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“The essence of transforming capitalism—or creating a new economy, if you prefer that term—is often missed or overshadowed by activities that happen under the headline of pursuing corporate social responsibility. These are worthwhile efforts, as are many of the sustainability-related activities undertaken by business. But a true transformation must deal with an essential design flaw in the core architecture of capitalism." -- Otto Scharmer

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I remember some of the times when I was most happy, after — I used to spend the whole of Lent in a hermitage alone, and I’d come back just sort of glowing, like a bliss ninny, for the next couple weeks. But when people would look at me, I remember again and again, they said, “Richard, you look sad.” And I said, “Oh my gosh, do I?” Because in fact, I’m feeling exactly the opposite. And I don’t know how that transferred to my face as sadness, but when you live at this deep time, deeper level of communion or love or grace or whatever you want to call it, there is a heaviness to it that — “Is the rest of the world not seeing what I’m seeing? Why are they so caught up in trivialities, and why are they making one another suffer so much?” So it’s the strangest combination of being able to hold deep sadness and deep contentment at the very same time. So I discovered that in myself, and my most wonderful moments were also my most sad moments, which leads you to a kind of participation in what I called earlier “the one sadness,” that your very fact of enjoying grace and love carries with it a dark side that I didn’t deserve to know this, I didn’t earn this, and most people think I’m crazy if I try to talk about it. So the two intense emotions very often coexist in the contemplative mind. So that’s what taught me this both/and world view, that opposites do not contradict one another. In fact, they complement and deepen one another.

Richard Rohr 

I absolutely loved how he spoke about the contemplative mind. Our obsession with trying to be wide-eyed, hypnotically happy state 24/7, even in our sleep and the truth is that state that somehow our western society has encouraged in us is so farrr from reality, so far from what the human condition is all about. 

To read the whole interview or listen to it go here to one of my favourite blogs.

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*sigh* yup😒

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Baby back, tender back, take it back. Soft back. Hard back, broken back back where we started back. Black back.

Bent and stretched - 2016

Work in progress.

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Um

©Penabranca

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Beautiful Restored Trulli In Puglia Italy

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this is EVERYTHING. I have been working to embody Ubuntu in my life for over 7 years now, it’s been on and off and it keeps showing up again (give thanks for the reminders). I went through all of what this poem paints and now I am working on healing myself and working on being my own best friend, showing myself compassion because my ability to do any of this stuff for US or for society is not my best right now, it’s not coming from a grounded place of peace, it’s coming from my martyrdom and my PTSD and my dire need to see harmony and peace in the world but it’s not efficient or soul fulfilling. I am working to heal and tap into my soul which is the bottomless well that may fuel activist work in a much more sustainable way. GYC has even taken up Ubuntu in the last 6 months, yes! This was written as if they had us in mind!

Thx Nate Gerber for sharing this with me!

fongtranpoetry:

DON’T BE AN ACTIVIST

Don’t be that dirty A word: Activist Like a viral disease It always starts in college took that sociology or ethnic studies class joined that outreach recruitment center for underrepresented youth of color you wanted to hold it down for the struggle at the rally for undocumented student rights and then it happens you become an activist the symptoms will kick in fast and heavy

Your parents will tell you to get a real job Fox news will tell you you’re unpatriotic Your friends will call you too sensitive Your family will call you too liberal Your community will call you too communist

You’ll work at a non-profit organization cause you said you want to make a difference cause you certainly aren’t making any money even though your official job title is just program coordinator You’re really also the organization’s social media director youth outreach manager office technician staff personnel therapist grant writer program assessment evaluator and in-house cultural competency trainer You’ll wonder how many top ramen will it take before you give up on your close to impoverished 50hrs a week $800 Americorps monthly living stipend You will buy extra lip balm for all the future ass kissing you will do to potential grantees and funders all in the name of community …and to keep you job …cause your grant contract ends by the 2017 fiscal cycle way to stick to the man You’ll feel guilty for listening main stream hip-hop and that your favorite song is Tyga’s Rack City even though that song represents everything that you stand against misogyny, male patriarchy the commodification hypersexualization and dehumanization of womyn that beat is still so DAMN good rack city, rack rack city I mean Sac City, Sac City…ssstitch

Don’t be an activist because you’ll just be angry angry because you learned that everything evil in this world is rooted from colonialism, white patriarchy and capitalism

Paulo Friere called it when they made the matrix once become conscious, you can never go back and with liberation comes burden that burden sits heavy like asthma

