This informal talk and discussion aims to offer a warm and practical introduction to caring for ourselves, each other and the world we live in. It strikes to the heart of the question, what does it mean to be free? Where an individualistic philosophy suggests that freedom means people doing whatever they want and a fundamentalist one claims to have the one right way for everyone, this talk offers a middle ground. Instead following either our self-centred desires or the will of the crowd, we might learn to tune in and listen to our hearts, to follow what feels right for us. This tuning in is an art in itself, one cultivated through a variety of practices of freedom, practices of care. From the ground of vibrant individuality can grow dynamic relationships and healthy groups, from small communities to vast ecosystems. In doing so we offer a powerful alternative to the dominant patterns in our societies which are no longer serving our needs nor the needs of the planet. As these vital alternative networks support each other and grow stronger a very different way of being on Earth might evolve, becoming as the Zapatistas have been calling for, a world where many worlds fit.
Jamie Heckert, PhD is an internationally recognised scholar in the areas of anarchism, sexuality and interpersonal relationships. He is the co-editor of Anarchism & Sexuality: Ethics, Relationships and Power (Routledge, 2011) and contributor to numerous academic and activist publications including Fifth Estate and Permaculture Magazine, The Anarchist Imagination (Routledge, forthcoming), and Queering Anarchism: Addressing and Undressing Power and Desire (AK Press, 2013). He has been involved in grassroots organizing for 20 years with projects ranging from pride festivals and unconventional conferences to co-founding a community orchard. He has taught sex education in schools for nearly a decade, and worked in a wide range of academic departments including Law (University of Kent), Business (Uniersity of Essex) and Sociology (Napier University). Three years ago, Dr Heckert completed his training as an Integral Yoga teacher and has been offering classes and workshops around the United Kingdom since. Bringing together this rich experience of personal, political and spiritual transformation, Dr Heckert has been a popular speaker at universities and community groups from North America to Eastern Europe over the past decade.
He will also be offering a day workshop on anarchism and yoga on Saturday 16th. For full details see: https://www.facebook.com/events/398680113648064/
This event is free and is sponsored by Students for Unity and ABC PDX.
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