Interesting things

Carbon Neutral Camping

It is now clear that humankind must massively reduce the amount of carbon fuels we use.  Camps offer a fantastic opportunity for a very high quality holiday using very little.  However, most of us need to travel to and from the fields. The fuel we use to make these journeys will produce CO2 and will cause damage – this is already being severely felt, especially in Africa and Asia. We have identified two projects in India and Ethiopia, owned and run by local people, that primarily stabilises and improves the environment, and also locks up some carbon in trees.

In India local people are being supported to plant Neem trees, which are highly valued for their wood, fruit, leaves and bark.  Details of Timbaktu can be seen on http://www.timbaktu.org/. In Ethiopia, local people are being funded to stabilise the denuded hills behind their houses. Over 500 people died in floods in 2006 as a direct result of rains caused by climate change. The work of JeCCDO who are overseeing the project can be seen at http://www.jeccdoethiopia.org/aboutJeccdo.htm and if you have Global Earth, you can see the hills to the south of Dire Dawa and the erosion damage.

Paying for the damage we are doing by driving is more expensive than “offset” schemes.  The Stern Report puts the value at £50 per tonne, and we have used this figure although the feeiling is that the true cost really is substantially more. Anyway, on this basis, the table below allows you to calculate the cost of your travel to and from camp. If you wish to be more accurate, you can use this link to a carbon calculator: http://www.nef.org.uk/energyadvice/co2calculator.htm

Even with higher figures, this cost is incredibly little – so we’d welcome your adding a donation, and if you’ve flown to Spain and back recently, that’s another £20 you can “offset” if you like!

Peter Macfadyen will be available at the gate circle of Voice Camp, and at Wednesday’s market to receive contributions and discuss any issues or concerns you have (or by email at petermac@gn.acp.org).

Firstly we must put the focus where it needs to be: use less. 
Then we should both pay for the damage done, and lock up carbon.

We want to continue the process of walking our talk about making the camps as ecologically sustainable as we can. This doesn’t mean imposing a bunch of rules that make it hard to relax and enjoy ourselves, it just means being mindful. As organisers we see our role as providing what we need to help us achieve together the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality, and we’re open to suggestions.

providing an on-site store of essential items

in the hope that eventually we can plan our meals in such a way that we won’t need to use a vehicle at all during the camp. The list of ‘essential items’ is likely to become refined as we get more experience. We’re hoping to provide this service on both camps, but at the moment it’s only definitely on for the Voice Camp. Don’t forget there’s also the excellent organic farm shop just up the lane.

providing an opportunity for carbon-offsetting

It’s not obligatory, we do understand that carbon-offsetting is a poor substitute for actually cutting our omissions, and that a lot of the carbon-offsetting charities aren’t really very effective. However, if you want to offset your travel emissions by donating to a really good organisation there will be a stall at the market where you can do it, and the Core-group will offset the setting up and taking down of the camps in this way.

providing skiplessness

We are of course providing a complete recycling service, but there will be no skip for general waste. This does mean we need to think a bit more about what we bring on site, especially in terms of packaging, and being prepared to take away with us anything that can’t be recycled.  This is a big ask, and one we’re unlikely to get the hang of straight away, so there will be site-crew assistance to deal with problematic unrecyclables.

From:  Rina Vergano

Unicorn sustainability

I just thought I'd offer some websites where one can buy eco friendlier torches, in order to get rid of toxic batteries

www.coopersofstortfold.co.uk
LED kinetic shake torches with handy wrist-strap (BOGOF offer!) £14.99 for two 2 minutes shaking = 4-6 hours of light
wind-up 12 LED lantern with 3 brightness settings, handle with hook for hanging up 1 minute winding = 35 mins light, £19.99
wind-up dynamo LED torches (with mobile phone charger) (BOGOF!) £14.99 for two

www.woolworths.co.uk  and in store
wind-up LED torch (with mobile phone charger) £7.99

www.amazon.co.uk
string of super LED fairylights with small solar stake, £19.99, to adorn gazebo or tent

I found an interesting site www.orakel.co.uk/bottleholder.htm where you can order lanyards (shoulder straps) that clip on to any plastic water bottle (You'll Never Lose Your Water Bottle Again, or trip over it)  Funky & practical.
You can order them in advance in bulk (5-8 weeks) and have them printed with your logo - something to think about for next year? They work out dirt cheap and could be sold on market day. Be nice with Unicorn logo on and I'm sure everyone would want to buy one, or 6. I want one NOW.

From:  Barbara Morgan

Travelling light

Reducing our carbon footprint - a Frome initiative

As part of our overall aim to reduce our carbon footprint within camp I have been investigating possibilities for reducing the number of cars travelling there.

