Times of Dynamic Volatility

Are they an opportunity to make the changes we all want?

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The horrendous genocide in Gaza continues, stock markets are falling, costs of living are skyrocketing, many are homeless and we continue to reach environmental tipping points. Let’s face it: This is one scary time.

When there is so much upheaval in the world, things are in motion, and we all need to do what we can to make sure it changes in a better direction.

What kind of world do we want? I can tell you one thing: it’s not what’s been on offer here in the western world.

We have the know how, resources and money to create the kind of future we want to leave to our kids and grandkids, but the powers that be seem to have different ideas.

The western elite have been making record profits as everything gets worse for everyone else. They can’t even stop a genocide. As a matter of fact, they support it.

Instead of being paralyzed with fear, we need to prepare. What I think will provide the stability we need during this tumultuous time is our communities. So let’s take a breath, relax and look around our neighbourhoods. Because I think that’s how we’ll begin to stabilize life so that we can work towards our vision of the future.

It’s up to us to bring the world we dream of about. And we need to find the tools to get things done; the ideas that inspire us; the infectious spirit that will take us from fear and paralysis to solidarity, motivation and action.

There’s an event coming up online (2pm PST, 5pm EST) called Trump’s Hammer, Our Hope, that I assume will explore this theme. I’ve registered and hope you’ll consider it too. Even if you can’t make it, if you register you’ll most likely have the recording sent to you.

In the meantime, here are some resources I’d like to share that inspire me, and can help us get organized:

• The Community Exchange System - an electronic system that enables community bartering

• Shareable - a guide to starting a sharing hub in our communities

• Building Tomorrow - a book by Paddy Le Flufy that offers various ways of creating a more functional and fair economy

• Delivering Community Power - An inspiring reimagining of Canada Post that serves communities. This could be applied to any postal system in any country

• Door County Seed Library - offers FREE open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds that you can check out to plant and grow at home. Thanks to Mark Taylor for letting me know about this

• People are understandably outraged at the genocide that just won’t stop. As it continues, Israel and the USA are increasingly despised and becoming isolated for the horror they’re unleashing. And we’re sick and tired of how difficult and insecure life has become for so many in the west.

What can we do about it? There are two general directions we can take.

One is the direction those profiting from all this barbarism favour: fascism. It’s a way of blaming others, fanning the flames of racism, misogyny, and white supremacy. It takes the focus off the profiteers who are engineering this nightmare and putting the blame on those who are usually scapegoated, and who are suffering along with us.

The second direction is to get organized, and start transforming our communities. How can we be more self-sufficient? How can we create systems where it’s easy to barter with each other, and make sure we’re all fed and sheltered? How do we protect our communities from natural disasters? And how do we create a better path forward together?

Just getting together with a few friends and trying some things, and seeing who wants to join in, is a great beginning.

We need to breathe through our shock at everything that’s going on, discuss it with each other, and then take action.

In these scary times, we need to be strategic and careful. But we need to act.

We can start buying local food together, or supporting our local farmers. We can have a clothing swap. We can share child care and gardens.

We can start wildcrafting, or making our own personal care products. These save money, reduce plastic use and are lots of fun, if that’s your thing.

Meaningful change comes from ordinary people taking action together, and if we’re in touch with our righteous rage about everything that’s happening, this is how we can begin to channel it.

And we can make it fun! Make music together, make art, create informal shared spaces. So many feel isolated, and community building helps to address that.

The neat thing is, new ideas hatch when we get together, and we can build on them.

And let’s not forget to include our non-local friends online. The problems we’re having are international, and we can share ideas and learn from each other from all over the world.

As well, we can do our best to elect people who best represent our values, and then do all we can to convince them to implement policies that benefit society.

Here’s my partial laundry list:

• stop the genocide in Gaza

• proportional representation

• citizens’ assemblies that would direct government policies

• public control and regulation of essential things like medical care, education, housing, public transit and infrastructure

• guaranteed annual liveable income for all

• money and industry lobbyists disallowed from government

• transition to green energy

• electrification of government vehicles and public transit

• environmental restoration

• everyone to be treated equally under the law

• peaceful relationships with other countries

• respect for international law

In Canada, we have a federal election coming up, so let’s vote for candidates who truly represent our interests. When candidates claim they’re all for working people, yet are backed by billionaires, we know they won’t represent our interests when elected, especially the ones who deny the reality of climate change.

Building community together and exerting our power is what gives me hope. And we can have fun in the process.

Our future depends on it. Sure we’ll make mistakes at first, we might be a little clumsy sometimes, but we can learn from our mistakes and share strategies that work.

The kind of world we’re living in is not what I want to leave behind me. Especially when we have the potential for an absolutely magnificent world. We have the technology, resources and people power. And this moment demands that we utilize them.

"Everyone doing what they can is enough to do everything that needs to be done." -Dartwill Aquila - thanks to Joel Bentarz for this excellent quote

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I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here's an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/browse/1

Here's a way to help others not in your bubble to boycott Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/stickies_2024_en

And here's where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/