POWER Summit 2008 was held in St. Paul, MN, June 23-26, 2008. Over sixty people gathered to focus on:  Peace – The New Energy!  What does the world look like without war? Peace Partnership International president Dot Maver was on the program and files this report.

It was a delight and an honor to present on three consecutive days, focusing on creating a world that works for everyone, a peace economy, and being the change. 

Intentions of Power Summit were to:

• Learn practical skills in sustainability and community organizing
• Embrace a spirituality of interdependence
• See yourself as a global citizen 
• Create art for social change
• Meet others like you who want to make a positive difference in the world
• Be part of the solution

Topics covered included:  

1. Spirituality and Arts – How do I live peace in me?  How do I live nonviolently? How do I address conflict in relationships – with myself, family, friends, etc? How do I express myself nonviolently?
2. Global Citizenship – What would the world’s economy and governments look like without war?
3. Sustainability – What would Earth community look like without war? 

The Power Summit was waste-free. It was a joy to be part of the conscious awareness of materials used, recycled, composted and thrown out during the week in June (and all of the planning meetings, as well). It was a modeling and teaching of the responsible use of resources.

POWER Summit 2008 was planned by a team of local high school students and young professionals who shared their thoughts and experiences on the Power Summit Blog. Here are a couple of excerpts:

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First of all.... Starting with Dot's morning presentation we learned that we must change our attitudes before our actions can change. I think this is key because our mentality is linked directly to our actions. For example... If you think that running is the greatest form of exercise, chances are you're a runner!

Secondly, another thing that stuck out to a lot of folks was the metaphor of the sunflowers by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Story of Transformation [full text here is different from blog text, editor]:

In April, we cannot see sunflowers in France, so we might say the sunflowers do not exist. But the local farmers have already planted thousands of seeds, and when they look at the bare hills, they may be able to see the sunflowers already. The sunflowers are there. They lack only the conditions of sun, heat, rain and July. Just because we cannot see them does not mean that they do not exist. Thich Nhat Hanh

Dot used this story to show that there are lots of business who are transitioning from wasteful practices to more sustainable and eco-friendly practices. For example Ray Anderson from Interface Carpets who was inspired to change his ways simply by reading a book!

Another thing that stuck out to us is the belief that change is the result of many simple steps that were taken consistently.

So we're off to the Peace Bridge so we'll write more later!!

Peace,

Esther and Colleen
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Greetings!

Yesterday was our last day with Dot Maver, our guest speaker. She opened her presentation with a little Black Eyed Peas asking us "Where is the Love?"

Dot built on Tuesday's call to engage in creating a culture of peace. She took that invitation one step further by presenting us with real life examples of successful organizations, businesses, and foundations that have reformed the bottom line. Instead of profit being the all important deciding factor, Dot showed us how people's minds are shifting to worry about the planet and the people in addition to making a profit. Then, she asked us to cultivate our own structures that create peace in the real world.

Jack Davis, a POWER Summiteer, reminded us that instead of trying to change people’s minds to make them believe that sustainability is a good thing, we can show them by making it a profitable thing. He suggested using techniques like government subsidies and also said that he hopes there will come a time when we won't need things like subsidies to encourage businesses to operate sustainably; it will just be the way things are done.

Kathleen Otto, another Summiteer, talked about her group's idea of an educational system that includes peace and social justice instruction from the beginning.

As you can see, the week so far has been super full of great ideas, both from the presenters and from the participants. So much energy and hope!

Peace,
Esther

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We live in a challenging time of opportunity. Peace begins with each one of us as we write our stories through our thoughts, words, and actions. The momentum is unstoppable as each one of us chooses to live peace, sustainability, and love. The Power Summit was inspiring and I learned a lot from youth who are already making a difference.

Keep on keeping on, in the spirit of peace,
Dot