Topic: In the face of potentially long-term social distancing orders, how can we seed social wellbeing both individually and collectively?

Cortes Virtual Community Meeting
Apr 14, 2020 05:30
Broadcast live on Cortes Radio - CKTZ 89.5 FM
To participate, register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/uJMqfuCgqjsuyEF06kidrqQLxRtCjjJlww
If you would like to phone in rather than join on-line, please call me at 250-935-0320 and I will give you the call-in number. You do not need a computer to join the meeting but the number is not being posted publicly in an effort to avoid zoom-bombing of the calls.


Prime Minister Trudeau is now saying that to beat Covid-19 it will take months of continued determined effort, staying home, washing your hands, and maintaining your distance. He says that we will have to remain diligent for at least one year. Our health authorities are saying that they recognize that even if we are successful, continued public health measures, including physical distancing, will be required over time to manage future waves.

So now what...?

Even though Cortes is largely comprised of self-sufficient introverts, as humans we are social creatures. We need touch and human connection to be well. Cortes is deeply committed to community, to connection, to gathering, to building a social sense of belonging.

This very moment is clearly a time to be still, to listen, to go into nature, to be with one’s self and closest loved ones. Some of us have the privilege of a good stable home and a garden that calls us to plant seeds. As a society, we are blessed to have so many emergency government programs to help us bridge this time of disruption. In my next article in a couple days, I will outline some of those key programs, including a freeze on all evictions. But these are still challenging times, and acutely so for some of our most vulnerable neighbours. Some do not have a safe place to shelter. Some do not do well alone. Some of us are staring at the inevitable need to change the nature of our work and indeed our lives. All of this disruption begs the larger questions of what portions of our society and economy need to let go, and which other ones need to mature.

How do we do this level of system-wide re-imagining without coming together in person? Or is there a responsible way to do so?

Covid-19 resonates with different people in different ways. Some of you have asked me to read The Coronation by Charles Eisenstein, in which he asks the fundamental question about how much we are willing to give up for how long in the name of ‘flattening the curve’. How much of our humanity do we set aside and at what cost? Some of you strongly believe that we need to take this far more seriously than we already are. Others have been asking me about how we can protect our most medically vulnerable while continuing with our lives – supporting our children to play together, sharing food again.

Then the inevitable question arises about how to do so in a regime that makes it against the law to come together. Others are at the verge already of saying “eff this!” These are all valued perspectives and spur a needed conversation. How can we create a space for real listening and sharing? Some say we need to learn how to do this on-line. Others suggest that we could gather in the school field with raised voices. What think you?

Join the community zoom call to receive a few short community updates and then explore the above topic with a small group of your neighbours in on-line break-out groups.

A good summary of last week’s call can be found at https://cortescurrents.ca/cortes-islands-second-virtual-town-hall-meeting/

All my love,
Noba Anderson
directorcortesisland.com
250-935-0320