“Generosity” by Charity Focus
October 19, 2011
Posted by Katiyana at 3:24pm
Soul of Money Institute Blog
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Fundraising From the Heart Workshop (Segment 1)
June 22, 2011
Posted by Katiyana at 5:07pm
Fundraising From the Heart Workshop (Segment 2)
June 22, 2011
Posted by Katiyana at 5:05pm
Fundraising From the Heart Workshop (Segment 3)
June 22, 2011
Posted by Katiyana at 5:01pm
Soul of Money Workshop Video Summary
May 04, 2011
Posted by Katiyana at 2:42pm
Video Testimonials From Recent Workshops
May 04, 2011
James Shaheen, Tricycle; Workshop Testimonial from Katiyana Williams on Vimeo.
Posted by Katiyana at 2:18pm
Video Testimonials From Recent Workshops
May 04, 2011
Shana Rappaport, Bioneers; Workshop Testimonial from Katiyana Williams on Vimeo.
Posted by Katiyana at 2:12pm
Video Testimonials From Recent Workshops
May 04, 2011
Ven. Pannavati, My Place Inc.; Workshop Testimonial from Katiyana Williams on Vimeo.
Posted by Katiyana at 2:10pm
Video Testimonials From Recent Workshops
May 04, 2011
DoShin Michael Nelson, Friends of Zen; Workshop Testimonial from Katiyana Williams on Vimeo.
Posted by Katiyana at 2:06pm
Video Testimonials From Recent Workshops
May 04, 2011
Charisse Spencer, Center for Community Development; Workshop Testimonial from Katiyana Williams on Vimeo.
Posted by Katiyana at 1:53pm
FOUR YEARS. GO. is a campaign to change the course of history.
March 22, 2010
Posted by Katiyana at 11:44am
Lynne Twist Shares Some Of Her Most Impactful Experiences
November 06, 2009
In an interview following her speech at the Engage Today 2009 Event in Calgary, Alberta, Lynne discusses what “Engage” means to her and shares some of her life’s most impactful experiences.
Posted by Katiyana at 6:18pm
Women, Sufficiency and True Wealth
October 22, 2009
The economic crisis marks a moment for women to re-discover and embrace the concept of “enough”.
By Lynne Twist
Lynne Twist is a global activist, fundraiser, and the author of The Soul of Money. She was an original staff member of The Hunger Project when it began in 1977, and was named the Humanitarian of the Year in 2005 by Youth at Risk. She argues that women are in a unique position to alter mindsets when it comes to economic sufficiency.
The concept of sufficiency
The idea of sufficiency or “enough” is more important than ever at this time of global economic uncertainty.? The kind of sufficiency that I am talking about is not actually an amount. It is a way of being, seeing and living.
The principle of sufficiency is this: If you let go of trying to get more of what you don’t really need, it frees up oceans of energy to make a difference with what you have. When you make a difference with what you have, what you have expands.
Another shorter, perhaps easier to grasp way of saying this: What you appreciate… appreciates.
Gratitude is central to recognizing and acknowledging the sufficiency of what’s already there. When we turn our love and attention away from what we think we need to what we already have — financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually — and nourish it, express it, and most importantly, share it, experiences of profound prosperity, wholeness and sufficiency flood our lives.
Embracing sufficiency thus becomes a radical step that will transform our understanding of economics and of wealth.
Countering the mindset of scarcity
We live in a world that promotes a mindset of scarcity. That mindset eclipses our experience of our own wholeness and sufficiency and turns our attention to wanting what we don’t have. Consumer culture depends on people living in fear of scarcity, feeling inadequate, empty, and deficient so that we think we need to acquire and accumulate more to be okay. We are swimming in messages that tell us we are not enough, that there isn’t enough and that more of anything and everything is better. We’re told that there is no alternative, and that’s just the way it is. This condition of scarcity is made up of toxic unexamined and unconscious beliefs that have us constantly craving what we don’t have, and keep us frantically chasing after money so that we can acquire and accumulate. This mindset is invalid, destructive and disempowering. It is also untrue.
Women: champions of ‘sufficiency’
When we as women naturally connect to the deep relatedness among us, then genuine wealth becomes available. The etymology of the word “wealth” comes from well-being, or the “well of being” that is often at the heart of a women’s life.
Women are the natural carriers of what I call “the radical surprising truth” of sufficiency. We as sisters, daughters, wives, partners, aunties, grandmas and mothers always, no matter the circumstances, find ways to? heal and care for and provide what is truly needed for the people we love.
My life has given me the opportunity to work with women in Sub-Saharan Africa, India, Bangladesh—even deep in the Amazon rainforest. What I have seen is that, despite the most difficult conditions, we women always find a way to nourish those around us.
Creating a new paradigm
As more and more women move into positions of leadership, power and authority, we must focus on making a difference with what we have, rather than try to accumulate more and more. The practice of sufficiency will lighten our hearts, transform our understanding of wealth and lighten our footprint on Mother Earth. Our aim must be a shift from measuring how much we can accumulate to honoring what we can allocate, share and contribute.
