The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children.


~Bill Mollison, Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual


‘restorative narratives’, stories that show how people and communities are making a meaningful progression from despair to resilience. Instead of focusing solely on tragedy and trauma, these narratives extend the storyline by showing signs of renewal, recovery and restoration,” explains Tenore.


On-Task Learning Curve James Maskell wishes every media outlet would cover the doctors and health professionals that are applying the “functional/integrative/root cause” approaches to health care. Formerly a vendor of supplements to health professionals, Maskell has morphed his focus to found the Evolution of Medicine Functional Forum, a monthly educational Web show for health professionals and industry insiders. After becoming captivated by functional medicine at a trade show, he developed this fresh, high-tech concept that combines the latest health news, functional medicine research, practice developments and health technologies in a mixed-media format. Offered free on YouTube, it combines interviews, TED-style talks, videos and audience interaction. “With health politics raising more questions than answers and with technology changing the healthcare landscape, there’s never been a more ripe time for health innovation and accelerating a shift toward what works for most doctors,” remarks Maskell,


who also recently collaborated with the Institute for Functional Medicine to live-stream Genomics and Functional Medicine, the most cutting-edge clinical Functional Forum to date. Andrew Brandeis, a licensed naturopathic doctor in San Francisco, developed a challenging new skill set in creating the easy-to-use, mobile Share Practice app, launched 18 months ago and now also available on the Internet. It’s already used by 15,000 doctors nationwide to rate and review the effectiveness of drugs, herbs and supplements. They also ask questions and receive quick feedback about patient treatments. Brandeis sees an even bigger future opportunity. “As we spot trends and see what is working where and why, we can direct research dollars. There are all kinds of off-label uses for drugs, herbs and supplements that we’ll support when we see that 10,000 doctors are using them in the same way for the same thing,” says Brandeis, who enjoys the meaningfulness of this collective contribution. Gery Juleff, of Hopewell, New Jersey,


reinvented himself and his career to serve a greater good. Seeking to inspire change through intelligent discussion on environmental issues he founded and hosts the Green Radio Hour broadcast on GreenHourRadio.com. He was formerly a member of the British Foreign Service, serving for 25 years as


a diplomat, mostly in Africa and Brazil. In Juleff’s last London foreign offi ce assignment, he dealt with policies on climate change, renewable energy technology and energy security. “My love of Africa, the continent likely to be affected the most by climate change, quickened my sense of needing to do whatever I could to limit any negative effects,” he says. Even though he was innocent about the scope of such an undertaking, “When the station owner suggested I use my knowledge to host a radio show, I said yes.” In What Then Must We Do? Straight


Talk About the Next American Revolution, economist and co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative Gar Alperovitz provides many examples of successful community wealth building. He’s been part of a team partnering with others in cities that include Cleveland, Ohio; Jackson, Mississippi; Rochester, New York; and Washington, D.C. As co-chair of The Next System Project, he’s dealing with the bigger picture of long-term systemic change. “The economics of sustainability focus on partnerships with local assets like universities, hospitals and cultural institutions to facilitate broad-based economic security for the entire community,” says Alperovitz. He’s deeply committed to the concept of an ecologically sustainable society, where problem-solving activities nurture democracy.


Waking Up This small sampling of individuals whose actions are affi rming their heart’s directives is not random and signals a larger movement. It represents author Anodea Judith’s explanation for the evolution of our human journey, captured in the title and essence of her book Waking the Global Heart: Humanity’s Rite of Passage from the Love of Power to the Power of Love. James O’Dea, author of The Conscious


Activist, says, “As we evolve, we recognize that it’s the heart which holds the great key to our collective healing, to real civility, the courage to face our own shadow and true progress.”


Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Visit ItsAllAbout We.com for the recorded interviews.


16 Central Florida natural awakenings


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