Peace Café Projects – an independent think-tank and collective for community and co-operation

For those who want to know more

An invitation to contemplate an appropriate

response in Times of Change
We invite you to join The World Cafe to form your own
independent Café Collective; you can draw on resources
and contacts of Zen Cafes@ The Hub, King Street, Bristol.

We act as an interface between individuals, community

and organisations that want to benefit by participating in a
resurgence of community values.

In this work we work across diverse communities of interest: local churches,

universities, schools, ecologists, environmentalists, educators, town planners,
local government, Transition Culture and others.

We serve those who want to find out more about the

challenges we collectively face in responding to
climate change and excessive energy demands on
the planet’s resources.

In this work, we liaise closely with Transition Towns

and offer support, resources and a forum for schools,
educators and organisations that want to realise
community benefits from sustainable lifestyle, for which Transition Towns serve
as advisors and catalyst for change.

In this work we are guided by: “Small is Beautiful” the classic work - by the
economist E.F. Schumacher and “New Renaissance” by Maurice Ash. For those
interested in both these writers, we refer to Resurgence Magazine and
Resurgence Trust.

For those who want to participate in a community of interest around sustainable

lifestyle, “eco-response-ability” – you can see how to benefit from participation in
Transition Culture.
You are invited to visit: www.transitionculture.org.

Our response
Our response: as citizens and world community members to the
issue of climate change.

Climate change, societal change, the world is changing around

us. How do we as individuals and citizens of the Planet respond
to a cluster of issues that at first may seem immensely daunting
in their scale and implications, when our own response may seem
to scarcely make a difference?

It is not always government and business leaders to whom we

must turn for answers. As individuals it is to ourselves we can
look, as individuals and fellow humans, in order to discern what
may be appropriate, however hidden that may at first seem.

Ancient Wisdom contained in the traditions and culture of

indigenous people makes us pause for thought. Embedded in the
culture of the Native Americans was inherent respect for Nature.
They lived the principle that any community decision should bring
positive benefits for seven generations thereafter.

“To know what is going on, takes sense. To know what to do about it, takes wisdom”.
Peace Café Projects – an independent think-tank and collective for community and co-operation

One factor is clear, the nature of our response as individuals, community

members and citizens of the Planet rests on the parts we play both in our
community, and as Citizens of the World and all of that depends, crucially, on the
quality of our inner life.

It is for this reason that we are inviting small groups (three to

ten is an optimum number) to find time for guided retreats
during the course of the next twelve months as a way to
reflect, spend time in fellowship and realise their own journey
- to discern their response through cultivation of the
contemplative life.

We have a list of venues available for contemplative retreat,

providing good food and simple accommodation for small
groups accompanied by a group leader or co-ordinator.

Recommended retreat venues include: The Spirit of Life

Centre, Mani, Greece, Plum Village and the Iona Community.

The work that we recommend you to read in preparation for retreat is “The Spirit
of Silence (Making Space for Creativity)”- by John Lane, published by Green
Books.

A handbook for guided groups on retreat is: “The

Experience of Insight” by Joseph Goldstein, published by
Shambhala Press.

The works that we can recommend you to read on retreat

are available from the booklist available from the Eco-
Campus web site, and include: “Only Connect (Soil, Soul
and Society)” from Resurgence books.

These include selected titles by: Satish Kumar, John Lane,

David Smith, Thich Nhat Hahn, Matthew Fox, Ken Jones and
Chogyam Trungpa.

Mediterranean retreats. Eco-Campus @ The Spirit of Life Centre – for SOL

Community members
Transition Culture courses are available for individuals and small groups and are
arranged by SOL Community, The Spirit of Life Centre, Greece.

As an independent Sangha and retreat Centre in the

Mani Peninsula we do not charge for courses; we
simply ask all guests to cover food and
accommodation costs and make a donation, as they
feel appropriate according to the principle Dana.
“Dana” means “generosity”, and is the basis on
which we run the Centre.

We especially welcome applications from SOL

Community Members who want to set up a Schools’
Outreach programme, or engage with schools,
educators, students and the next generation who will
inherit whatever we leave behind.

“To know what is going on, takes sense. To know what to do about it, takes wisdom”.
Peace Café Projects – an independent think-tank and collective for community and co-operation

Dharma Study and Eco-Campus provide a Schools’ service for all who want to
support the work of teachers, educators and parents in meeting the needs of
young people.

We recommend Resurgence subscription for all those with an interest in ecology,

and by wider inclusion, human ecology.

We welcome those who want to work with Eco-Campus to develop courses,

workshops and seminars for self- managed learning. See: www.resurgence.org.

We offer two “rolling seminar” programmes around the

core themes of Ecology and Personal Power and our
specialist course on practical eco-living and Ancient
Wisdom in action is called: “Aligning Heaven and Earth”.

Eco-Campus at SOL offers members and Resurgence

subscribers, courses in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and
Economics) as well as language study and Right Livelihood
options.

This option is designed for those who want to combine

language study with business school experience, orienting
themselves around the core values of sustainable Social
Enterprise, in order to live and work in the country of their
choice.

We offer teacher training for prospective TEFL teachers and those who want to
set up and run their own ethical enterprise or teaching practice, either
independently, or with the support of Eco-Campus services and SOL Community
support on a Co-venture basis.

For further reference:

See:

Resurgence Magazine: www.resurgence.org

Buddhist Ecology: www.buddhistecology.eu

The Spirit of Life Centre: www.thespiritoflife.co.uk

To apply to join SOL Community as a member – contact us directly.

“To know what is going on, takes sense. To know what to do about it, takes wisdom”.