This would require an adjustment on our all parts but in a way, that is what is needed - a shift away from our reliance on our cars and our need for absolute independence. As I live in Frome I have been looking at the possibility of doing it from here but I would invite others in other towns to do something similar.

It can't be that difficult and would make a difference I'm sure. So far, I have come up with the idea of one van taking all our supplies and then our travelling together either by minibus or train. If any people have other ideas it would be great to hear them.

Contact:

THE POINT OF RETURN
It is ‘cool’ to be an optimist.
Pessimism is in fashion. Scientists, environmentalists and climatologists are claiming that collapse is around the corner and civilisation is coming to an end. Book after book tells us that we have passed the tipping point and have reached the point of no return. The skies are saturated with CO2 and the atmosphere is filled with greenhouse gases. We are told over and over that whatever we do, we cannot reverse the rise in temperature or prevent the sea from flooding London! What happened to New Orleans will happen to New York. Global warming is here to stay. The scenario of doom and gloom is expounded by experts and activists alike.
We do not underestimate the severity of the climate crisis. We respect the scientists who are predicting a catastrophic future for humanity. We agree that our present way of life, so dependent on the use of fossil fuel, is hanging on a cliff edge. If we go any further we will fall into the abyss. So the only thing we can do now is to take a step back; let’s call it “the point of return”. We need to return to a way of life that is free from damaging dependence on fossil fuel.
At present we burn billions of barrels of petroleum every day for our food, clothes, homes, heating, lighting, transport and entertainment. This way of life is not only wasteful and unsustainable, but also very dangerous. As Sir Crispin Tickell writes in his article, it took nature 200 million years to create the vast store of fossil energy that we have almost spent in 200 years. The speed with which we are exhausting fossil energy is incredible. Sir Crispin suggests a fundamental shift in values and a radical return to a holistic worldview.
There is a word in Sanskrit for the point of return: it is pratikraman. Its opposite is atikraman, which means stepping outside our natural limits. Atikraman happens when we break the universal law. Returning to the centre of one’s being or to the source of inner wisdom is pratikraman. These two Sanskrit words provide a useful approach to understanding the current human predicament and a possible way out. A profound introspection is needed to examine the state of our psyche; we need to ask, are we meeting our need or indulging our greed? Are we healing or wounding the Earth?
In the context of climate change and global warming, addiction to oil is atikraman and a return to the energy derived from air, water and sun is pratikraman. One way to begin our pratikraman is to stop and put a cap on consumerism. We need a moratorium on motorways and runways. No new homes without insulation. We need to put an immediate freeze on industrialised agriculture everywhere in the world. Once we have put such a complete freeze on the use of fossil fuel, we can start the reduction process and the return journey to renewable resources. If we plan and manage our return journey carefully we should be able to escape the projected meltdown. We were able to repair the hole in the ozone layer by reducing the use of CFCs; we should be able to mitigate the extreme consequences of global warming if we can put an immediate cap on the use of fossil fuel and prepare to make the return journey instantly.
To meet the challenge of global warming, we need to change from being consumers to being artists; we have to take refuge in the arts and crafts. As William Morris advocated long ago, arts and crafts ignite our imagination, stimulate our creativity and bring us a sense of fulfilment. Poetry, painting, pottery, music, meditation, gardening, sculpting and umpteen other forms of arts and crafts can meet all basic human needs; produce beautiful objects to use, which need not require the use of fossil fuel. Human happiness, true prosperity and joyful living can only emerge from a life of elegant simplicity.
We are at the point of return from gross to subtle, from glamorous to gracious, from hedonism to healing, from conquest of the Earth to conservation of Nature, and from quantities of possessions to quality of life. It is ‘cool’ to be an optimist.
Satish Kumar
Satish Kumar is President of Schumacher UK, Editor of Resurgence and Director of Programmes at Schumacher College.

Dances of Universal Peace

They can be great fun as well as most profound.

The Dances of Universal Peace offer a safe way to be open to other people, creating trust and healing on a deep level. Through this dancing we come to know more of our true selves, so bringing peace, joy and unity to ourselves and to others.

www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org.uk

The Dances were originally created in America in the late 1960's by Samuel L. Lewis (1896-1971), who was a Sufi Murshid (teacher) as well as a Rinzai Zen Master. He also studied deeply in the mystical traditions of Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity.

He was deeply influenced in this work by his spiritual contact with the Sufi mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan, who first brought a message of universal Sufism to the West, and Ruth St Denis, the American contemporary dance pioneer, poet and mystic.

