Soon to be re-born on Brighton and Hove Community Radio
Women In The 21st Century broadcast on Thursday 1st May 2008
My guests were Jocelyn Jones, Susie Rees, Sue Cox, Sam Chara and Fiona Martin. Sam sang a song live to a pre-recorded track about half-way through the show.
The aim of the program was to run it as a women's meeting and to avoid a male-style confrontational approach. Too often when the media introduce a topic around which conflict is possible they take the easy route of a discursive or confrontational style, but Vision Shack always attempts to get more deeply into subjects than this, and this was a particularly suitable subject for allowing rather than provoking - for 'empowerment to' rather than 'power over'. I asked Jocelyn to co-host the show by getting the women to introduce themselves to each other and I kept my spoken input to the minimum.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Link to the address on Women by Victorial Covell - introduction read out program
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0307-30.htm
Fiona Searle's community law firm: http://www.ms-solicitors.co.uk/
Jocelyn Jones - Lemon & Honey Club - http://www.creativehealthconnections.com/
Healthy Concerts: http://www.healthyconcerts.com/index/
Sam Chara's Musical site: http://www.samchara.com/
Preparations and thoughts for Vision Shack 7 - Prior to broadcast of Women In The 21st Century
I found the following by doing a Google search on the subject - there was much to do with women in the workplace, but although this is an important issue affecting women in every culture and will figure a little in the show, we will be more concerned with what is women's work as opposed to women competing in a 'male' way (see extract definition of gender terms from Scilla Elworthy's book Power and Sex - A Book About Women) in a male-constructed world. The book by Scilla Elsworthy was lent to me by a woman I meet in my favourite coffee bar and is insightful, highly recommended reading.
The talk below on 21st Century feminism may wax a little lyrical at times, but it contains some important essences to do with women being empowered as women, not as in competition with men. I feel it is a good launching platform for our program on May 1st:
Published on Monday, March 7, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
A 21st Century Feminine-ism
Keynote Address to be Given at the "Gather the Women" Celebration on March 8th, 2005
by Victoria Covell
There is no doubt about it...women all over the world are on the move. Women, responding to a vivid inner calling to make a contribution, are finding a stronger voice. And that voice is the mighty voice of conscience, aligned with compassion. Compassion is the first and final solution for a fading civilization. Women, in a team approach, attend to the collective health by utilizing the collective heart. Many women who now awakening to this crucial period of human evolution are carrying within them the seeds of global transformation. Women of every generation, race, nationality, and ability are poised in potential, waiting for an inner cue to begin a peaceful revolution, to answer the impelling call of evolution. Modern women, utilizing the feminine skills of inclusive nurturing, team work, intuition, compromise, and attention to the long view are now stepping through the matrix of heart to personally model a new approach in every field of endeavour. Invoking the modern myth of the age: the activist of heart, we call forth a feminine precedence of motivation rejuvenated through compassion. It is simply time for "nice girls" everywhere to come out from crouching behind good manners, and standing up with dignity, evolve into women of honour.
In remarkable times, remarkable women are called to come forth. Events are now moving on Earth that require the superior response of feminine love. When the future summons her, the evolutionary woman as the footprint of unfolding destiny, will always respond. Never will she have to say later that she failed only because she had never tried. As 21st century women, we do not look to ancient roles to identify ourselves or our contribution to Earth, as human history is no longer adequate in determining the uniquely feminine imprint of our modern evolutionary work. Women need not search farther for a perfect model of performance than within. It is woman who, practised at hosting gestation, bearing the seed of new idea, successfully transforms energy into life. We are the ones, who impregnable to all that seeks to hold us back, will now walk through the doorway of raw courage on every continent to birth evolutionary change for us all.
Women are now gathering in new nations of intention. The greathearted Mothers of Nations are now called forth to become the great-conscienced leaders of nations. The new birthing grounds of global humanitarian governance will be a "kitchen table diplomacy" where as good bread dough that gets passed around and well kneaded by the hands of many, every voice will have its turn to be heard. Powerful social movements beginning in discussions around the kitchen table of equality while passing the bread of opportunity, will set the new feminine pattern of change in every personal endeavour. Out of the wombs of hearts and hands and homes, women will weave our future story...a future free from hunger, inequality, violence and greed. Free because good women everywhere, who seated at kitchen tables of community, daring to dialogue, daring to lead, will now rise up and leaving their houses of security, birth the compassionate heart out in the streets.
