IHE News & Announcements June 2011

• Humane Education in Action: Nurturing the Roots of Compassion, Striking at the Roots of Violence
  
• 4 Books to Help You Reclaim Your Neighborhood & Reinvent Your Community
  
• What a Humane World Looks Like: Communicating Compassionately
• What a Humane World Looks Like: Caring for "the Least of These
• 7 Resources for Finding Out About the Secret Lives of Your Stuff
  

HUMANE EDUCATION IN ACTION: NURTURING THE ROOTS OF COMPASSION, STRIKING AT THE ROOTS OF VIOLENCE

Humane educator AmyLeo Barankovich is passionate about creating a better world for all beings by nurturing the roots of compassion through educating young children, and by striking at the roots of violence through working with people in prisons. AmyLeo's Teaching Compassion program, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, offers several classes for children in grades K-3. She uses stories, music, drama, art, and movement to teach children about compassion. And, through the Alternatives to Violence Project she leads workshops promoting nonviolence and compassion in prisons. AmyLeo kindly shared with us about her work for a better world.

IHE: What led you to the path of humane education?

ALB: I have been an animal rights activist since the mid 1980’s. My contribution to the movement has taken various forms, most of which has been with the Animal Rights Coalition. At one point I reached burnout from being barraged with facts, statistics, and images of animals being inhumanely treated for the sole purpose of satisfying human wants and (perceived) needs.

Eventually I withdrew completely from animal advocacy, as I was becoming paralyzed by the anger towards my own species and the destruction we were causing to so many animals and their habitats. It was during this hiatus that I realized that, in good conscience, I could not stay away from this work. I knew that in order to sustain this work for a lifetime I had to take another approach.

My experience has been that children have an innate love for animals. Unfortunately our culture, by and large, does not nurture this love. With this loss of empathy for animals at such a tender age, and the fact that we cannot legislate our way into compassionate living, it became clear to me that the next leg of my journey was education with young children. I chose humane education because it is a very holistic approach, and because it encourages critical thinking and has a profound opportunity to instill a lasting respect for the living community. Thus the birth of Teaching Compassion, which is sponsored by the Animal Rights Coalition.

IHE: Through your Teaching Compassion program, you bring humane education to young children (and adults) through stories, music, art, movement, and drama. What drew you to choose those creative outlets as your tools for teaching about compassion?

ALB: I became burnt out from the facts and statistics – a very dry and depressing form of information -- and  information I believe to be inappropriate to place upon young children. I did not want to burden them with the ills of how humans exploit and harm so many animals. I wanted to focus on the positive rather than the negative; to offer children a rare glimpse into the glories and wonders of animals and the natural world. To show this to them is the planting of a seed that has the chance to last a lifetime. Because the arts touch the human soul in profound ways, it seemed very fitting to pair the arts with another realm of existence that also touches the human soul in profound ways: animals and the natural world.


IHE: You offer 10 different classes for children in grades K-3 to help them develop empathy for animals and the earth. Tell us about some of your classes.

ALB: One of the classes, Creating Compassionate Connections, has five parts. This five-part series provides children with experiences intended to help them develop awareness, respect, and compassion for all the beings who share the planet.

