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O nce I 've EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Gone Ruth Finnegan OBE and L iving For Today, A uthor of Black I nked Pearl Planning For Tom or row

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ooking for conscious Com m unications M anagem ent from an agency that cares about its clients?

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CONTENTS JAN2016

TRAVEL&ADVENTURE

32 Dr. Ian Dodds,

8 It'sAbout Time

Discusses the benefits of an inclusive whole systems approach to management

Explorer Sally Kettle discussed the importance of time.

BUSINESS- IDEAS& INNOVATION 14 Fincch T he Fund Transforming the Way we Finance Elderly Care

18 Once I've Gone Ian Dibb's new website allows families to preserve the memories and wishes of their loved ones and plan for tomorrow.

24 Equality Edge Michael Lassman Discusses the importance of effective Communication in the workplace.

30 Change Differently, Fund Differently 4

FRSA

POLITICS&SOCIETY 36 Immigration & Enterprise Author and Political Activist Derek Bates, FRSA discusses this interesting topic

38 Global Net 21 40 T he Me-Meme of Donald Trump Dr. Max Tookey, FRSA analyses the Character of the Business M an turned Political Figure

42 DeconstructingChris Brown Dr. Max Tookey, FRSA Deconstructs one of the music industry's most controversial icons 5

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?"Time is free, but it is priceless. You can?t own it, but you can use it. You can?t keep it, but you can spend it .

Once you?ve lost it, you can never get it back" -

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Harvey MacKay "

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"Almost every day I wished I wasn?t out there; every day I imagined myself at home, in a comfy bed, taking a hot shower, or eating palatable food.

But four months in a lifetime is nothing. As I rowed to the end of my first crossing, with my Mum as rowing partner. I knew I ?d wished nearly every day away.

From then on, I made a promise never to do that again.

I t?s been several years since that first row, and the time seems to have gone so quickly, but now I try harder than ever to appreciate every day. Our time here is precious."

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BUSINESS &

INNOVATION

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FINCCH TheFUNDTr ansf or ming t heWay WE FINANCE El der ly Car e "T he challengesfacingcare in the EU are immense.

In Britain we have an enviable charitable tradition.

Fincch islinkingfinancial marketsdirectly with the charitable care sector. It isa good businessmodel, especially asthe state issteppingback from front line fundingof care for the elderly, a very necessary part of the compassionate society which we pride ourselves on, in Britain. Yes, what we are doingisinnovative and on a scale never attempted before, but it'sbased on the fundamental valuesof prudence and compassion."

M ike H oyle M ike spent six years as a trustee at an Abbeyfield Society in Surrey, including two years as the SE Regional Strategic H ead for the (national) Abbeyfield Society.

T his followed a career in management consultancy.

H e has extensive experience of real estate development involving hotels, care homes, hospitals and other developments.

mike.hoyle@fincch.org.uk

TheU.K. Popul at ion is ageing. In t henext 20 y ear s t he number of peopl eaged 85+ in t heUKwil l incr easeby appr ox imat ely 2 mil l ion, cr eat ing an unpr ecedent ed demand f or car e facil it ies f or t he el der ly.

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Fincch has established an imaginative investment fund called the Charitable Care Investment Fund (CCI F), which will provide long term loans to U K charities, and other non-profit organisations operating care facilities and services particularly for elderly care.

M ike H oyle, the CEO of Fincch says, ?We are able to provide long term loans to be repaid over up to 20 years. It is a much better solution for them than borrowing for a shorter period, say 10 years, and can result in significant savings for the charities and their residents. We believe this is in the best interest of residents who occupy the new homes, because it spreads the cost of the loans more equitably amongst the residents who will benefit.?

Dermot Bates, Director at Fincch and former PwC partner says,

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"T here has been plenty of gloom and doom around the UK care industry since Southern Cross, but there are also some real success stories too.

CCIF is obvious and revolutionary at the same time - a dedicated "go to" fund for charitable care.

We're certainly the first in the UK, and probably Europe too, and the model can be applied to other types of not-for-profit activity.

