Living Values & Right Living

Created and Published by:

Ian F. Lewis FRSA FInstL

Project Officer

Institute for Outdoor Learning

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Table of Contents

1.

Introduction and Acknowledgements

2.

Participants list

3.

Synopsis of Workshops 3.1

A Global Picture: Sister Jayanti

3.2

Living Values and Human Quality: Doug Stephenson & Sister Jayanti

3.3

A Wider Picture of Global Consciousness: Dominic Dibble

3.4

Five Cameo Presentations

3.5

Outcomes and The Way Forward - Regional workshop programme

4.

Why Now? - The Historical Context - Roger Orgill, M.B.E.

5.

Appendices: (i)

The Background to Consortium Partners

(ii)

Spiritual, Moral and Cultural Development’ - Dr Bertie Everard Report on Joint Conference, Association for Outdoor Learning/Outdoor Education Advisor’s Panel 1996

(iii)

‘Inglorious Wordsworths’ a Synopsis of research study by Brian Ware, O.B.E.

(iv)

A Perspective from Non Faith Based Youth Work – Steve Witt

(v)

Global Spirituality – Dr Ursula King

(vi)

The Reflective Practitioner – Doug Stephenson

(vii)

Living Values – Maureen Goodman

(viii)

Living Values and Human Quality - Sister Jayanti and Doug Stephenson

(ix)

A Wider Picture of Global Consciousness - Dominic Dibble

(x)

The John Muir Trust, paper by Colin Eastman

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1 - Introduction The idea of a small scale invitation workshop and retreat, which took place on 4/5 November 1998 at the Brahma Kumaris - Global Retreat Centre, Nuneham Park, Oxford, arose from the original proposal for a millennium youth conference which would draw attention to the importance of outdoor experiences in young people’s personal and social development.

The suggested youth conference in the year 2000 received support in principle from several youth work bodies and particularly from the respective UK umbrella bodies of the outdoor education and training field.

In discussion with the Brahma Kumaris, the Rank Foundation and John Muir Trust it was agreed however, that there was an intermediate need in addressing leadership development in respect of those working with young people in a variety of outdoor approaches and particularly interested in aspects of cultural moral and spiritual growth and appropriate lifestyle values. This would include those working in the field of adventure activity, exploration, creative and performing arts, story telling, practical conservation tasks and learning generally through the outdoor environment.

Leadership needs in the area of young people’s cultural, moral and spiritual education through outdoor experience had been previously addressed in a workshop session of the joint 1996 conference of the National Association for Outdoor Education and the Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel. The workshop conclusions arising from this conference are published in a report under the title “Agenda for Action” and are included for information in this report.

Whilst spiritual growth has been a key objective in the youth work curriculum for many years, it is believed that ‘spirituality can only be experienced and cannot be taught’. Whilst work with cultural, moral and social issues are perhaps less daunting to address, it is generally agreed that a lack of confidence, language difficulty and the absence of concrete exercises of practical value to teachers and leaders are major constraints preventing effective development in this area of work.

Accepting that the 40 or so invited participants at the November workshop would come from both a faith and non-faith background, substantial agreement was reached with an enthusiasm and commitment towards a collective approach in providing training-the-trainer workshops in 1999.

The rationale for the Living Values - Right Living Initiative is encapsulated in the 1997 Manifesto Statement of the Foundation for Outdoor Adventure: “In an attempt to understand themselves, others and the changing context of their lives, all young people are engaged, consciously or unconsciously, in an exploration of what it is to be human. This is in essence a spiritual journey, in which young people come to terms with the mysteries of human existence; establish standards and values by which to live and work; identify worthwhile goals and develop the skills and understanding through which these may be achieved.

Our society is changing rapidly, and this calls for new approaches to learning, working and living together.

The importance of assisting young people to prepare effectively and successfully for their adult lives is obvious; the cost of failure in this task will be borne in the future both by the individuals themselves and by society.

The challenge for all concerned with young people is to empower them to cope effectively with the choices, problems and opportunities which face them, and at the same time to help them develop a real sense of community and citizenship.”

Inspirational sayings arising at the planning workshop and retreat.  Life is too short to wear tight shoes.  Think of the spirit or soul as not being greater than you but that you are.  If you want your dreams to come true, make sure that you don’t over sleep  Keep an eye on the higher goal!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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- Ian Lewis, Project Officer, The Association for Outdoor Learning - for compiling and preparing this report.

- The Wrekin Trust and the Association for Outdoor Learning (AfOL, previously the National Association for Outdoor Education) for financial support in the production and distribution of this report. AfOL is also providing on going WWW site support.

- National Council for Voluntary Youth Services Clipboard Magazine for permission to use article ‘Spiritual Development in Youth work’ (1998 Issue 2)

- Lucis Trust - World Goodwill, Newsletter article 1989 No 3 ‘Global Spirituality’ by Dr Ursula King

- Gaia Books “3rd Millennium - The Challenge and the Vision” Ervin Laszlo - quotation

Additional copies of this document can be obtained for a cost of £5 (which includes postage and packaging) from: The Association for Outdoor Learning 12 St Andrews Churchyard Penrith Cumbria CA11 7YE

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2 - Participants List - Planning Workshop and Retreat

Mike Bartle Jane Beer Mark Blundell Rodney Browne Rob Collister Geoff Cooper Liz Corrigan David Cutler Brian Davies Steve Deeming Dominic Dibble Jim Dobson K Bertie Everard Maureen Goodman Lynn Henshall Sister Jayanti Pammy Johal Ravi Khanna John Knight Steve Lenartowicz Ian Lewis Chris Loynes Eric Maddern Paul Maiteny John McConnel Brian Melrose Francis Michener Colin Mortlock Una Murray Roger Orgill Gopi Patel David Picken Parul Shah Sunil Singh John Smith Doug Stephenson Brian Ware Peter Williams Mark Yoxon

Senior Lecturer in Outdoor Education, DeMontfort University Management Committee Member, Tangents Youth Worker, Rank Foundation Youth Worker, Brahma Kumaris John Muir Trustee Head of Centre, Low Bank Ground, Outdoor Education Centre Administrator, Brahma Kumaris Director, The Divert Trust Outdoor Educationalist, Kilvrough Manor Outdoor Warden, Religious Society of Friends, Swarthmoor Hall Lucis Trust Director, YMCA National Training Centre, Lakeside Chairman, Development Training Advisory Group Programme Co-ordinator, Brahma Kumaris, London UK Co-ordinator, Living Values Educational Programme European Director, Brahma Kumaris Director, Backbone Programs Youth Worker, Brahma Kumaris Project Leader, Mobex North East Youth Development Co-ordinator, Brathay Hall Trust Director, SPIRTO/ Project Officer, National Association for Outdoor Education Outdoor Educationalist, Adventure Education Director, Cae Mabon Grubb Institute of Behavioural Studies Trainer/Former Prison Governor & Social Worker Arts Development Officer, Mobex North East Development Trainer, The Challenge of Excellence Chairman, Adventure & Environmental Awareness Group Development Worker, Tangents Chair, Foundation for Outdoor Adventure Youth Worker, Brahma Kumaris John Muir Trust, The Environment Centre Youth Worker, Young Jains and the Brahma Kumaris Youth Worker, Brahma Kumaris Project Development Officer, The Sacred Land Project Prison Education Co-ordinator, Brahma Kumaris Trustee & Hon. Secretary, Foundation for Outdoor Adventure Deputy Head Teacher, Hexham Middle School Secretary, The Institute for Earth Education

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3 - Synopsis of Workshops - 4th and 5th November Welcome to participants On behalf of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, Sister Maureen welcomed participants and requested a moment of silence together - a tradition of the Global Retreat Centre.

In relation to the response to the workshop invitations (some 80+ with an attendance of 44 + 1 baby), she said it really did appear to be a concept whose time had come in the vital process of renewing and developing our inner values.

Introductions and Ice Breaker Exercise Brief introductions were made by the partnership consortium The Rank Foundation - Mark Blundell (Chris Dunning who had played a leading role in the planning process was unable to attend due to a training commitment elsewhere).

John Muir Trust - David Picken (David also conducted the Ice Breaker exercise).

Foundation for Outdoor Adventure - Roger Orgill (for details of the partnership bodies, please see Appendix i) The Workshop Task - Roger Orgill Participants were reminded of the key workshop objectives and the limited time available. These were to: Consider the potential and contribution of adventure and work in the outdoor environment in young people’s cultural, moral and spiritual development.  Identify individuals and organisations interested in participating in this initiative  Plan a practical series of workshops for trainers to develop a ‘tool box’ for addressing values and spirituality  Agree the steps necessary in the advancement of an appropriate youth event to mark our entry into the 21st century.

To assist in this overall task attention was drawn to the work of Colin Mortlock in his book the “Adventure Alternative” (1984) and the recent publication by Pat Keightley “Learning through First Hand Experience out of Doors” which contains a chapter on promoting pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.

Good independent research however, is more difficult to find. The work by Michael Pafford in 1973 under the title “Inglorious Wordsworths” looked at ‘triggers’ in young peoples’ transcendence experiences in the outdoors. This work is unique and remains a very relevant and outstanding contribution. (A summary is included in Appendix iii).

