the spiritual challenges posed by the existential crisis of collapse; SHIFT editor Kari McGregor plumbs the depths of the environment movement’s deepest shade of green – deep ecology; and Christiane Kliemann of Degrowth Germany tackles the hard question missing from the mainstream climate debate: how much are we prepared to change to ensure the next generation has a future?
We also catch up with Helena Norberg-Hodge – founder and director of the International Society for Ecology and Culture, and producer of award-winning documentary The Economics of Happiness – for a glimpse at the journey that led her to conclude that the future is necessarily local.
And to mark the 70 years since Europe’s liberation from the horrors of Nazi occupation, Martin Winiecki of the Institute for Global Peace reflects on what we still need to change within ourselves to bring about a peaceful world.
SHIFT is the labour of love of a team of cultural creatives passionate about sustainability. Innovating around the constraints of a shoestring budget, our all-volunteer team seizes upon every available moment to investigate, interview, analyse, vision, scribble, edit, and design our way to a shift in the direction of public discourse. This ninth issue of ad-free insight, analysis, and inspiration to practical action is our latest contribution to the conversation.
Gossip-free and devoid of commercial clutter, SHIFT provides a platform for a movement that is uncompromised by revenues and remits, cutting straight to the chase on subjects of social significance. SHIFT is made possible by generous supporters who help us push the envelope on change and make space for the conversations that matter. Thank you for taking part in the much-needed shift.
Without further ado, make yourself comfortable, still your mind, and settle in to enjoy the fruits of our labour of love…
In solidarity,
The SHIFT team