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Vision, Purpose, Approach and Values

Our Vision

WHERE WE’RE HEADED

WE envision a world of diverse, interconnected, cooperative communities who are deeply rooted in interrelationship, respect for life and a shared protection of the planet upon which we all depend. This world is beyond dominance, not because the “opposition” has been eradicated, but because there has been a concerted global effort to enact reparations and reconciliation for the oppression, trauma and systematic violence that some humans have committed against others. Through this process, ongoing legacies of violence lose their hold on our senses of self. A co-evolution of being and thinking results, which enables the flourishing of diverse cultures, supported by the emergence of a radical and ongoing practice of working together across our differences without employing domination. Love, respect, humility, interdependence and differentiation guide the way. The world’s interconnected human communities recognize that humans are one node in the web of life and also that we play a unique role in preserving life and the habitability of our interconnected cultural and ecological environments for the generations to come.

Our Purpose

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

In times of great change, WE offer the strengthening of relationship as our response. Our complex, rapidly changing world calls for leaders who deeply feel the inherent interrelationship between all of life. Such leadership must be fueled by creative collaboration, deeply aware of historical and present-day patterns of oppression, and considerate of the health and well-being of many generations to come. Guided by nature, we endeavor to draw out the vital contributions we each have to make to the great work before us.

We envision a world that is beyond dominance, not because the “opposition” has been eradicated, but because there has been a concerted global effort to enact reparations and reconciliation for the oppression, trauma and systematic violence that some humans have committed against others.

Our Approach

WHAT WE DO

How do we educate for our times? Education today must critically engage inherited stories of separation and domination, and at the same time responsibly recollect a deeper human inheritance: stories of interrelationship, belonging, dignity and respect. From this orientation, the conditions for real systems-change begin to emerge.

Weaving Earth Center for Relational Education provides nature-based education for action at the confluence of ecological, social and personal systems change.

All of our programs:

Are nature-based, following natural cycles of learning and growth
Are dedicated to equity, justice and social responsibility
Strive to cultivate deep connection to nature, self-love, and community service to protect both people and the planet

Education today must critically engage inherited stories of separation and domination, and at the same time responsibly recollect a deeper human inheritance: stories of interrelationship, belonging, dignity and respect.

Our Values

HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO

Our organizational values have been shaped by many and will continue to evolve as we learn and grow. These are the touchstones that we return to as Weaving Earth staff, to anchor ourselves in learning and growth, and to navigate the complexity of the world to the best of our abilities. We do not present these as rules for others to follow, but as a way of letting the world know who we are and what we believe. If they inspire or challenge you, great! We see this as a living document and know it will continue to grow and change through the years.

There are 28 organizational values for you to explore. Click the moon icon images or use the right/left areas to switch slides. 
Love Is Our Guide
We celebrate love not only for what it is but also for what it does. We imagine love as a multifaceted, animating energy that generates and flows through all of creation. Love encourages us to see the beauty in all beings and creates room for hope and possibility. Love compels us to move into closer contact with the world and supports our discernment for when and how to hold a healthy boundary.
We Celebrate Magic
We celebrate mystery, creativity, synchronicity, intuition and the spaces in between. We recognize that magic is felt and expressed differently by everyone and that it transcends the English language and the false binaries created and upheld by cis-heteropatriarchy.
The Earth is a Bountiful, Beautiful and Amazing Living Organism
The manifestations of life and place on this planet are a never-ending source of inspiration. We return time and again to the simple practice of giving attention and gratitude to the many more-than-human beings and ecosystems we live among.
What We Do to the Earth, We Do to Ourselves

Beyond Separation

We are nature. False notions of separation from the Earth enable isolation, dis-ease, and extractivism. Conscious connection to the natural world enables belonging, interrelationship, care-taking, and well-being. We have a deep commitment to tend and care for life on this planet.
We Learn from Ecological Wisdom
Ecological wisdom continues to teach us about interdependence, differentiation, self-organization, the capacity to adapt and respond, pacing, regulation, cycles, change, place-based wisdom, dynamic relationship and community relations. We are grateful for the wise guidance of the ecosystem and see ourselves as an integral part of this greater whole.
Complexity Requires Both/And Thinking

