I used to be one of those air travellers who raced through airports just to get to the next place I was required to sit and wait, where I would read, or write emails which I would later send. Not so, since I discovered the electronic oasis of the basement walkway at Detroit airport.
The space is like a football stadium tunnel, only it is about two blocks long. Running on either side are two sets of horizontal escalators, which have a break in the middle. The ceiling is a deep, violet-colored blue, and on the walls are milky-quartz like opaque panels, with swirls which vaguely resemble mountains or clouds. Behind these panels are multiple-colored lights which are synchronized with the instrumental music which runs from techno to harp.
Sometimes the light show is just plain psychedelic; other times it is made to look like a 24 hour day, cycling between reddish-hued sunrises, yellow and green days, and darker green, blue, and blue-purple nights, with shafts of lightening and sounds of rain interspersed.
Now, rather than sit and wait, I “ride the rails” as many times as I can, leaning against the handrail and enjoying the show. I feel much less harried, and I end up not having enough time to buy anything, including the food which will give me heartburn, whch is available in an airport. And I still have a little time to sit and enter this into my computer before the next plane is called to embark.
Addendum: Joke’s on me—on my way back this time, our plane was kept in a holding pattern over Detroit airport and, when we finally landed, I had just barely enough time to race through the basement to my next flight. I laughed as I nearly ran the walkways, aware of the “beauty” around me which I couldn’t partake of in my usual, relaxed manner. But I had gotten to enjoy the beauty of Detroit’s lights from the airplane as we kept circling.

Hi Everyone,
The message below is from Jim Barton.  The event is THIS THURSDAY at 7pm at the ASHEVILLE UNITARIAN CHURCH on Charlotte Street.
~Chris Weaver

The Sierra Club meeting this month is co-sponsored by a growing number of local environmental and neighborhood groups- CAN (Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods), PARC (People Aligned for Real Conservation), the WNC Alliance, Laurel Valley Watch and others. We hope to move the meeting from the smaller meeting hall to the larger sanctuary. The catalyst for this meeting is the rush by developers to build on steep slopes while it is still “legal”. But the real reason is the failure of city and county governments (planning staff and elected officials) to deal with the onslaught of irresponsible, inappropriate land development. Personally, I hope this leads to a long-term coalition.

Our Fall SOS gathering on September 15-17 at Montford Rec Center in Asheville was a wonderful success.  My thanks to each of you who attended and contributed so much to the learning, planning, and energy of the group.

Our reports are posted below, and categorized under “Fall 06 SOS Reports” as well as their individual topics.  The list and emails of participants are posted under “Pages” to the left (“Fall 06 SOS Participant List”).

The Asheville SOS Council will be meeting to debrief the event and to plan for the winter SOS, and we will share the information about the next event as soon as it is available.

Blessings to All,
Chris Weaver

Fall 06 SOS Report 
TOPIC:Sustainable health/healing social systems
Conveners: Laurel Reinhardt/Charlotte Anthony                                            

Participants:Christina, Kathy, Rainer, Beth

Past History of this Topic (if applicable)

Laurel: From previous immersion in health care system as both consumer and provider, I have long been concerned about/interested in the need for a different  paradigm, one in which consumer and provider realize that, together, with their intentions/beliefs/expectations/emotions, they are creating a field which can be healing or can slow the healing process.

Charlotte: In the Design Science Lab, the education team decided to do aseembly programs and after school programs with community service based participation for the students. The DSL had specific programs (school gardens, green roofs, energy in a box) that it wanted to disseminate, but with the particular vantage point of the kids owning those programs for themselves.

Started seminars: Taking Responsibility for Your Health. Also, advocacy for people who were sick, and reminding them of their beingness.Key Discussion Points:

1. Eight assembly days program using open space technology to focalize community service based action by students, using clubs and other existing structures, as well as addressing concerns of teachers/principles (i.e., how will this improve the students’ test scores). Sir Ken Robinson is talking to governors across the
   U.S. re: creativity being more important than test scores for corporations’ current and future needs. (Matthew Fox is also talking about after-school programs in which what is not taught during school can be learned.) The process would, hopefully, draw in parents who, upon seeing their children, might be intrigued and be able to begin thinking outside their boxes of how to do things. Mentioned one woman’s model for working with “learning disorder” labeled kids, and how they begin to do things no one, including them, thought they could do. Pilot program done in Buncombe County with youth going into prison system. Use internet to report on: intent, problems, solutions, outcome, recognize.
2. Health—teaching/coaching people about personal responsibility and collaboration. As a healer/coach with “end stage cancer”,
   Charlotte began with people’s pain issues, then moved on to the whole issue of life/living..

Lawrence Le Shan/Turning Point: what is right about the patient, vs. what is wrong?

Cancer as blocked life force; how to unblock it.