From the spiritual teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan, that the truth at the heart of all religions is the same truth, Samuel Lewis envisioned a dance form which would embody this ideal and allow people their own experience of it. He saw the Dances as a dynamic method to promote "peace through the arts".

Circle Dance

Sacred Circle Dance

Dancing in a circle is an ancient tradition common to many cultures for marking special occasions, strengthening community and encouraging togetherness. The circle is probably the oldest known dance formation. It is found even today in the community dances of many cultures, including ancient Greece (chorea), African, Eastern European, Irish Celtic, Catalan (sardana), South American and North American Indian. It is also used, in its more meditative form, in worship within various religious traditions, including, for example, the Church of England.

Modern circle dance mixes traditional folk dances, mainly from European or Near-Eastern sources, with recently choreographed ones to a variety of music both ancient and modern and they draw on a rich and diverse dance tradition. There is also a growing repertoire of new dances to classical music and contemporary songs.

Circle dances can be energetic and lively or gentle and reflective. The style and mood reflects the group and the interests of the teacher. The aim always is to experience the joy of dancing with others and to create a sense of well-being and community. Circle dance groups grew up first in the UK and then across Europe, the US and elsewhere as a result of the work done by Bernhard Wosien.

Info from Wikipedia

Sacred Circle Dance is a modern form which originated in the Findhorn Foundation community in Scotland following visits there from 1976 onwards by Professor Bernhard Wosien, a German dancer. Known first as Sacred Dance, it has changed over time as enthusiasts have made contributions, and may now be called Circle Dance, Sacred Dance, or Sacred Circle Dance (SCD). A small altar of flowers or other natural or venerated objects is usually placed at the centre of the circle. It has connections with New age and Neopagan belief

Info from Wikipedia

Harmonic Temple

Family Constellations

(A beginner’s guide by Nickomo)

I coined the name ‘Harmonic Temple’ in 1993 to describe the genre I had begun to work in, of creating short accessible harmony pieces, based initially on sacred phrases from different spiritual traditions, and later using non tradition-specific English words to provide the intended focus. The name attempts to describe the musical space created by singing these songs together; ‘Harmonic’ because it is produced by vocal harmony, ‘Temple’ because of the sense of sacred-space that is created. What I experience when surrounded by acappella harmony is a literal immersion in the sound, as though it were water, or a heavenly realm, - hence also the allusions to angels. As well as being very beautiful, it can be empowering, healing, cathartic, or calming, depending on the nature of the music and the attunement of the words. 


There are certain conventions that have become established as being most conducive to the experience described above. One is that the songs are sung in a circle, with the centre as the focal point of the music. Usually the songs are in four parts, and are learned by gathering in part-groups along four quadrants of the circle. Although they are referred to as soprano, alto, tenor and bass, the vocal range required for each part is much less demanding than in traditional choral music, being designed for ordinary ‘natural’ voices rather than for classically-trained singers.

Having learned the parts, the singers are encouraged to tune-in to the whole sound, rather than get too fixed on their own part, in order to receive the full immersion experience. As the song is repeated, singers are encouraged to roam freely around the space, and especially to take some time in the centre, where the blend of voices is at its strongest. For a quieter, slower song, this could mean most of the group holding the outer circle while taking turns organically to visit the centre in smaller groups. For a more upbeat song a general melee can develop with everyone dancing around.

Sometimes we arrange things more formally, like a ‘Healing Circle’ in which people take turns to lie in the centre (individually or in small groups depending on the size of the circle) while the rest of the group surrounds them with song. Or there may be a simple dance performed in a circle, often involving meeting different partners, or a ‘spiral’, in which the circle is led through a labyrinth pattern, meeting each other’s eyes as we walk past in time to the music.

The Inspiration
Most of the mantras that inspired the first wave of Harmonic Temple songs were first encountered in sessions of Dances of Universal Peace, about which there is plenty of information elsewhere on this site. For me, the great thing about the dances was an opportunity to engage with the non-dogmatic spiritual wisdom of different traditions through the medium of music and dance. As a harmony addict I always particularly appreciated it when there was spontaneous harmonizing in the circle.
From the mid eighties to the early nineties we held a weekly Chanting Group in our house near Bristol, where as well as improvising harmonies to chants and songs from various traditions we also learned some set pieces, such as the chants of Taizé. It was for this group that I first created short four-part acappella compositions of a spiritual nature.

The Development
I began sharing some of these songs at Music and Dance Camps, then in workshops, and in 1995 there was sufficient interest to get a group of singers together for a recording, which went out as a tape called ‘Harmonic Temple Volume 1’, as well as a book of the music. In 1998 it was followed by ‘Volume 2’,And in 2000 by ‘Beauty All Around Me’, the first collection to be released as a CD. Subsequently the best of the first 2 volumes were squeezed into one CD and book and released under the name ‘Ateh Malkuth’.