How do we change traditions that are entrenched in the ages? Understand that everything in creation, no matter how entrenched it appears, is constantly in motion. Nothing is fixed. Nothing is set. Everything is open to change, and when "RE-quested" by the passionate heart, everything is possible. At any moment, any entity or process is capable of unfolding, "morphing," blending, and refolding into vital new patterns, to reappear in radically modern and even astonishingly different form. And it is already happening. A few weeks ago I was part of a gathering of women of various generations, races, and nations, meeting in San Francisco to create together, using feminine models, a modern template of creative business, in which each participant had equal turn to be heard. Decisions crafted by teamwork were finalized in consensus. Like ribbons, we daily wove together, in the natural way of women: personal stories, spirituality, ceremony, and business discourse into a strong braid of creation. Silliness was encouraged and tears and laughter abounded. We even changed the language of how business is traditionally conducted. For example, our "business plan" is called a "storybook," and instead of a "CEO who led" us, we were all "co-creators" who "facilitated." From my personal perspective of 25 years in business, I witnessed that because the group had taken the time to first bond in heart, business decisions came quickly through the woman's way of seeking mutuality and compromise above all else!
How do we each personally make a difference, offer a unique contribution? In an interactive galactic dance we are all partners, who like constellation and quark, by moving, effect one another; and by turning, rotate the universe. When one woman in her small and seemingly insignificant life turns, the Great Gears of civilization are activated. No matter how inexperienced or how unknown, when one individual as one gear, turns, it gradually turns those in closest proximity, those it's immediately engaged with, which "in turn" effects a shift for each of its neighbours, and in this way finally alters the entire structure of the great mechanism of society. Yet someone must begin the revolution...a feminine "revolution," a blending of "revolve" and "solution." Someone must be the first in their community to turn. When you make the courageous decision to "turn" locally, you effect the lives of women who you will never know, all across the planet. Yet how many of us, approaching the threshold of our greater destiny, fearing we are not enough, draw back?
To those who say "I do not have sufficient skills or courage," I would respond: No matter how wounded or despairing you may feel, no matter if lacking in finances, education or experience, if you have the heart and the persistence of a woman, yet have ability the only size of a grain of rice, it WILL be enough. Let the tears come. Women have never been afraid of tears, but now we will use them to become a stronger warrior, as tears of grief, tears of anger, when forged by the strength of compassion, become the "armour invincible" of resolve.
So how does this global movement begin? It begins by each woman first finding and then allowing her voice. No longer shall the woman's voice be treated with indifference or derision in the home or in the profession.The evolutionary woman of the 21st century begins her personal campaign to change the world by strongly infiltrating feminine heart and feminine opinion into her daily field of endeavour. When in the past, you remained silent to aggressive ignorance, letting small indignities and large transgressions pass you by, you now no longer remain silent. When in the past, you allowed your womanhood to be in any way diminished, you now no longer tolerate condescension, abuse, or being "disappeared." They can lock us away and sell us as sex slaves, but lookout: WOMEN WILL NOW BE RISING IN DIGNITY. They can attack us in our homes and out in the streets, but watch out: WOMEN WILL BE NOW RISING IN FREEDOM. They can deny us access to leadership but understand: SPIRITED WOMEN WILL NOW BE RISING all the way to the White House! No matter how small a band of women we may appear, united we become a mighty global force. One woman, as a single drop of water, may appear ineffectual, but beware the powerful physics of cohesion. The rising evolutionary wave, whose time has come, is unstoppable.
Women who responding to the needs of the times are now moving to meet together at the headwaters of change. This new movement of women as personal tributaries of intent, are daily, steadily, merging to swell the swiftly flowing rivers of change. Everywhere all over the planet, the eager Women Nations of Earth overwhelming the banks of apathy and pouring down the slopes of discontent, now with both feet, are jumping into the invigorating waters of hope. In a chain of entwining arms and determined hearts, we cast out the great net of compassion across the waters of humanity, to gather in the planetary women. But we, the courageous women of the 21st century, must act now, for the headwaters of evolution which urgently beckon us to take our place in history, will no longer wait.