The paradigm of Prepare for Surgery: relax and visualize a positive outcome. Get physicians involved in this on their end.Conclusions or Recommendations for Action:

Creating support teams (ala Barbara Scher) to support people in brainstorming/barnraising.

Once it’s in community space, it’s owned by the individual being supported

 Cannot make value judgments.
You commit to what you commite to; if you don’t do it, group asks what you need.

Aim for mainstream nursing association.

Fall SOS Report

TOPIC:  Asheville, NC and Osogbo, Nigeria Sister City Program

Convenor: Rainer Doost                                  

Participants: Laurel, Raphael, Valeria

Past History of this Topic (if applicable): 

Rainer Doost and Valeria Watson-Doost, members of Asheville Sister Cities, have returned from a 3-week trip to Nigeria, which included the delivery of a letter of introduction from Asheville’s Mayor Bellamy. The letter was delivered to the Chairman of Osogbo, where the meeting received local press coverage and was responded to with a return letter and a gift for Mayor Bellamy.  This was the introductory step in establishing a Sister City relationship.   Prior to the trip contact was made with Wilmington, DE Sister City program. Wilmington has been a Sister City to Osogbo for five years.  There was a discussion of problems faced in establishing the program.  Rainer and Valeria continue to seek their counsel on how to profit from their experience  The next step is to set up a local committee of interested individuals to plan and carry out the process.

70% of Nigerians make $1.00 a day.  Traditional religious practitioners suffer from “spiritual colonialism.”  Due to the history of colonialism traditional spiritual practices have to struggle to maintain a cultural presence. Economic success is closely linked to affiliation with none traditional religious communities. Traditional people face major obstacles gaining economic and educational access.  .

Nigeria has a rich cultural history.  It is know for it’s fine sculpture tradition, dance, and oral literature.  The museums celebrate the historic past however the information is presented from a colonial perspective and not infrequently incomplete and erroneous.

An American community taking an interest in the culture and peoples of Osogbo can aid in restoring an interest in an illustrious tradition that is in jeopardy of dying out in the mad rush to modernity and mono culturalism.

Key Discussion Points:

1. How to maintain the cultural integrity of traditional peoples who have limited outside access to sources of money, education and social mobility. Many of these people have had to change their religious affiliation in order to have access to the resources available to members of mainstream religious groups.

1. Components of a scholarship program which would allow young traditionalists to come to
   Asheville to study English,( the national language of
   Nigeria but only spoken by a privileged few), while teaching us about their rich craft and spiritual culture..

a.                   Warren Wilson

b.                  UNCA

1. Establish email and phone communication with local community leaders as well a officials.

4.  Benefits to City of Asheville.

a.         Asheville Osun Festival – River Park 3 day festival, similar to Goombay or an extension of which includes Yoruba Priests and Priestesses performing the spiritual aspects of the festival.

b.         Import and local manufacture of indigo textiles, promoted to the tourist trade.

c.         Collaborate with LEAF in streets and schools to bring indigenous instruments to members of HATTAF. (The Doost’s Osogbo contact, which consists of a temple and school.)

Conclusions or Recommendations for Action:

1.         Reciprocity – Common ground of benefits for Osogbo and benefits for Asheville.

a.         Osogbo youth come to Asheville for education and we in Asheville benefit from their knowledge and demonstration of traditional Yoruba culture.  A win/win relationship that supports cultural diversity.

b.         Find a sponsoring institution for Osogbo youth.

c.         Fund raising for scholarships.

d.         Asheville artists go to Osogbo for the Osun festival and to study indigo dying.

e.         Osobo artisans provide workshops in Osogbo and
Asheville.

2..        Visioning – Go to the top in recognition that we are in a paradigm shift.  Draft a proposal and take it to Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey.

Fall 06 SOS Report 

TOPIC:  Green Roofs

Convenor: Cathy Holt              

Participants: Jonah Goldwag, Christina Nelson, Charlotte Anthony, Cathy Holt

Past History of this Topic (if applicable): At DSL, the Local Environment Group proposed green roofs as a strategy for
Asheville to save energy and mitigate stormwater. Since then, Robin
Cape (City Council) and Cathy Holt and Janell Kapoor have been organizing a campaign for a green roof on the Civic Center.

Key Discussion Points: Benefits of green roofs = savings of 20-30% in heating & cooling costs; absorb 50-95% of stormwater runoff, with slower and delayed release of water; roofing materials last 2-3 times longer; creation of habitat for birds, insects, etc.; beautify the landscape; reduce urban heat island effect; filter pollutants out of air. Costs: typically 1/3 – ½ higher than standard roof for extensive type, more for intensive with deeper soil, larger plants and human access. NC State has done a study of 4 green roofs in NC, including the one at the Arboretum. There is a new green roof at UNCA with another one planned. The Civic Center roof  would be extensive because of load bearing limitations and lack of easy access. Other buildings for possible green roofs: Blue Ridge Biofuels, David McConville’s building, the Fortune Building (Jonah)—a 3000 square foot restored building, and the parking lot next to the Civic Center. Germany is the world leader in green roofs; Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Washington DC, Atlanta, and New York City are leaders in the U.S. Chicago estimates it will save $100 million in energy alone with green roofs. ABTech will be teaching a green roofs class. Many jobs in horticulture, design, installation, materials, contracting. The EPA Clean Water Act sec. 319 provides funding for up to 60% of cost on municipal buildings.

