Q: What does the Buddhist writer, Pema Chodron, and a group whose subtitle is more solidarity, more care and more joy have in common?
A: They both use the term, the leap, to describe what they see as necessary in our culture.
Pema Chodron is speaking of a leap in consciousness, in the way we see ourselves as the human and more than human community. The LEAP organisers also see a shift in consciousness expressed in real and concrete action toward becoming this community characterised by solidarity, care and joy.
One of these shifts is the vivid emergence of a movement called Blue Community which aims to have water firmly embedded as a human right. At a very tangible level it means refusing to drink bottled water when it has no meaning beyond us being lulled into the idea of bottled water as a need. More significantly though, being part of the Blue Community movement means working at a policy level to see that clean water is possible for every community and also that water is not to be sold for profit but is rather to stay as a common good shared by all.
The Council of Canadians in conjunction with CUPE [Canadian Union of Public Employees] are taking the initiative to lead a global movement assuring the rights of all to clean potable water and sanitation. In the tag phrase of the LEAP movement, on this eve of 2018, what could give more solidarity, care and joy than that.
Let’s make it happen!
Margo Ritchie, CSJ