Blogs

For over 15 years the Axiom News space has been hosting a Space for Life. This is a phrase brought to us by Michelle Holliday and was the midwife of wonderful clarity.

By our conversations with thousands of people over the years we’ve grown into many beautiful friendships and connections. We have met mentors, supporters, fans, and like-hearted people from many parts of the world.

For the last five years we have been seeking, and celebrating, educators who are committed to developing whole children, with continued integrity and agency to effectively use the competencies learned in school.

And, we have heard from several of those educators that it can be lonely work, with other teachers, administrators and parents comfortable with the way education has been. So, Benjamin Smith, Jennifer Wilson and myself wrote a paper called Generative Education as an evolving exploration of what we have seen and an invitation for those who would like to share a field of practice.

I recently participated in a nourishing 3½-day gathering of people dedicated to regenerative, life-aligned ways of living. Presentations and conversations swirled through topics like intentional communities, new land ownership models, evolution in consciousness, arts-based neighborhood activism, and more. At a few points, however, a quiet, courageous voice was raised to note that patterns of patriarchy and domination are still occasionally present, even within this well-intentioned, peace-loving movement. 

In the midst of the growing awareness of and innovation in thinking about the need to build community, the dominant practices about how to engage people, civically and organizationally, remain essentially unchanged.

You have more power to achieve the changes you are after than you think. Not as much as you might like. But more than you realize.

The trick is to claim it. And not let the boundaries of that power be defined by others, particularly government.

How much should you claim?