Beyond Either/Or Thinking

Either/Or thinking can lead to siloed disciplines, individualism, and fractured pieces of a whole. Both/And thinking can allow for multiple truths, diverse perspectives, and relational learning. We strive for both/and thinking.
Leadership is Differentiated and Interdependent
We uphold leadership as a moment-to-moment practice, drawn from the wisdom of the circle. We practice being guided by the question “Who has the creative spark for what’s needed now and next?” This kind of listening is both personal and collective and manifests through each of us in different ways. We work to cultivate the capacity to “hear” that spark and to act with courage and humility when it arises. We work to create systems that cultivate that depth of collaboration in the circle.
Mistakes are Seeds of Learning and Growth

Beyond Perfectionism

We acknowledge that “mistakes” are inevitable. We practice separating the person from the mistake, giving and receiving feedback for learning and growth, and not taking things personally while being personally accountable to our learnings. We build capacity for tending to relationships if “mistakes” cause harm. Developing and trusting this capacity can minimize guilt, shame, concealment, punishment, and withdrawal.
Conflict is an Opportunity

Beyond Fear of Open Conflict

We endeavor to be “bump-friendly,” practicing our capacity to respond to tension and misunderstanding with respectful skill and an eye for power dynamics, accountability and repair. We believe conflict can be a path to new awareness and behavior.
Questions are the Ally of Understanding

Beyond Defensiveness

We emphasize “how” and “what” questions rather than “why” and “yes/no” questions, knowing that every answer earned leads to more questions. We practice understanding others before being understood and asking for clarification rather than assuming we know what was meant by words or actions. We see defensive reactions as an entry point toward deeper self-knowledge rather than a rationale for closing off. We practice accepting non-closure and the possibility that some perspectives are incommensurable.
Power is Inherent Within Systems, We Endeavor to See and Share It

Beyond Dominance

Power is the ability to exert influence within a system. The power dynamics within any given system fall somewhere on a spectrum between absolutely concentrated and completely distributed. We believe that an evolved understanding of power relations is one of the paradigm shifts needed in these times, and we are committed to learning and practicing the truth of what that entails.
We Know Less Than We Think We Do
The universe is vast and mysterious. There will always be more to learn and understand, and there are innumerable experiences and perspectives we will never have. Because our individual perspectives are limited, we strive for cultural humility and an openness to learning and taking the learning deeper in each moment. We celebrate the power of “I don’t know.”
Knowledge is Socially Constructed

Beyond Objectivity

Our socialized identities shape how we see and understand the world. Objectivity is impossible, though the myth of objectivity is alive and well. Understanding that we are each having a subjective experience of the world is key to taking on new ideas and awareness. Truth is relative. We recognize how our social positionality shapes our perspectives and reactions.
We All Have Something to Learn From One Another

Beyond Expert Syndrome

We believe that mentoring is an essential ingredient to the transmission of skills and perspectives, between generations and across spectrums of difference. At its best, mentoring is collective and reciprocal, whereby the hats of “teacher” and “student” are ever in flux and shared by many.
We Need Each Other and We’re in this Together

Beyond Individualism

Imagining and generating life-affirming systems change requires a coordinated and diverse network of active allyship and mutual accountability. There is no personal salvation; We recognize that everyone’s liberation is interconnected.
Systems Change Requires Behavior Change
Intellectual critiques are not enough. The revolution will not be only intellectual—it must be embodied, which takes practice and accountability, particularly to those who are most impacted by that which needs transformation. Without tangible changes in behavior, personal and systemic, business-as-usual continues uninterrupted.
Discomfort is a Necessary Component of Learning & Growth

Beyond Right to Comfort

Forming new awarenesses, practicing new behaviors, and embracing change can sometimes feel like one’s safety is at risk. It is an individual and collective responsibility to listen continuously for the nuanced differences between discomfort and a lack of safety, and how those fluid categories are contingent on social position and personal history. As we re-distribute discomfort, the recognition that liberation is interconnected becomes more apparent.
Examine Assumptions, Question Beliefs, and Be Willing to Change
Change is nearly impossible if we remain in insulated environments and experiences that do not challenge our perspectives with new information, approaches, and beliefs. We practice holding our attitudes lightly and with humility, inquiring within for implicit assumptions, differentiating between opinion and informed knowledge, and stretching towards flexibility, adaptability, and change.
Practice What We Teach
Integrity necessitates that we are active practitioners of the teachings we offer. We endeavor to walk our talk, dissolve the lines between “life” and “work” and to act in alignment with our values and offerings to the world.
Design Good Systems, Be Willing to Make Them Better (Beyond Breakdown & Burnout)
We strive for clear and effective organizational systems that deepen relationships, respect, commitment, and the impact of the work. Wasted resource within an organization (talent, time, money, energy, e.g.) is an indication that a system needs attention.
Make Relationships Regenerative

