 MAY 2008 I will present a talk as a part of
the opening for the Evolve Trust on What we have to do to move beyond
violence. I also have a holiday in Vietnam and Hong Kong and a
conference in Brisbane coming up soon.
APRIL 2008
I
presented a workshop on fairy stories and myths and how they can be
used for inner healing. Six people came for a sucessful workshop. It
ended needing two days to cover all the material. I gave a talk at the
Theosophical Society on Spiral Dynamics. There were only 12-15 people,
but it went over well. I also did a one day workshop (that turned into
a 2 day workshop) on Fairy Stories at Carnegie Cottage)
The Rainbow Warrior II came to Dunedin, so I went to see it.
MARCH 2008
I gave a
successful talk on Ervin Laszlo's ideas at the local Theosophical
Society. I have been working to get a website up for the Theosophical Society
and the Evolve Holistic
Development Trust. I have begun to help Margaret van der Vis in
running the Theosophical Society's weekly meditation group.
FEBRUARY 2008
My very
close friend, Ted Sommerville died in late January. We knew he was
going to die, but it happened much sooner than we thought. We took ted
back to his flat after he died, so people could come and visit him
there. Then we had his funeral in the Theosophoical Society hall. Ted
had asked that I I conduct the service, which was a great priviledge.
The service went well with over 100 people there. The whole process was
a very intense, but positive time as we worked through all the issues
and made the decisions necessary to organise the funeral. The funeral
was on Wednesday and then on the Sunday I conducted a memorial with
ted's ashes at the Spiritualist Church. We will all come together in a
couple of months to scatter his ashes at a local beach.
A group of around twenty of us travelled to the Elephant Rocks near
Duntroon in North Otago for a picnic day. They are very large strange
shped limstone rocks. Here are some photos.
JANUARY 2008
I luckily
had three weeks' leave. In early January I went to Nelson and spent
some time at Okiwi Bay then back in Nelson. I saw the Leonardo da Vinci
exhibitoin there with models made from his drawings of the machines he
planned. I went to Motueka and visited Ian and Julian. I returned via
Mount Cook/Aorangi because I had never been up to the mountain before.
The weather was glorious and it was a great trip. I was trying my new
car out for the first time, which ran well. There are photos of the
trip.
I am back at work preparing for the start of the next programme. This
will be in the prison again. I got Skype to work with video calls to
Brian Layton which has been fun.
DECEMBER 2007
This month
saw the national conference for programme facilitators in
Rotorua. I also visited my friend Brian Layton, now living in Murupara.
While in Murupara I met two other people I know, who lived in Dunedin.
We had a great time walking in the natural scenary of the area and
going to some local marae. We were on the edge of the territory that
has been in the news lately with suppposed terrorists hiding in the
Ureweras. The programme at the prsion was completed and we went to
Christchurch for the end of year party. It is good as it helps to keep
us connected to the Christchurch team. I stayed on and had the weekend
with Rowena and Max and we went for a good walk up to the golndola from
Lyttleton.
Then I spent Christmas back in Dunedin with Emerald. I got sailing a
couple of times.
NOVEMBER 2007
I got
myself elected to the local Theosophocal Society committee. It won't
realy start uintil next year but I am looking forward to it. It was
suggested I might pick up the role of exploring the links between
science and spirituality, which sounds great. The programme at the
prison continues. I had one days training in Christchurch. It was good
to catch up with old work mates from around the country.
OCTOBER 2007
The first
programme has begun, travelling out to the prison every day. It is
challenging given that the programme is new for me, the prison is new
and our office in Dunedin is new. I ran a one day workshop on
Complexity Theory through the Theosophical Society. I did not get many
people, but it was nevertheless enthusiasticaly received and I learned
a great deal about how to redesign what I have done to be more
effective. I was particularly happy with the discussions that emerged
as all the concepts were introduced. I wil repeat it next year, but
will do it as evening classes, so people have a week to think about
each new topic rather than getting overloaded in one full day. I have
been updating my complexity site with more information.
SEPTEMBER 2007
Training is completed and I am settling
back in Dunedin preparing for my first programme to begin.
AUGUST 2007
I have
been spending a lot of time on Wellington for my training as a
programme facilitator. The training is excellent and I
am finding my
doubts about Cognitive behaviour Theory were legitimate and the new
programme is different in important ways, especially using Dialectic
Behaviour Therapy and mindfulness that feels really good. I am off to
Nelson for this weekend to spend with family.
JULY 2007
The
conference on the Gold Coast was a truly inspiring conference to
attend. Around 200 participants were present with an enormous range of
topics covered. from social relationships in cowherds to the use of
robots on the battlefield, to the neural activity of the brain to air
traffic control management to computer modelling ro rhe way tiny worms
snake their way around and the list goes on and on. It was a truly
inspiriting intellectual atmosphere with a rich collection of people to
talk to. Personal highlghts were meeting Prof. Michael Barnsley (who
was one of the main people interviewed on a television programme I
viewed 12 years ago and first encountered chaos and complexity) and
hearing his presentation, a Colonel in the Australian army talking of
using complex systems dynamics in their role in Iraq, a presentation on
climate change and disucssions during and after the conference dinner.
It was wonderful to be in what are in Dunedin's summer temperatures for
a few days in mid winter.
I presented my presentation on Mythological Archetypes as an Emergent
Process and was well pleased with how it was received. Rowena and Max
have been travelling to Vanuatu on their yacht. the have been there for
two months and are at present on their return. Check out their newsletter
I continue my training in Wellington as a facilitator for Intervention
Services. I will soon have a 2-3 week break back in Dunedin before the
final three weeks learning the details of the Medium Intensity
Rehabilitation Programme (MIRP)
JUNE 2007 I have now finished work as a
probation officer and am about to start work as a Progarmme Facilitator
with Intervention Services taking cognitive skills programmes for
offenders. I will also be travelling to Wellington often over coming
months to train as a programme facilitator. I am having more time for
writing at present, which I am appreciating. Rowena and Max have sailed
and arrived in Vanuatu.but will be returning very soon. Go to their
site to see photos in
their newsletter. I travel to Brisbane soon for the 8th Asia Pacific Complex Systems
conference where I do a presentation on mythological archetypes and
complex systems.
I finally heard that the two papers I presented to the Systems Theory
/Complexity conference in Christchurch in Dec 2005 will be published in
the Emergence Journal. They are the my first papers published in an
international peer reviewed journal.
MAY 2007
The talk
at the Theosophical society was well received. We had a pot-luck tea
for people from the Carnegie centre and Em had her friends
around. I am preparing to present my work on fairy stories and
myths at the 8th Asia Pacific Complex Systems conference on the Gold
Coast in July. I also heard my papers to the 2005 conference in
Christchurch will be published in "Emergence" soon.
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