3.1 A Global Picture : Sister Jayanti - European Director of The Brahma Kumaris Sister Jayanti briefly outlined the background to the work of the Brahma Kumaris and the Living Values Educational programme which they support. She described the founder’s vision for a better world through the transformation and uplifting of human consciousness, and a return to spiritual values.

Referring to a recent UNESCO event in Paris, a point was strongly made by a 14 year old to the adult audience of some 200 people - that teachers should actually demonstrate values not simply talk about them. Sister Jayanti concluded that “we need more quiet time to our spiritual selves, valuing and identifying ourselves, and creating a vision of the world we would like to have.”

3.2 Living Values and Human Quality : Sister Jayanti and Doug Stephenson - Brahma Kumaris.

Based on the Appreciative Inquiry process, this session was conducted in small groups (for details of this session please see Appendix viii).

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3.3 “A Wider Picture of Global Consciousness”: Dominic Dibble - Guest speaker from The Lucis Trust Dominic spoke of the World Goodwill International movement founded in 1932 as a Lucis Trust Service activity seeking to serve humanity by establishing right human relationships throughout the world through the use of the power of goodwill (presentation reproduced in full in Appendix ix).

[Following the evening meal, a poster/display session allowed for a lively exchange and informal discussion between participants.]

3.4 Five Cameo Presentations - Chair: Geoff Cooper - Outdoor Educationalist Introducing this session, Geoff spoke of the very strong active and experiential approaches to outdoor education through creative and performing arts, drama and writing. All involved developing awareness, developing and exploring feelings and represented a powerful means of approaching spiritual awareness as well as developing values.

Eric Maddern: Director Cae Mabon N.Wales Eric opened by saying - “that to be a human being alive now is an incredible blessing. It is a rare and precious thing in the universe and that realisation has, since the time it came to me, been the foundation of my own spirit reality” Drawing on his four years experience of working with aboriginal communities of Central Australia, he mentioned three key factors which have considerably influenced his later work in Snowdonia.

 the aboriginal way of seeing the land. As there is no such thing as ‘outdoors’ - everything is outdoors; the land is the word used to describe the aborigine’s environment and land as a sacred being.

 tradition and the honouring of ancestors. A primary objective being to keep alive the spirit of ancestors and stories which also encapsulate language and the law.  the maturation process and focus on rites of passage for young people and adults.

Over the past ten years, Eric said he had created a sacred space in North Wales on a small parcel of land surrounded by forest, mountains, lake and stream. Using various structures and dwellings created on the site and in harmony with the surroundings, Cae Mabon, he said, has become a place of inspiration.

As a storyteller, Eric draws on the richness of the Welsh and other cultures of the world in his innovative experiential work with both adults and young people alike.

Brain Melrose - Mobex North East Based in Newcastle, the aim of Mobex NE said Brian is to provide training resources for groups working with young people in disadvantaged NE areas so as to enable their members to develop their full potential using challenging outdoor adventure and arts - leading to involvement in projects in their own communities as leaders or active participants.

Brian spoke of the Mobile Arts Project and his highly imaginative approach to the mobile adventure experience building and using native American tepees - occasionally using the same materials to create rafts for water crossing, Asian yurts and traditional coracles.

Running now for three years, he said the arts project offers young people, a chance to freely express themselves and be creative both in the outdoor setting and in their own communities. In concluding he said “the project aims to combat any previous negative experience of, for example, school-based art by providing a group focused approach and positive outcomes through giving meaning to your own work and respect for others and their work”.

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Pammy Johal - Director ‘Backbone’ Backbone is a spirit driven organisation, its source is knowing the power that a mountain or wilderness experience can offer, said Pammy by way of introduction.

Backbone is an organisation that addresses the reason why so few black people in the Community have an opportunity to experience the outdoor environment. The project she said, endeavours to create a safe physiological experience for people from Asian, African and Caribbean Communities with particular regard to individual needs and cultural perspectives. Programmes, said Pammy allow individuals to celebrate and explore their values and stretch themselves physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.

We strive, she said, to celebrate self worth believing in the powerful message which role modelling creates in the home, community and the work place.

Peter Williams - Deputy Head, Hexham Middle School Peter spoke on behalf of a group of global educators working in the shared belief that “we are all wonderfully made, each and every one of us”. He said we enable children from different countries to live together for a week in each other’s country using as far as possible, Outdoor Education Centres. On return children undertake joint environmental task work. This venture includes every race, nationality, gender, age and ability.

The need for adults ‘to care’ for children is a recently and strongly articulated theme arising from the Living Values exercise.

Speaking of the latest joint work in China, which involves ‘Student Councils’ in both countries devising their own agendas, Peter asked the question - how often do we remember to ask children what they think about their world, their values? With our wisdom and their innocence, he concluded, we should endeavour to help children to weave their own ways, to dream and to find their own spirituality and in the process, find and nurture the spirit within us all.

Colin Mortlock - Outdoor Educator and Adventurer Colin opened by stating that he was no longer the adventurer but his adventures of the past (mostly solo and extremely challenging) have led him to believe that everything in nature is alive in its own way, no matter how small or large. Not only is it alive but it seeks its own happiness and well being. As a human being, he said, I am no more or no less important than the blade of grass or the tiny flower. The arrogance of modern humanity he finds appalling and frightening. The baseline for work in the outdoors and indeed in all ways, should therefore acknowledge that we humans are not separate from nature, we are a part of it. These are facts he said, and there is no ethical justification for conveniently saying we are separate, especially when having a good time (for example) at the expense of nature.

In concluding, Colin referred to the ‘huge problem’ of the adventure experience. Whilst increasing self confidence, determination, team work and the like, little has been said or written about its Achilles Heel its weakness - that of self, selfishness or the ego. Ego can grow quickly through successive experiences and become a super ego.

Adventure has an enormous amount to offer but, he said, we need to bear in mind that the real spiritual aspect of living beyond the ego presents a further challenge.

Thanks: In thanking speakers, Geoff said that Colin was talking about the negative aspect of ego. He said, I see no evidence of that negativity here but experience a group of people with a lot of self respect. If within outdoor education or whatever work we are engaged in with young people, he continued, the focus is really that of developing self respect with that sense of awe and wonder, then there will not be the same tendency to have ‘out of order’ egos. Humility and self respect go hand in hand and that is a great strength.

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3.5. Outcomes and the Way Forward - Facilitator: Chris Loynes Chris started this ‘commitment’ session by quoting Anita Roddick who found a gravestone in London stating - “A vision without a task is just a dream”.

The session aimed at focusing support for establishing eight ‘Train the Trainer’ workshops across the UK. With an emphasis on spiritual, cultural, social and moral values, the programme is seen as going some way to creating agendas for action.

Provisional Flip Chart Commitments and Area Groups: Group: LONDON & SOUTH EAST Idea / Theme: Integration of spirituality in the wider community.

How: Drawing out values, skills from within, not imposing from without, through well chosen activities.

Who: Southern Council Group: IRELAND & N. IRELAND Idea / Theme: ‘Adventure and Spirituality 99’ Week How: Adventure and Spirituality 99’ Week - Corrymeela Who: Mike Bartle Group: NORTH WALES Idea / Theme 1: Rites of Passage How: Cae Mabon April 15-18th 1999 Who: Eric Madden Idea/Theme 2: Event at Snowdonia Outdoor Centres Who: Heads of Outdoor Centres Conference - Brian Davis, Chair Earth Education International Event August 1999 Group: SOUTH WALES Idea / Theme: Events for (1) Oxfordshire Teachers (2) S.Wales Centres staff at Kilvrough Manor Gower Centre Who: Brian Davis Group: SOUTH WEST Idea / Theme Event in Somerset: Education and Youth & Community Workers How: SW Association Residential Providers and Association for Outdoor Learning (SW) Location Somerset Who: Ian Lewis Group: CUMBRIA Idea / Theme: ‘Inward Journey’ How: Group Meeting - Pre-July 1999: event - 7 July 1999 Who: Steve Lenartowicz, Steve Deeming, Brian Ware, Jim Dobson

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Group: NORTH EAST Idea / Theme: Values and meaning in the context of experience teamwork, confidence-building, values (honesty, humility) How: Initial Gathering - encouraging other organisations to join in Who: Outdoor instructors Group: SCOTLAND Theme: Residential event- Ford Castle, Melrose How: Produce flier/letter; including young people as key players; Gathering of people who are already involved; increasing personal awareness and then going back and working with more people; local/regional workshops with other organisations to expand awareness workshop; newsletter for building a network Who: ‘The Scottish Group’ ADDITIONAL NOTE: The Way Forward - The Living Values - Right Living programme At a meeting following the Oxford workshop, it was agreed to retain the partnership consortium as a programme steering and monitoring body.

Encouragement and support will be given to the setting up of the agreed regional leader training events in 1999. The level of co-ordination and underwriting will be dependent on the success of current grant aid applications. The task will be co-ordinated by the Association for Outdoor Learning (AfOL, formerly the National Association for Outdoor Education). It would also be ideally evaluated by an independent university department.

The nature, duration and venue of the training workshops will be entirely a matter for agreement by those already committed to the outline action programme in partnership with others responsive to such training needs. Guideline advice on objectives, content and approach will be provided by the steering group.