Posted by Katiyana at 1:42pm
Transforming The Practice of Giving
September 23, 2009
Here are some ways to honor special occasions that also benefit people and the planet:
- We are a proud affiliate of the Global Sufficiency Network, a community of practice for the principles of sufficiency. GSN educates and connects people and organizations committed to a world free from scarcity. Please visit the website, www.globalsufficiency.org to become a member of Global Sufficiency Network and take the sufficient living pledge.
- Global Exchange offers fantastic Fair Trade* ideas to transform gift giving. Check out their website to find fair trade gifts, get educated about their global fair trade campaign, and to take the Fair Trade Holiday Gift pledge: www.globalexchange.org.
*Fair Trade empowers artisans and farmers to build a poverty-free future for their families globally. - www.givenow.org: Charities Aid Foundation lists more than 1.5 million organizations and “creates greater value for charities” by making it easy to contribute; also consider giving “Charity Gift Vouchers” to those you love.
- www.changingthepresent.org: Another wonderful website that connects you with 1500+ “meaningful charitable gifts that change the world.” You can also donate on behalf of others.
- Consider becoming a Global Citizen of The Pachamama Alliance or honor someone by giving the gift of life. Pachamama was co-founded by Lynne and her husband, Bill. You may donate via the website, www.pachamama.org, and your gift is tax-deductible.
Love and blessings for 2011 from the Soul of Money team,
Lynne, Katiyana, and Kay
Posted by Katiyana at 11:44am
Nobel Women’s Initiative: “Women Redefining Democracy”
June 10, 2009
I recently returned from the Nobel Women’s Initiative Conference in Antigua Guatemala: “Women Redefining Democracy”, an amazing, unforgettable experience. The Nobel Women’s Initiative is a client of the Soul of Money.
The 120 women who came together were from 36 countries including Burundi (the government is now 50% women), Liberia (postwar rebuilding is led by Africa’s first female President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf), as well as Darfur, the Congo, Kenya, Ecuador, Brazil, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, Iran, Colombia, Burma, USA, the UK, Sweden, France, Canada, China, Viet Nam, Australia, Ireland and more.
For many of the women, “going home”, meant going back into conditions of war, of gang rape, brutality, and almost unbearable suffering of women and children. For other delegates, “going home” meant returning to conditions of brutal subjugation where women have few or no rights.
Still others returned to courageously lead movements to heal or rehabilitate child soldiers, or to intervene in the trafficking of girls and women, and to stop genital mutilation. Some went back as lawyers to defend women imprisoned for not wearing a headscarf or for driving a car, or to defend women who have been raped and are being charged with adultery.
Some women in particular will return to the prospect of prison simply because they came to the conference.
No matter where we returned and into what roles, all of us were deeply awakened to the challenges women face all over the world, and more deeply connected to the power and magnificence of the human spirit. We were together in Guatemala in a way that made us even more committed to creating a world that is sustainable, peaceful, just, and equitable– a world where democracy includes the clear, potent voices of women.
We bore witness to stories of atrocities and suffering. We walked through the history of genocide in Guatemala and we celebrated stories of breakthroughs. We learned best practices and explored effective legal instruments, new constitutions, and studied the immense power of international awareness & intervention, and the vital role of the press.
And most of all, we were humbled and inspired by each other. We shared, we connected, we networked, we became lifelong friends and sisters, we promised to support each other, we embraced, we laughed, we sang, and we danced into the night.
The day after the conference the four Nobel’s that were there, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Jody Williams, Mairead Maguire, and Shirin Ebadi, debriefed the conference and looked at the collective power and next actions of the Nobel Women in addressing critical places and issues on Earth for women and children: Darfur, Gaza, Burma, Chinese occupied Tibet, as well as climate justice, supporting indigenous voices, the opening available now in the “Obama era”, the role corporate women can play, the commitment to ban nuclear weapons, and more.
I was privileged to facilitate the meeting of the Nobel Women Peace Laureates and NWI staff at Rigoberta Menchu Tum’s home/office (1992 Peace Prize). I was moved by each woman’s skill, thoughtfulness, sensitivity, wisdom, and vast experience. They are utterly amazing women, and to see them work together and move together was breathtaking.
We all rallied around Dr. Shirin Ebadi (2003 Nobel Peace Prize), whose office in Iran was shut down by the government. They arrested or threatened her staff, and confiscated computers and records. Everything was done to silence Dr. Ebadi short of killing or imprisoning her.
My heartfelt thanks to the women donors who are making possible this critical work of the 21st century to turn the tide for women and children worldwide. Please join us in standing with and for the women of this world. Start by visiting the Nobel Women’s Initiative website: www.nobelwomensinitiative.org.
Blessings, Lynne Twist
Posted by Katiyana at 3:48pm