Beyond Extractivism

Changing business-as-usual requires that we move beyond mentalities of exploitation and innocence (“out of sight, out of mind”). We accept that everything we do has an impact, regardless of whether we understand that impact, and we do our best to take responsibility for those impacts. We celebrate the sacredness of life and strive to leave things as they were, or better than we found them.
Disseminate Teachings in Ways that Respect Cultures and Lineages of Learning

Beyond Extractivism

Cultural exchange has been happening for thousands of years and is not problematic in and of itself. We commit to discerning the difference between healthy exchange and misappropriation, which rests in understanding historic and present-day power dynamics and how new cultural practices are adopted. Far too often, members of dominant groups take cultural elements from oppressed groups without consent, understanding of the cultural element, or regard for the harm such actions cause—this theft perpetuates the oppression and reaffirms mistrust, which we seek to avoid in all circumstances.
Personal Resourcing Fuels The Movement

Beyond Individualism, Despair, and Burnout

Joy, gratitude, health, and well-being are acts of radical resistance. We strive to become and remain healthy cells within the bigger body, knowing that what we each need to do so differs, both as individuals, and because society distributes the foundations of well-being (fresh food, clean air, clean water, relative safety, et cetera) inequitably. As Christina Baldwin reminds us: “Ask for what you need and offer what you can.”
The Human Body Is Inherently Wise
Our bodies are a wealth of wisdom. Somatic practices are a gateway into multifaceted learning, listening and knowing. We are committed to learning to listen to the whole body, allowing the body to guide and aligning the mind, heart, body, spirit, soul.
“Move at the Speed of Trust” ~ adrienne maree brown​
This is inspired by adrienne maree brown, who borrows Mervyn Mercano’s remix of Stephen Covey’s “speed of trust” concept. brown writes: “Focus on critical connections more than critical mass—build the resilience by building the relationships.” Our movement is only as strong as our relationships. We strive to prioritize relationships over results.
Justice is a Practice, not an Event or a Destination

Beyond Utopias

In action for justice, dominant folks are “late to the conversation” inherently. We are committed to continuing education, leading with humility, deep listening, and avoiding the archetype of “pioneer,” “trailblazer,” or “the good oppressor.” We endeavor to stay on the hook by recognizing that every action is an opportunity to promote healing, justice, and fierce love.
Systems Change Is Urgent—The Quality of Our Responses Don’t Have to Be
The situation is urgent, but when we rush, we run the risk of harming relationships and also reinscribing patterns of dominance and oppression. We seek to slow down and prioritize relationships over results.
Humans Are Capable of Living Beyond Dominance
The systems of dominance that shape our lives — extractivism (oppression of the Earth), ableism, ageism, anti-immigration, anti-Semitism, cis-genderism, colonialism, fat-phobia, heterosexism, Islamophobia, nationalism, racism, religious persecution, and sexism— will ultimately fall. How do we ensure they won’t be replaced by new supremacy systems? We can study historic/current injustices, practice in the present, and perhaps most importantly, summon the skill to imagine a future in which dominance doesn’t define how we relate to one another and the earth. Imagination and action are the right and left steps of our movement.
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Our Values

HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO

These are the touchstones that we return to as an organization. Follow the moon cycle below:

Love Is Our Guide
We celebrate love not only for what it is but also for what it does. We imagine love as a multifaceted, animating energy that generates and flows through all of creation. Love encourages us to see the beauty in all beings and creates room for hope and possibility. Love compels us to move into closer contact with the world and supports our discernment for when and how to hold a healthy boundary.
We Celebrate Magic
We celebrate mystery, creativity, synchronicity, intuition and the spaces in between. We recognize that magic is felt and expressed differently by everyone and that it transcends the English language and the false binaries created and upheld by cis-heteropatriarchy.
The Earth is a Bountiful, Beautiful and Amazing Living Organism
The manifestations of life and place on this planet are a never-ending source of inspiration. We return time and again to the simple practice of giving attention and gratitude to the many more-than-human beings and ecosystems we live among.
What We Do to the Earth, We Do to Ourselves

Beyond Separation

We are nature. False notions of separation from the Earth enable isolation, dis-ease, and extractivism. Conscious connection to the natural world enables belonging, interrelationship, care-taking, and well-being. We have a deep commitment to tend and care for life on this planet.
We Learn from Ecological Wisdom
Ecological wisdom continues to teach us about interdependence, differentiation, self-organization, the capacity to adapt and respond, pacing, regulation, cycles, change, place-based wisdom, dynamic relationship and community relations. We are grateful for the wise guidance of the ecosystem and see ourselves as an integral part of this greater whole.
Complexity Requires Both/And Thinking