It is stressed that subject to a light handed steer, this programme and future development is seen as essentially a grass roots, practitioner initiative with the potential for innovation and delivery best suited to sectoral needs.

AfOL has set up a site for the programme on the World Wide Web [WWW] at: <http://www.outdoor-learning.org> As the programme progresses information may be taken from or added to this site. A news group facility is also available linked to this site.

Young People and Millennium Events: It is felt appropriate that youth events will result from the training programme primarily through the stimulation and empowerment process. It will be necessary however to identify young people able to play a lead role and who can be assisted in the achievement of youth events as originally envisioned.

Thought might also be given to the way in which structured values-based outdoor learning experiences can also address the following specific key issues:National Curriculum (SMSC) Combating exclusion and ‘at risk’.

The provision of ‘supporting factors’ in young peoples lives and community in which they can thrive Transition to adult life Inter-generational, cultural and community links Sustainability Human Rights and citizenship

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4 - Why Now? The Historical Context: – Roger Orgill, M.B.E. The ideals and objectives of the various youth movements emerging towards the end of the last century were ‘firmly based on cultural, moral and spiritual values which clearly reflected educational needs and the aspirations of society at that time. They were however tempered primarily by the Christian faith and underpinned by military discipline and royal patronage.’ This was the period of Empire and vastly different to today’s multi-faith - multi-cultural society.

Statement of aims and objectives of the early outdoor education and training centres also gave prominence to ideals and values but with specific reference to the influence of the outdoor experience and landscape settings.

For example:  ‘We seek to provide a healthy outlook which will combat the temptations that our highly civilised life affords. In a society which offers such safety and security the questing spirit of adventure must be provided for, and the challenge and comradeship which the hills and moors can offer is beyond doubt a rich alternative to the luxuries and easy pleasures of urban life. It is part of every child’s heritage to know and understand his earth; to be at home in wild and magnificent places knowing how to find security and having confidence and ability to overcome obstacles. There is a spiritual value in the awesome splendour of the mountain scene and the humility of man’.

(Lancashire Education Authority’s - Whitehough Camp School established in 1938). 

“The purpose of the Training Centre is to use the excellent natural surroundings offered by mountain, loch and forest, to experiment with forms of education which will assist the individual to discover his or her physical, mental and spiritual potentialities. Infinite opportunities for leadership are available for those who seek it. Initiative, observation, courage and humility are qualities demanded from good citizens as well as from intelligent exponents of open air activities”.

(Glenmore Lodge was the first civilian mountain training school in Britain. It was officially opened by the Secretary of State for Scotland in September, 1948, and was administered by the Central Council of Physical Recreation on behalf of the Scottish Education Department).

Such statements no doubt had their origin in an earlier romantic period in which mountaineering was born.

Samuel Coleridge for example saw excursion into the mountain environment as an escape from ordinary routine and the stimulation of his innermost spirit.

“The farther I ascend from animated Nature, from men and cattle, and the common birds of the wood and fields, the greater becomes in me the Intensity of the feeling of Life”.

G.M. Trevelyan, the distinguished historian and first president of the Youth Hostel movement in 1929, reflected again on the importance of the natural world in both social and spiritual well being:“Our ancestors, for countless ages, lived and worked in the country, influenced in their everyday life, some consciously, other unconsciously, by the surrounding scenes, by country sights and sounds. That was what inspired our higher literature and poetry, and the commoner songs and music of Elizabethan and other periods, and gave spiritual force to their religious and intellectual activities. More generally speaking, the presence of nature reconciled man to his life. The modern Englishman, though he is taught more in school and reads and hears more news than his forefathers, lacks something which they had in all ages past. The physiological ailments of our time, our discontent and failure to accept and enjoy life, are largely due to this sudden imprisonment of our population in the cities far from all natural sights and sounds.

If man has been a country dweller for hundreds of thousands of years, he cannot, in a single century, be cut off from nature without suffering harm. Holidays in the country, the mountain, hill and plain, are a mitigation of this evil, and a source of spiritual power and joy which must affect, both directly and indirectly, all the activities of the coming age”.

It felt appropriate to include a footnote as the background is particularly relevant to the workshop theme and future developments.

11 The Wrekin Trust - for adult spiritual education was founded in 1971 by Sir George Trevelyan [1906-1996] a nephew of the historian G.M. Trevelyan. Seen by many as the father of the New Age movement, his entire working life was single-mindedly dedicated to the achievement of one goal – the awakening of people everywhere to a renewed sense of spirituality and a love of our earth. Educator, mountaineer and craftsman, he was as a Gordonstoun master also involved the pioneering of the Aberdovey Sea School in the early war years and the birth of the Outward Bound Movement.

“We are in the second Renaissance. In the first, our ancestors explored the seas and discovered new continents.

In this our present age, we are setting out to explore the cosmos and reality”.

Towards 2000 and Beyond In the second half of this century, the publication of Rachel Carson’s - “Silent Spring” (1963), the first view of Planet Earth in early space flights, the impact of Jim Lovelock’s - Gaia hypothesis (1979) amongst many other significant developments, have caused us all to think deeply about values and our way of living. Awareness of our predicament has been heightened through global communications technology in an increasingly consumer-driven materialistic society creating greed rather than meeting needs; a society which remains inherently unstable in respect of national and international tensions and conflict. It is little wonder that there is a yearning for a new or planetary consciousness - of ethics and values by which to live if we are to survive into the next millennium.

In relation to social and economic oppression, economic warfare, cultural intolerance, crime and the disregard for the environment, Ervin Laszlo in the long awaited Club of Budapest report - “3rd millennium the Challenge and the Vision” states: “This cycle must be broken at its point of greatest flexibility, and that is the development of the spirit and consciousness of human beings. Achieving this objective does not pre-empt the need for socio-economic development with all its financial and technical resources, but calls for a parallel mission in the spiritual field. Unless people’s spirit and consciousness evolves to the planetary dimension, the processes that stress the globalized society/nature system will intensify and create a shock wave that could jeopardise the entire transition toward a peaceful and co-operative global society. This would be a setback for humanity and a danger for everyone. Evolving human spirit and consciousness is the first vital cause shared by the whole of the human family. Essentially and crucially, it comes from each person himself and herself.

An individual endowed with planetary consciousness recognises his or her role in the evolutionary process and acts responsibly in the light of this perception. Each of us must start with himself or herself to evolve his or her consciousness to this planetary dimension; only then can we become responsible and effective agents of our society’s change and transformation.

Planetary consciousness is the knowing as well as the feeling of the vital interdependence and essential oneness of humankind, and the conscious adoption of the ethics and the ethos that this entails. Its evolution is the basic imperative of human survival on this planet”.

Closing Remarks In thanking everyone who had contributed to the workshop as speakers, workshop leaders, facilitators and all participants, many having travelled a considerable distance to attend, a particular vote of thanks was given to Brahma Kumaris staff who, not only hosted the event and provided a unique atmosphere at the Global Retreat Centre, but also provided the administration through the London Office.

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Appendix (i) The Background to Consortium Partners: Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University The Brahma Kumaris have been working for the last sixty years in the field of human resources, in particular in the area of helping individuals to develop spiritual and moral values in life. The University has 3,500 branches in over 70 countries offering educational programmes for people of all ages with youth as one of its special focus areas. At present the University is working in consultation with global educators, representatives of the Education Cluster UNICEF (New York) and the Early Childhood & Family Education Unit UNESCO (Paris) to develop and implement the Living Values Educational Programme world-wide.

Other special projects that have been developed for young people include “Young Women of Wisdom”, a series of courses and seminars in self esteem for young women aged between 16 and 25 and “Give One - Take One” a values based programme for young people aged 15 to 25 years. The University has general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council for the United Nations and consultative status with UNICEF. Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, Global Co-operation House, 65 Pound Lane, London, NW10 2HH, Tel: 0181 727 3350 Fax 0181 727 3351 E-mail: london@bkwsu.com www.bkwsu.com

Foundation for Outdoor Adventure A national body committed to research, education and promotion of the values of outdoor and adventurous experiences for young people. The Foundation was established following the publication in 1989 of the Hunt Report In Search of Adventure; a study of the opportunities for adventure and challenge for young people.

The Hunt Report presented the strategic challenge: “that every young person in the United Kingdom should have the opportunity to take part in adventurous outdoor activities.”

The Foundation for Outdoor Adventure promotes:  recognition and awareness of the value of outdoor activities for all young people  a better understanding of the role of outdoor adventure in their development  equality of access to and involvement in outdoor adventure at all levels  good practice by all those who organise and lead adventurous activities The Foundation for Outdoor Adventure, 33 King St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8JB, Tel: 0171 497 0414

John Muir Trust The John Muir Trust is a Conservation Organisation dedicated to the protection of wild places. It was founded in 1982 and takes it name from John Muir who is a Scottish/American Conservationist who set up the idea of National Parks in the United States. The Trust, through land ownership has purchased five areas in the North West of Scotland and Skye and it tries to manage these in a sustainable manner, mainly involving the local community in managing and running these Estates. A recent development for the Trust is the John Muir Award which is a national educational programme aimed at getting young people to be involved in conservation; we want young people to discover and explore wild places and take active responsibility for their protection. Through that Award we have found a lot of young people wanting to explore values and spirituality and that is why the Trust is involved in this conference. We feel that exploration of spirituality and values is the next step for the Trust, rather than just through land ownership.

