IdeaCity Day 1 - summary

The day is segmented and every segment has a theme. Spirituality was the theme of the second segment, and my favorite speakers had to be the two last.

We heard from Richard MacDonald who is a Dignified Death Advocate at the Final Exit Network. He feels that a humane society should not deny one's personal choice to end their own life if they are terminally ill. This network is informative only and does not provide the means of ending one's life, but people who contact them want control over the location, manner, and time of their exit.

Rick Miller performed his one-man hit show titled "Bigger Than Jesus"... What can I say about this? It was great. You'll just have to check it out on your own:

http://www.biggerthanj.com/

The next segment was about Human Rights, and at one point I had to sneak out of the theater to write. After all of this information, all of this inspiration, I felt punch-drunk and had to get some of my thoughts down...

Preston Manning spoke about creating a more democratic society, John Ralston Saul spoke about the political roots of Canada, and Irwin Cotter each touched on human rights and the horrors of genocide.



But it was Laura Archer who really got me. And how do I sum her up? She is a nurse and an artist. She has traveled to war-torn lands assisting people, treating diseases, delivering babies... She's been kidnapped and been witness to the extremes of human suffering and human injustice... And at the end of it all I just wanted to extend my hands and ask "How can I help?".

Her words were full of power and urgency. Her stories were sad and horrific, but also hopeful. She reminded me of myself a long time ago, when I was so politically active and so socially aware. I had felt so empowered and so powerless at the same time. Like her, my passion for change was driving those around me away, and it made me realize just how much people close their eyes.

So it begs the questions: How can I help? What can I do? And how do you battle two powerful enemies? The injustice and the denial? How do you stand up against oppression and against a mind's closed doors? How do you make a difference?



The IdeaCity bio of Laura Archer

I also had a chance to meet and speak with Marilyn Lightstone, actress and artist. She is so lovely and engaging, AND she played Ms. Stacey on Anne of Green Gables. That movie has been so instrumental in my development and it was really interesting (and a little surreal) to talk with a character who I had admired growing up!



My favorite speakers of the next segment were Maude Barlow, Wade Davis, And Robert F. Kennedy Junior. All environmental talks, all so inspiring...

The only comment I can provide is one of hope. There are ways that we can help to make a difference, but the changes must come from within us. And we must believe so fiercely that change is possible. We cannot look to our neighbors. We must find it within ourselves to act with the earth and it's living things, and act quietly. Start doing, and those around you may also do.

I really wish I had it in video so I could post it and show you. I have are some pics that I took from the conference... My Lumix camera is amazing! I'm loving the big screen at the back and the way the lens opens and closes. My friend told me that it has a Leica lens, which is a good lens, good for zooming...

Time for sleep, looking forwards to another incredible day tomorrow...



1. Richard MacDonald
2. Moses Znaimer
3. John F. Kennedy Jr
4. Wade Davis