1. It starts with Are Gorillas Like Us – a look at the similarities between gorillas and humans. This class serves as a gateway to recognizing that there are similarities between humans and all animals. Children are introduced to Srima, the Teaching Compassion ambassador. Srima is a lifelike plush chimpanzee who attends each and every class. The children tend to bond with her before they bond with me. We hoot and snort like the chimps, we move as they move, we learn what they eat and where they sleep and how they have social lives and family lives very similar to our own. Srima also reminds the children how to be kind to their classmates should any disruptions occur.
2. The series then moves on to look at the importance of the Not So Creepy Crawlies, ants and bees. In these classes, children meet Ant Louise and Beeatrice, lifelike ant and bee puppets. In the ant class we hear Ant Louise’s story and read Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose, which segue beautifully into a conversation about respect for all beings. 
3. In the bee class, the children learn about the life of the bees as we perform the waggle dance with Queen Beeatrice and her swarm of 10 worker bees (finger puppets worn by the children) before heading out to forage nectar and pollen to bring back to the hive. We read The Bumble Queen, by Pulley Sayre, in which the children learn about the life cycle of bees and how their community functions.
4. What Do Trees Do? looks at how even trees are similar to us. We move our bodies through the seasons as we imagine how a tree might respond to the different kinds of weather throughout a year. Children learn about the life cycle of a tree: from the growth of a seedling to the tall mature tree that provides food and shelter to numerous species of animals and other life forms to the tree's death and decomposition and all the various life it supports as it returns to soil. 
5. The final session is a virtual Nature Walk. First, in the book, Tin Forest by Helen Ward and Wayne Anderson, the children learn about an old man who creates a tin forest from the waste in the wasteland in which he lives. Eventually the forest is brought to life, and he befriends the animals who take up residence. Next, the children embark on the virtual tour of a forest in which they collect feathers, pine cones, buckeyes and other natural objects they would find on a forest floor. After gathering in a circle and sharing about what they found, we talk about the importance of returning all that we find so we do not to disrupt the natural cycle of the forest.  
   

IHE: In working with younger kids, I’m sure you have some inspiring and memorable stories. Care to share one or two?

ALB: One summer I offered Teaching Compassion at a summer camp. One of the classes focused on ants and bees. We talked about their qualities, their life and their inherent value. The children had an opportunity to act as bees and ants act. They were introduced to the puppets, Ant Louise and Beeatrice. The children seemed to bond with them and began to appreciate these tiny creatures. One of the days following this particular class an assistant who had not attended the other classes came in. An ant was crawling across the floor, and the assistant made a motion that led one of the children to believe he was going to kill it.  I was across the room working with some of the children on an art project. Unaware of the crawling ant and the assistant’s actions, I heard in a very assertive, loud voice “We are in Compassionate Kids and we don’t kill insects.”  Whether or not the assistant had intentions to kill the ant I still do not know. What I do know is that this ant’s life was not going to be taken in the presence of this child.

At another summer event, I was teaching Circus Schmircus (grades 1-3), in which we read a graphic novel, An Elephant’s Life. The children learned about the life of Daisy, an elephant who has been captured from the wild to serve in the circus. They also learned compassion and critical thinking as they discovered what was required to teach Daisy the tricks and to keep her as a traveling performer. The content of the class is disturbing; we looked at the difference between the life of a circus elephant and that of a wild elephant. At the end of the class, a small Somalian boy, about age nine, strolled over to me, stopped, and with very sad voice and eyes said “I don’t like this. How can we make this stop?” He was holding onto the graphic novel as if this book were somehow the answer to his question. I was able to comfort him by giving him some actions he could take, such as letter writing, boycotting animal circuses, and educating his friends and family. To this day, I feel the tenderness in this child’s heart and can only hope that this experience has planted a lifelong seed for caring deeply for and respectfully treating animals.


IHE:  You also conduct workshops in conflict resolution and nonviolence in prisons. What are you learning and noticing about that experience?

ALB: To best answer this question let me say a little about how I came to be a facilitator for the Alternatives To Violence Project (AVP). Between the time I had dropped out of animal advocacy and the development of Teaching Compassion, while seeking employment that fit within my ethics, I stumbled across Friends for A Non-Violent World, the sponsoring organization of AVP. The gentleman I spoke with succeeded in enrolling me in the first level of the AVP training. Before I knew it I was on my way to becoming a facilitator. During this process I became keenly aware that the roots of animal abuse were the same roots as environmental abuse, which were the same roots as human abuse, which were the same as.... I could no longer separate the roots of exploitive and abusive human behavior. AVP became my commitment to my own species.

