As part of the Peaceful World Foundation’s attempt to bring meaningful, inspiring conversations about topics that matter to the people, Peaceful World Conversations breakfast conversation sessions provide a unique communication style platform. These engaging gatherings aim to build awareness on various topics important to people’s lives through meaningful discussions that contribute to the development of ourselves and our communities. Peaceful World Conversations offer an opportunity to grow in self-knowledge, ask meaningful questions and co-create new possibilities.
This season, Sustainable Solano along with a network of other organizations who work with the land, had the opportunity to participate as co-host of a breakfast conversation event at Café X in San Francisco to discuss our past and current relationship with the planet and opportunities to deepen our connection with the earth to live in harmony with its soils and waters.
Plant medicine, eating food of our own cultivation, and re-discovering our role in the management of this planet were topics discussed by all who attended. Contrasting city life verses life closer to nature drew many differing views on the benefits of each live condition and finding balance in the tranquility that forest life brings and the order and systematic abundance provided by city life.
Sustainable Solano board member, Marlen Otten talked about the impact of food forest installation projects on building community and establishing a true connection with the earth by getting your hands dirty extending a social connection to the people engaged in such projects.
Members of the Peaceful World Foundation leadership team: Heidi Majano (Program Director), Helene Szabados (Program Coordinator) and David Whitridge (Board Member), spoke about local food systems and our growing disconnect from its production and cultivation. People shared their observations on how large quantities of processed foods having decreased a general appreciation for nature and our food sources.
After acknowledging the outstanding issues, conversations led into a more solution-based approach when the table was asked to provide feedback on ways one could begin connecting with the Earth right now. Several opportunities surfaced through these discussions and attendees from various cultural backgrounds, experience with the land and knowledge chimed in with stories about how their ancestors honored the earth and the food produced in its soils. Heritage Gardens, where traditional plants from varying ancestral backgrounds are cultivated and cared for by methods used from generations prior, was an inspirational topic of discussion and was embraced as an opportunity to reconnect with culture and nature.
The conversation concluded with some takeaway ideas for beginning to connect with the Earth.
- Joining a community garden to build strong relationships with your community
- Educating the youth of agricultural practices
- Walking a garden
- Recognizing our role in the cultivation of the planet is the start to a sustainable future
- Finding our ancestral connections to the earth
