Reflect, Reconnect and Act: Insights on Personal and Collective Resilience
We are in for a long haul. The election results and their implications for our collective work and societal values do not come as a complete surprise, but the reality of what we are facing is challenging to comprehend. Many of us have been preparing, in a variety of ways, for this moment, and it will take tremendous fortitude and collective resilience to continue pushing back against the reactive forces currently at the political helm.
The work you all do is what drives Bioneers as an organization. Moving forward, we will continue to endeavor to reflect the grit, brilliance, and innovation of this community back to itself through these newsletters. As Sarah Crowell, co-founder of the legendary Destiny Arts Center, said from the Bioneers stage, “The way we’ll hold it together is to hold it—together.”
Learning how to reflect, regroup and reconnect in times of crisis may, to activists, seem secondary to taking action, but without maintaining our inner balance and remaining connected to our communities and the natural world (the very reasons we do this work in the first place), we will be far less effective. This week, we look to actual leaders for inspiration, exploring how exemplary contemporary activists honor their personal well-being and draw strength from nature and their communities.
Krista Tippett, the host of the poignant and popular podcast “On Being” is interviewed by her friend, philanthropist/activist Azita Ardakani, in an intimate and fascinating conversation. Bioneers co-founder Nina Simons reflects on how we can find healing and strength together even in the face of today’s pressing crises. And activists Claudia Pe?a and Erin Matariki Carr discuss the power of creative expression in helping us reconnect to the Earth and to each other.
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How, Then, Might We Live? On Being—An Intimate Interview with Krista Tippett
After accomplished stints as a journalist, author and diplomat, and studying theology at Yale Divinity School, Krista Tippett was struck by a significant gap in the media landscape—a lack of deep, intelligent conversations to explore the spiritual, ethical and moral aspects of human life. What began as a national public radio show in 2003 evolved into the multiple award-winning podcast “On Being,” described as “wisdom to replenish and orient in a tender, tumultuous time to be alive.”
Gifted with insatiable curiosity, profound relational intelligence, a poetic sensibility, and an ability to unearth revelatory ideas to live by, Krista creates spaces where wisdom can emerge. She has hosted luminaries as disparate as Mary Oliver, Thich Nhat Hahn, Isabel Wilkerson and Desmond Tutu, among many more. In this rare intimate conversation with her friend, strategist, philanthropist and activist Azita Ardakani, they delve deeply into the core themes that have been Krista’s guiding passions.
Nina Simons: Beyond Binaries, Towards Solidarity
Bioneers co-founder Nina Simons, author of “Nature, Culture & The Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership,” acknowledges the unusually intense anguish and pain underlying the pressing crises we currently face. Amid an avalanche of asks, needs and calls to action, she admits to often experiencing grief, frustration and despair, but she shares how she has been able to find healing and hope in cultivating diverse relationships, in community engagement and in opening her senses to the wider web of life. “Conservation biologists tell us that ecosystems with the largest diversity of species have the greatest resilience to regenerate after trauma,” Simons says. “That has been a guiding value at the heart of Bioneers since it began: that the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.” Watch Simons’ talk from the 2024 Bioneers conference below or read the transcript.?
Claudia Pe?a and Erin Matariki Carr on Reconnecting with the Earth and Each Other
Under the weight of colonization, hyper-capitalism and unaddressed trauma, many of us have forgotten how to play our part in the orchestra of the natural world. Watch a conversation between two remarkable activists and legal practitioners from different continents, working in different communities, but who happen to share a belief in the power of creative expression to help us reconnect to the entire web of life. Claudia Pe?a, Executive Director of the artist collective For Freedoms and Co-Director of the Center for Justice at UCLA, and Erin Matariki Carr, a leading Indigenous legal scholar and Rights of Nature activist in Aotearoa (New Zealand), offer ways we can all reconnect deeply to the natural world.
10 Ways to Be Prepared and Grounded Now That Trump Has Won
From Waging Nonviolence
In the face of Trump’s recent win, grounding ourselves to avoid fear, isolation, and burnout will be crucial. This article, written by Daniel Hunter, Global Trainings Manager for 350.org, shares practical steps to counter authoritarianism’s chaos, including building inner resilience, nurturing trusted connections, and embracing strategic resistance. Rather than yielding to anger or despair, it encourages constructive paths—like finding supportive communities, focusing on impactful actions, and envisioning positive alternatives.
SPECIAL COURSE OFFER — Cultivating Inner Resilience: Embrace the Power of Emotions
Emotions are often misunderstood—seen as obstacles rather than profound sources of insight, healing, and energy. But emotions hold the keys to sharper thinking, deeper empathy, and a truer connection to ourselves and others. Starting next week on November 12, Bioneers Learning is offering a 50% discount on our upcoming course, “Honoring Your Emotional Ecosystem,” led by renowned emotions and empathy expert Karla McLaren. Join us for a journey that reveals how embracing our emotional landscape can guide us through these complex times with greater strength and wisdom.?Use the link below starting November 12 to receive your 50% discount.
Weaving Nature, Equity, Love, the Feminine, Sacred and Leadership
2 周I’m deeply honored to be a part of this post, and for my words to be surrounded by those of such truly great women. Hope you enjoy!
Renu Varun Sachin Chitambaran Ali Bin Shahid Shobha Maharaj