We'd love to hear from anyone with a committment to charitable care, as well as institutions who really are interested in investingfor good. T here'swork to be done!"

CCI F provides an attractive and socially valuable mechanism for pension funds seeking to match their long term liabilities, and diversify their investment portfolios by placing large investments into smaller loans for individual charities.

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ONCE I'VE GONE T hee free Online Service promisesto Capture Memoriesand Final Wishesof Loved Ones.

ON CE I 'V E GON E

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M embership of www.onceivegone.com is free of charge and the website is appealing to a myriad of individuals who wish to organise their affairs, in a clear and simple way, allowing them to make the most of their time with loved ones. ?Once I've Gone? founder, Ian Dibb created the concept behind the service following the loss of his mother, which he found to be extremely emotional and practically difficult, especially with regards to locating his mother?s will and other legal documents, whilst ensuring her wishes were respected. Like many of those experiencing bereavement, the first Christmas and N ew Year following the passing of Ian?s mother, was the most difficult.

H e yearned to hear his M other?s voice and realised that a personal message from his mum during Christmas time would have been truly comforting, helping him and his family to cope with her loss at that time. Ian?s personal experience, allowed him to create a concept that will provide comfort to other facing heartache and loss by replacing distressing absence with a comforting and warm presence, with the help of ?Once I've Gone?.

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Ian comments: ?Once I've Gone allows you the opportunity to record in writing or on video all of those things that you would like to say to your loved ones, so that they will always know how much you loved and appreciated them. Storing that message on www.onceivegone.com will ensure that the message is safe and secure for the time when your loved ones wish to access it.

What better way to help them cope during that difficult first Christmas, and for other anniversaries, than by leaving a personalised festive message? You could almost say that you are creating a priceless time immemorial Christmas card for your loved ones.?

Founded by Ian Dibb, 'Once I've Gone' aims to enable people across the world to plan for tomorrow, while living today. O ffering a platform from which to record and store wishes ahead of the difficult time after they pass away, the service keeps secure vital documents, to create and keep special memories and plans safe for when loved ones need them most.

For more information about the service or to find out about how to leave a final farewell message, please visit https://onceivegone.com.

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MICHAEL LASSMAN

Com Our Most Und

M ichael Lassman is the founding director of Equality Edge, a diversity and communication agency that helps organisations to meet the challenges of functioning in the 21st Century. H e has thirty years of experience as a diversity practitioner; and has developed a project called ?Working with Difference? to help clients achieve their potential by developing smoother communication patterns throughout their organisation.

O ther projects on offer are ?M en in M anagement?, designed to help men to improve the way they manage women or be managed by them and ?Leading from W ithin?, which enables the individual to explore aspects of their personality that impact on their leadership style. Services are provided through coaching, workshop or public speaking.

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Summary: According to M ichael Lassman, "communication is the oil that makes all the machinery of modern business work smoothly.?

Lassman explains that a huge communication deficit lies within many organisations, which can have an underlying impact on an employee's attitude, behaviour and performance, often hindering a business?overall success.

Fortunately, Lassman offers a simple solution for helping businesses make their dreams of cooperation and consensus in the workplace, become a reality- by addressing the most undervalued yet fundamental competence: communication.

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Com Our Most Und

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involving a substantial payment and a good reference on the understanding that there will be no legal proceeding and no divulgence of the agreement ? usually a process that cost the organisation thousands of pounds. H owever, this may well be a direct result of poor communication and the solution is attainable once the signs have been read.

A principal decision-maker has to decide that the organisation will address any communication deficiencies, knowing that success in this would reap massive rewards for all concerned. Traditional communications training may work but invariably the problems lie deep-rooted in the organisation?s culture and the fix is not as simple as a workshop or two. It is generally acknowledged that culture is only a composite of the attitudes and behaviours of people within the organisation and it is these that need to be addressed.

Each of us, as a unique individual, is made up of a complex series of characteristics, personality traits and value. Yet, when we arrive at work we are expected to become a homogenous group ? the staff team with shared visions and outlooks.

