Tag Archives: Education

Love-In-Action Taos Builds Winter Momentum Through Film Screenings

Rivera Sun introducing Gasland film at Moby Dickens Bookshop.

Love-In-Action Taos is activism at high-altitude … which means the winters are cold and snowy. We don’t do so much protesting outdoors during this season, but we keep active anyway! This winter, we’re screening documentaries at the local bookstore, Moby Dickens. We’ve selected a few films out of the thousands our group has collectively seen. Here’s the line-up for the next few months. Popcorn will be served (vegan and nonvegan, GMO-free). We accept donations, but no one is turned away.

Full Winter Schedule of Movies At Moby’s:

TheForgottenBomb_KeyArt_DVD.wideaThe Forgotten Bomb Sat, Jan 10th at 7pm w/ filmmaker Bud Ryan speaking afterwards. “Join filmmaker Bud Ryan on an epic journey to discover what the Bomber can learn from the Bombed and what the true state of the nuclear threat is today.” With Los Alamos National Laboratory just down the road and the continuing waste storage crisis at the WIPP facility, this is a timely and relevant film to witness as we enter the 70th year since the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We are also very fortunate to have filmmaker Bud Ryan in attendance, so please tell all your friends! Watch trailer here.

A Force More Powerful Sat, Jan 17th at 7pm This groundbreaking film explores one of the 20th century’s most important but least understood stories: how nonviolent power has overcome oppression and authoritarian rule all over the world. Narrated by Ben Kingsley, and nominated for an Emmy, A Force More Powerful premiered on PBS in September 2000. Watch the trailer.

Gasland Part II, Sat, Feb 7th, at 7pm After the eerie and unsettling Gasland I screening at Moby Dickens, we’re substituting fact for horror in our film series. GASLAND PART II will provide you with a compelling narrative, shocking facts, clear science on the largest domestic drilling campaign in modern history and an understanding of why drilling can never be made safe. From faucets lighting on fire to dead cows to a bevy of healthcare complaints to entire rivers contaminated with waste fracking fluid, this issue is catastrophe wreaking havoc on our nation. Watch the trailer.

the_salt_of_the_earth_poster-2Salt of the Earth, Sat, March 7th, at 7pm Based on an actual strike against the Empire Zinc Mine in New Mexico, the film deals with the prejudice against the Mexican-American workers, who struck to attain wage parity with Anglo workers in other mines and to be treated with dignity by the bosses. In the end, the greatest victory for the workers and their families is the realization that prejudice and poor treatment are conditions that are not always imposed by outside forces. This powerful film is one of the few films to have been blacklisted by the US government. Today, it is considered a masterpiece and a treasure. Rivera’s note: This film is outstanding! Incredible cinematography, good acting, and startlingly progressive message. Watch the original and very entertaining trailer.

Bonus film: Cowspiracy, Mural Room, Friday, April 24 (time TBA & there may be an admission charge.)
“Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret” is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. This film is being presented by the Vegan Meet-up Group as part of their Earth Day event series. *Rivera’s note: Not so much a vegan film as a must-see for anyone concerned about climate change. We made an exception in our Moby’s series to include this film because it’s so important for everyone to know about, watch, and tell their friends about. It’s life-changing.Watch the trailer.

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“Seeds of Change Workshop” – Rivera Sun’s Powerful Workshop on Strategic Nonviolent Action

Seeds-of-Change-WorkshopLove-In-Action co-founder Rivera Sun brings her powerful workshop to Taos, NM before embarking on a 40+ city tour. Not local to Taos? You’re in luck! She’s on her way to you … and she’s also teaching Love-in-Action Workshops. See her full tour schedule and contact her here.

Come to the Seeds of Change Workshop on Sat, Jan 24th 2-6pm at Moby Dickens Bookshop, Taos, NM:

Ordinary people like you have made change using the tools of Dr. King, Gandhi, Jesus, and Cesar Chavez. Learn these strategies for change and apply them in your community. This workshop covers the basic dynamics and strategies of nonviolent action. Participants discover how to envision and build campaigns, become familiar with the 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action, the Pillars of Support, the Spectrum of Allies, and learn to connect the dots between the many issues our communities face. Bring your friends, neighbors, elders, and students. Together we’ll explore how ordinary people can make extraordinary change!

