Hi,
Just continuing this thread a little.
In answer to your question Sneh, I am taking a tentative step into
working with issues of the Environment in a workshop I am holding
soon in Melbourne. I was inspired by meeting Zita Cox last year and
also by meeting a Gestalt Therapist in Australia, Gayle Russell, who
is developing a sort of eco-therapy.
In the workshop I am inviting people to come and work on their
environments, also I am inviting activists to explore their
relationships with their stakeholders they are trying to convince or
change, and for activists to see how they can sustain themselves,
which from my limited observation, is often an issue itself.
I did a couple of Constellations on my own system last year on my
environment. One, choosing the best room in the house to sleep in and
also working on the poor energy in my house, which seemed to go back
to an exclusion of the farmers who gave up their land for the
development. This was in China.
And regarding the bushfires in Australia, and we also have floods at
the same time, in another part of the country. There is a split!
I have held 3 workshops in the last week and the bushfires have
helped me explain constellation work. It led me to say that systems
have an energy to stay together, and that is what we saw after the
fires, the great coming together of communities, it reminded me of
soldiers from WW2 saying the war was the best and the worse of times.
A few days after the fires i flew to Sydney and on the plane there
were collecting to help the people effected, the stewardess said on
the short flight people had donated $300, its amazing. So a tragedy
has brought people together and it helped me explain belonging etc in
Const work. Of course there is also anger and blaming, and i have
done some of that myself.
FCW has also helped me see the systemic support for the community. I
was with a group of therapists last week who were sort of in
Therapist guilt, saying they should be doing more, but even if we
talk to one person on a bus or in a bar we are supporting the
community, and that supports those who have suffered more directly.
In China last year, I was asked in Sichuan quite often, what have we
done wrong that we have had this earthquake? I would just say that
the power of nature can support us and bring disasters, its just our
relationship to it that makes the difference, there is no right or
wrong. I think this answer came from my experience in FCW
in Australia the seeds of some trees only germinate when there are
fires.
And the stories of bravery of 'ordinary folk' is so touching and of
firefighters who saved many people and houses but lost their own house.
that's enough for now.........David
David Mathes
Melbourne and Guangzhou
David Mathes
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