Ignorance must really be bliss because it’s exhausting looking through Facebook newsfeed without saying “gooddammit this shit is fucked up” without seeing white people throw peace signs and make squinty eyes in pictures with the #asianpose without having another “conversation” with your well-intentioned but racist ass friend who commented on your scholarly post on “microaggressions in the classrooms” without seeing another fraternity throw another cinco de drinko “cross the border” party without seeing another newscaster blame the victim and defend the rapist without another black body being shot by another gunman named officer

and feeling like you can never do anything ironically enough you try to brush it off so you can procrastinate on your 8 page sociology paper on institutionalized racism in the California prison system

It will hurt it will hurt because it will come from your own people they tell you, you too cocky that you’re an opportunistic that left South Sacramento for a job at UC Davis and that you a sell out and so you buy into their thinking and they said you were never REALLY down and so you tell yourself that you were never REALLy down and they called you out for saying something problematic so you think of yourself as a problem you didn’t get enough petition signatures you didn’t stay long enough at the town hall meetings you didn’t mentor enough youth you weren’t there for your community when they needed it most and so you questions everything that you are everything that you stand for you hit this point of confusion of what it all means and you succumb to self-doubt and burn out you get tired of being tired and you tell yourself “I just want to be normal just like everyone else”

That heavy anxiety sitting on your shoulders makes you want to scratch your skin off but then you realize normal normal is that bystrander effect that MNC chokehold that stops you from raising your voice and forces you to turn you head away from injustice and face down at iphones screens Normal is making it easier for you to keep up with the Kardashians than to keep up with the sake of humanity Normal is that basic shit! Normal is that stuff that makes people cynical cause being cynical is always easier than critical Normal is making society a status quota number of soldiers pulled out the dowe jones down unemployment up climate change doesn’t exist Racist republicans still do and so we confuse normal for this substance that cynicism made ugly validation, acceptance, love

and you finally realize that it was never about you and it wasn’t about them but it was about everybody It was about humanness - Ubuntu a justice that institutions are incapable of achieving so you’ve been forced to dream you check your privilege for low paychecks to implement your social justice be the monkey wrench in the machine

activism is not a sprint it is a lifelong marathon and your most crucial asset in your run is the not the power in your legs but the strength of your heart so you must protect it You must pace to it to give it resiliency you will be your biggest critic but the minute you look far too much in your own steps you will lose vision so you must keep your head upright never lose sight of your finish line

this world does not need normal it needs relentless unafraid pursuit of compassion every action or inaction disrupts or perpetuates that power of oppression but you choose to upset the set up disrupt the corrupt stand against the standardization hunger strike for the hungry

you were meant to be different you are greater than Normal you are more than an activist you are deeply and truly necessary

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Spoke N’ Heard is one of GYC’s member organizations. 

Spoke N’ Heard is a grassroots, youth-led collective of artists, entrepreneurs and youth workers, united by our passion for social change and community empowerment, with a focus on the holistic progression of humanity through the arts. The Founder & Director of Spoke N’ Heard, Jordon Veira, started the organization out of a desire to provide youth with a safe space where they can share their stories and experiences through the arts. Our desire is to spread awareness regarding mental wellness stigmatization, as well as to address issues facing marginalized and racialized youth within various communities.

This was their video for their 3rd year anniversary last year - it was a phenomenal event. These guys are so good at tantalizing every one of your senses and offering a variety of entertainment at every corner of the room. Not only is their event planning skills on point, their hosting is well beyond their age, and their humility, spirituality and pure love for the arts tugs at your heart strings. 

Make sure to follow them on Twitter, or FB! 

p.s. I’m loving how I’m allover this video - but incognito!! The shots with the champagne glasses and hands? Who could that be!?!?! lol

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The Mentorship Program at GYC has developed and grown over the years and we had a really successful round for our official pilot (fall 2014). Here’s our recap!

Thanks to Jason Demata for his contribution into the program, to all the investment of time from the mentors and to the mentees or members of GYC who committed to working on their personal development to change circumstances of our communities in Toronto! 

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I’ve had the pleasure of working with Youth Social Infrastructure, aka YSI. An Ontario-wide network of youth organizers and youth serving agencies creating a system/infrastructure to better support young people making change. I’ve learnt many skill sets and perspectives through my involvement with YSI and have had the time to deeply reflect on the conversations we have there about the real elephants in the room regarding youth’s access to resources to make change.

For more info: www.ysicollaborative.org 

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Window Seat by Julieanne Kost

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YesB.Pcess

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I had the pleasure of facilitating the panel discussion at 416RISE last year for their 2nd year anniversary held at Daniels Spectrum. 

It was an epic, beautiful event where the generations of hip hop and art in Toronto came together to display their art.

This year it’s happening again to celebrate their 3rd anniversary!! 

For more info: @RISE   Video Credit to: @YYZHilightz

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“When I grow up I want to be just like Yuri Kochiyama.”

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"Love In the Time of Tear Gas."  Picture from Ferguson

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lolol