Introducing Peggi Erickson

Facilitator for "Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream" Symposium
developed by the Pachamama Alliance

www.AwakeningTheDreamer.org

"You can no longer save your family, tribe or nation. You can only save the whole world," the late, great, wise Margaret Mead once stated.

Many of us - increasing numbers of us! - may easily agree with this in theory, but how many will commit large chunks of a complex and busy life to actually do something concrete about it? Peggi Erickson is such a devoted activist of a woman.

She lives here locally, on Bainbridge Island, WA - which, no question, is a proverbial hotbed of environmental activism. In Peggi's case, the outreach goes way, way beyond the local, state, or even our US boundaries. In fact, Peggi — in concert with ever-increasing numbers of planetary citizens - has awakened to the capital-T Truth that there are no boundaries, must be no boundaries, in dealing with the world we mutually inhabit. Either we become conscious of and learn to take care of our entire world, or our entire world (both local and planetary) ends up in grave danger and eventual extinction.

How I first got to find meet Peggi As always, the key is location, location, location - I mean networking, networking, networking! I first met Peggi at a small luncheon in 2005 (I doubt she recalls meeting me, as I was brand new to Bainbridge, to the Northwest.) More recently, we ran into each other at a meeting of "Paradigm Shifters", our local Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) community group.

I felt Peggi would have an interesting personal history – and thus perspective - on these subjects, and in spite of a super-busy schedule, she graciously agreed to an interview.

Could you please briefly describe what you do?

"For my day job I am a Project Management Subject Matter Expert for EDS. However, my purposeful work now is being a facilitator for the 'Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream' Symposium developed by the Pachamama Alliance"

What is the primary goal of what you do - your professional and your humanitarian / philanthropic activities?

"In my professional life at EDS I coach project managers on setting up and managing their projects using the EDS Project Management processes. Right now I am working with the Project Managers at one of our groups in Canada. I work from home and meet with these managers by phone and also using collaboration software where we can share our desktops.

My main volunteer work is with the Pachamama Alliance. I am a trained facilitator for a symposium developed by Pachamama called 'Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream'. The purpose of the symposium is to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on the planet. It is definitely a purpose I believe in and I am thrilled and honored to join others in working toward it."

This Dream metaphor sounds powerful. Would you explain?

"There's a very clear description or definition on our Awakening The Dreamer home page. It states:

'It is as if we are living inside of a dream, sleepwalking toward oblivion, while self-serving, shortsighted interests encourage our slumber with managed news, celebrity culture and other weapons of mass distraction.

It has become clear that our political and commercial institutions are unable to effectively address this crisis, primarily because they don't realize that they are looking at an interconnected world through a fragmented lens.…

The villain here is ... an outmoded worldview - a way of seeing the world in which such unthinkable acts [clearcutting forests, overfishing oceans, polluting water and air] appear reasonable, sensible, and even intelligent.

Indigenous people of South America, who still live in their traditional Earth-honoring ways, refer to our modern worldview as our "dream" and have urged us, for the sake of all life, to "change the dream of the North." Well, it appears that changing this collective dream of ours will be a do-it-yourself-together project. It will be accomplished by committed individuals working in concert with one another, tens of millions of us, each willing to think and act in a whole new way.

…This is one of the generating principles behind the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium. The Symposium explores the link between three of humanity's most critical concerns: environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment.

The aim of the Symposium is not merely to learn more about the world, but to grapple and come to grips with the very assumptions that underlie the way we ourselves see the world and our place in it, and with what each of us can do - both individually and cooperatively - to move the world in this new direction.'

Thank you! Now I'm very interested in how you first got started in all this?

"Yes, I'd love to tell you how I came to be a facilitator for the 'Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream' Symposium. I feel this is my soul work and I was actually - literally! - called to do it.

Several years ago when I was meditating, I heard a voice say, quite clearly and firmly, "Teach!" I was quite upset by this voice as I did not have any plans at the time to do any teaching. Still, since the meditation instructor told me to 'Always listen to that voice', I decided that I would 'stay open' to the idea. I even took several seminars designed to help you become a trainer, though I had no idea what training I might do.

About a year after hearing the voice I was given a vision. Please understand that hearing voices and seeing visions is not something that I normally experience, so both of these events were quite extraordinary for me.

