PROJECT HOPE

Instagram: @project.hope.to 

ourprojecthope.to@gmail.com

GROUP DESCRIPTION

A space for creatives, faculty and community to gather mindfully and address critical issues with play and hope to transform our futures. We practice mindfulness, get grounded, then talk about our ideas and work on creative projects. Project Hope welcomes you to co-creation, co-facilitation is encouraged from new and existing participants. We welcome your creativity and unique gifts 

MISSION

Our mission is to bring together and support students, faculty and the greater community to address critical issues like sustainability, Indigenous rights and social justice through mindful gatherings and creative play. We believe in the transformative power of art to connect, heal, and transform our surroundings. We believe that the capacity and resilience to create a healthy future comes through nurturing individual and collective hope, and through community, our collective aspirations can bear fruit.

VISION 

We envision a world where artists inspire the collective to see new possibilities for life that reflects the true nature of our interconnectedness and ultimate interbeing. We envision a world where equality, inclusivity, and protecting a healthy planet become the new “business as usual”. We envision a world that is not driven by fear and scarcity, but abundance and care that is aligned with the health of our planet. We believe in a world where we all are free. 

STRUCTURE OF SESSIONS

20m mindfulness practice - grounding, connect, build inner regulation, open to insight; may also include movement/walking meditation

15m deep listening/loving speech practice - a safe, inclusive space for sharing from the heart and listening deeply

25-60 min creative studio work in response - participants can leave early if they want or stay for the full hour. Take away creative piece to be something you can put up in your home to remind you of any insights/takeaways/positive affirmations/gathas that can act as a resource. When appropriate we may work together to dream up art that can be used in activist settings.

OUR STORY

Project Hope was born out of Sierra Club Canada’s Ontario chapter through deep discussions around how to radically change how we call in people into the environmental movement through love and hope rather than fear. Our understanding of climate change starts with treating it as an equity and justice concern, as impacts will be distributed unevenly to the most marginalized communities, who are often BIPOC. 

We declared a climate emergency in 2019, and many are feeling hopeless due to a fear-based narrative. We intend to change that. While there are actors to call out, there is also much to celebrate, and we are closer than ever to a just transition to renewable energy.  

Currently, many factors are colliding in our global web that contribute to the storm we face ahead. Artificial intelligence, a search for a sustainable way of life, cost inflation... These are just the first things that come to mind. As artists and human beings, what can we do to combat this? We have a lot to learn from nature and each other. Collectively we are capable of great change and with Project Hope, we aim to do just that.

RESOURCES 

Our work is inspired and based in work by the following resources: 

• Mindfulness meditation (in particular “engaged buddhism” in the lineage of Thich Nhat Hanh & Plum Village, as well as Tara Brach)
• Unshakeable - Trauma-informed mindfulness for collective awakening - Jo-Ann Rosen
• Active Hope - Joanna Macy
• Non-Violent Communication - Marshall Rosenberg
• Trauma-informed practices: 
• Somatic Experiencing - Peter Levine