2005 Conference Plenary: Sharif Abdullah, Jean Shinoda Bolen

IONS | 04.23.06 |

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In the first of this 2-part audio presentation from the conference’s plenary session, social activist Sharif Abdullah presents transformative concepts from his new book Creating a World That Works for All. Acknowledging the challenges before us, particularly the ever-looming threat of terrorism, he explains how most social problems stem from fear of the Other: our inclination to perceive people as dangerously different from ourselves. Oganly by moving from an us-against-them mentality to a we’re-all-in-this-together orientation (from exclusivity to inclusivity) will we be able to effectively build a new society.

Eminent psychologist Jean Shinoda Bolen then takes the microphone, bringing insights from her extensive background in Jungian archetypes and feminist philosophy. She opens her talk with a startling call to arms - Gather the women and save the world! - and proceeds to explain how the absence of feminine energy in world affairs has undermined our social evolution. With both humor and wisdom she points out gender differences in our reaction to stress (women gather and bond; men limit their alternatives to fight or flight) and the inevitable ramifications when women do not play a primary role in global conflict resolution.

Part 1 closes and Part 2 opens with film producer Belvie Rooks discussing Watts Up!, a film tracing the journey of 17-year-old Demaria Perry from a violence-ridden neighborhood in Watts to a conference on global healing in Bali. The remainder of the audio covers the 14th annual Temple Awards for Creative Altruism, presented by Paul Temple and his two granddaughters. Recipients include John and Susan Collin Marks (leaders of Search for Common Ground, the largest non-profit organization in the world focused on conflict resolution), Dr. Jerry Jampolsky (internationally known author and founder of the Center for Attitudinal Healing), and Oh Shinnah Fast Wolf (poet, songwriter, activist, and Native American ceremonial leader).

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