7gen Bloc

On July 26th Fortune Magazine published a cover story on Wal-Mart under the banner “Wal-Mart Saves the Planet, Well Not Quite…” Something is going on here that I’m not quite sure we understand. Whether you believe Wal-Mart is the devil incarnate or are a cheerleader for what they are doing, the truth lies somewhere else. Call me crazy – but I believe this is a bigger, more significant, pattern changing event. We can’t understand it by looking back – we need to understand it as a new possibility that is rushing toward us. The future in the making.

Seventh Generation honored the Haudenosaunee (the Iroquois’ preferred name for themselves) for the gift of our name by helping out at Ganondagan’s 15th Annual Native American Dance & Music Festival and donating some dollars as a corporate sponsor. Lee and her family, Brian, Luke, and Alex, and Carl and Laurie represented Seventh Generation, with Bec and Gregor each donating their time to make our sponsorship happen.

The second in a series of on the road interviews with the many to find the Inspired Protagonist in the ALL. We have been on the road for 3 days collecting inspired protagonist quote-vlogs from a variety of people. We were at the GreenPeace office on Friday and had a moment with John Passacantando, the Executive Director of GreenPeace, USA. WR

Change It 2006 was finally born on Friday night. And it’s amazing! After nurturing Jeffrey’s idea for over nine months, with the equal support of our partner Greenpeace, we’ve birthed this wonderful program into the world. And now my role has changed – I've become the Seventh Gen sponge so that I can share the inspiration with you. Below is what I’ve soaked in so far. Day 1 - 10pm

As I read the news these days, it's almost impossible not to come to the conclusion that things are bad and getting worse in a hurry! But as is usually the case, the good news is just harder to find because, well... It doesn’t make very good news. So to brighten up your day, take a look at a story in the July 31st issue of The Nation by Mark Hertsgaard, Green Grows Grassroots. It’s an amazingly thoughtful and hopeful look at how grassroots organizing is making a comeback that is producing some pretty impressive positive change.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but being here has definitely changed me. It's more than the learning and it's more than the experience. I feel moved. Moved to a new place. I am moved to a greater connection with this earth, moved toward a greater appreciation of all things in nature, moved to get out of the 'burbs, moved to convince the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival to compost their trash next year, moved to buy more organic, moved to remove plastic from our house, moved to get my daughters outside every day, and so much more.

Robert, Josh and I are on the road for nine days - we are out to find and video the Inspired Protagonists who roam this fine Earth. To kick our advenure off we did an Intro-film to get us in the groove and meeting the IP's of Burlington. The stars of the film are Grace and Camie (too darn good, really). WR

“Presencing constitutes a third type of seeing, beyond seeing external reality and beyond seeing from within the living whole. It is seeing from within the source from which the future whole is emerging, peering back at the present from the future. In these moments, we can feel linked to our highest future possibility and destiny.” From Presence by Peter M. Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers.