27 Jan 2010 |
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 Damanhur has activated a What's Your Tree community, with the first group participating in What's Your Tree 101 from November to December 2009. What's Your Tree is an initiative founded by Julia Butterfly Hill and the Engage Network. The Damanhur What's Your Tree group was comprised of both Damanhurians and international participants from Australia, the US and Colombia. This seven week journey of discovery brought the group members to explore their experiences, talents, and uniqueness, defining one's life mission and how to practically enact this mission in a spirit of connection and community.
 During the holiday season in December 2009, Julia proposed to all those involved with What's Your Tree worldwide to participate in a Gift-Giving Challenge. This challenge involved offering three gifts: on a personal level by giving money to someone in need, on a community level with volunteer service, and on a world level with a day of minimum environmental impact. Julia invited all those participating to write their experience of the Gift-Giving Challenge, as she was to choose one story to honor with a donation of the author's choosing. Julia chose Giada - the Damanhur group leader for What's Your Tree - and her story, and Giada chose that the donation of US$300 shall go to support the Temple of Peoples.From Julia to Giada...
"Thank You SO much for taking such time, thoughtfulness, and care with the end of the year gift-giving challenge. I know that at Damanhur, you already give so much on all levels, so I was completely touched and moved by how you looked for even more ways to stretch and give. Your report back was also insightful and thought-provoking, and I deeply appreciate the time and effort that went into it." |