FEBRUARY 20TH, 2009
By F. DAVID PEAT
Jason Evans, a Quaker from Brighton, noted the concept of Creative Suspension in the book Gentle Action: Bringing Creative Change to a Turbulent World and was struck by its similarity to the “moment of silence” that occurs during a Quaker business meeting.
Here is his explanation:
“For Quakers, the whole of life is sacramental and the silent worship in our meetings is intended to extend into everyday life. What this means is that business meetings, our meetings for church affairs, are held in the same prayerful stillness that we have experienced in our worship. Indeed the full name for our business meetings is “meetings for worship for business”. In practice this leads to a finding of unity beyond consensus, what we call the “sense of the meeting” which is much more than the majority rule found in other spheres of life. Because it is rooted in silence and stillness, the “moment of silence” is familiar to the process from the outset and if conflict does arise it is common practice for a Friend to ask for a moment of silence to consider the views of those whose are not our own. In our book of discipline, (really discipleship), we are encouraged to consider that we may be mistaken and that new insights may come from unexpected sources.”
FEBRUARY 20TH, 2009
By F. DAVID PEAT
In his review of Gentle Action (see Reviews section of the Gentle Action website) Gordon Shippey questions how far we should exercise trust in the context of State and private institutions. His argument is based on what he terms “the myth of the social contract”. In a reply to Gordon (on the same page of the website) I contrast the Enlightment’s view of a social contract – out of self interest and the need for mutual protection free individuals “in a state of nature” come together for mutual protection and form a society – with that of a number of Native American groups in which society or the tribe is prior and the individual emerges out of that society but is alway a product of the society.
FEBRUARY 20TH, 2009
By F. DAVID PEAT
Yesterday we ate in a very crowded workers caf on the outskirts of Siena. It was, large, crowded and had several serving area – a bar, a counter where you could get slices of pizza and another counter for pasta, salads and a meat plate, plus refrigerators containing bottled water and soft drinks
After eating we went to the cash and told them what we had eaten. The whole thing operated on an honor system where they trusted that customers would give an honest account of what they had eaten and drunk
FEBRUARY 20TH, 2009
By F. DAVID PEAT
Over the past years the comedian Bill Cosby has been making donations to Black colleges. Now his position has changed, as Cosby says“I don’t want to be in the check-writing business anymore. What I want to do is to teach people how to fish.” His first step is a challenge to Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. He promised that if the university could raise $2 million by April 1, he would perform free of charge in a benefit for the university at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus
The money has already been raised and the benefit concert is scheduled for April 18. More than $250,000 will be raised from ticket sales. The money raised will be used to strengthen academic programs, enhance learning facilities, and to expand merit- and need-based scholarship programs
FEBRUARY 19TH, 2009
By F. DAVID PEAT
Judy Glick-Smith sent the following story.
She was sitting in a Waffle House with her daughter Kieki and her grand daughters, Jordan, aged 8, and Hannah, aged 6, on a beautiful Georgia day with blue skies and big white puffy clouds.
Hannah wanted to play the juke box and Kieki gave her a quarter. The little girl picked the Rod Stewart version of “What a Wonderful World.”
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmUmhFyic9A)
She came back and sat on her mother’s lap and started to sing along. Her sister Jordan then jointed in.
Judy suddenly noticed that everyone in the Waffle House had stopped eating and was singing. There was an elderly man who reached across the table to hold his wife’s hand. It was a moment caught in time. For Judy the power of that song was unmistakable, it connects everything.
FEBRUARY 18TH, 2009
By F. DAVID PEAT
Ok the motivation for this was to shoot a commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM
But at least it made a lot of people smile. See the public’s reaction at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jv6rHJiNhQ&NR=1
FEBRUARY 18TH, 2009
By F. DAVID PEAT
We have just added two new papers from the World Future Council to the Library section of the Gentle Action website.
Information on the activities of a literacy group in India has been added in the Cases section of the website.
FEBRUARY 8TH, 2009
By F. DAVID PEAT
We have just received a copy of a speech made by Lord Stone of Blackheath to the British House of Lords. It deals with issues of peace in the Middle East and calls on notions related to those of Gentle Action.
The text of this speech is now posted on the Gentle Action website under the section “Cases”.
FEBRUARY 7TH, 2009
By F. DAVID PEAT
Welcome to the Gentle Action Blog. We’d like to use this space to encourage debate, comment and contributions around the notions of Gentle Action and Creative Suspension.
We’d also welcome your views on the role of trust and ethical behaviour at all levels of society. How do you see trust operating in the context of your workplace and local community? What levels of trust are operating around you and what do you feel to be the limits of trust.