T his cannot, and does not, happen and it may well be the group expectation that causes breakdowns of communication between its individuals in the first place, which may potentially lead to more serious conflicts.

Solutions can be found in the development of systemic improvements in communication. T he staff team, no matter their managerial level, need to engage in an exploration into personal communication; what they say and how they say it, what they hear and how they listen; too often what is said is not what is heard. In essence a huge sharing exercise is recommended.

Relationships are forged between people, not between colleagues. Team building is about individual and personal connection. M anagers too are not exempt, as they usually say they

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don?t have the time to find out about the real person that sits across the desk. Is it any wonder that difficult and dysfunctional managerial relationships exist?

Generally managers say that they get on with most of their team, but there is always one person who causes them difficulties.

Case Study - David was a recently appointed director of a sales team in a large company and was struggling to build a relationship with Malcolm, a senior member of his team. After several month of trying, their relationship had completely broken down and the organisation was about to begin a disciplinary process against Malcom who they saw him as a trouble maker. As a large ditch effort to avoid a difficult situation from getting out of hand, a three session coaching programme wascommissioned.

Following a ?Working with Difference? model, the coach worked exclusively with Malcolm in the first session, in which he talked more about himself than his work.

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Cint hya Quij ano

Cinthya Q uijano, the founder of Change Differently and the passion behind it all. Born in M exico, she has always loved making a difference to people's lives. After more than 10 years of experience in the workplace both as an internal and external consultant she found that many organisations were sabotaging their success by not looking beyond the next 12 months.

Cont act Cinthya: cquijano@changedifferently.com

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Change Dif f er ent ly, Fund Dif f er ent ly: Chal l enging t he st at us quo of Consul t ing W hat isthe first thingyou think of when you hear the word "change" within an organisation? Do you think of moving "boxes", cutting costs, or doing more with less? Change has become a dirty word within organisational life.

O rganisations are squeezing every last bit of energy out of their employees to get results N OW without thinking about the future.

T his is not a sustainable nor ethical way to drive business success. It leaves employees tired, resentful, and with no drive nor loyalty, affecting the very thing organisations were fighting for in the first place, their results.

It is time to challenge the status quo, and embrace inclusivity, engagement, and the talent of the number one asset in organisations, people. It's time to Change Differently.

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DR. Ian Dodds, FRSA

An Incl usiv e, Whol e Syst ems Appr oach Is Key To Del iv er ing Maj or Change I first learned the importance of an inclusive, whole systems approach when I was working with an international chemicals business employing 11,000 people globally and it was unprofitable.

I an specialises in transfor m ational change, leadership, organisation, people developm ent and equalit y and diversit y and inclusion m anagem ent to enable his clients to reap the per for m ance benefits by building high per for m ance, engaging and inclusive cultures.

I an is a regular, inter national speaker at conferences, an elected, facult y m em ber of the N T L I nstitute of A pplied Behavioural Science. H e has been listed in W ho?s W ho as a Business L eader of the M illennium .

H e w as a m em ber of the advisory m anagem ent developm ent bodies of L ondon, M anchester and M ichigan Business Schools and he is a m em ber of the Gur u Steer ing Group of the Engage for Success M ovem ent.

I an holds an M A (O xon), PhD , Cer t Ed (w ith distinction) and is a Fellow of the Royal Societ y of A r ts and a Fellow of the Royal 32 M eteorological Societ y

T he CEO was tasked with returning it to profitability in 3 years. H e believed that its problems were caused by it not meeting the needs of its customers; because it was too inwards looking and technically focused.

We began by setting up a Fighting for the Customer (FFT C) Steering Group.

T he FFT C Steering Group was given a remit to devise a vision and strategy for success to deliver the mission of returning the business to profitability in 3 years by it becoming much more customer facing and responsive.