What has become apparent to me in my work with those who are incarcerated is that they are truly the same as those on the “outside.” I was confronted with my unexamined assumption that there exists an “us” and a “them”; and that I was clearly an “us.” Experience after experience showed me how easily any one of us could be in their shoes if we were raised in the utterly violent environments in which they had been raised.

I have seen many individuals recognize their destructive patterns and transform them. This work has been the key to their freedom from the walls of prison; either literally, when they are released to reenter society, or simply in allowing them to find freedom within their hearts and minds so they can live a more fulfilling life within the prison. This is one of the most humbling things I have witnessed in my lifetime.

Something else that I have noticed from my work with AVP is the tenderness and compassion that lies deep in the hearts of those who have committed violent crimes. The prison environment does not allow individuals, whether staff or those incarcerated, to be vulnerable or to live from a place of compassion; to do so can literally risk their well-being. Because of the nature of the workshops and the safe environment they create, AVP facilitators see a side of those who are incarcerated that most people do not see. I have been deeply touched by their experiences, their stories, and their transformation. I have met a number of individuals who, despite the harsh and sterile environment of their prison life, have come to realize the inherent cruelties within the meat industry and have chose to be vegetarian for this reason alone. This is no small feat, as the food in the prison industry is abysmal.

My biggest lesson from volunteering in prisons is this: short of sociopaths, there is love and respect tucked in all of our hearts. It has simply been buried a bit deeper for some of us, thus demanding more attentiveness and practice to live from our hearts.



IHE: Any future plans, dreams or projects?

ALB: I am currently creating a conversation, Claim Humane: evolving into relationship with animals in which we no longer view or use animals as utility or resource.

The form this conversation will take has yet to be fully determined. As it now stands, it will be a presentation and salon, in which small groups of people engage in vibrant, respectful conversations about this topic. I am currently considering having a blog and some other web presence.  It might also work well to have a weekly or monthly column in publications. Claim Humane will eventually have a global presence.

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4 BOOKS TO HELP YOU RECLAIM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD & REINVENT YOUR COMMUNITY 

No one will question that we’re facing a plethora of global challenges, and while it may be more challenging to determine what we can do for those in cities and towns thousands of miles from us, many people are turning to their own neighborhoods and communities as places to become changemakers. From transition towns to local currencies and food systems to co-ops and collaborative efforts, people are gathering to look at where they live with a fresh eye and working to reclaim their neighborhoods and reinvent their communities. There are numerous sources available to help you get started in your own community; here are 4 books we suggest:

Superbia: 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods
by Dan Chiras and Dave Wann (2003)
Offers practical ideas for creating more socially-, economically-, and environmentally-sustainable neighborhoods, as well as strategies for recreating our urban and suburban neighborhoods.

The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience
by Rob Hopkins (2008)
Starting in the UK, the “transition towns” movement has blossomed to communities around the world. Hopkins describes how several towns in the UK are taking back their power to create sustainable, healthy communities and offers practical advice for taking action in our own communities.

All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons
by Jay Walljasper (2010)
Offering a new way of thinking about how we live, this book outlines what’s involved in creating a commons-based society and offers examples and resources for what people and communities around the world are doing to reshape our view of the world and to revolutionize our relationships with each other and with all that we share.

The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Placemaking
by Jay Walljasper (2007)
For the beginning neighborhood enthusiast. Divided into 8 chapters, each section offers basic tips for fostering a sense of community through strategies involving economics, transportation, safety, pleasure, placemaking, sustainable living, and more. The tips are accompanied by numerous success stories that highlight what people and organizations in communities around the world are doing to reclaim their neighborhoods and communities.

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WHAT A HUMANE WORLD LOOKS LIKE: COMMUNICATING COMPASSIONATELY

by Marsha Rakestraw, Director of Online Communications & Education Resources

At a Fur-free Friday march I attended several years ago, I witnessed some very angry young anti-fur protesters yelling at a couple of men who had been taunting them. Their argument became quite heated, with the men shouting profanities and phrases like “Animals are food! Animals are food! Animals are here for us to use!” and the protesters shouting very uplifting statements like “Why don’t you lose some weight, fat boy?” and “Why don’t you make me shut up, a**hole?!” Aaahh. We can see what a positive life changing experience occurred here.