John Muir Trust, 41 Commercial St, Leith, Scotland, EH6 6JD, Tel/Fax: 0131 624 7220 Email: JohnMuirAward@compuserve.com

The Rank Foundation The Rank Foundation is one of the most established and best thought out funders of youth work; it is also one of the largest. In 1995 the Foundation invested nearly £7 million in voluntary organisations of which over £2 million was given in 178 grants to youth projects. The Rank Foundation is the second biggest giver to youth work after the Prince’s Trust. What makes it different as a grant giving Trust is its ongoing commitment to the work that it supports together with a strategic approach to investing in youth.

The Rank Foundation, Sunnyside, Great Strickland, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 3DF Tel: 01931 712 320 Fax: 01931 712 674 Email: ranksni@aol.com

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Appendix (ii) Spiritual, Moral and Cultural Development (SMCD) - Workshop Leader: Bertie Everard [Extract from Conference Report: Association for Outdoor Learning/Outdoor Education Advisor’s Panel 1996 Joint Conference. - ‘Spiritual, Moral and Cultural Development’] Where are we now?

The de jure position is that all maintained schools are statutorily required to promote the spiritual, moral and cultural development of pupils and of society, and OFSTED is required to report on how they do so.

The curriculum for a maintained school satisfies the requirements of this section if it is a balanced and broadly based curriculum which: (a) promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society; and (b) prepares such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.

[Education Reform Act 1988 HMSO: London p1:1 (2)] The meaning of these terms has been defined by OFSTED: 2.2.1 Spiritual development relates to that aspect of inner life through which pupils acquire insights into their personality which are of enduring worth

3.3.1 Moral development refers to pupil’s knowledge, understanding, intentions, attitudes and behaviour in relation to what is right and wrong ….

5.5.1 Cultural development refers to pupils’ increasing understanding and command of those beliefs, values, customs, knowledge and skills which, taken together, form the basis of identity and cohesion in societies and groups ….[1994 Discussion Paper]

Mortlock (1984) has identified this spiritual development as development of an awareness of and respect and love for self, coupled with an awareness of and respect and love for others and the environment.

This development is enmeshed with the individual’s physical, mental and emotional development.

The de facto position was characterised by the Group in terms of ten features:

1. There is a mismatch between ERA Clause 1 and the over-prescriptive curriculum: 2. There is no consensual response to the statutory requirement to promote SMCD; 3. Many schools are uneasy about demonstrating SMCD achievement, and hence fear OFSTED

interrogation; 4. There is a dearth of usable criteria for measuring progress along the SMCD dimensions; 5. There is over-dependence on anecdotal evidence, and yet a shortage of incontrovertible data about life-changing experiences triggered by Outdoor Education (OE); 6. OE is perceived as contributing more to personal and social development (PS) than to SMCD; 7. OE Centres are having difficulty in applying Mortlock’s ideas on spiritual development in the outdoors; 8. Environmental educationalists are more confident that they cover SMCD than other educationalists; 9. ‘Guided reflection’ is vital for spiritual development; there is a need to make time for this and to ask the right questions to trigger it; 10. International comparisons show that UK primary schools place more emphasis on ‘individualism’ (USA, even more) than on teamwork, co-operation and corporate feelings.

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Where should we be going?

Common visions identified were:  the ability to articulate how Outdoor Education helps SMCD;  agreement on moral/spiritual/cultural aspects should be encouraged by Outdoor Education;  the provision of concrete exercises of practical value to classroom teachers using Outdoor Education;  higher priority for independent activity by young people, parity of esteem between Outdoor Education and academic approaches;  evidence that Outdoor Education yields more effective SMCD outcomes than classroom teaching;  the training of teachers to undertake effective Outdoor Education;  an expectation that all pupils will go on residentials leading systematically to planned SMCD outcomes;  the use of Outdoor Education to change prevailing societal values;  the use of Outdoor Education to induce a sense of something greater than self, acceptance of societal ground rules and celebration of diverse cultures;  through Outdoor Education, the provision of opportunities for spontaneity, respect, openness and physical and emotional space;  the addressing of issues of who am I? Mind, soul, beauty, relationships, sustainability etc.

An effective programme will enable pupils:  to live with other people, respecting their rights and property;  to increase their awareness of living, working and playing positively with people whose views, beliefs, values, knowledge and skills are different to theirs;  to develop an understanding of what it means to take personal responsibility for their actions and the effects these might have on others;  to have time to reflect on their experiences/feelings during the course and to consider what they have learned about themselves;  to learn what it means to work positively in a group situation in order to effectively meet a challenge;  to understand the benefits of doing the best for themselves and others who rely on them in specific situations;  to be monitored during their course and to agree on the positive outcomes in terms of personal development and the outcomes to be relayed to school for personal profiles and records of achievements.

How shall we get there?

The group focused on concrete proposals. Its vision statement was to ask NAOE to produce a recipe book, containing practical ideas for classroom teachers and others working with young people.

The book will:         

clearly identify specific skills and competences linked to SMCD, with a variety of practical examples and descriptions of how these can be achieved through OE; be broad enough for people in different stages of development; be linked to the whole school policy, to be relevant to those in schools; take account of people’s different abilities to review in groups; optimise the developing relationships between the facilitator (teacher, youth-worker etc.) and the group; identify relevant values and education material and adapt it to OE; be indexed so as to be easily accessible; be focused and selective in the choice of tasks, while offering scope for the creative facilitator to adapt the exercises to particular circumstances; including explanations of task management (eg resources needed, number of people for whom suitable, age groups for whom suitable, safety aspects etc.).

It was anticipated that the booklet would be about 16 pages of A5 costing about £5. There was also a need for a more elaborate loose-leaf photocopiable manual.

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Appendix (iii) Inglorious Wordsworths / Michael Paffard - Synopsis by Brian Ware, O.B.E. 1. Inglorious Wordsworths.

A study of some transcendental experiences in childhood and adolescence by Michael Paffard Published by Hoddard and Stoughton 1973 In his foreword Sir Alistair Hardy, F R G S, a distinguished scientist, wrote that 'I believe this work to be an outstanding pioneer contribution to the natural history of man. It may well be a landmark in its particular field. Few books have excited me more. Michael Paffard is a man with an academic literary background and not a scientific training, yet it is clear that he has the same spirit of inquisitive enquiry which propelled the famous field naturalists of the last century.'

Michael Paffard writes that 'I have told the story of an expedition into largely unmapped territory: I have collected specimens and caught glimpses of a landscape at once familiar and mysterious.' As a lecturer in English at Keele University, and a keen student of Wordsworth, he set up his study by first meeting groups of sixth form students and undergraduates in the Keele area. He told them that he was undertaking a piece of educational research for which a large number of volunteers were needed to complete a questionnaire fully and honestly. He gave no hint about the purpose of the research. Over 500 questionnaires were distributed, together with an addressed envelope in which the respondents could seal their replies and a promise that the replies would remain anonymous and confidential.

The questionnaire contained 22 questions of a general nature concerning the respondents life at home, school or university and a key question (No. 10) relating to a paragraph from the autobiography of naturalist W. H. Hudson, 'Far Away and Long Ago', in which he describes a transcendental experience in his youth. Respondents who had had an experience in any way similar were asked to describe it fully. Of the 475 questionnaires completed and returned, 222 respondents answered the key question describing an astonishing variety of experiences. Paffard allows them to speak for themselves by quoting their own words extensively and providing a very interesting analysis. Herein lies the particular value and fascination of the study.

Reviewing the transcendental, mystical or similar kind of experience Paffard notes that 'they were more commonly associated with solitude than company, with evening or night rather than other times of the day, and with being outdoors in the country rather than indoors or in urban surroundings’. To those of us active in the world of 'outdoor learning' it is significant that Paffard found that 80% of the experiences described occurred out of doors, specifically mentioning the countryside, nature, mountains, hills, moorlands and also the sea, lakes and rivers.

In the early chapters Paffard discusses Wordsworth as the classic example of the nature-mystic and considers aspects of the autobiographies of C S Lewis and A L Rowse. In concluding chapters he reiterates his belief that transcendental experiences are 'intriguing, significant and deserving of closer attention than they ordinarily receive! But what is their significance? Do they matter? Are they aesthetic or religious? Do they have consequences for good or ill? He contrasts the views of H G Wells and Aldous Huxley on these questions.

2. Toward a Psychology of Being

by Abraham H. Maslow An Insight Book, 2nd edition, published by D.Van Nostrand & Co., New York and London. 1968 The American psychologist devoted two chapters in the book to what he calls 'peak experiences', based on interviews with some 80 individuals and written responses by 190 college students. The importance he attaches to these experiences for what he calls 'self- actualizing' people (that is to say well balanced and mentally healthy people) can scarcely be exaggerated.

He writes 'The peak experiences of pure delight are for my subjects among the ultimate goals of living and the ultimate validation and justification for it. That the psychologist should by-pass them of even be

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officially unaware of their existence, or what is even worse, deny a priori of possibility of their existence as objects for scientific study, is incomprehensible!

