June 21 marks the 10 year anniversary of the formation of the Neahtawanta Center. In this, our 40th issue, we are reprinting a variety of articles from the previous 39 issues of Synapse. We had great difficulty choosing, as you can see from the size of the issue. We just kept finding other articles we had to include and adding more pages. There are many other wonderful articles that we weren't able to include. (Back issues are available, for those of you who would like to look back in more depth.)

These times of commemoration offer an opportunity to evaluate our past, take stock of our current situation and do some visioning for the years ahead. In our first article, Bob Russell and I share some thoughts about the path we've taken with the Neahtawanta Center, and the process of discernment we're going through as we look to the future.

In looking back over the past issues we were struck by the variety and number of issues that were addressed. The main categories are the usual: peace, the environment and personal growth. Within those broad areas are many angles, stories and topics.

Each issue is a window onto a particular historical time period, as well as reflecting what was going on at the Inn/Center. From the Gulf War to my becoming a grandmother, Synapse reported on it. Looking back and remembering, as well as celebrating our past, helps us to re-energize and reconnect with our original vision.

Under the peace category we have included pieces such as the poem by Carole Gilbert. Her deep commitment to peace has landed her in jail more than once, and this poem was written while she was behind bars. Michael Cline, dear friend and long-time advocate for justice and peace, is now focusing on domestic violence through his practice of medicine. He shares his thoughts on this topic in "Peacemaking at Home". One of Bob's favorite articles, demonstrating the effectiveness of using the electronic mail for social justice, is "Repression Will Never Be Easy Again" reprinted from the APC office in Rio.

Shifting to the environmental area, we have included the Earth Charter that was adopted by the non-governmental agencies who attended the parallel conference to the Earth Summit in Rio in 1990, which Bob attended. In an interview reprint with Theodore Roszak, he speaks of the importance of recognizing our connection to the Earth, and specifically to the effects of the pain we feel for the destruction of the Earth's natural systems. He uses the term "ecopsychology"&emdash;the relationship between nature and human consciousness. Judy Brady addresses two other, more frightening connections: the recognized link between cancer and environmental contaminants; along with the more obscure link between some corporations' profits gained from the creation of cancer-causing substances to the profit from treating that same cancer. Another environmental/health article we have included is Beatrice Briggs' "Yoga as Ecological Restoration", in which she compares yoga for the body with restoration efforts for the Earth.

A number of articles address personal growth and societal issues. In "Reflections from Earthwork Farms", Chris Bernard shares her words of wisdom on simple living and raising conscious kids. In an interview format, author Stephanie Mills discusses the importance of building community. And Jeffrey Duvall addresses the healing that occurs in men's gatherings&emdash;how men are using ritual, magic and stories to reconnect with the Earth and find the energy to go beyond personal work to take on larger social issues.

We conclude the issue with a couple of current pieces: a thoughtful poem by local poet and storyteller, Ray Nargis; and another profound article in the series on sustainable agriculture by anthropologist Laura DeLind.

We thank all of the people who have submitted articles to Synapse over the years. It is your thoughts, your spirits that are the heart of Synapse.

Return to the Index of Synapse 40, Summer 1997