It was chaired by the Sales Director and was comprised of senior managers from across the business. T he FFT C Steering Group decided that it would find out what the business needed to do to fight for the customer by interviewing purchasing representatives from the 20% of the customers that generated 80% of the business?s turnover.

T his demonstrated that customers required it to deliver R ight on Time, i.e. the right products in the right quantities and with the correct labelling, and these had to be delivered on time; often within 24 hours of the order being received.

It decided to approach this by building what was to be an inclusive culture and taking a whole systems approach.

It did this by: 1. Developing a vision of future success of a profitable business in 3 years? time based on right on time delivery to its customers.

T his vision was agreed with the leadership team and was then cascaded down the management lines and every manager was required to obtain feedback from their team members of what would help and what would hinder the delivery of the vision.

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Pol it ics an

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Op i n i on Der ek Bat es, FRSA

immigr at ion and ent er pr ise We are all in awe of the dynamism of the U S economy. Virtually all the major software companies ? Google, Facebook, Twitter, E-Bay, PayPal, Apple etc. etc, are based in U SA and also largely originate from Silicon Valley. Why is this?

O ne reason is that the nation grew from immigration and anyone who permanently leaves their own country to go to a foreign land has drive and ambition.

Even though emigration to America started many hundreds of years ago, that same culture is still evident and is revitalised as new immigrants arrive.

Britain has benefited enormously from immigration even though sometimes it has been the results of hostile invasions as with the Romans who laid down a network of roads and introduced many innovations.

Derek Bates, FR SA author of political novel Shadowsin the Wall and well respected M aterials Scientist takes the lead in his own column, where he discusses his thoughts on current affairs, society and politics.

H e is also an advocate for digital democracy and tax simplification. To find out more information on Derek please visit: www.reflective-productions.com www.mtechltd.co.uk or email derek@reflective-productions.com derek@mtechltd.co.uk

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T he N orman Conquest further extended the cultural richness which we see, for example in our cathedrals and Gothic architecture. Cultural diversity can be seen in the Spitalfields area, settled largely by oppressed H uguenot silk weavers fleeing oppression in France and Jewish immigrants from R ussian pogroms of the 19th century.

T he U K and particularly London is recognised as a centre for cultural diversity and entrepreneurial activity. To a large extent, this is the result of the influx of immigrants over the past decades Young people come to this country because of its diversity. T he Silicon roundabout, which some think will challenge Silicon Valley in California is the location for large number of enterprising young people from R ussia, Brazil, India, Pakistan, and, in fact from most of the world?s nations including, incidentally, the U SA. 37

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Opin ion

THE ME MEME OF U nless you?ve been blind to the world?s affairs in the last few weeks, there?s no escaping the hideous speculate of faux pas and venal sound-bites that M r. Donald Trump has inflicted on the world during his presidential campaign. And it appears that his vitriol extends into many quarters ? where M exicans, M uslims and even the British have all been the targets of his wrath. Amongst his gems is the assertion that M exico will bring its ?drugs, crime and its rapists to the U SA?, and that ?there should be a total ban on M uslims? from entering his country. But probably, his most risible observation was the suggestion that ?London is so radicalised that police are afraid of their own lives!?

T he British public strongly reacted to this ill-informed and highly divisive statement, and a campaign to ban M r. Trump from this country (on the grounds on hate speech) resulted in a petition which has proved to be the most popular in British history - having been signed, so far, by over 560,000 people. In his own irreverent style, M r. Trump?s retort consisted of a quite ludicrous outburst aimed at bashing English culture ? where crass comments were made about our tea drinking habits, our love of football, and how we were defeated during the American Revolution!

T hen there was M r. Trump?s interesting interpretation of the demographic make-up of those who signed the petition, where apparently ?every signature belonged to either a M uslim or a H indu?!

O f course, the obvious stupidity, racism and bigotry that pervades his campaign makes it easy to see M r. Trump as the petulant clown that he is, where every comment reflects a pathological need for attention ? like a spoilt child who ?acts-out? to get a reaction from his parents. Yet, national polling figures suggest he is the decisive Republican frontrunner, with latest figures giving him a clear 38 per cent lead! So why exactly is this man so popular amongst the American public?