One of the most difficult challenges for people feeling intense, negative emotions is not to spew those emotions—like a fire hose on full-blast—straight at whomever has sparked them in us. My first split-second instinct on those rare occasions when my husband says something mean is to want to say something mean back; when I encounter anyone causing suffering or destruction, my initial reaction is often still intense rage or despair. As much as it might make us feel temporarily better to vent our negative emotions at the “perpetrators,” if we really want to create positive change for people, animals and the earth, we must learn not only to communicate with compassion, but to tap into our empathy and compassion for those causing the suffering and destruction.

One of the most important skills humane educators and activists can cultivate is compassionate, effective communication. We can speak kindly and politely, ask lots of questions, and use humor. For those of us who have trouble thinking of what to say "on the spot," by practicing what to say in all sorts of situations, we can be prepared to respond calmly and compassionately, despite the gut reaction of anger, disgust and/or despair we may be feeling. In addition, knowing about the people we want to reach is also very important. If we know their needs, desires, and the way they think, we can use that knowledge to build bridges and find ways to connect with and inspire them. All forms of communication: letters to publications, to companies, to legislators, interactions with the media, public speeches, and casual conversations all need compassionate language and intent. It’s much more persuasive and helps build the kind of peaceful, loving world we say we want.

It's also important that we live compassionate lives—for others and for ourselves. We need to remind ourselves that change takes time, that much depends on experience and context, that all of us have weaknesses that we need to address, and that almost no one wants to support evil or suffering or destruction. We have to seek out the good in everyone and focus on nurturing a connection with those parts of them. We can work to understand their motivations and underlying needs and strive toward helping them meet their needs in compassionate ways -- but only if we're compassionate and non-judgmental ourselves.

One of the ways we can develop more compassion in our own lives is to surround ourselves with positive, uplifting things, and reduce or eliminate the things (profanity, movies, people, certain habits) that bring negative energy to us, especially if we find ourselves becoming more influenced by them. For example, I used to be a huge horror novel fan; as I became more aware of the negative energy I was absorbing from reading these novels—full of graphic violence, fear & profanity—I stopped reading them, and I began to notice a difference in how I felt, and in how I interacted with others. As Eknath Easwaran says in Your Life is Your Message, “All of us can give a great gift to the world by looking at our life and gradually removing from it the things that are not simple and beautiful.”

Communication is a powerful way of modeling and offering compassion. As business woman and activist Davy Davidson says, “If we are to play a leadership role…we need to speak with our hearts.”

Image courtesy of ganesha.isis via Creative Commons.

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WHAT A HUMANE WORLD LOOKS LIKE: CARING FOR "THE LEAST OF THESE"

by Marsha Rakestraw, Director of Online Communications & Education Resources

I snapped after the 5th day. I have a pretty high tolerance level for ants in our house, but after five days of literally hundreds of them swarming on either side of our front door (and the only way in & out of our house) and flying into the dog's water dish, my compassion and tolerance tipped, replaced by an immediate need to get those ants out of my house right now! So I grabbed the vinegar solution and sprayed all those on the inside by the door and then crushed them as quickly as I could, saying "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry" the whole time. I felt really bad, but I needed the sanctity of our home returned.

Of course, after the deed was done (and after some additional judicious application of caulk), I felt horrible. I had just acted against one of my deepest values: compassion and respect for all beings, regardless of their species. I'm one of those people who picks up worms off the sidewalk when they're struggling to get to the cool green and brown earth; who moves slugs from our garden to the wetlands instead of killing them; who talks to the ants and spiders as I relocate them from inside our home to theirs outside; who smiles when I see a rat at the bird feeder.