Since the turn of the century interest in the Harmonic Temple has grown, and as well as regular workshops in the U.K.,we have shared the chants in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Eire and the U.S.A. The last three collections have been recorded by an ever-expanding voluntary choir, creating on the CD a sound much more like the sound of a real Harmonic Temple session than on the first recordings.
‘Here Right Now’ was recorded in 2002, ‘Singing with the Angels’ in 2005, and ‘Deep Peace’ in 2007. New pieces are still emerging, and are shared at workshops along with golden oldies.

Unicorn
Daily morning sessions of Harmonic Temple are open to all at the Unicorn Natural Voice Camp – usually the best and biggest sessions of the whole year. At the Unicorn Peace Through the Arts Camp we have been running the sessions on alternate days, but in response to feedback we will be increasing the number of sessions in 2008.

More
More information about these CDs, books, and the workdiscs that also accompany them, downloadable samples, how to order copies, workshop information et al, please visit our website: www.nickomoandrasullah.com

Barbara has been going to camps since 1989. Her first camp was Oak Dragon and she clearly remembers her first experiences as she and her 8 year-old daughter walked up to a circle of naked men playing sitars. She confesses she wondered what it was exactly she had walked into, particularly when she spied the loos – a bender open to the elements! “I’m NOT going to the toilet there!” was her daughter’s retort.

However, once she settled into her circle, got her tent up and saw a few people arrive who looked vaguely like her, she began to relax and she ended up loving the whole experience. Since then, she has become a camp veteran and has attended many different camps over the years. She is a regular of voice camp and last year attended both the voice camp and the PTA camp.

Alongside this, in the early 1990s during her psychotherapy training she experienced Bert Hellinger and constellation work for the first time. Constellation work has had a profound effect on her life and transformed her family relationships. In 1997 she began running constellation workshops and last year for the first time she offered constellation work to the camp community. It was well received at both camps and she will be offering them again this year. 

For those who don’t know about constellation work, it is a radical way of looking at our family relationships, which can bring about profound healing, not only for ourselves but for other family members not present at the workshop. The basis of it is that events from the past and the actions of our ancestors can upset the balance of the family system as a whole and people in subsequent generations can be seriously affected by those events and actions without realising it. The effects are manifested as mental and physical illness, addictions, infertility, inability to form intimate relationships, suicide, depression etc.

Constellation work helps us to uncover what those events might be and bring about healing by putting the family system back into order. At times the effects can be immediate and dramatic – like people who were put up for adoption suddenly making contact, infertile couples falling pregnant. At other times the effects are more gradual. Sometimes there is no effect at all.

We come together as a group and those wanting to look at their families choose members from the group to act as representatives. They place them in spatial relationship to each other in the middle of the circle and then they sit down and wait for the representatives to experience the feelings and movements associated with the person they are representing. From their positioning and their reactions, we can see where the system may be out of order and take steps to put everything back into balance. Sentences are then offered as a healing ritual for the person whose constellation has been set up.

For those wishing to understand more about the constellation work and what it’s about, you can subscribe to the international constellations journal which comes out twice a year and is edited by Barbara.
Visit www.theknowingfield@googlemail.com.
You can also find more details on her personal website www.ordersoflove.co.uk.

What is the 7 Words System?

Unicorn Natural Voice & Dance Camp Germany

The Dances of Universal Peace stem from  the different traditions of the world and let us find our center through meditative or more lively chants and body prayers. In order to get to know ourselves better and support us in being fully at home in our body we offer various movement forms like African Dance from Ghana, Communitiy Dance (according to Royston Maldoom´s "Rhythm is it!"), massages with Sufi mantras, Kundalini Yoga, Taek Won Do, or circle dances with life music.

"Singing and Dancing for Peace "

 A lovely remote site in Wendland near Hamburg, Germany. With a team of experienced teachers we will sing, dance, meditate and play together.
We can express  the power within us creatively through our voices. During this camp  we devote ourselves to its discovery and unfoldment. We say "Good  bye" to the preconceived idea that we can´t sing. There is  a full programme of events in which the natural, authentic and expressive  voice that lives in each of us is celebrated: through whole camp sing  alongs or with smaller groups in continuous workshops. Experienced international  teachers will share their abilities with us in many ways, in unison or part songs, from simple to more sophisticated (see teachers list  by clicking on the link below). Besides  that we offer the opportunity for single people or groups to participate  in an evening programme that is created by the participants.

Visit German Website                        Download the flier as pdf

Unicorn Land Trust

Top