About Living Earth

Joanna Macy Retreat, Silver Falls

Living Earth offers community events, workshops, presentations, celebrations, and retreats that encourage an open-hearted, contemplative approach to social action toward a just, vibrant, peaceful, and sustainable future.

Our programs encourage contemplative practices and deep reflection on the nature of our own awareness, nurturing a wide perspective on the personal, social, and global issues of our time.

Since 1998 we have convened community discussions, hosted visiting speakers, presented public forums, and facilitated workshops that foster a lively recognition of the rich opportunities and possibilities facing our world.

Our efforts are rooted in a recognition that the world begins to change when we change our ways of perceiving, understanding, and engaging in life.

• We support the efforts of all who are defending people and places from abuse, injustice, and destruction.
• We foster connection among all who are developing new ways of living, politically, socially, and personally.
• We affirm the rights of all beings to ecological security for their long-term health and well being, to democratic participation in their communities and states, to religious and intellectual freedom, and to cultural integrity.
• We offer opportunities for creating community, increasing knowledge and understanding, deepening awareness of interconnection, and supporting activism that furthers these values.
• We honor the deep spiritual principles at the heart of all the world's enduring religious and philosophical traditions: compassion, celebration, gratitude, reverence, responsibility, humility, and non-harming.

We welcome you to join our efforts toward creating a culture of vibrant peace—a world grounded in cooperation and compassion, deep democratic principles, and ecological integrity that supports all beings.

Looking back…

Living Earth's first "official" event in October 1998 was a highly successful public lecture and discussion, "Educating for Ecological Sustainability," with internationally recognized cultural critic and educator-author Chet Bowers, PhD. Since that time, some of our activities have included:

• Retreats and workshops with Ram Dass and Joanna Macy, David Korten, Richard Heinberg, and Starhawk;
• Community circles and retreats for contemplative practice and dharma reflection.
• Book discussion groups and workshops examining cultural ethics and personal values;
• Community dinner gatherings and annual seasonal celebrations;
• Opportunities for conscious social action, from peace projects to knitting for the homeless, to engaging on hunger and homelessness.
• Workshops and presentations on political hegemony and economic globalization; deep democracy; sustainable economies; civil liberties; climate change; post-carbon community action; and peacemaking.

Living Earth reflects the eclectic spiritual backgrounds of our community of board members and volunteers, our embrace of deep ecology, and our commitment to nurturing seeds of fundamental change within our culture. Our intention is to stimulate creative alternatives for conducting our personal, political, and cultural affairs and spark meaningful action for cultural change.

In November 2001, we incorporated as a non-profit organization, reflecting a deepening of our commitment to offer programs that link spiritual awareness with engaged action on behalf of a just, ecologically vibrant, and culturally rich future for our children and those to follow.

Our Mission

Living Earth's mission is to cultivate awareness of interdependence, empower full-hearted activism, and nurture the movement toward a just, ecologically rooted, culturally vibrant future.

We present public events that challenge existing cultural models, strengthen community, enrich spiritual awareness, and stimulate creative alternatives for conducting our personal, political, economic, and cultural affairs.