Beyond Either/Or Thinking

Either/Or thinking can lead to siloed disciplines, individualism, and fractured pieces of a whole. Both/And thinking can allow for multiple truths, diverse perspectives, and relational learning. We strive for both/and thinking.
Leadership is Differentiated and Interdependent
We uphold leadership as a moment-to-moment practice, drawn from the wisdom of the circle. We practice being guided by the question “Who has the creative spark for what’s needed now and next?” This kind of listening is both personal and collective and manifests through each of us in different ways. We work to cultivate the capacity to “hear” that spark and to act with courage and humility when it arises. We work to create systems that cultivate that depth of collaboration in the circle.
Mistakes are Seeds of Learning and Growth

Beyond Perfectionism

We acknowledge that “mistakes” are inevitable. We practice separating the person from the mistake, giving and receiving feedback for learning and growth, and not taking things personally while being personally accountable to our learnings. We build capacity for tending to relationships if “mistakes” cause harm. Developing and trusting this capacity can minimize guilt, shame, concealment, punishment, and withdrawal.
Conflict is an Opportunity

Beyond Fear of Open Conflict

We endeavor to be “bump-friendly,” practicing our capacity to respond to tension and misunderstanding with respectful skill and an eye for power dynamics, accountability and repair. We believe conflict can be a path to new awareness and behavior.
Questions are the Ally of Understanding

Beyond Defensiveness

We emphasize “how” and “what” questions rather than “why” and “yes/no” questions, knowing that every answer earned leads to more questions. We practice understanding others before being understood and asking for clarification rather than assuming we know what was meant by words or actions. We see defensive reactions as an entry point toward deeper self-knowledge rather than a rationale for closing off. We practice accepting non-closure and the possibility that some perspectives are incommensurable.
Power is Inherent Within Systems, We Endeavor to See and Share It

Beyond Dominance

Power is the ability to exert influence within a system. The power dynamics within any given system fall somewhere on a spectrum between absolutely concentrated and completely distributed. We believe that an evolved understanding of power relations is one of the paradigm shifts needed in these times, and we are committed to learning and practicing the truth of what that entails.
We Know Less Than We Think We Do
The universe is vast and mysterious. There will always be more to learn and understand, and there are innumerable experiences and perspectives we will never have. Because our individual perspectives are limited, we strive for cultural humility and an openness to learning and taking the learning deeper in each moment. We celebrate the power of “I don’t know.”
Knowledge is Socially Constructed

Beyond Objectivity

Our socialized identities shape how we see and understand the world. Objectivity is impossible, though the myth of objectivity is alive and well. Understanding that we are each having a subjective experience of the world is key to taking on new ideas and awareness. Truth is relative. We recognize how our social positionality shapes our perspectives and reactions.
We All Have Something to Learn From One Another

Beyond Expert Syndrome

We believe that mentoring is an essential ingredient to the transmission of skills and perspectives, between generations and across spectrums of difference. At its best, mentoring is collective and reciprocal, whereby the hats of “teacher” and “student” are ever in flux and shared by many.
We Need Each Other and We’re in this Together

Beyond Individualism

Imagining and generating life-affirming systems change requires a coordinated and diverse network of active allyship and mutual accountability. There is no personal salvation; We recognize that everyone’s liberation is interconnected.
Systems Change Requires Behavior Change
Intellectual critiques are not enough. The revolution will not be only intellectual—it must be embodied, which takes practice and accountability, particularly to those who are most impacted by that which needs transformation. Without tangible changes in behavior, personal and systemic, business-as-usual continues uninterrupted.
Discomfort is a Necessary Component of Learning & Growth

Beyond Right to Comfort

Forming new awarenesses, practicing new behaviors, and embracing change can sometimes feel like one’s safety is at risk. It is an individual and collective responsibility to listen continuously for the nuanced differences between discomfort and a lack of safety, and how those fluid categories are contingent on social position and personal history. As we re-distribute discomfort, the recognition that liberation is interconnected becomes more apparent.
Examine Assumptions, Question Beliefs, and Be Willing to Change
Change is nearly impossible if we remain in insulated environments and experiences that do not challenge our perspectives with new information, approaches, and beliefs. We practice holding our attitudes lightly and with humility, inquiring within for implicit assumptions, differentiating between opinion and informed knowledge, and stretching towards flexibility, adaptability, and change.
Practice What We Teach
Integrity necessitates that we are active practitioners of the teachings we offer. We endeavor to walk our talk, dissolve the lines between “life” and “work” and to act in alignment with our values and offerings to the world.
Design Good Systems, Be Willing to Make Them Better (Beyond Breakdown & Burnout)
We strive for clear and effective organizational systems that deepen relationships, respect, commitment, and the impact of the work. Wasted resource within an organization (talent, time, money, energy, e.g.) is an indication that a system needs attention.
Make Relationships Regenerative