Anyway, the vision was of this world, but we all lived in a mutually supportive way, everyone helping one another and living 'on purpose'. It was a joyful and meaningful world and I was lifted into the feeling of it. At that moment I knew it was possible for mankind. I can remember praying, 'If there is a way for me to help make this happen, I want to!' But at the time nothing seemed to come of it and I did not connect it at all to the voice I heard the year before.

In late 2006 I began to get an urge to do something to help the environment and also began becoming acutely aware of many social issues that were plaguing people around the world. In June of 2007 I attended a talk on the environmental and social issues of our world by the author, David Korten. At that event I confided to a friend that I was wanting to work on these things but to add a spiritual component, but I did not see how they would all fit together. He said to me, 'That sounds like the work that Lynne Twist is doing with the Pachamama Alliance and the Awakening the Dreamer workshop.'

I had heard of Lynne Twist through her work in the Hunger Project and her 'Soul of Money' book, but I had never heard of the Pachamama Alliance. That night I looked up their website. When I read the mission of the symposium, 'to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on the planet', it totally resonated with me and reminded me of the vision I had almost forgotten. So I took the symposium, which just happened to be in a nearby city a week later (funny how things work that way.) During the symposium (which was fabulous) they said, 'By the way, we are looking for people to TEACH the symposium if any of you are interested in becoming facilitators.' It was like all the pieces fell into place and I knew that was what the voice and the vision and the urges were all leading me towards. Yes - I was going to teach the 'Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream' workshop. I had to wait four months before the next facilitator training, but in October 2006 I became a facilitator for the Symposium.

As amazing as this calling was for my self individually, I've found there are many other facilitators that have had similar experiences of feeling called to do this work."

How much of your work is focused specifically toward women? Please explain.

"Well, there are over 500 'Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream' facilitators worldwide and many of them are women. I am not sure the breakdown of men to women, but in the facilitator trainings I have attended the women tend to outnumber the men. There have been symposiums presented which were aimed specifically at women, but I have not personally worked on them.

I firmly believe that women have a critical role to play in creating a world that works for everyone. When I heard the Dalai Lama speak in Seattle in April he specifically said he felt that the men were "troublemakers" and that women should be leaders in our world. He said most people learn compassion from their mothers, as he did."

Whom does your network currently include? How far does your network extend?

"As I said earlier, there are over 500 facilitators world wide in several countries including the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and England. Although the symposium has most often been presented in English, it has also been presented in French (in Belgium) and is being translated into Spanish.

The community of facilitators has a Global Gathering in the San Francisco Bay Area each June and also keeps in touch through a Yahoo Group.

In addition, The Pachamama Alliance has alliances with indigenous tribes in the Amazon who are fighting to protect their forests from exploitation. We (The Alliance) have assisted with developing eco-tourism in the region as a way to assist tribes economically.

The Pachamama Alliance also has alliances with human rights groups, specifically with Van Jones at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, California. They also have formed an alliance with Paul Hawken and his work on www.wiserearth.org.

They are currently working on an alliance with Challenge Day, which is a powerful training that builds cohesive communities with teens and - through the process - eradicates bullying.

There are many other organizations that the Pachamama Alliance is building alliances with. The idea is to connect with the thousands of groups who are doing environmental, social justice, democracy and spiritual work in the world. It is also to get the message of the symposium out to as many people as possible."

What are some of the ways in which you promote your Symposium?

"We generally work with a group that wants to sponsor the symposium. This could be a church, community group, school or other group. They will ask us to present a symposium and they will market the event to their members and the community at large. We will put a team of presenters together and bring the AV and handouts."

Which of your projects are you currently most excited / passionate about?

"Obviously, it's the 'Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream" Symposium'. In my experience, it is a great tool to take people from malaise or despair about the world to hope and purpose and action."

Any names / groups you want to bring to our attention?

"I definitely want to emphasize Pachamama. Bill and Lynne Twist along with others such as John Perkins founded the Pachamama Alliance. There is a wonderful story of how they came together with the Achuar tribe of Ecuador and how the Achuar told them that if they really wanted to help save the rainforest they would need to go back to the US and 'change the dream of the North'… that is, the dream of consumerism that has so many bad consequences for people living in indigenous communities around the world. This is where the symposium got its name.

Here's an outstanding example of Pachamama's work: They recently brought together the 'First International Conference for Amazonian Indigenous Communities for Gaining Formal and Integral Recognition of Their Ancestral Territories.'

