Gardeners of Peace came out of my life last year (2006) as a result of many years of ‘inner gardening’ practice and my (Gilles Asselin) seeking the most positive way to contribute to the world we are living in and to respond to the crises and inadequacies we are facing on so many levels –be they local, national, regional or global.
“Gardening our self” and “Gardening our world” are two activities that cannot be separated – like the two sides of the same coin. One shall not exist without the other. Whatever it means to us, “gardening our self” is a journey that requires effort, discipline, reflection and care. It doesn’t come easily and needs to be nurtured regularly. Peace in our world follows the same process. It doesn’t have to be planted, as one Gardener said, but its seeds need to be watered and cared for by responsible Gardeners – those who have made the commitment to garden their own lives and support others in their journey.
Over time, and over our first conversations, the discussion has matured and we’ve started to explore the meaning of Gardening, as well as what lies at the core of the invitation: our Human Beingness.
The questions we addressed in our first conference call deal with notions of meaning and purpose:
- What draws people to becoming a Gardener of Peace?
- What are our inner gardening practices?
- How can we nurture the beauty and the diversity of our inner gardening practices?
- How can we share our “human beingness” and the journey we’ve traveled?
Collectively, what emerged from this conference call are a sense and a burgeoning vision of possibilities – possibilities we can turn into actions once we harness the “collective power of our hearts.”
Several Gardeners shared ancient and new wisdom of the heart:
"If you wish to go quickly, go alone. If you wish to go far, go together." - African proverb
O to the growth of things
from the earth
where plenty is hidden
just needing
water of love and kind attention
to grow....
be ready to be surprised
good morning a new day is here
- Toke Moeller
If you are lucky in this Life
A window will appear on a battlefield between two armies
And when the soldiers look into the window,
they do not see their enemies
They see themselves as Children
And they go home - and go to sleep
And when they wake up
The Land
Is Well
Again
-Cameron Perry (4th Grader, Michigan, from 'Voices in War' Series)
We invite you to use this Blog to share your inspirations, images and reflections about what you have begun to hear in the center of our circle, and to participate in shaping the future of The Gardeners of Peace. From our shared passions and visions, we will co-create responses to the core question which emerged from our first call:
“How can we tap into the collective power of our hearts?”
Together we can be wiser than any of us can be alone.
We need to know how to tap that wisdom.
From the Co-Intelligence website