3. Mysticism - A study and an Anthology. by F. C. Happold. A Pelican Original 1963 The author writes, 'the characteristic of mystical experience is not determined by the level of awareness at which the experience takes place, but by the quality of the experience at that level. We shall, however, regard as falling within the scope of our study a range of experience which we shall maintain may rightly be called mystical, which extends far beyond that advanced and rare state which medieval writers called contemplation. While a few attain to that high state of mystical experience when it becomes a distinct form of consciousness, there is s wide range of spiritual and aesthetic experience which, I would maintain, is of the same character and proceeds from the same source. A man may be a mystic who is not, and never could be, a contemplative. There come to many the sudden moments of intuitive perception, elusive, fading quietly, but of deep significance, illuminations which they feel reveal to them new facets of reality.'

4. Islands of Healing - a Guide to Adventure-Based Counselling

by Jim Schoel, Dick Prouty and Paul Radcliffe. Published by Project Adventure Inc., Hamilton, (USA) 1989 The authors identify moments in Adventure-Based Counselling when 'peak experiences' emerge during a challenging task when 'things can just come together' for a group. On such occasions the experience facilitates the bonding of participants to the group and to a deeper understanding of the healing and growth process.

5. Surprised by Joy -the Shape of my Early Life. By C. S. Lewis Fount paperback. New Edition. 1998 Michael Paffard suggests that C S Lewis believes that many people have memories of experiences in their childhood or adolescence which had for them a unique, though often ill-defined, value and importance. His experiences of 'Joy' are precisely the kind of transcendental experience with which Paffard was concerned in his study. They provide evidence that such experiences are shared by and intelligible to many other people.

Brian Ware

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Appendix (iv) A PERSPECTIVE FROM NON FAITH BASED YOUTH WORK - Steve Witt CONTEXT: Facilitating the spiritual growth of young people has been a key objective for many youth work curriculum’s over the years. Indeed the origins of organised youth work as we know it today in the UK were often laid by philanthropists usually connected to local Church groups.

These traditions are very much alive with Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist groups having taken the lead in the development of faith based social education for young people. Much of this education although delivered by practising Christians or Hindus will guard against being too prescriptive in delivering specific beliefs.

Yet I would argue that spiritual growth does not have to be facilitated within the sphere of an established faith. I feel that a great deal of spiritual development work happens within what many might term as the secular youth work sector.

Often it will be delivered by workers who do not identify themselves as religious but might describe themselves as spiritual. So what do we mean by spiritual? In essence it’s a feeling that humans have when they experience a heightened sense of their individual selves.

At such moments the individual sees what is wondrous and important about themselves and their world, which allows them to put the daily stress of life into a calmer context.

I feel that a spiritual person might identify themselves as having the following qualities.  A strongly felt connection with the natural world

 A belief that we can change our lives though adopting a positive outlook, and through positive action, similar to the concept of karma.  A belief that all humans are able to change their lives (action and reaction).  A belief in the connective power of the group.  A sense that God is a power that represents truth.  That God exists within.  An understanding that energy is not just physical force but is also a very tangible spiritual presence within our daily lives.

Whence some might talk about positive and negative energies.  An acceptance that an individual’s feelings can never be wrong.  That God might be represented by the natural world.  That each individual has their own spiritual journey.  Heightened spirituality might be experienced when we feel moved by music, laughter.  An acknowledgement that whatever one’s feelings are they are valid, and multidimensional.  An understanding that apparent coincidences might be the result of other phenomena that we have had some influence on.

Of course not all of these values are exclusive to a self defined spiritual person.

However they do give a flavour of what might be important to a non religious but spiritually based youth worker.

So how do these values translate into the delivery of youth work?

PRACTICE I believe that spirituality can only be experienced and as such cannot be taught. The youth worker should not be in the business of trying to deliver a spiritual curriculum. The point of such work is not to try and label experiences as “spiritual” but rather to allow young people the possibility that there is another dimension to all our lives that can nurture us in a way that is unattainable elsewhere. This might be left as a private experience but sharing such beliefs can also be a wonderous experience. It can also validate young people’s feelings and not leave them feeling weird, strange or isolated.

So its not about saying well lets go and do some spiritual youth work this evening, rather its about acknowledging that there is the possibility of the spiritual dimension in everything we do and being open to it can help create new levels of personal growth.

EXAMPLE Several years ago I was working on a summer camp with a group of young men from the inner city. The group were keen to go on a night time walk across the fields and then into the woods. There was a full moon and fast moving clouds. The group were pretty pumped up with energy, and for sometime messing around was their only apparent agenda, although some of this

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was undoubtedly designed to mask individual’s fear of the dark.

One young man was fascinated by the skyline, and particularly by the 3-D patterns created as the clouds passed the moon. A game began whereby different individuals would give names to the shapes above. This went on for sometime, and then we decided to go back to the camp fire. The mood had changed! We then started a story telling session, with each individual being given the chance to tell any story they

liked. Interestingly most chose to share a story that expressed a feeling of personal wonderment.

Everyone listened with an intensity that previously I had not witnessed from this group. We were all moved, and the following week back at the youth club the group were able to acknowledge that we had shared in something special.

To my mind it was spiritual, to others it was just special!

Whatever the label it moved us.

Later that evening the group were back to messing around!

But that’s life!

Steve Witt Youth Development Officer National Playbus Association Useful Resources Spiritual Development - John Tee Taunton Youth Office, 1991 Don’t just do something; sit there! - Mary Stone St Martin’s College, 1992 Circles of Experience YMCA, 1985 Spiritual Development of Young People NCVYS, 1990 Listening Spirituality - Patricia Loring Openings Press 1997 Quaker Faith and Practice, The Bible

The youth workers role in all of this was simply to let it happen, but being aware of the potential of the natural surroundings, and how they can move the human pysche. Such work can happen in many different environments, and they needn’t always be the natural world.

Recognising the experience with young people is important because over a period of time the workers and the group build up a shared library of ‘special moments’ that can be drawn upon to facilitate growth.

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Appendix (v) GLOBAL SPIRITUALITY - Ursula King Dr Ursula King is Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Bristol, England. She is Author of Towards a New Mysticism; Teilhard de Chardin and Eastern Religions (1980); The Spirit of One Earth - Reflections on Teilhard de Chardin and Global Spirituality (1989) and Women and Spirituality: Voices of Protest and Promise (1989). (1) Last November Dr King spoke at the World Goodwill Seminar in London. The theme of the conference was “Education for a Global Vision”. All who heard it will agree that Dr King’s address offered real insight on the quest for a global spirituality and we reproduce here excerpts from her talk.

Our age is often described as an age of unbelief in which many people are spiritually impoverished and marked by a loss of transcendence and a disregard for the highest values. And yet, to the discerning eye, there appear to be many signs of a sincere religious quest and a new spirituality emerging from within the secular. I think one must recognise the positive aspects of this openness of the religious quest today the doubt, the uncertainty, the groping, the willingness to experiment and the search for meaning.

Contemporary religions are characterised by a great search for interiority and a new inwardness, a longing to explore our inner space, just as we have so dazzlingly explored and probed into outer space.

This urge for a contemplative depth dimension within us responds to a great contemporary need to heal a hectic and disjointed outward life, marked by over-activity, unrest and much unsatisfactory superficiality in human relations. But this hunger and thirst for interiority, for meditation, contemplation and prayer for the quiet, are not the only characteristics of the contemporary religious quest. They are accompanied and matched by a search for greater outward unification and unity at all levels. One can see this in the experiments in living in new communities, the flowering of genuine peace movements in both capitalist and socialist societies; one can see it in the dynamic thrust of the diverse liberation movements.

So, in order to think meaningfully about religion and spirituality today, it’s not enough to remain within the boundaries of traditional religion. The search for spirituality and transcendence in our age cannot find its sole answer in intense private devotions or in escapist religious life. Contemporary spirituality, if it’s to have any effect on our lives, individually and corporately, cannot flourish apart from the world. It has to grow and live in the market place; it has to be the source of meaning for all of life and relate to our daily problems, our family and community, our science, our politics, our whole world, as we scientifically explore and experience it today. This spirituality which we so much need as a true leaven and as a bread of life can only become a transforming agent in our world today if it is nourished and nurtured within our secular institutions, as well as within traditional religious ones; otherwise I think it will be impossible to create a world of peace and justice.

We are living in a world today where more and more people are wondering where we’re going. Will the earth and humankind have a future at all? Our spaceship earth appears to be an ever shrinking globe beset by fast change, turmoil and strife. Our mutual interdependencies are so intricate that many problems and actions can only be handled globally. This is first of all true of material development whether it concerns food production or distribution, the organisation of work and leisure, or questions of health and international security. But a global context is equally required for education, for scientific research, for the flowering of art, for use of the imagination, for matters of morality, ethics and religion, and for questions of spiritual well-being. Increasingly people are becoming aware of the need for global spirituality. We are now learning to look at the religious heritage of humankind from a new global perspective and discovering that this heritage is one of the most valuable resources for the whole of humanity at a time of critical reflect and profound change,

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What is spirituality?

