What is
Active Hope?
Active Hope is an approach for dealing with the challenges our world faces, based on the philosophy of Joanna Macy, an environmental activist, eco-philosopher, and Buddhist.
Active Hope is part of the Work That Reconnects, which can help people connect with life on Earth and each other, and find the courage and resilience to act. It offers tools that help confront the mess we're in and to find and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, towards a society and way of being that support the flourishing of life.
Method
.png)
Active Hope is based on the unique vision of Joanna Macy, a 91-year-old environmental activist, author, and teacher. Since the 1970s, she has been connecting people worldwide. She became involved in various activist movements and saw how people became exhausted from fighting for the wellbeing of the Earth and its life. From her experience as a Buddhist, she developed methods to help people deal with loss and stay connected to a sense of vitality.
The core of her work is the spiral (see image on the right). The quest for a relationship with the world begins with gratitude. A deeply felt gratitude provides a foundation for recognizing and even honoring pain. Pain is an expression of love and connection; by honoring it, the connection itself is honored. From this step, space often arises to see with new eyes and to look forward to new possibilities.
Joanna Macy developed various working methods that can be practiced in groups to go through these steps. Attention is always paid to the steps in the spiral that together complete the process. Working in a group makes the process lively, dynamic, and connective. Sharing feelings of loss, despair, gratitude, and wonder works to connect and empower.
Joanna Macy's work, the Work That Reconnects, builds on insights from various philosophical, psychological, and spiritual sources, including systems thinking, deep ecology, and Buddhism.
Central elements are:
Nature connection
​
What is your relationship with nature? Can you feel part of nature and evoke her aliveness in yourself?
Inner work
How can you deal with feelings of despair and still meaningfully connect with the world when it seems to be falling apart?
_edited.jpg)
Community
How do you build a regenerative culture, and what can you contribute to it? How can you find a community that supports you?
For whom?
Our activities are for everyone who is concerned about the current state of the world and the future, who is looking for ways to live meaningfully in it and contribute to a regenerative, life-giving society.
Participants review...
Participant, 2021
It helped me to overcome the heavy, rationally calculated mindset and to find the value and intelligence behind feelings, emotions, intuition, and wisdom that rests in all of us.
Participant, 2019
For me, this was one of those rare life experiences that suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly helps you understand yourself and your life a little better.
Participant, 2021
The fact that I could be completely myself, was loved by the group, and came to love every participant, brought so much happiness and joy..! I learned about myself, love, compassion, and more that I need to move forward in my life and look towards the future of our planet with hope.
Join?
Click here for events, or contact us if you are looking for a personal offer.