Conclusions or Recommendations for Action:  Find out who are the local roofers, landscape architects, designers. Consider use of  bacteria (EM, mycorrhizal fungi, earthworm castings)  in place of compost in the growing medium, since it would not leach nutrients such as nitrates into the water. Involve Ashevillage Building Convergence in a project in
W. Asheville for a green roof. The Civic Center green roof project will meet on Monday, 9/18 at 5:30 pm at the home of Janell Kapoor.  Robin Cape and 4 people in the green building industry will be there.

Fall SOS Meeting Report

TOPIC:  LAW OF ATTRACTION

Convenor:  Raphael                                         

Participants: Chris, Charlotte, Rainer, Laurel, Carol, Jonah, Valeria, Beth and Steve

Key Discussion Points:

Fear is a cornerstone in society, i.e. the marketing of the Iraq War by the Administration.

The Gore movie is an example of how, in relation to the sustainability movement, fear can be a motivator ~ it can shake people out of numbness and provide the opportunity to do something. It builds awareness.  How does this relate to the law of attraction?

Attraction is neutral – it can be good or bad. 

The only way to turn fear around is face-to-face.

The greatest form of pollution is our thoughts. We attract what we focus on.

Stay in our hearts – deliberate attention.

The key to the law of attraction is gratitude.

We have a great amount of power – what can we do to work with the passion we have?

Take care of yourself, so you have a lot to give.

Abraham Hicks and Esther tapes.  They are coming to

It takes supporting each other – consensual reality.

Mastermind Groups hold intention as a methodology.

Politics are a right and a gift.

Be in the moment.  When we are aware of our “is”ness, we can decide our expression.

Creative tension is an opportunity to act – social activism or not.

There are ways to do things without looking like it.  Tonglen method digests someone else’s fear and releases it.

Look at the Hawaiian practice of HO ‘ Oponopono.

Everything that touches us is for a reason and we can take responsibility for what touches us, what is a part of our lives, beyond what is commonly considered our responsibility.

These are the days of miracles and wonders.  Everything and anything is possible. Notice the miracles and the beauty.

Fall 06 SOS Meeting Report 

Topic:  Green Transit
Convener:  Cathy Holt
Participants:  Jonah, Raphael, Beth, Steve, Cathy History of topic: Robert Eidus & Cathy Holt are forming a Green Transit Co-operative, website www.greentransitnc.com.  The goal is to offer biodiesel fueled shared ride services which would include airport shuttle, commute service, late night rides for party goersKey discussion points:
Airport service seems most promising. Maybe commuters from Madison County to Asheville. How could this group work with the city to get more riders? Many commuters rely on their private cars to do shopping after work, how could that feature get incorporated? Why don’t people carpool more, anyway? Suggestions: take people to farmers’ markets. Get people to organize a full car load for a discount. Service the Orange Peel. Get a Volvo diesel.

Dear Friends Old and New,

At our first meeting, the Asheville SOS Council confirmed the weekend of September 15-17 as the dates for the Fall SOS event, and Montford Recreation Center as the setting. The event is free and open to anyone who cares about the transformation to sustainability in our region. The schedule includes:

FRIDAY, 7 pm to 9:30 pm – Storytelling Circle
SATURDAY, 9 am to 5 pm – Open Space Sessions
SUNDAY, 1 pm to 5 pm – Action Planning

Please pre-register if you plan to attend, by visiting www.sosasheville.net. Thanks to John and Bill at Integritive Web Design for setting up our online registration form!

I invite you (whoever you are!) to help spread the word about this event. Open Space Technology works beautifully with very large groups, and we have a nice big centrally-located space. More people and greater diversity means a more dynamic event and a greater capacity for extraordinary, creative, effective responses to the challenges before us – not to mention a deeper infusion of inspiration and fun!  Thanks for passing the invitation along, and I hope we see you there.
~ Chris

Imagine receiving something like the following in the mail: Wow—You inspire me! (written on a home-made card). There was more to the note, but that was the main thrust of it. This person, and one other in my life, do this with some regularity—send a hand-made card, with a beautiful sentiment, or poem, for some reason which just strikes their fancy in the moment. This kind of beauty is easily sustainable and, while it may take more of our natural resources than an email (although I’m never sure if that’s actually true), it is so much richer. I invite us all to take a few moments to Pay It Forward in some manner which tickles our fancy.