January/February 2002 NW Newsmakers
Community News
Cafés for a New World
Coming Together To Envision Our Future In The Post September 11th
World
Since September 11th, Americans have been asking themselves, “What
can I do?” Reaching out to others, in heart-felt communion
and communication, is something we all can do. During the month
of January 2002, concerned citizens, colleagues and friends from
networks across the nation and around the world will host Commons
Cafés. The local January conversations are part of a much
larger network of conversations exploring questions critical to
our common future. Through the Café process, we can see that we
are not alone. We discover that each of our conversations is critical
to help us co-evolve a future that works for all.
The goal of the Commons Café is not to advocate any particular
position. The goal is to create inclusive communities and a future
that works for all.
The Context for the January Cafés:
In the face of the changes to our world in September 11th, we have
three choices:
- we can pretend that things are “normal”,
- we can blindly react to the changes, or
- we can envision a world that works for all.
Instead of looking at each other through the media or through opinion
polls or talk radio, we will interact with each other across a table,
over a cup of coffee or tea. Picture this: A few friends gather
at a crowded coffee house. Conversations deepen. Fundamental issues
are discussed. People at another table overhear and join the conversation,
presenting different points of view. The conversation is lively,
furious, but friendly. No one is trying to “win”. Someone
said that we cannot predict our future – we can only create
it.
This initiative is being sponsored locally by the Commonway Institute.
Go to www.commonway.org/cafesindex
or call Sharif M. Abdullah, (503) 281-1667, for more information.
The Great Turning - A Vision of Hope for the Earth
Joanna Macy speaks on Friday, January 11, 2002, at 7:00 pm at the
First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th Ave, Portland.
For more than 30 years, Joanna Macy has inspired activists who seek
to create a culture that sustains the human spirit and all life
on earth. Her metaphor “The Great Turning,” provides a
context for earth-centered work at a time of indifference. With
a Ph.D. in religious studies, Joanna is a respected eco-philosopher
and a scholar of Buddhism, systems theory, and deep ecology. Her
books include World as Lover, World as Self; Thinking Like a
Mountain; Rilke’s Book of Hours; and Coming Back to
Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World. Her website
(www.joannamacy.net) offers
more information on her books and teachings. Tickets are $5-$15
(sliding scale). For advance tickets, or more information, call
the Northwest Earth Institute at 503-227-2807.
January Birthday Parties Honor Poet William Stafford
Portland - Friends of William Stafford (FWS) will celebrate
the birthday of Oregon's most famous poet with eight poetry reading
parties and a special tribute to his work throughout the Portland
area during January. The public is invited to these free events.
These are not the usual kind of poetry readings, according to Paulann
Petersen, FWS Board member who is in charge of the events. The eight
"parties" feature six to seven readers, each of whom will
read a Stafford poem and one of their own written in the spirit
of Stafford's work. Members of the audience, the guests, are then
invited to read a favorite Stafford poem or to tell a personal anecdote
about the late Oregon poet laureate.
In all, 56 poets and FWS Board members, many of whom are also poets,
will be among the readers that include Verlena Orr, Joe Wheeler,
Michele Glazer, Maggie Chula, Harold Johnson, Ursula K. Le Guin,
Vern Rutsula, Barbara LaMorticella, Brenda Shaw, Kate Gray, John
Morrison, Judith Barrington, Don Colburn, Sandy Polishuk, and Sandra
Williams.
The readings will be held at:
Mountain Writers Center, Friday, Jan. 11, 8 P.M.;
Lake Oswego Heritage House, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2-4 P.M.;
Belmont Library, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 7 P.M.;
Multnomah Central Library, Thursday, Jan. 17, 7 P.M.;
University of Portland, Monday, Jan. 21, 7 P.M.;
Clackamas Community College, Thursday, Jan. 24, 7 P.M.;
Broadway Books, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 7 P.M.;
and the Heathman Hotel, Thursday, Jan. 31, 7:30 P.M.
Other readings celebrating Stafford's birthday will be held in
Silverton, Ashland, Eugene, Salem, Corvallis, Monmouth (Western
Oregon University), Madras, LaGrande, and Vancouver, Washington.
Stafford was born on January 17, 1914. He was one of America's
most celebrated poets and a favorite professor at Lewis and Clark
College, where he taught for 30 years. Known for his encouragement
of other writers, Stafford is the author of more than fifty books
and a recipient of the National Book Award. He died in August, 1993.
Friends of William Stafford, P.O. Box 592, Lake Oswego, OR 97304.
Contact: Paulann Petersen, <ppetersen@jps.net>
(503-236-5229)
Special Event at the Classical Chinese Garden
Master Ou Wenwei is the internationally known originator of Pan
Gu Shengong. He will be visiting the Portland Classical Chinese
Garden for Chinese New Year 2002 on February 17th, where he will
be offering a number of demonstrations.
From 11:00 am to 1 pm Master Ou, who is a World Class Calligrapher,
will demonstrate his technique, creating the characters as a form
of poetic energy dance, and he will explain each movement as he
strokes ink onto paper with brush.
From 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm Master Ou will join the practitioners to
whom he has taught the ‘Moving’ form of Pan Gu Shengong,
and there will be a demonstration of this simple yet effective Heaven,
Earth, Sun and Moon Qi Gong.
From 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm the transmission of Qi (also spelled Chi
or Ki) will be demonstrated by the Qi Gong Master. This involves
the balancing and harmonizing of vitality which restores and rejuvenates
the life force. Come and experience this vital energy, pure and
simple.
For more information, call 503-691-1915 or email DSelbylite@earthlink.net