But what is spirituality? Spirituality has been given many different definitions and it is difficult to give any one that would apply to all spiritual schools and practices. For some people spirituality means simply our relationship to God. For others is represents a deep existential commitment to a transcendent dimension within and beyond life, an experience of the powerful presence of the Spirit. Spirituality is not a static given, but it is a dynamic process of transformation and growth, an integral part of human development towards maturity in both the individual and collective sense. Spirituality must not be perceived as something apart from life, simply added on to it. Rather it’s a quality of experience, intuition, reflection and being which permeates all human activities. The whole of life can be seen as being related to spiritual practice. Spirituality then concerns the heart of human existence, and its practise is linked to the use of our imagination as a faculty for seeing more deeply into the ground and meaning of things and of experience.

Having said something about the understanding of spirituality, what is meant by global spirituality?

Initially, spirituality is both personal and collective, but it is also global in the sense that it now has to be developed in a cross-cultural context as created by the contemporary political, social and cultural realities of our globe. These invite us to understand and practice spirituality in a pluralistic perspective. This implies a discovery that the different faiths and the faith communities with their distinct messages become newly meaningful in their togetherness on the globe.

The different religious traditions have been diffused and transplanted from their place of origin to new cultures and regions. Many more members of different faiths have an opportunity to come into contact with, and learn from each other, and that includes learning to accept differences. Instead of encountering each other in hatred and strife we have to learn to give and receive from each other in openness and respect. Such learning is especially involved in the experiential process of inter-religious dialogue between members of different faiths and those of none, and it also occurs through intra-religious dialogue within the heart of each person and within the different communities of faith; we have to reflect critically on our own experience in the light of that of others.

But, when I speak about global spirituality, the word “global” does not only refer to an experience of the present. It also encompasses the past. For we are becoming increasingly aware of the history of humankind, including its religious history as one history. The numerous spiritual schools and personalities round the globe which have existed throughout history provide us with extraordinary resources for contemporary religious awareness. When we speak of global spirituality we thus think of a dimension that cuts across the present, extends back into the deep past and reaches out towards a future, to feed and strengthen the human spirit on its journey through time and space.

We also think of global spirituality in yet another sense. Today spirituality has become an issue for all of humanity, not just for a select group of religious minded people for whom spirituality happens to be a special area of interest or hobby-horse. At the present critical time in human history we have to pay particular attention to the deep need for the spiritual well-being of the human community; spiritual wellbeing beyond the existing physical, mental and moral needs of humankind. We have to ask ourselves, “will questions of spiritual development one day become an integral part of our efforts to ensure global development towards peace and justice?” We work all the time on economic development. We do not yet work sufficiently on spiritual development. What efforts do we at present devote towards developing the inner resources of human beings; the imagination, mind and heart; their power to love, their power to care and be compassionate, as well as to be peaceful and happy? These are very serious questions at the level of global development. They have to be faced by secular institutions and the whole of society for they cannot be solved by religious institutions alone.

I think the future can be willed Now some people doubt whether religion and an open quest for spirituality, a unifying spiritual vision, has a future today at all, given the increasing growth of secularisation and - one must add - the increasing growth of religious fundamentalism around the world. But a more basic question is, “has our world a future and what future is there for humankind today?” Given the contemporary political and military developments the answer to this question is far from certain and cannot be taken for granted. In any case the future no longer simply arrives and is given, as was often the case in the past. It has to be

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consciously willed and created in full consciousness of what is involved in our actions, and what goals we actually aim for.

We are sensitively aware of the extreme vulnerability and precariousness of human beings in our global situation today. So we have to also become aware that, if we want a future worth having, we have to will it, we have to build a new earth. The threat of the possibility of extinguishing humans as a species today calls for a completely new way of using all the powers of our imagination, of our will, and of our inner and outer resources. And I think the future can be willed; it can be constructed and built if we can perceive and practise the right kind of spirituality.

Looking around for resources to feed out thought and imagination, to strengthen our will to act, we ask ourselves; who can help us, and I think there are many, many examples; you draw on particular examples in World Goodwill, others draw on other examples. Personally I have been very much inspired by the vision of Teilhard de Chardin. He believed very deeply that it was his vocation to extend people’s capacity to see into the heart of things, as he put it, by sharing with them a larger vision of the world. So he already wrote in 1931, more than 50 years ago, an extremely moving essay called “The Spirit of the Earth”, where he speaks about the oneness of this earth. He asks very poignantly what is the future of the spirit of the earth, what is humankind’s destiny? Is it darkness, total death or new life? And he says humanity, with its present tensions and turmoils and wars is undergoing the crisis of birth, to raise the earth to a new stage, to raise life to a new stage. He says the resources at our disposal today, the powers we have released, cannot possibly be absorbed by the narrow system of individual and national units which the architects of human earth have hitherto used.

“The age of nations has passed. Now, unless we wish to perish we must shake off our old prejudices and build the earth …. The more scientifically I regard the world, the less can I see any possible biological future for it except the active consciousness of its unity.” (2) And, in that sense, Teilhard de Chardin stressed that humankind, at the present stage of its development, has need for religion that grows into a new stage also. We need, he says, “a redefinition of the spirit”.

I think the study of spirituality can also help us a great deal here. And many publications are beginning to appear on this theme now. I think particularly of the 25-volume project World Spirituality: An Encyclopaedic History of The Religious Quest (3) which looks in a collaborative effort at the individual and collective movement of the spirit across the history of the human race. Spirituality is here seen as lived experience as well as reflection on such experience. This particular encyclopaedia also points to an emerging new discipline of global spirituality which will provide a new focus for individual religious traditions through which they can see and reflect upon their own religious heritage in a larger context.

Four cries of humanity Robert Muller speaks about the four cries of humanity, and I find this a very beautiful image. It is an example which he has actually taken from U Thant who was, of course, a Burmese Buddhist and one of the earlier Secretaries - General of the United Nations. He speaks about the cry for physical life, the cry for mental fulfilment and the cry for morality. Those three cries have already been much attended to, at least the first two, the physical and the mental; the United Nations has done a great deal to help to meet the need to answer those cries. But the last, the fourth cry, he calls the cry for spirituality, and that’s a cry that has not been recognised sufficiently and has not yet been met at all. So he sees that after coping with physical, mental and moral needs, we must give attention to spiritual needs. I feel it is important, in trying to meet this spiritual cry of humanity, that we look at the need to introduce attention to spirituality, not only in us as individuals but also into our formal educational process. We need an education for global spirituality, beginning with the individual. We need to foster awareness, personal and collective, but we also need to instigate the transformative will for action and to educate for relationships in community building.

We do not need an individualistic spirituality but a spirituality with a social and global dimension. This must be so; it must be developed if we are not to finish up with what Schumacher called “the refusal of consciousness”, the refusal to recognise our true situation and take note of it and change our action. If we live in a crisis of consciousness, we cannot afford to be blind to whatever values we may find. The religious traditions of humankind are an inspiring source for the reformulation of values and education for a global vision; an education which makes us discover and create the spirit of one world. And I think that is one of our most important tasks. We have to learn to reflect critically on our past heritage and on our

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present practice. We have to learn to envision genuine alternative ways of being, of thinking and of doing in order to create one humanity animated by one spirit.

1. Ursula King, Towards a New Mysticism: Teilhard de Chardin and Eastern Religions. London, Collins & New York, Seabury Press, 1980

Ursula King, The Spirit of One Earth: Reflections on Teilhard de Chardin and Global Spirituality.

New York, Paragon House, 1989 Ursula King, Women and Spirituality: Voices of Protest and Promise. London, Macmillan & New York, New Amsterdam Books 1989 2. Teilhard de Chardin, ‘The Spirit of the Earth, in Human Energy’. London, Collins, 1969 3. World Spirituality: An Encyclopedic History of the Religious Quest. New York, Crossroad/Continuum.

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Appendix (vi) THE REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER - Doug Stephenson In many areas of life people are beginning to open up to spirituality as a means of making sense of a world that is deep in the shadow of materialistic values.

In the recent Living Values and Right Living workshop, held in November 1998, we heard of the need for a “new consciousness,” and a “moral compass.”

The workshop revealed the great importance of exploring, experimenting with and building upon our personal values. We were encouraged to explore our relationships with people, nature and the environment. Part of this process requires incorporating times of reflection into our busy lives. In the world we live in, everything demands speed and instant action. However, by being inactive physically, our mind is given an opportunity to explore new ways of working. Reflection is the opportunity to create space, a period of quiet. Through reflection we can revisit our actions and interactions with a view to identifying ‘best practice’.

Reflection allows me to: identify positive past experiences that are appropriate to the present create space in which I can see how to support others in their life ensure that my activity is aligned with my purpose give time to process a task so enabling me to work with maximum efficiency ensure that the task itself is clearly defined i.e. that its purpose is clear, which leads to effective action allow for a sense of personal control. From this awareness, I establish clearly that I am greater than the task and not vice versa come from a position of considered response rather than habitual reaction. In this way, I will always live in the moment ensure the awareness of quality in my actions and interactions i.e. that I bring my values into expression allow me to process the signals that life presents to me This last statement can be explored a little more as it gives another perspective to our understanding of reflection. It encapsulates the natural law that is expressed as: “the relationships we have with others are a reflection of the relationship we have with ourselves.”