I believe that the answer to this question lies partly in a simple irrefutable fact - M r. Trump is a celebrity! And, I think it's fair to say that the American populace loves celebrities, and wants to relate to them regardless of how absurdly they can behave! I also believe that M r. Trump is very effective at stage-managing his public appearances to gain the sympathies of a growing population who are pessimistic about the future of their country and want simple solutions to their problems. Indeed, it seems that his rhetoric reflects the meanderings of a man who puts crass impression strategies before logical thought, to impress the swathes of ?Mericans? he counts as his loyal followers.

Dr. M ichael Babula from the U niversity of Greenwich believes that a large part of M r.

Trump?s appeal is associated with knowing his audience, suggesting that ?Trump is interesting.

H e acts as though he is anti-intellectual, but that may be needed to appeal to a population which is socialised to be dumbed down!?

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regarded as his trump card! N o matter how appalling his statements, or how controversial his proposeolicies appear to be, it seems that nothing, so far, has burst the

Opin ion

THE ME MEME OF

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Chris?s unconscious mind may have contained memories of the domestic abuse that he witnessed as a child, which could have re-surfaced when fame became too much for him ? causing him to lash out in a number of different ways.

From a humanistic perspective, I would suggest that Chris?s background did not promote a climate of un-conditional positive regard (U PR ) where he was valued for what he was - regardless of the extent to which his behaviours were approved or dis-approved. T his was partly due to the fact that he was not raised in a growth-promoting environment as a child, but rather subjected to emotional and physical abuse from his family. As Chris was not in a position to offer U PR in his intimate relationship with R ihanna, this may have manifested in the abuse he directed towards her.

By de-constructing Chris?s behaviour from different counselling-based approaches, it might be easy to say that his actions are the result of a dysfunctional background, where his anti-social and abusive behaviour are the by-product of emotionally impoverished upbringing. H owever, I have to say that I simply don?t buy this viewpoint. T here are countless examples of celebrities who have endured horrendous domestic abusive as youngers, yet have become well-rounded individuals who couldn?t match Chris in terms of infractions with the law. For instance, Christina Aguilera was emotionally and physically abused by her father in her formative years, Tyler Perry endured physical abuse at the hands of his own father (and sexual abuse from several adults who were present during his childhood), O prah W infrey suffered from sexual abuse whilst growing up as a youngster in M ilwaukee and Chevy Chase tolerated horrendous abuse from his own mother and his stepfather.

Yet, unlike these other artistes, the history of violence and anti-social behaviour that seems to have defined Chris?s life does not seem to have abated. T he findings of a probation report (prior to his release from a correctional facility) attributed his conduct to an untreated mental health disorder, severe sleep deprivation, inappropriate self-medication and post-traumatic stress disorder. But there is little evidence to suggest that Chris has confronted his demons, and taken positive steps to rectify his behaviour.

And this leads me to ask a rather predictable question. Why do people still actually like Chris?

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I believe that the answer to this is lies in a dichotomy between how celebrity figures (like Chris) are perceived, and how they have become idolised for the wrong reasons.

T he separation between Chris Brown (as an individual) and the outward manifestation of his professional identity (through his music and television appearances), may have played an influential role in why he is still lauded as an artiste in the hip hop and R & B genre.

From looking at Chris as an individual, I think it would be fair to say that his conduct has come under attack from many quarters. As an expression of disapproval for his behaviour, a campaign was recently launched in Australia to prevent him touring the country ? sending a message that allowing him to perform would implicitly support his misogynist attitude. And while there is some uncertainty about whether his Australian tour will actually take place, it was made clear that many people will not welcome his presence there. So let?s make no mistake about this, Chris is entirely unpleasant man, with a history of misogyny, violence and anti-social behaviour that most people would find intolerable. Yet in spite of this, it appears that the celebrity status which has been ascribed to him have made many people (including his numerous impressionable fans) disregard his obnoxious behaviour.