Last night I had another opportunity to test my values when a swarm of about a dozen baby spiders scuttled out of a tiny hole near an outlet in the kitchen and spread across the wall. My first instinct was to leave them. After all, they weren't harming anyone or in the way. But then my husband, John, said, "What if they're hobo spiders?" (which is a poisonous species that hangs out here in the Pacific Northwest). Dang. Now I had concern for our safety to consider. They were too small to identify, so my choices were to exterminate them, or try to relocate them. It would have been a simple task of a couple minutes to wipe them off the wall, but even thinking about doing that made my stomach clench. Relocation it was, then. I grabbed our little spider catcher (an old plastic spice jar) and corralled them into it a few at a time; I took them outside, and, using my headlamp, shook them into a planter box in our yard. I found myself talking to them, reassuring them I meant them no harm. About 20 minutes later, they were all scurrying around their new digs, and I felt happy and at peace.

When it comes to "the least of these" in our world, it's so easy to overlook them, to ignore them, to choose (whether consciously or not) not to consider their needs or interests. (And certainly, when a mosquito is trying to make a meal of me, I don't hesitate to defend myself.) It can also seem, in a world with so many global challenges and so many species and charismatic megafauna in dire trouble, that we have better things to do with our time and attention than consider the fate of these tiny, seemingly-alien creatures.

But if we want a truly humane world, it benefits us all to extend our circle of concern -- and our mindfulness -- to the billions of little beings trying to live their own precious and finite lives.

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7 RESOURCES FOR FINDING OUT ABOUT THE SECRET LIVES OF YOUR STUFF

From the time we arise in the morning until after we fall asleep, we participate in a continuous cycle of using stuff that affects ourselves, other people, animals and the planet. We do what we can to buy products and use stuff that do more good and less harm, but it can be a real challenge to uncover the details of how these gadgets and goodies that we buy to meet our wants and needs are produced, transported, and disposed of and whether the secret lives of our stuff reflect our deepest values. Industry and government don't make it easy to find out. Fortunately, people passionate about creating a better world are creating more resources to help us. Here are 7 resources for finding out more about the impact of your stuff on people, animals and the earth:

1. How Bad Are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything by Mike Berners-Lee (2011)
   From sending a text message to buying shoes to having a child to going to war, Berners-Lee’s book calculates the carbon footprint of many of our most (and lesser) common activities and product purchases.  The book isn’t meant to nit-pick our every choice, but to help us get a feel for how to decide which choices tend to do more good & less harm.
2. Ecological Intelligence: The Hidden Impacts of What We Buy by Daniel Goleman (2010)
   The author not only offers a life-cycle analysis of a range of stuff, but he also offers strategies and ideas for increasing transparency and power in what we buy and who and what it affects.
3. Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things by John C. Ryan and Alan Thein Durning (1997)
   An exploration of the impact on people and the planet of your everyday choices, from your shoes, your coffee and your computer, to your fast food burger and your car. A curriculum guide is available for educators who want to extend the learning into their classrooms.
4. Good Guide
   While you shouldn’t rely on this website as your only source of information when considering what products to buy (or avoid), you can get a basic idea of how some products rate in relation to others.
5. Green America’s Responsible Shopper
   Compare the corporate responsibility records of companies in relation to the environment, human rights, labor, ethics & governance, and health & safety.
6. The Story of Stuff
   In addition to the general video about where our stuff comes from & what happens when it goes away, there are short videos about electronics, cosmetics, and bottled water.
7. Worldwatch Life Cycle Assessments
   While the magazine is no longer being published, you can still find out more about what it takes to create and dispose of 15 different objects, from chopsticks to batteries to candy bars to lipstick and diapers. 

Unfortunately, most of these resources don't include animals in their circle of concern, so you'll need to do some additional investigating. (And none of these resources is comprehensive, so deeper digging is recommended anyway.)

Finding out more about the secret lives of our stuff is one of the required assignments for our graduate students. As they've discovered, the key is to ask lots of questions and to be persistent.

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