What exactly did that involve?

"Here's how it's described on the Pachamama home page:

On April 11th, Fundación Pachamama received 65 representatives of 15 indigenous pueblos, 6 regional indigenous organizations, and 8 NGOs from Bolivia, Perú, Colombia and Ecuador at the first international workshop to exchange innovative experiences and proposals for reclaiming the integrity of ancestral territories among Amazonian Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities whose territories are divided by national borders. The participants include Amazonian indigenous peoples and nationalities from the trans-border regions of Ecuador-Peru, Peru-Boliva-Brasil, and Ecuador-Colombia, as well as NGO and individual allies of these indigenous communities.

Really sounds impressive!

"Yes, definitely! You can check out more on Pachamama Alliance at www.pachamama.org . For additional details on Lynne Twist's activities, see www.soulofmoney.org

I also hope you will attend an 'Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream' Symposium when one happens near you. You can find a list of upcoming symposiums at www.awakeningthedreamer.org. And remember - you can always host one for your community as well!"

What has been the best about participating in these interlinked networks, Peggi?

"The community of Pachamama facilitators is a group of committed and visionary people who truly care about the earth, the people of the earth and one another. To be able to be part of that community is a wonderful feeling. It is one step closer to a world that works for everyone."

Positive experiences? Benefits, expected and unexpected?

"The big benefit for me is that I am learning, growing and, at the same time, able to contribute something priceless to the world. It is a great feeling of satisfaction!"

hat challenges (if any) have you found in your networking experiences?

"I think everyone is challenged by time these days. Since I have become a facilitator for the 'Awakening the Dreamer' symposium I have realized that I need to do more things 'on the ground' in the areas of sustainability and social justice, so I am working with local sustainability groups and looking for opportunities to help with social justice issues. I have helped start a local branch of a Citizens Climate Lobby to create the political will for a sustainable climate. I also have worked with my local Community Leadership group for quite a few years and have coordinated the curriculum for them as they educate servant leaders in my county. The Leadership work has connected me with my community in a way I would have never guessed would happen.

In my mind all of these efforts and involvements are all one work, but each one takes time. And of course there is my fulltime day job and the things I am working on around my home.

I know many others face the same dilemma: How do we balance personal life, family life, work, community, contribution and self-nurturing in a meaningful and sustainable way?

And of course for me there is an urgency to the environmental work, since we only have about a decade to make significant changes if we are going to avoid catastrophes down the road for our children and their children."

What's the achievement you're most proud of at this time?

"I am trying to shift focus from the individual to the community… I am proud of my community of facilitators for bringing the message of the symposium, the message of environmental sustainability, spiritual fulfillment and social justice, so beautifully into the world."

What are your plans and goals for the future (organizational / personal), especially regarding networking activities?

"I was just asked to work on helping to create a symposium for Native Peoples of North America, which I am looking forward to working on.

Personally, I am re-organizing at home to create an environment that will better support all the activities I am involved in. Clearing out the old and making way for the current. Also planning to revive my vegetable garden this year. It has been several years since I have grown a garden and I find it very nourishing to body and soul to garden. I also enjoy painting and want to engage more deeply in that.

I have a favorite quote from Paramahansa Yogananda: 'Most people say 'don't bite off more than you can chew', but I say bite it off and then chew it!' It's about growth and balance!'"

Anything else you would like to add?

"I think I have said quite enough! Thanks, Ann, for asking about my work in the world. Blessings!"

Thank YOU, Peggi, for the powerful shot of action-oriented inspiration! To wrap up this article, I'd like to share a few special quotes from your Symposium web site:

Never doubt that a small band of committed people can change the world. Indeed, nothing else ever has.
~ Margaret Mead

Everyone can be great because everyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace; a soul generated by love.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr

Don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
~ Harold Thurman Whitman

Can we rely on it that a 'turning around' will be accomplished by enough people quickly enough to save the modern world? This question is often asked, but whatever answer is given to it will mislead. The answer "yes" would lead to complacency; the answer "no" to despair. It is desirable to leave these perplexities behind us and get down to work.
~ E.F. Schumacher

Contact information:

Peggi Erickson
peggi.erickson@comcast.net

Awakening the Dreamer Symposium
www.AwakeningTheDreamer.org

Pachamama Alliance
www.pachamama.org

Lynne Twist
www.soulofmoney.org

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