$30/person, 4hrs long, Facilitated by Rivera Sun
Register at the door or by calling (575) 776-3973 (scholarships available, please call.)

 

Pssst … here’s Rivera Sun’s Love-In-Action Workshop description. Very exciting!

Heroes 1 Group ShotLove-In-Action for the Times We’re In! Workshop w/ Rivera Sun
Love in action is the phrase used by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Buddhist monk and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, to describe what happens when “the heart bursts open and springs into action!” This workshop brings you hope, courage, and practical skills for being love in action. Drawing from inspiring stories of nonviolent action, you’ll learn how to bring people together, create a plan, and become a vibrant part of the growing Movement of Movements that is sweeping across the nation and into our lives!

See her full tour schedule and contact her here.

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Love-In-Action Taos Talks About “The Issues”

 

A Love-In-Action Taos Note From Rivera Sun

A Love-In-Action Taos Note From Rivera Sun

At the last Love-In-Action Taos Gathering on April 14, 2014, we enjoyed vegan cookies and a long discussion about “The Issues”. Prior to this gathering, we had decided to hold an open conversation to explore the interwoven problems that we perceive in our world. This built common ground of understanding, and I believe I was not alone in discovering some new perspectives on our situation.

What follows is a very abbreviated list of the subjects/topics we discussed over the two and a half hours. You will notice that discussing the problems stimulated the creativity for finding solutions. I think most – if not all – of us left the meeting inspired, full of thought, and interested in diving in deeper.

I arrived at the meeting with the long flier of events for the upcoming Global Climate Convergence in Taos. Looking at the flier, one of our members, Kimo, (knowing full well how I had pulled these events out of thin air, listed them on the website, and suddenly found the cup over-floweth with rich discussions, talks, and actions) began to ponder the notion of Love-In-Action hosting a series of educational events: theme camps at festivals, workshops, teach-ins, film screenings. I mentioned that Brian Heater, our fellow Love-In-Action Network founder in Salem, OR, had also had this idea. He had considered hosting a Love-In-Action theme camp at an activist gathering coming up this summer.

A taste of Taos. This is a grazing fence on the mesa by Rivera's house.

A taste of Taos. This is a grazing fence on the mesa by Rivera’s house.

Another concept that emerged was the notion of teaching ourselves about nonviolent action, the issues, the solutions, etc. I found myself very intrigued by what would happen if our Love-In-Action group dedicated the time for a weekend immersion. Each of us could present something we found interesting, and also learn from our fellow members.

As we progress, we’ll find out how our Love-In-Action group (and all the groups across the country) expresses its heart in action. The possibilities are endless. Our first action in Taos is to host a Potluck Picnic during the main Convergence Day of our Global Climate Convergence: fending people, spreading picnic blankets, and building community.

We look forward to hearing updates from other Love-In-Action members and groups. It’s easy to post a short note to this website, by the way. Just leave a comment and I (Rivera) will pick it up in a day or so. Thank you! We’re sending you all blessings.

Rivera, Love-In-Action Taos

Notes from our discussion on “The Issues”

Notions:
No time for television. We are the news.
Know your history.
Find the messengers

Issues to explore more deeply:
Fox News as a propaganda machine: why does it work? How does it work?
Income inequality
Wealth controlling politics
Climate Change
Healthcare and Oil & Gas Industries as pillars of support for the controlling elite
Military Industrial Complex
Banning war profiteering
What would an exit strategy for the 1% look like?
How do we take back our culture?
Changing the narrative: How to get away from the GAG Me discussion (Guns, Abortion, Gay Marriage) and into the real issues?
Participatory Democracy
Changing the narrative: Why are economics the central value in civic decision-making?
The role of discourse in democracy
How to grow a movement?
What can we learn from Australia/Bhutan/Norway/Nation X?

Local issues (very partial list):
Water extraction for fossil fuel industry
Climate change impacts
Economic justice

Love-In-Action Ideas:
Love-In-Action theme camps at festivals or activism gatherings.
Weekend workshops
Free Skools
Teach-Ins
Live stream talks
Film Screenings
Report backs from members’ readings, studies, workshops and webinars
TV show screenings of the climate change series “Years of Living Dangerously” (note: 350.org is organizing these, we could easily get involved.)

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