I challenge the women of the world, gathering together at the headwaters, to boldly cast out the net, the finely meshed fibres of the heart. In this way we will catch the best, boldest and most brilliant ideals and launching them skyward, light up the world.
Victoria Covell is the author of "Spirit Animals" and "The Evolutionary Woman of the 21st Century." victoriacovell@yahoo.com
About and From Scilla Elsworthy's Book: Power and Sex - A Book About Women
Why do a program on women? Some women have said to me. I had exactly the same thought.... that it is as meaningful doing a program on humans! The answer (I think) is that there is such a long history of male dominated societies (stretching back over 3,000 years depending on how it is viewed), not just in terms of politics, roles in society, inequalities etc, but in farming and agriculture and the way cultures and societies have developed - in the preponderance of territorial attitudes which have made war so commonplace and still existent. Freedom and equality of women does not exist by majority in our culture, for competition and separation are still major influences. These are generically 'male' influences, although they can be practised by both genders.
In order to try and dispel the semantic and philosophical misunderstandings that could be created by this apparent 'separatism' between men and women, let me quote from the book by Scilla Ellworthy written in 1992 Power & Sex - a book about women" - but do not be misled by the words Power and Sex, for the book only uses those aspects as a part of its launching platform.
She refers firstly to a different (inner) kind of power than that which we normally associate with the word,namely that of domination (by men over women as in the traditional model which is still quite prevalent in the South and even in some European and Mediterranean cultures as well as in certain demographic groups in the UK, and by women over men as in the "sexy blonde gold-digger" image of the woman who uses her sexual power to ensnare a rich and/or powerful man) and then refers to ancient cultures that worshipped the goddess, the Great Mother and so on. But she goes on to make an important semantic distinction:
"The thing I would like to clarify right at the start is what is meant by women and men, male and female, masculine and feminine. It can be really confusing, because men have a feminine side, and women have a masculine side. But I want to be as clear as I can, so I shall try to use the words 'men' and 'women' when I mean people of those physical genders, 'male' and 'female' when I am describing things pertaining to one gender or the other, and 'feminine' and 'masculine' when I mean a type of response, a characteristic, or a way of doing things.
What this book is not about is the battle of the sexes. I am not interested in warring about power; I am interested in both sexes learning something new. I have no wish to blame men as a sex for what individual men may have done, any more than I wish to blame women as a sex for what individual women have done. What I do know is that the domination of men in our societies over a long period, and the predominance of a distorted male way of doing things, has led to a terrible imbalance. I am deeply interested in how the female/male balance can be re-established.
This book is not about women fighting men to gain the positions men have and do things the way men do them, only better. That is unimaginative, as well as being beside the point. The point is that, when things reach a crisis, we have only really got one way of thinking about power in the West at present, and that is power through domination and control. We have been stuck with these notions of power for over 3,000 years. Until power itself is re-examined, we are only dealing with one model of power. Let us have a look at what we mean by 'power'."
The book then goes on to examine that inner (generically more 'feminine') power which is essentially bound to be one of the motivating forces of what I choose to call progressive feminism. Men are not excluded from this. I would find that proposition patronising and insulting personally as I have spent most of my life pursuing and engaging with, teaching and ushering others into the locality of such inner 'power'. I do not normally use the word power because it is a word much tainted by 3,000 years of Human history. I do not see myself to have any power (I refer you to T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral ). I see myself as an organic, sentient entity that can process many things and not -things. Although, as I have said, I am not a Budd-ist, I have in later years been using the wisdom of the Buddha along with much else that I have engaged with in a more contemporary context.
So this program is not going to begin from some daft notion of 'victim feminism', but it has to acknowledge that 75% of 15 million refugees are women and that, again mostly in the South, illiteracy among women is way bigger than in men - nothing to do with capacity, everything to do with thousands of years of disempowerment. And so on and on - many examples. The program (somewhat ambitiously) will attempt to both recognise the terrible inequalities that still exist while at the same time celebrating the true inner power of women or the 'feminine' way of doing things and the need for that power (the same power/will that is at the root of most positive grass-roots movements for change) as a baseline for all our futures.