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Ex pl or ing Amber Nif ong's Macabr e Aest het ic Cont act Amber amber.nif ong@gmail.com ht tp://www.anif ong.com

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Design Thinking!

"D esign is the method of putting form a multiple definitions; there is no single d aesthetics. D esign is so simple, t

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Design Thinking!

"D esign is the method of putting form a multiple definitions; there is no single d aesthetics. D esign is so simple, t

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The QUINTESSENTIALLY BRITISH Br and Mer ging T

In a world of novel design and abstract furnishing H iggs & Crick create timeless elegance for the modern man.

We explore their brand, brotherhood and radically traditional British style.

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T he H artley brothers have set out to create a British interiors brand that represents all that is great about the nation; they have lived and travelled all over the world but their hearts have always remained quintessentially British.

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The QUINTESSENTIALLY BRITISH Br and Mer ging T

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Behind t heBr and

Benjamin Hartley, co-founder, citizen of the world and ex-Royal Navy helicopter pilot, who used his military experience for Hollywood.

William Hartley, co-founder, citizen of the world and former BBC journalist and teacher for the Stephen Perse Foundation.

T he ?Gift Guide?feature on the H iggs & Crick website provides you with a convenient way of finding the most unique, authentic and luxurious products, allowing you to fast-track the laborious and strenuous task of finding a special, one of a kind gift, that your loved one will undoubtedly adore.

To find more information on this new and exclusive exquisite interiors brand, please visit: https://higgsandcrick.com/ contact: press@higgsandcrick.com In the meantime we've highlighted just a few examples for you.

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NATURE

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A: M y publisher Denny Taylor asked me to send a list of unusually spelled words to help their copy-editor and told me, to my amazement, that there were over a thousand! T his was because of my small modifications to add dramatic effect or sonic richness, like including a hyphen or an unusual form to make the words sound more musical. Instead of writing ?he acted kindly? I might say "he acted kindness-ly". I also, James Joyce-like, played around with the (usual) order of words or used nouns as verbs and vice versa,or a rhythmic run of phonically associated words ? a bit like H opkins?wonderfully echoing poetry.

I realise now that when I made these changes in the novel I was trying to make the rhythm and acoustic impact sound right - more poetic, more African.

Q : Did your experiences and origins shape the novel?

A: Yes, very much so. I went to school in York travelling three times a year from my birthplace in U lster, naturally with a (to me beautiful, poetic) U lster accent. M y ?elocution?lessons were meant to get rid of it (huh!) but actually we just enjoyed reading Tennyson, Yeats, Shakespeare and more. Aloud. We also had to learn, and repeat, ?texts?from the Bible before breakfast every morning ? I thought I had forgotten them but they, or allusions to them, constantly surface in the novel. It was from that, I think, that I learned, unawares really, that literature isn?t just written text, it is also the sound of the words.

In O xford too, as an undergraduate, I learned the feel of the oral, the spoken words so crucial in classical literature. So I was already somehow attuned to hearing African stories.

story, but because of that, I suppose, it just happened.

But I now see that it is a spiritual tale too, the voyage of the soul, the butterfly, re-created in the dreamed black print of the novel.

I am also profoundly influenced by music. I guess that dates back to my parent?s music-making (my father a violinist, my mother singing me to sleep with the lovely ?Garten mother?s lullaby?). It must also come from the many years, as child and adult, that I have spent singing (rather badly! but loving it) in choirs.

M usic is something you cannot capture in black ink. But you can use words ? specially in poetry to try to create rhythm and beautiful sound, and that, true to my Irish, African and H omeric foundations, is what I have tried to do in ?Black Inked Pearl?.

For more information on Black Inked Pearl visit: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=JxYo2bKbmJw To purchase the novel please visit Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk /Black-Inked-Pearl- Girls-Q uest/dp/1942146175 To read 'What's H ot London's review of Black Inked Pearl please visit http://whatshotlondon.co.uk/black-inked-pearl -book-launch/

Later I wrote a book called ?Why Do We Quote??

