Dear Work That Reconnects Network Family and Friends,

We are happy to report that Joanna Macy, beloved root teacher of the Work That Reconnects, is home recovering after several days in the hospital with a respiratory infection. Joanna, we send you all good wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.

If you would like to do something to honor Joanna during this solstice season, you might consider a donation to Viola. Founded by Joanna’s dear friend Ludmila Zhirina, Viola supports people in the Bryansk region of Russia, where they continue to be impacted by fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. 

Here is an excerpt from Ludmila's most recent report:

All our participants were in severe depression, many were crying. But our sincere conversations, reading Joanna Macy's books, songs, dances, sports and business games helped people to come back to life....Christmas is coming. We really want to bring 2-3 groups of weakened children to our Center. These actions require paying for special buses, additional food purchases, even small gifts to create joy and smiles. And we don't have enough warm blankets for the children's group.

As a species, we have witnessed as entire empires collapsed. Living with ongoing collapse has been the reality for many communities and beings for a long time. What Richard Heinberg and many others share, however, is that the current Great Unraveling is a convergence of many crises, mainly our society’s deep dependence on fossil fuels for everything from food to health to transportation and energy. Building resilience is imperative, but what does that look like for individuals and communities? What has worked and how can we start building that now?

Join us in this deep conversation on the Great Unraveling and how we, as WTR practitioners and followers, can contribute to the resilience of the most vulnerable in our communities.