The aim of the program was to run it as a women's meeting and to avoid a male-style confrontational approach. Too often when the media introduce a topic around which conflict is possible they take the easy route of a discursive or confrontational style, but Vision Shack always attempts to get more deeply into subjects than this, and this was a particularly suitable subject for allowing rather than provoking - for 'empowerment to' rather than 'power over'. I asked Jocelyn to co-host the show by getting the women to introduce themselves to each other and I kept my spoken input to the minimum.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Link to the address on Women by Victorial Covell - introduction read out program
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0307-30.htm
Fiona Searle's community law firm: http://www.ms-solicitors.co.uk/
Jocelyn Jones - Lemon & Honey Club - http://www.creativehealthconnections.com/
Healthy Concerts: http://www.healthyconcerts.com/index/
Sam Chara's Musical site: http://www.samchara.com/
Preparations and thoughts for Vision Shack 7 - Prior to broadcast of Women In The 21st Century
I found the following by doing a Google search on the subject - there was much to do with women in the workplace, but although this is an important issue affecting women in every culture and will figure a little in the show, we will be more concerned with what is women's work as opposed to women competing in a 'male' way (see extract definition of gender terms from Scilla Elworthy's book Power and Sex - A Book About Women) in a male-constructed world. The book by Scilla Elsworthy was lent to me by a woman I meet in my favourite coffee bar and is insightful, highly recommended reading.
The talk below on 21st Century feminism may wax a little lyrical at times, but it contains some important essences to do with women being empowered as women, not as in competition with men. I feel it is a good launching platform for our program on May 1st:
Published on Monday, March 7, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
A 21st Century Feminine-ism
Keynote Address to be Given at the "Gather the Women" Celebration on March 8th, 2005
by Victoria Covell
There is no doubt about it...women all over the world are on the move. Women, responding to a vivid inner calling to make a contribution, are finding a stronger voice. And that voice is the mighty voice of conscience, aligned with compassion. Compassion is the first and final solution for a fading civilization. Women, in a team approach, attend to the collective health by utilizing the collective heart. Many women who now awakening to this crucial period of human evolution are carrying within them the seeds of global transformation. Women of every generation, race, nationality, and ability are poised in potential, waiting for an inner cue to begin a peaceful revolution, to answer the impelling call of evolution. Modern women, utilizing the feminine skills of inclusive nurturing, team work, intuition, compromise, and attention to the long view are now stepping through the matrix of heart to personally model a new approach in every field of endeavour. Invoking the modern myth of the age: the activist of heart, we call forth a feminine precedence of motivation rejuvenated through compassion. It is simply time for "nice girls" everywhere to come out from crouching behind good manners, and standing up with dignity, evolve into women of honour.
In remarkable times, remarkable women are called to come forth. Events are now moving on Earth that require the superior response of feminine love. When the future summons her, the evolutionary woman as the footprint of unfolding destiny, will always respond. Never will she have to say later that she failed only because she had never tried. As 21st century women, we do not look to ancient roles to identify ourselves or our contribution to Earth, as human history is no longer adequate in determining the uniquely feminine imprint of our modern evolutionary work. Women need not search farther for a perfect model of performance than within. It is woman who, practised at hosting gestation, bearing the seed of new idea, successfully transforms energy into life. We are the ones, who impregnable to all that seeks to hold us back, will now walk through the doorway of raw courage on every continent to birth evolutionary change for us all.
Women are now gathering in new nations of intention. The greathearted Mothers of Nations are now called forth to become the great-conscienced leaders of nations. The new birthing grounds of global humanitarian governance will be a "kitchen table diplomacy" where as good bread dough that gets passed around and well kneaded by the hands of many, every voice will have its turn to be heard. Powerful social movements beginning in discussions around the kitchen table of equality while passing the bread of opportunity, will set the new feminine pattern of change in every personal endeavour. Out of the wombs of hearts and hands and homes, women will weave our future story...a future free from hunger, inequality, violence and greed. Free because good women everywhere, who seated at kitchen tables of community, daring to dialogue, daring to lead, will now rise up and leaving their houses of security, birth the compassionate heart out in the streets.