Beyond Extractivism

Changing business-as-usual requires that we move beyond mentalities of exploitation and innocence (“out of sight, out of mind”). We accept that everything we do has an impact, regardless of whether we understand that impact, and we do our best to take responsibility for those impacts. We celebrate the sacredness of life and strive to leave things as they were, or better than we found them.
Disseminate Teachings in Ways that Respect Cultures and Lineages of Learning

Beyond Extractivism

Cultural exchange has been happening for thousands of years and is not problematic in and of itself. We commit to discerning the difference between healthy exchange and misappropriation, which rests in understanding historic and present-day power dynamics and how new cultural practices are adopted. Far too often, members of dominant groups take cultural elements from oppressed groups without consent, understanding of the cultural element, or regard for the harm such actions cause—this theft perpetuates the oppression and reaffirms mistrust, which we seek to avoid in all circumstances.
Personal Resourcing Fuels The Movement

Beyond Individualism, Despair, and Burnout

Joy, gratitude, health, and well-being are acts of radical resistance. We strive to become and remain healthy cells within the bigger body, knowing that what we each need to do so differs, both as individuals, and because society distributes the foundations of well-being (fresh food, clean air, clean water, relative safety, et cetera) inequitably. As Christina Baldwin reminds us: “Ask for what you need and offer what you can.”
The Human Body Is Inherently Wise
Our bodies are a wealth of wisdom. Somatic practices are a gateway into multifaceted learning, listening and knowing. We are committed to learning to listen to the whole body, allowing the body to guide and aligning the mind, heart, body, spirit, soul.
“Move at the Speed of Trust” ~ adrienne maree brown​
This is inspired by adrienne maree brown, who borrows Mervyn Mercano’s remix of Stephen Covey’s “speed of trust” concept. brown writes: “Focus on critical connections more than critical mass—build the resilience by building the relationships.” Our movement is only as strong as our relationships. We strive to prioritize relationships over results.
Justice is a Practice, not an Event or a Destination

Beyond Utopias

In action for justice, dominant folks are “late to the conversation” inherently. We are committed to continuing education, leading with humility, deep listening, and avoiding the archetype of “pioneer,” “trailblazer,” or “the good oppressor.” We endeavor to stay on the hook by recognizing that every action is an opportunity to promote healing, justice, and fierce love.
Systems Change Is Urgent—The Quality of Our Responses Don’t Have to Be
The situation is urgent, but when we rush, we run the risk of harming relationships and also reinscribing patterns of dominance and oppression. We seek to slow down and prioritize relationships over results.
Humans Are Capable of Living Beyond Dominance
The systems of dominance that shape our lives — extractivism (oppression of the Earth), ableism, ageism, anti-immigration, anti-Semitism, cis-genderism, colonialism, fat-phobia, heterosexism, Islamophobia, nationalism, racism, religious persecution, and sexism— will ultimately fall. How do we ensure they won’t be replaced by new supremacy systems? We can study historic/current injustices, practice in the present, and perhaps most importantly, summon the skill to imagine a future in which dominance doesn’t define how we relate to one another and the earth. Imagination and action are the right and left steps of our movement.
Previous
Next

Our Theory of Change

WHY WE BELIEVE IN WHAT WE DO

Human domination of the Earth is inextricably linked to cultural systems that value separation and domination. As shorthand, we are calling these interwoven systems supremacy culture, recognizing that each strand has specific dynamics. Mainstream U.S. society fosters profound ignorance about how supremacy culture shapes belief, behavior, power, and opportunity. Supremacy culture is pervasive — we can’t choose whether to participate. But we can choose how to participate, which is key to systems change. The goal of the Weaving Earth Immersion is to learn how to change “the how,” supported by a community of practice in which participants explore, make mistakes, and grow through human-to-human-to-nature relationships.

There is no viable response to climate change that doesn’t also address the interwoven strands of supremacy culture. When applied with a critical lens, the tools of deep nature connection are powerfully supportive to bridging divides of power and privilege. This is messy, complex work to live into — but a future in which collaboration replaces conflict depends on it. 

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