THE BIG PICTURE
by Irene Wareing
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Martin Luther King once said, "If you don't have a dream worth dying for, you don't have a dream worth living for."

I have a dream. This dream began with a connection to a group of women (and some men) around the world through the Internet, who had a common purpose: to find ways to lobby Governments around the world to promote peace and put an end to all future wars. The end purpose of this discussion was that a delegation would be sent to the United Nations to talk to the world leaders about a Peace Charter and that the money used for armaments would be put into projects to ensure that every person on this planet would have access to food, medicine and education.

This is still a basic tenet of that original plan, however, some within the group are now taking on a much bigger task, to change the way in which we live: to dismantle the whole apparatus of global politics; to take on the multi-national companies and their globalisation policies, by looking at consumerism which is their power base and creating reforms that will ensure we buy products and services that do not promote waste and obsolescence to gain future profits. We want to adopt a new monetary system; to change our dependence on oil and oil-based products; to create a sustainable future by changing the way we deal with the environment; to change our system of government by creating smaller self-sustaining, integrated communities with links to other communities; to adopt life-long learning programs in the community so that each child is educated to their full potential and as technological changes in robotics and computerisation impact on the workplace, give adults the tools to adapt to the changes. We want to promote ethical standards for our children to live by and utilise the services of our Elders to give us the benefit of their combined wisdom from their many years of living experience; to integrate them into the community as valued members of that community.

All these issues and many more are being discussed and researched. We are combing the Internet and other sources for the expertise of scientists, engineers, educators and the like, networking with our friends and acquaintances utilising their expertise to find answers to all these ideas and promote new concepts. We are looking at participating in an annual conference to bring resolution to these ideas and to formulate policy and action the outcomes

What if energy could be harnessed from lightning? What if solar power became the basis of a new monetary system? What if farmers could be persuaded to dispense with chemicals and hormones in our food supply and grow crops that would create sustainable industries? Do you know that there are over 300 products that can be made from hemp and that it is also a soil conditioner? What if we had a sustainable transport system that was affordable, fast and efficient to link us to where we wanted to go?

What if, as a result of lifestyle change, we became happier, healthier and productive by eating organic meals, having enough energy credits to provide income for our needs and could reach our potential by engaging in employment that fulfilled us and benefited our communities?

Our current way of living is unhealthy. We can effect change. Networking and a desire for change is all that is needed. All we need is you. As Mahatma Ghandi said, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."

Thank you.

The Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders is an outgrowth of the successful Millennium Peace Summit held at the United Nations in New York City in August, 2000, in which Amma was a key speaker. She gives Darshan in the San Francisco bay area.