How do we change traditions that are entrenched in the ages? Understand that everything in creation, no matter how entrenched it appears, is constantly in motion. Nothing is fixed. Nothing is set. Everything is open to change, and when "RE-quested" by the passionate heart, everything is possible. At any moment, any entity or process is capable of unfolding, "morphing," blending, and refolding into vital new patterns, to reappear in radically modern and even astonishingly different form. And it is already happening. A few weeks ago I was part of a gathering of women of various generations, races, and nations, meeting in San Francisco to create together, using feminine models, a modern template of creative business, in which each participant had equal turn to be heard. Decisions crafted by teamwork were finalized in consensus. Like ribbons, we daily wove together, in the natural way of women: personal stories, spirituality, ceremony, and business discourse into a strong braid of creation. Silliness was encouraged and tears and laughter abounded. We even changed the language of how business is traditionally conducted. For example, our "business plan" is called a "storybook," and instead of a "CEO who led" us, we were all "co-creators" who "facilitated." From my personal perspective of 25 years in business, I witnessed that because the group had taken the time to first bond in heart, business decisions came quickly through the woman's way of seeking mutuality and compromise above all else!
How do we each personally make a difference, offer a unique contribution? In an interactive galactic dance we are all partners, who like constellation and quark, by moving, effect one another; and by turning, rotate the universe. When one woman in her small and seemingly insignificant life turns, the Great Gears of civilization are activated. No matter how inexperienced or how unknown, when one individual as one gear, turns, it gradually turns those in closest proximity, those it's immediately engaged with, which "in turn" effects a shift for each of its neighbours, and in this way finally alters the entire structure of the great mechanism of society. Yet someone must begin the revolution...a feminine "revolution," a blending of "revolve" and "solution." Someone must be the first in their community to turn. When you make the courageous decision to "turn" locally, you effect the lives of women who you will never know, all across the planet. Yet how many of us, approaching the threshold of our greater destiny, fearing we are not enough, draw back?
To those who say "I do not have sufficient skills or courage," I would respond: No matter how wounded or despairing you may feel, no matter if lacking in finances, education or experience, if you have the heart and the persistence of a woman, yet have ability the only size of a grain of rice, it WILL be enough. Let the tears come. Women have never been afraid of tears, but now we will use them to become a stronger warrior, as tears of grief, tears of anger, when forged by the strength of compassion, become the "armour invincible" of resolve.
So how does this global movement begin? It begins by each woman first finding and then allowing her voice. No longer shall the woman's voice be treated with indifference or derision in the home or in the profession.The evolutionary woman of the 21st century begins her personal campaign to change the world by strongly infiltrating feminine heart and feminine opinion into her daily field of endeavour. When in the past, you remained silent to aggressive ignorance, letting small indignities and large transgressions pass you by, you now no longer remain silent. When in the past, you allowed your womanhood to be in any way diminished, you now no longer tolerate condescension, abuse, or being "disappeared." They can lock us away and sell us as sex slaves, but lookout: WOMEN WILL NOW BE RISING IN DIGNITY. They can attack us in our homes and out in the streets, but watch out: WOMEN WILL BE NOW RISING IN FREEDOM. They can deny us access to leadership but understand: SPIRITED WOMEN WILL NOW BE RISING all the way to the White House! No matter how small a band of women we may appear, united we become a mighty global force. One woman, as a single drop of water, may appear ineffectual, but beware the powerful physics of cohesion. The rising evolutionary wave, whose time has come, is unstoppable.
Women who responding to the needs of the times are now moving to meet together at the headwaters of change. This new movement of women as personal tributaries of intent, are daily, steadily, merging to swell the swiftly flowing rivers of change. Everywhere all over the planet, the eager Women Nations of Earth overwhelming the banks of apathy and pouring down the slopes of discontent, now with both feet, are jumping into the invigorating waters of hope. In a chain of entwining arms and determined hearts, we cast out the great net of compassion across the waters of humanity, to gather in the planetary women. But we, the courageous women of the 21st century, must act now, for the headwaters of evolution which urgently beckon us to take our place in history, will no longer wait.
