Connect to the power of Van Jones
Friday, July 13, 2007. Paul Loper and I carpooled to the meeting of NTL in Oakland, California. NTL, founded in 1947, is a group of professional consultants and leadership educators, a group which has a strong commitment to social justice, and is skilled in experiential learning and social psychology. I went to the meeting to connect with friends, and to be moved by Van Jones. I have listened to Van many times and have deep respect for him. I have been moved to tears with him at the Green Festival (see the video).
"I want to thank you" Yes, Van Jones was billed as "speaker" and he did speak, but when Van speaks, Van is a mover. Van moved physically, embodying every emotional phrase of his stories. Van moved the crowd, emotionally – "You, you are the people that help people…and I want to thank you for doing what you do". My neighbor's cheek was wet with tears.
And, he moved me. Van moved me to step up to move beyond "really, really, small dreams".
"Pop a couple Advil and watch an Inconvenient Truth" His wake up call is that we have global problems – global warming, globalization's economic problems, and global conflict. If we don't act, in as little as 10 years, the ice which reflects back into the universe 90% of the sun's heat will disappear and then our planet will absorb that heat. In this moment of our history, it is up to each of us to step up and get courageous. But, pointing fingers is not the answer.
Deep down, we must address also the spiritual and psychological crisis of the self. "It is much easier to confront the persecutor and polluter without and much harder to confront the persecutor and polluter within". As he spoke transparently about the moments when he felt little and scared, he made his body small, hunkering down. My mind then went to the moments when I feel little and scared, as moments when I carve out small dreams and pools to lead in. As he stretched out his arms wide and stood tall, I stood also for the world. When I fear, I think small. When I love, I act big.
"Clean energy jobs build"
The big solution which Van is bringing to Washington D.C. is that a green economy will address two of the critical global problems – environmental and economic. To retrofit the U.S.'s buildings for energy conservation, install solar panels on every home, create the green infrastructure – these are all JOBS. Jobs that unemployed young people can learn. Jobs that are empowering and leaderful, where youth can learn and expand their choices while making a critical difference to our global survival. Locally, as the president of the Ella Baker Center in Oakland, and nationally with Nancy Pelosi, Van is moving forward "green jobs, not jails".
"Connect leaders of all kinds"
Van moved the core of my heart when he spoke of our need to connect as catalysts from many paths, in order to come up with new solutions beyond what we know and do now. This is a time when it is not enough that we lead as individuals, experts, professionals. The leadership we need now is to connect leaders of all kinds, so that we can take it to a new level. "Let's connect you!".
After Van's speech, we had an Open Space activity, in which people self-organized into small groups. I was struck by how in each of these small groups, the power of Van had taken effect. In our group, we talked about how to share transformative stories about the environment.
When we reported back to the large group, we performed a skit of "Zip-Lock Bag Anonymous", and confessed struggles and small steps to not use plastic bags, plastic bottles, bathroom paper towels, Bounty towels. As people fessed up to the laziness of forgetting our canvas bags when shopping, and the fear in avoiding to watching an Inconvenient Truth", the crowd laughed and nodded as they listened.
As we nod to our littleness, we then take the step to act from the bigness of our love for the world.
I am moved to say, Van Jones, "I want to thank you".
May we together bring forth a just, sustainable healthy world,
Tiffany