Our Vision: Be the change
!
Compared to the reality of life for many of the
Earth's six and a half billion human inhabitants, the advances of
western civilization have given us enormous personal freedoms. We
have incredible access to information and education, we enjoy prosperity
and social stability, freedom to travel, freedom to gather, freedom
of belief and speech and freedom to be ourselves. These are circumstances
for which we feel a deep gratitude - and a great responsibility,
to ensure that the rest of the Earth's inhabitants can live in the
same way.
But our civilizations progress has come at a price... The western
culture's consumerism - as a whole - is naturally creating sickness
and disease on every level - physical, mental and spiritual. This
is an inevitable result of the way that we live - the standard western
diet, our industrial-medical paradigm, and the outdated beliefs
we hold about ourselves, are creating chronic illnesses and degenerative
conditions for a majority of the population. At the same time as
our lifestyle causes problems for us, it is creating unprecedented
environmental destruction, the advancing toxification of the Earth's
ecosystems - of which we are a part - and a psychological and spiritual
malaise
But it doesn't have to be like this „ We can actively transform
our culture to begin to value health and sustainability.
Coming out of western culture, we need to grow and develop in radically
new ways if we are to enable the rest of the world's population
to achieve the freedoms that we enjoy. We need to establish a new
way of life which naturally creates health and sustainability -
at all levels - in partnership with the wisdom and innate intelligence
of nature. That wisdom and intelligence lies within us and throughout
the world of which we are a part. There is no separation between
self and world and the process that determines health or illness,
also determines whether a civilization is sustainable or not.
When human consciousness works with (not against) nature's wisdom,
we achieve ever increasing health. This is nature's general desire
and purpose. Nature creates diversity and stability, beauty and
abundance, health and sustainability „ you can see, feel, understand,
experience this in and through your mind and body. All animals are
naturally vibrantly healthy if they eat the foods which nature has
given to them. Eating more raw foods, is a fundamental step to working
with nature's intelligence and an important part of creating a new
culture of sustainability. It is perhaps the easiest, most direct,
and enjoyable method by which we can create health - at all levels
- for people and planet. It is not the °one' answer - it is not
the only thing we need for a new culture to emerge - but it is one
important piece that makes up the heart of a new picture - a picture
which many people are working at piecing together, bit by bit.
We can talk about the critical role of food enzymes (which are destroyed
in cooking), or how vitamins, minerals and enzymes must be abundant
and present together in our diet (raw organic fruits and vegetables
are the very best sources for these nutrients, and far cheaper and
more effective than supplements); or the importance of an 80% alkaline
diet to maintain an alkaline body (most raw foods are alkaline;
most cooked foods are acid) - we can talk about many reasons why
raw foods make sense and feel good. A few paragraphs may not tell
you why this is a sane and loving way to live, but experience can
- through listening, learning, reading and having a go.
But itôs not just about diet. Our food is fundamental because itôs
how we relate to our bodies and the physical world. But the rawfood
diet is just the beginning. Once our health is effortless we have
more energy to do other things and more awareness of what really
matters. A natural diet creates a profound shift in consciousness
and we donôt all have the opportunity to connect with others on
the same wavelength everyday - for many people it can be a lonely
path. The Festival exists to fill that gap.
In London, our social networks are a great compensation for the
pressures of city life. We are fortunate that there are other people
who share our interests not too far away. The Festival of Life emerged
from the 'Green Angels' - a community of friends who hosted monthly
raw/living-food gatherings. These events brought rawfooders together
to learn how to share experiences and socialise with other people
following this lifestyle. At the gatherings there were talks and
workshops on many issues; from experiences of eco villages, to indigo
children, transformational poetry, spirituality, nutrition and more.
The Festival of Life continues and extends this grassroots education
- opening a space in which new information can be heard and new
practices explored.
Life is diverse, vast and surprising. We value the broad spectrum
of opinions and experiences in the conscious living movements and
there are many different views expressed at the Festival. Our differences
keep us going in a spirit of living enquiry, recognising that no
one and nothing has all the answers - we come here to learn, to
share and to live our truth. Whilst recognising that there are many
local and global issues worthy of concern the Festival focuses on
the positive good which people can bring into their own lives and
the life-affirming choices available right now. Our experience tells
us that the more often we choose life the more our field of choices
increases and the more creative and solution orientated we become.
Choosing life is what the festival is all about. |
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