Issue 348
Living proof… W
hat a joyous theme – The Gift of Life – and what an exuberant cover by the talented artist Jana Nicole to instil a sense of wonder and appreciation for everything that this phrase might mean. When a topic as big as one that celebrates ‘LIFE’ itself comes along for us to think about, we need to step back with humility and see what is waiting to come into that space to share this sense of wonder and celebration with us, and this issue is full of sometimes surprising articles that do just that, and more.
In truth, this issue started its own life months and months ago when another talented contributor, the Nature writer, ecophilosopher and sometime teacher of creative writing Paul Evans, suggested a piece about death that was in fact a piece about celebrating life in all its living and dying glory.
Turn to his captivating article on rot (yes, rot!), which is The Slow Read (page 22). You may feel you’ve slipped between the gnarly and other-worldly covers of a book of Grimms’ Fairy Tales, only to find yourself in a place that looks dead from the outside but is teeming with hidden life forms, including some we almost never stop to think about, or, if we do, quickly dismiss as ‘creepy-crawlies’.
Between this page and the last, we have many deeply moving and lifeaffirming pieces. Textile artist Anna-Louise Meynell shares her extraordinary tale of a life that emerged from the hallowed halls of academic research in Scotland to a welcoming family homestead in India, where she now works with artisan weavers and supports them by sharing that cultural heritage with others (page 18).
Another writer living in India is Sharmila Desai, who celebrates the gift of yoga as a life path, along with her equal devotion to the rescue water buffalo and abandoned cows she and her family so lovingly tend and take care of at her ancestral home in Goa (page 30).
Just as inspiring is writer Carol Donaldson’s invitation to consider being of service to others as one of life’s true gifts. Carol is the author of a new book called The Volunteers, and in her article (page 34) she shares how doing things for others helped lift her out of a dark place to rebuild her own life.
Finally, this issue also celebrates what we might (and do) call the ‘superpowers’ of young people who work collectively to find positive solutions to the climate crisis and other challenges of our times. We have a wonderful article by the Bolivian winners of the Iris Prize (page 14), and a glowing tribute to young people written by the founder of The Earth Prize (page 36).
I will leave you with the humbling words of Gustavo Blanco, who accepted the 2024 Iris Prize on behalf of the winning Uru Uru Team: “As a young group that started from a lake shore with nothing but enthusiasm and a collective dream, being seen, supported and validated through our journey is living proof that when we pursue something from the bottom of our hearts, the universe conspires to make it come true.”
Susan Clark
Editor of Resurgence & Ecologist @susanresurgence.bsky.social
WELCOME
Resurgence & Ecologist is published by The Resurgence Trust, an educational charity. See inside back cover and our website www.resurgence.org for more information. Views expressed in these pages may not necessarily reflect those of the Trust.
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