I challenge the women of the world, gathering together at the headwaters, to boldly cast out the net, the finely meshed fibres of the heart. In this way we will catch the best, boldest and most brilliant ideals and launching them skyward, light up the world.
Victoria Covell is the author of "Spirit Animals" and "The Evolutionary Woman of the 21st Century." victoriacovell@yahoo.com
About and From Scilla Elsworthy's Book: Power and Sex - A Book About Women
Why do a program on women? Some women have said to me. I had exactly the same thought.... that it is as meaningful doing a program on humans! The answer (I think) is that there is such a long history of male dominated societies (stretching back over 3,000 years depending on how it is viewed), not just in terms of politics, roles in society, inequalities etc, but in farming and agriculture and the way cultures and societies have developed - in the preponderance of territorial attitudes which have made war so commonplace and still existent. Freedom and equality of women does not exist by majority in our culture, for competition and separation are still major influences. These are generically 'male' influences, although they can be practised by both genders.
In order to try and dispel the semantic and philosophical misunderstandings that could be created by this apparent 'separatism' between men and women, let me quote from the book by Scilla Ellworthy written in 1992 Power & Sex - a book about women" - but do not be misled by the words Power and Sex, for the book only uses those aspects as a part of its launching platform.
She refers firstly to a different (inner) kind of power than that which we normally associate with the word,namely that of domination (by men over women as in the traditional model which is still quite prevalent in the South and even in some European and Mediterranean cultures as well as in certain demographic groups in the UK, and by women over men as in the "sexy blonde gold-digger" image of the woman who uses her sexual power to ensnare a rich and/or powerful man) and then refers to ancient cultures that worshipped the goddess, the Great Mother and so on. But she goes on to make an important semantic distinction:
"The thing I would like to clarify right at the start is what is meant by women and men, male and female, masculine and feminine. It can be really confusing, because men have a feminine side, and women have a masculine side. But I want to be as clear as I can, so I shall try to use the words 'men' and 'women' when I mean people of those physical genders, 'male' and 'female' when I am describing things pertaining to one gender or the other, and 'feminine' and 'masculine' when I mean a type of response, a characteristic, or a way of doing things.
What this book is not about is the battle of the sexes. I am not interested in warring about power; I am interested in both sexes learning something new. I have no wish to blame men as a sex for what individual men may have done, any more than I wish to blame women as a sex for what individual women have done. What I do know is that the domination of men in our societies over a long period, and the predominance of a distorted male way of doing things, has led to a terrible imbalance. I am deeply interested in how the female/male balance can be re-established.
This book is not about women fighting men to gain the positions men have and do things the way men do them, only better. That is unimaginative, as well as being beside the point. The point is that, when things reach a crisis, we have only really got one way of thinking about power in the West at present, and that is power through domination and control. We have been stuck with these notions of power for over 3,000 years. Until power itself is re-examined, we are only dealing with one model of power. Let us have a look at what we mean by 'power'."
The book then goes on to examine that inner (generically more 'feminine') power which is essentially bound to be one of the motivating forces of what I choose to call progressive feminism. Men are not excluded from this. I would find that proposition patronising and insulting personally as I have spent most of my life pursuing and engaging with, teaching and ushering others into the locality of such inner 'power'. I do not normally use the word power because it is a word much tainted by 3,000 years of Human history. I do not see myself to have any power (I refer you to T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral ). I see myself as an organic, sentient entity that can process many things and not -things. Although, as I have said, I am not a Budd-ist, I have in later years been using the wisdom of the Buddha along with much else that I have engaged with in a more contemporary context.
So this program is not going to begin from some daft notion of 'victim feminism', but it has to acknowledge that 75% of 15 million refugees are women and that, again mostly in the South, illiteracy among women is way bigger than in men - nothing to do with capacity, everything to do with thousands of years of disempowerment. And so on and on - many examples. The program (somewhat ambitiously) will attempt to both recognise the terrible inequalities that still exist while at the same time celebrating the true inner power of women or the 'feminine' way of doing things and the need for that power (the same power/will that is at the root of most positive grass-roots movements for change) as a baseline for all our futures.
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