This suggests that everybody comes to teach us something about ourselves, so adding to the quality of our lives. If I feel angry, it is not what someone has said that generates the anger but my own response, or reaction, to it. I am responsible for creating my own feelings. However, the fact that I experience anger means that I have, for that moment, lost my state of inner balance. The anger therefore becomes my teacher to show me how to restore my state of balance. Anger becomes a gift to help me move ahead, to regain a position of natural equilibrium.

Reflection is a vital component to the melding of spiritual awareness and activity. Through the practice of reflection I can ensure that my highest purpose and the values that support that purpose, become the motivation behind my actions and interactions. Such an alignment of purpose and values leads to a life of spiritual balance.

Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University

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Appendix (vii) LIVING VALUES - Maureen Goodman - The Brahma Kumaris We are increasingly finding the word ‘values’ in our vocabulary: ‘key values’; ‘right values’; ‘family values’; ‘value-based education’; ‘lack of values’. But what are values? Values are those beliefs and principles that motivate our personal attitude, outlook and activity.

Embarking on an exploration of those innermost values influences personal attitude, outlook and activity and promises a more meaningful definition of one’s higher purpose in life. An individual can uncover a capacity to stretch beyond the limits of current reality and recognise his or her full potential, not only in relation to the self but also to the wider world.

Human dignity is an expression of our self-worth. A person who really understands his or her own inherent value, and that of others, will come to know that values are not dependent upon external factors, but rather, come from a richer and deeper understanding of the true nature of the self. Our values are a natural expression of our spiritual identity, and the challenge of our age is not only to acknowledge this but also to live it. When we live our life in alignment with our innermost values we are able recognise the dignity and worth of the individual and the sacredness of human life. This is spirituality in action.

We explore our personal values through a process of learning and the conscious exercise of choice. Such an approach embraces the real meaning and purpose of spiritual and moral education: not to impose an ideology or particular set of values, but rather to draw out or to educe the goodness that already exists within the individual.

Today, the majority of people are largely influenced, and define their true worth and identity, by material values such as social position, monetary worth, external appearance or personal possessions. This misrepresentation creates cultures of accumulation, possessiveness, selfishness and greed and is the root cause of conflict, exploitation, poverty and tension in the world. Such values effectively stifle the emergence of higher order values.

There is universal recognition of a hierarchy of values which ascends from the lower material values to those higher spiritual values such as peace, love, compassion, respect and generosity. Such values transcend the uniqueness of humanity’s richly diverse cultural, philosophical, and social heritage and form the bedrock on which to build mutual benefit in our relationships.

Such core values are fundamental to the well being of humanity as a whole. To practice such values will touch the core of the individual, perhaps inspiring positive change, which can contribute to world change.

The world will automatically become a better place when each individual becomes a better person.

Values are the Treasure of Life.

What follows are the words of Dadi Janki, Co-administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University and one of the Keepers of Wisdom, an eminent group of spiritual leaders convened at United Nations gatherings to give spiritual advice into the political decision-making process.

“At a time of crisis, we are again at a point of recognising the need for values. An orphaned child feels insecure, unloved and unwanted; one without a life of values feels the same. Values are our “parents.” The human soul is nurtured by the values it holds. A sense of security and comfort comes through values in one’s life.

Values are the treasure of life; a life filled with values is a life of self-respect and dignity. Through such a life the individual is able to come closer to God, and life becomes more meaningful. Values bring independence and freedom, the capacity to be self-sufficient.

Values offer protection and bring empowerment. Values open the heart and transform human nature so that life is filled with compassion and humility. As we develop our inner values, we share the fragrance of those values in our lives and so move forward to a better world.”

(The primary resource material for this article is` Living Values – a Guidebook,’ published by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, London)

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Appendix (viii) LIVING VALUES AND HUMAN QUALITY - Sister Jayanti & Doug Stephenson, The Brahma Kumaris 1. Appreciative Inquiry works from a set of assumptions. These are:  In every society, organisation or group, something works. 

What we focus on becomes our reality.



People have more confidence to journey to the future (the unknown) when they carry forward parts of the past (the known).



If we carry parts of the past, they should be what is best about the past.

(Adapted from the Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry by Sue Annis Hammond)

2. Appreciative Inquiry values the best of what is, envisions what might be and identifies next steps for sustaining the needed changes.

3. It helps people:  build factors that enrich experience *

create an image of a preferred future

*

construct the steps to achieve that future

4. Comparison: PROBLEM SOLVING Felt need - Identification of problem Analysis of causes Analysis of possible solutions Action planning (Treatment) BASIC ASSUMPTION Organisation is a problem to be solved

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY Discovering and valuing the best of what is.

Envisioning what might be Dialoguing/Sharing what we aspire to Innovating and sustaining what will be.

BASIC ASSUMPTION Organisation is a mystery to be embraced

ACTIVITIES: 1) Share Your most memorable outdoor experience 2) Brainstorm; The key attributes and skills required of a leader in the outdoors Respect Achievement Empowerment Beyond Language Love Bliss Connected Compassion (Coherence) Confidence Co-operation Continuity Happiness Courage Harmony Empathy Caring Equality Determination Free will Freedom Flexible Faith Freshness Hope Fun Humility Generous Openness Genuine Self-awareness Giving Self-worth Inclusively Sharing Innocence Truth Integrity Serenity Natural Acceptance Ownership Appreciation Realism Courage Silence Curiosity Sincerity Enlightenment Spontaneity Equality Strength Justice Supportive Peace Surrender Real Tolerance Trust Understanding Valuing Uniqueness Connects with nature Empathy & Respect Joie De Vivre Honesty Motivated Vision

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3) Decide: What values are required in outdoor leadership Wisdom Integrity Courage Intuition Trust Adventurous Authentic Compassion Empowerment

Openness Wisdom Resourceful Adaptability Fairness Assertiveness Commitment Responsibility Self awareness

Communication Humility Enabling Awareness/balance Decisiveness Love Judgement Vitality Patience

4) Select in order of priority your group’s top ten attributes, skills, and values for outdoor leadership.(excluding safety and technical competence.)

The values were prioritised as follows: Humility, courage, integrity Love, trust, vision, respect Communicator, responsible Inquiry Session: a)

What is it that stimulates you about working with youth?

What is it that you most value about the work?

What interests, excites or draws you to the topic of this retreat?

b)

Looking back, describe a `peak' experience which inspired and uplifted you and gave new meaning and purpose to your life?

What were the circumstances at the time? How did you feel?

What impact did the experience have on your life?

c)

What values did the experience reveal as being really important to you?

“Establish standards and values by which to live and work. Identify worthwhile goals and develop the skills and understanding through which these may be achieved.

The challenge for all concerned with young people is to empower them to cope effectively with the choices, problems and opportunities which face them.”

Manifesto Statement 1997 Foundation for Outdoor Adventure

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Appendix (ix) ‘A WIDER PICTURE OF GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS’ - Dominic Dibble - The Lucis Trust Before I come to my main topic, which concerns the wider picture of global changes in consciousness, and how initiatives such as this one may fit in to this wider picture, I thought I'd say a few words about the organisation which I represent, World Goodwill, for those of you who aren't familiar with our work.

World Goodwill is an international movement, with Headquarters in London, New York and Geneva. It was founded in 1932 as one of the service activities (the other is Triangles) of the Lucis Trust. The way in which it seeks to serve humanity is by establishing right human relationships throughout the world though the use of the power of goodwill. Now you may be thinking that this sounds a rather ambitious remit, and also very broad. It effectively means that World Goodwill strives to be an intelligent generalist, rather than specialising in one or other field of right human relationships, for as we know, there are so many wonderful groups and individuals who serve in this way, seeking to build right relationships in the fields of communications, human rights, environmental sustainability, health, politics, and many other fields, including of course education. If any of you receive our free quarterly Newsletter, you will know that we seek to highlight positive initiatives in all these many areas of human living, and to comment upon their significance. And trough our Forum meetings in London, we invite people who are serving humanity to reflect upon important issues in their particular field. World Goodwill's Newsletter and public meetings are therefore two of the main ways in which we attempt to fulfil our remit: by publicising the thinking of prominent servers, we hope to mobilise the energy of goodwill, a reservoir of potential energy which is very widespread in the human family, and which only needs to be set to work to produce an acceleration in the positive changes which are already emerging; and by searching for the underlying meaning of world events, we hope to give pointers to where and how goodwill can be intelligently applied in order to build a better future for all. Though both these means, and through the other literature which we distribute, we endeavour to communicate a broad, inclusive, spiritual vision of humanities’ future.

