N E W S L E T T E R

February 2017

Dear Friends,

Greetings from the Spirit of Humanity Forum.

We are delighted that so many presenters, dialoguers and workshop facilitators are eager to make a contribution to the Forum’s activities. Despite the seemingly divisive discourse and chaotic international politics, we feel confident that more are prepared to explore transformation from the ‘inside out’, echoing the Forum’s ethos.

Humanity is moving towards a new paradigm based on core human values, in particular, love, compassion and peacefulness. So, as far as possible, the SoH Forum seeks to model the emergent new paradigm as it is unfolding. So our April gathering in Reykjavik is participatory, and spaces are co-created for open conversation, dialogue and silent reflection. The essential question we seek to explore is “How shall we be?” rather than “What can we do?”

Participants are encouraged to share, from their heart, journeys of inspiration, deeper meaning and purpose, and practical steps towards meeting the challenges of personal and social transformation. We respect and value the contribution of each individual in bringing about transformation, acknowledging that any organisation reflects the individuals within it.

The Forum does not apply a registration fee. It sponsors all the costs during the event, including venue, refreshments, lunches, receptions and diverse programme activities. Our hope is that the participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation as part of their commitment to sharing and learning through participating in the Forum. We look forward to a most engaging time in Reykjavik.

Latest Programme outline HERE

We are very happy with the development of the programme and the rich list of contributors who have offered to speak and participate in the Forum. We also have a variety of workshops, with experienced workshop leaders, which we will describe a little later.

Registration Closing

We are now about to close registration. If you have told us that you are coming but have not yet registered, please do so now.

Are you 30 years OLD or UNDER?

We have had many conversations about our desire to bring youth into the Forum. We especially engaged Clémentine Raphel, from Education 4 Peace in Switzerland, to function as a youth ambassador for the Forum and to connect with all the younger participants. We are not aware of the age of everyone who has registered, so if you are 30 years old or under, please contact Clémentine at clementine.raphel@e4p.org. She will be very pleased to hear from you.

The Venue

The Forum will take place at the Conference and Cultural Centre of the University or Háskólabíó which is situated in the University area only a few minutes walk from the old centre of Reykjavik with main accommodation at Radisson Blu Saga Hotel.

Messages from some of our speakers

Steve Killelea, AUSTRALIA
Director & Chairman,
Institute for Economics and Peace

In the age of the Internet, where we live our lives projected outwards through the many devices that we own, we need to consider the inner-net instead. The great writer Leo Tolstoy, who was the first person to give a human perspective to the tragedy of modern war, said, “From the beginning of history, we have always sought to fight evil by destroying it, but the very process necessitates using the very violence that we abhor, thereby creating the very thing we seek to destroy. Since this has been occurring from the beginning of history and still hasn’t worked, we need a new way. That way is to seek our peace within, the kingdom of god lies within.” 

Although spoken nearly 150 years ago, it is true today. The Spirit of Humanity Forum provides an opportunity to contemplate our inner-net, to connect spiritually, to deepen our understanding of our personal spirituality, and to broaden our networks and acquaintances.

Humanity is moving into a new age, the age of the Anthropocene. This is one where humanity controls the destiny of the biosphere. My own work is helping to understand what creates a peaceful society, because without it we will never get the levels of trust, co-operation or inclusiveness necessary to solve these problems, therefore peace is a prerequisite world for the survival of society as we know it in the 21st century.

Sister Jayanti, UK & INDIA
Director, Brahma Kumaris, Europe

I wish to congratulate the organisers for the two beautiful events that took place in Reykjavik for the Spirit of Humanity Forum. I look forward to the 3rd in April 2017.

My work takes me all over the world to many difference communities and I see the transition the world is going through. I have also understood that real change in society only happens through change within the human heart.

I am therefore fascinated by the connection between the inner and outer world. Spirituality helps us to understand what’s going on in the inner world. Science helps us to understand what’s happening in the outer world. Looking at the world ‘outside’, it’s clear that it is going through a huge transition. Through the power of silence, we can experience our world ‘inside’ and reconnect with our inner treasures of peace, love and truth. This enables us to understand more clearly the connection between the inner and the outer.

For many years, I have been involved with the environment, especially climate change, and I see inner upheaval as the cause of upheaval in the world.  The word 'ecology' comes from the Greek oikos (home). It can be useful to look at ecology in the following way. We all have a number of different homes:

• the first home is in our mind, which generates our thoughts and feelings;
• the second is our physical body – the temple of the spirit;
• the third is the home where family interaction takes place;
• the fourth home is the earth – the stage for our human family play;
• the fifth is the universe – our bigger home, where the earth is located.

Having created the chaos outside, it’s possible for us to transform the situation by returning to our original state of being, of peace, love and truth. This then has an impact on the world around us.

Screening the film and meeting the directors

Two childhood friends travel the world to meet some of the greatest thinkers of our time. This incredible voyage, full of moments of doubt and moments of joy, leads them to question the very beliefs that have shaped Western civilization. This film captures the change in human consciousness currently happening all over the planet, and the desire to live in harmony with oneself and the world.

We are proud and delighted to be able to show the film at the Forum together with the directors, Nathanaël Coste and Marc de la Ménardière, who will meet the audience afterwards. TRAILER HERE

Nathanaël Coste, FRANCE
Film director

All along my journey filming ‘A Quest For Meaning’, I realised that, like many people, I was trapped by fear and didn't want to lose my security.

Trust and confidence in the process of life may help many to realise the changes that surround us at the present time. It's not easy to open ourselves quickly to the possibility of a global shift. The minority, who have already got in the boat, may become more unified, leaving behind the egotistic posturing and the ancient system's logic of maximizing profit to amplify the movement of change.

Let the Spirit of Humanity Forum be a sacred time for life and love!

Marc De La Ménardière, FRANCE
Film director

I am delighted to participate in the Spirit of Humanity Forum. The current state of the world appears to me to be a consequence of our collective behaviour, deeply rooted in a mechanistic, materialistic and fragmented world-view. It now time to engage human beings in a new narrative towards a more inspiring and sustainable world-view, where kindness, interdependence and trust are the foundation of a new culture of abundance. By bringing together visionary leaders, the Spirit of Humanity Forum can accelerate the inevitable transition toward a caring and loving society.

Living from the inside-out

The Spirit of Humanity Forum Reykjavik 2017 will encourage leaders and change-makers at all levels to explore what it means to live ‘from the inside out’. We are inviting people from a variety of sectors to contribute their thoughts on this theme. Our first article is from the best-selling author Mike George, who has written no less than 14 books on the cultivation of self-awareness and spiritual intelligence: ARTICLE HERE