- nobody had really asked that question. From that I learned that voices from the past are deeply significant for how we experience our lives as we learn from ancient voices. And more: we take responsibility for those voices, making them, anew, our own. In them we are both us and them, here and there, near and far ? liminal again!

Q : T he theme of love echoes through the novel.

Why is it so important?

A: As a child I read many Andrew Lang fairy tales, and tragedies in Greek and Celtic mythology. Shakespeare sonnets too, still so close to my heart. Love comes through in so many books and songs. I didn?t set out to create a love 62

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Lisa Jane Founder of Hollistic Honnies tells us why Ext er nal Happiness Is Not Sust ainabl e?

We seem to be living in an age where we are becoming more reliant on external things to bring us happiness, and this simply is not sustainable. O nly 10% of our happiness is controlled by external influences, 50% comes from our genes, what we inherited from our parents and 40% comes from us, how to choose to manage ourselves and our general outlook to life.

If only 10% of our happiness is controlled by external factors why are so many of us chasing that external happiness hit? So, you decided to buy a new fancy mobile phone, just the thought of buying it gets you all excited and filled with happiness, and then you manage to get the money together to buy it.

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H appy, is what you choose to be. Be it!

Live it! Feel it! We need to learn how to be happy with everything we have and everything we do not have. H aving ?things? and waiting for the ?perfect time? to be happy will never sustain our happiness. So how can we live in this modern materialistic world and sustain our happiness?

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AChangeof Space - sar ah McAl l ist er Sarah is the founder of one of the U K ?s longest est ablished Feng Shui D esign com panies w w w.fengshuiagency.com and clients include Westm inster Council, R ed Bull, Sm ileyworld and O xford Universit y.

Classical Feng Shui is an ancient form of Environmental Psychology and Bio-mimicry, and is really about expanding your worldview to embrace the unity of the human world with the natural world - a kind of grokking of the energetics of life-force which allows us to pierce the veil of illusion of separation and become engaged in a dynamic relationship with the world around us.

T he developed world often isolates the individual and has a cult of the ego that makes it ok to slaughter tribes or cut down rainforest in pursuit of profits, because of a desensitised soul.

But in reconnecting to the sentience of nature we expose a powerful vulnerability that creates an awareness shift and creates leaders who motivate others by sharing a compelling vision rather than dictating mandates. T hey are present to possibilities beyond the visible.

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T hey are connected to source. T hey are connected to life.

We move away from the vertical hierarchies of domination and control, towards the language of ?pods? and ?hives? as principles of nature?s organisational and design structures (biophilia) are seeding into our understanding of organisation and collective culture.

T he ancient Chinese contributed hugely to the world of natural healing, and the understanding of the mysterious life-force energy, with their Traditional Chinese M edicine of which, Feng Shui is one of the 8 Brocades, and was used primarily for health related concerns when all else had failed, because it was understood that a person?s environment could cause an imbalance in their chi.

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French Graffiti A r tist Capie Talks about

Love & C reation When we arrive at the artist?s apartment, his paintings are everywhere. T he ones that are completed are hung on the wall, the ones still in progress are all over the place. Colours are ubiquitous: on the walls, the floor, the couch, the shelf, and even on his sweater- although, it isn?t the paintings that instantly captures our attention.

T he artist?s smile, that welcomes us in, is as big as the paint stains on his sweater, which immediately creates a pleasantly warm atmosphere. H is quirky style and spirited demeanour are captured in his edgy and captivating paintings. Capie soon explains that the long sentences written on his kitchen wall reflect his philosophy: ?serenity is queen?. But if he appears serene now, he had to work hard to achieve this calm.

In fact, he went through different phases and faced many obstacles to succeed in the street art world. As a drawing enthusiast, from when he was old enough to hold a pen, Capie decided that upon leaving middle school, he would delve into the world of graffiti, to create his own identity. But, he quickly realised that there was little in common between his techniques as a drawer, and his aspirations of becoming a graffiti artist.

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