No Planet is Safe with a Lesser, Limited Woman.

Jane Fonda, Climate Activist & Actor, Vanessa Nakate, youth African climate activist and Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and Chair of the Elder's Council raised the virtual standing ovations at TEDxVailWomen Sunday, October 30! Incredible turnout and inspiring conversations led to a foundational conversation that peace is fundamental to climate change solutions. Jane was also a Vietnam protester. Her voice for the planet and peace is strong, clear, and compelling. 

 Vaclav Havel, in The Power of the Powerless, makes the case that in an authoritarian regime it is not simply brute force that keeps people in line, the tacit agreement of the citizens, and reporting the rebels in a revolution. Still, a few people decide to live in truth and decide not to comply. In Poland’s SOLIDARITY movement, If asked to put. a placard in a store they quietly did not comply. The key was to start small with one person saying no. 

What might the climate change movement learn from the revolutions for women's rights? It is not enough to believe that we are powerless in the face of so many daunting systemic climate-impacting changes. 

In IRAN the call is going out now from girls for Freedom. Woman. Life. Can we women around the world gather in justice and truth now for women standing for peace in our places, freeing ourselves from male dominance?  I stand with all women standing for their rights. This list is so very long. With superhuman strength, we believe in the freedom to choose our own path in life.

To women in 2022, I say, you are the best of shemanity. You will prevail. You prevail when you burned your hijab in Iran, when you walked to school in Afghanistan, when you chose your own reproductivity in the United States of America, when you made your own money in Mexico, when you defended your home in Syria, when you worshipped your god in China, when you stood for your land in Palestine, and when you lived your refugee culture in Myanmar. When you went to the streets to be killed, you put your bodies as the price. The deathliest Xample is dealing with the erupting crises threatening human and animal life in every curve of the world from our climatic breakdowns. Everyone of deep goodwill, free women from the oppression of religion, and financial and political control. I am delighted that it is the 21st Century. We are here not only debating these basics of equality but prevailing for full human rights, basic human rights. Are we not also human? 

We are prevailing, have faith. We are forged through the atrocious fire of real sacrifice. We hold a deep understanding of the worst and best of humanity. To be astounding leaders and creators in each of our inclusive democracies, we must win. We will be showing the whole world what it takes to actually effect change, climate change, and political change. What a glorious, just, all-inclusive world we can create in our belonging. Like a golden bird freed from its cage, from its separation to rejoin and fly with the flock. You know this.

For Americans, it is not enough to be awed or raise our voices at this time. We must individually and daily choose courage.  We ask ourselves what is ours to do. Our time is coming to defend freedom with all of who we are. Iranian young men and women risking their lives to stand up for the kind of world we must be willing to give all to protect. As Iranian girls take every risk for freedom, we in the West must make each choice for Earth, respecting our home. We are sending strength, compassionate hope courageously facing brutal hope, and radically believing in ourselves. 

We prevail. We model the creation of a balanced-with-nature world, rather than an imbalanced-taking-it-all-from-nature world. We salute and bow to you who see this is not only possible but probable. 

From a Dine Indigenous lens, the female life task is life giver and nurturer. The male task is protector and provider for women & children. In healthy, helping teamwork for all to have win-wins. Constructive co-creative life-affirming decisions are made for those positive outcomes. 

Suffering is witness to courage, bravery, perseverance, willingness to put everything on the line, meaningful for the grief and loss that accompanies on these journeys. For climate change, freedom, education, worship, culture, and our own body control, we rebel. The weight of history declares those who oppose over time are bending toward justice in the world unseen, true in our hearts, where we love each other. We are hard-wired for connection. This, 2022 is the year to spread our wings, create, and produce love and life in all our Xpressed brilliances. We participate in the potential of self-actualization, burning within us all. Not controlled, not limited. Rather the fire of freedom burns bright. Not bound, not limited. We evolve into the next stage of shemanity. HOZHO 

Free women freely generate and give birth to free-thinking children. New life, gestates, time to give birth. We conceive a world in which all humans-males & females-are able to take their own journey to freedom. The quest, the idea is conceived in the mind. Now we gestate, a new world, though, is struggling to be born. Women & men are going through atrocious fire, leading the birth together of a new baby shemanity. Prayers and best wishes of the elders and ancestors are with us.

On the other side of this horrific pain, this grief, there is another baby to be celebrated. A new world of people who remember where they gave birth to their freedoms. No place remains without this struggle. We struggle within, half the human race. No nation is great with a lesser, limited woman. The suppression of women is the reiteration of the oldest story of holding women down. Homo sapiens will truly flourish when women are all that we can be, half Earth actualizing herself. Nature needs half.

We carry an ancient knowing for ourselves, for each other, for the other. We are seen in people we will never meet. People we will never know about, helping in whichever way we can. We are not alone. If even one of us is heard from our heart, we are not alone. Millions are with us. We choose wisely bravely, and courageously. Take care of ourselves as best we can. We are leading. We are the bearers of a new world for sisters, and daughters, honoring our great grammas, and girls delivering on the promise that we are free and equal. Guided, we are caring for each other. Aided and pushed from behind with the spirit of peace, the new world is being born through our deep struggle. From the womb to the world, we emerge, wise, tempered, and revered. I bow before our aliveness, our vision. I see clearly now our full struggle. In whatever ways necessary, know that you are serving me and all of shemanity as you wriggle your way beyond domination survival to climate revival. We are servants of a new world.