The use of the term "spiritual here is not in a specifically religious sense; rather, it means everything which lies beyond the point of present achievement of human consciousness, which embodies the vision and which urges us on to higher goals. In this sense, all those who are striving to serve others by working for a better world are doing truly spiritual work, whether in science, economics, politics, religion, art, the media or in the field with which this particular gathering is concerned, education. The fact that there are so many now working in this way is inspiring evidence of a great spiritual renaissance which is just beginning in the human family; and there is a widespread sense of anticipation that a new spiritual revelation is at hand, a revelation which will give a new and unified meaning and purpose to Humanity s striving for betterment. As Rabbi Herman Schaalman says, "Something new is waiting to be born. We are experiencing the birth pangs of a new age, of a new hope. We are present at that sacred moment when new life is about to emerge from the womb of the past. What struggles to arise out of the past might become our shared future of mutual hearing and understanding, of mutual openness, of unprecedented willingness to acknowledge and accept others in all their differentness. The questions which address themselves to each of us are: Will we recognize the mystery of this possibility? Will we be open to its opportunities: Are we willing to help it be pulled into the light of tomorrow? Will we turn away preoccupied or cynical, or will we step forward to assist? These are not merely questions. They are the agenda of tomorrow, they are the exciting, irresistible invitation to each of us to abandon pre-judgement and stubborn refusals to deeply hear one another. They are the programme and the means to make that leap of faith with each other which will move humanity and our earth into the new era of reconciliation and hope."

Because the times are extra-ordinary they summon us to be extra-ordinary, to reach into the depths of our souls. In the words of poet Christopher Fry "Affairs are now soul size." We are entering a new age, where the life of the soul, the inner, subjective, higher self, will be the main conditioning factor, and not, as before, the desires of the outer man. In the popular media, the term "New Age" seems to be associated mainly with psychological exploration in various different directions by the individual, but it is much more than that, and to place the focus on the individual is to miss its wider significance. in fact, the New Age is

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a spiritual movement within human consciousness of unparalleled depth and scope, and a major aspect of this movement is the amazing rise in group consciousness. It is now groups who are leading the way in creating and promoting the many different plans for world betterment. It is striking that while these plans may use different terminologies, and propose a variety of measures, the vast majority of them are implicitly founded on the recognition that humanity is essentially an undivided whole, a subjective unity which is expressed through diverse forms.

In fact, the many groups and individuals seeking to establish different aspects of human unity, such as world peace or environmental sustainability, are themselves a wonderful expression of that same unity. A beautiful symbol of this is the growing number of group alliances of various kinds which are being formed, for it is the note of goodwill which characterises these groups, and their shared recognition of unity, which allows the fluid and dynamic creation of mutually beneficial relations.

Indeed, this initiative provides a good example of this co-operation between groups, since it is being cosponsored by four organisations, and brings together representatives of many more groups. And an outstanding characteristic of nearly all of the groups which are emerging at the moment is the emphasis which they place upon serving their fellow men and women, by meeting genuine needs. The subject of finding ways to meet genuine needs is now one of vital interest to people throughout the world, and the answer differs in different contexts. Clearly, in much of the developing world, there is still an urgent necessity to find ways of feeding, clothing and housing large numbers of people, and many groups exist to serve this particular purpose. We know that if there were sufficient political goodwill and imagination in this field, it is a problem which could be resolved without great difficulty; which is why it is so important that there are so many groups working in this area, both "on-the-ground" and as lobbyists, giving politicians both a practical helping hand and also a continual nudge in the right moral direction.

In the industrialised countries, the question of needs is rather different. Many of you are probably familiar with Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, where he presents the idea that once the basic physical needs are met, higher needs then arise. Or to put it succinctly, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." And perhaps the major avenue for meeting emotional, mental and spiritual needs is through education, using the term in its broadest sense.

The key point is that, no matter in what context these many groups are serving others, whether they ale delivering physical food or spiritual, their commitment to humanity is one and the same - they are subjectively of one mind and heart, and thus can truly be said to form one world group, which has many outer departments and sub-divisions, but is one in spirit. The term which Alice Bailey, the founder of the Lucis Trust, used for this group is the new group of world servers - they are definitely new, and are focused on serving all the people of the world, without distinction of class, creed or colour. It is a group which has no formal outer organisation, no membership lists or officers; the only requirement of membership is a subjective orientation towards the good of all humanity, which then works out through the particular skills of the individuals involved, dealing with the specific circumstances of their environment. It is therefore a wonderfully flexible tool for meeting the whole spectrum of needs of every sort of person; and indeed of the animal and plant kingdoms as well.

This brings us to the purpose of this workshop and the series of workshops which is planned. The importance of putting young people in touch with nature in a meaningful way seems unquestionable, for the potential educative effects of the experience are multi-dimensional. The mantram of sustainability which we hear repeated so often is one which only has true resonance in the heart of a person who has a living experience of that which needs to be sustained. So if young people are to be prepared for living in these extra- ordinary times, what better way than to deliberately lift them out of the ordinary, out of the mechanised and largely inorganic setting of the world inside the doors of the city, and to transplant them into a setting where they are confronted with that which ultimately sustains all human life.

Perhaps one reason why it seems so important to do this while human beings are still young is that this is a time when sensitivity is naturally high, for in this new context, there is the opportunity to absorb essential values wordlessly, almost through the skin. What sort of values are these? For example, if the adventure is taking place in a forested area, there is the opportunity to encounter a sense of sacredness, of the immanence of divinity. Such is the impact which a silent forest grove may have. And careful observation of the behaviour of the birds, animals and plants encountered can lead to an intuitive recognition of the interconnection of all life, an intuition which can be given intellectual form through later study of ecological writings. If the adventure is in a mountainous region, the young person may become

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aware of the concept of time in a new way, with the seeming everlastingness of the rocks opening up the prospect of eternity. The grandeur of the scenery can also help to awaken a sense of the numinous, and a truer sense of proportion regarding human achievement. If, on the other hand, the adventure is at or near the sea, there is the chance for the young person to sense the rhythmic pulse of life, and the inevitability of change. All of these are values which nature itself teaches, to those who are willing to listen.

The fact of being in extra-ordinary circumstances can also help people to re-evaluate what they had previously taken for granted. The importance of being warm, dry, and of having a warm meal, no matter how humble its ingredients, suddenly emerges with clarity. This can help people to recognise the virtues of simplicity, and of the smooth co-operation which may be required to produce comfortable living conditions when one s resources are limited. This in turn may lead the more thoughtful to reflection upon the living conditions of those sections of humanity whose resources are severely limited, often by circumstances completely beyond their control, thus awakening compassion.

These are only some of the values which an outdoor experience can bestow, and I'm sure that you have already touched upon these and others. I'd just like to conclude by wishing this initiative every success in training those who can lead children into the presence of such important values, so that they in their turn can bring these values into the life of society as a whole, thus building a better world for all.

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Appendix (x)

The John Muir Perspective: a paper by Colin Eastman Born in 1838 in the small Scottish port of Dunbar, John Muir emigrated with his family as a child to the USA. There in his adopted homeland he became a founding father of the world conservation movement, and devoted his life to safeguarding the world's landscapes for future generations. Since 1983, the John Muir Trust, guided by Muir's charge to "do something for landscape and make the mountains glad", has dedicated itself to making Muir's message a reality within the United Kingdom. By acquiring and sensitively managing key wild areas, the Trust sets out to show that the damage inflicted on the wild over the centuries can be repaired; that the land can be conserved on a sustainable basis for the human, animal, and plant communities which share it; and the great spiritual qualities of wilderness, of tranquillity and solitude, can be preserved as a legacy for those to come.

When John Muir wrote, "One learns that the world, though made, is still being made. That this is still the morning of creation," he reminds us that we are a part of that creative process, both as receivers of its wonders and, in part, arbiters of its destiny. He reminds us time and again that as we imbibe and feed spiritually on its rich outpourings we have, too, moral responsibilities for the world "still being made".

Below there follow some words of Muir's which may be a source of both inspiration, meditation and discussion.

Our crude civilization engenders a multitude of wants, and lawgivers are ever at their wits' end devising.

The hall and the theatre and the church have been invented, and compulsory education. Why not compulsory recreation? The regular tourist, ever on the flow, is one of the most characteristic productions of the present century; and however frivolous and inappreciative the poorer specimens may appear, viewed comprehensively they are the most hopeful and significant sign of the times, indicating at least the beginning of our return to nature,—for going to the mountains is going home.

To obtain a hearing on behalf of nature from any other stand-point than that of human use is almost impossible.

[And compare these words of Aldo Leopold: That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics. That land yields a cultural harvest is a fact long known, but latterly forgotten.]

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in as well as pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul. …if I should be fated to walk no more with Nature, be compelled to leave all I most devoutly love in the wilderness, return to civilization and be twisted into the characterless cable of society, then these sweet, free, cumberless rovings will be as chinks and slits on life's horizon, through which I may obtain glimpses of the treasures that lie in God's wilds beyond my reach.

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. How many hearts with warm red blood in them are beating under the cover of the woods, and how many teeth and eyes are shining! A multitude of animal people, intimately related to us, but of whose lives we know almost nothing, are as busy about their own affairs as we are about ours.

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.

Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying, keeping everything whirling and flowing, allowing no rest but in rhythmical motion, chasing everything in endless song out of one beautiful form into another. Remember your penitential promises. Kill as few of your fellow beings as possible and pursue some branch of natural history at least far enough to see Nature's harmony.

(The above quotations - all but the one from Leopold - are taken from: John Muir in his own Words: complied and edited by Peter Browning, Great West Books, Lafayette, California 1998. ISBN0-944220-029)