[Xmca-l] Re: Love in the time of corona

[Julian Williams]

I expect you have all seen this: if so,  apologies for boring you

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/04/06/love-letter

Let’s not focus on “coping”  so much that we lose the really important political lessons from this experience: international markets ut of control, nationalist politics, racism-imperialism, media and bad-science, viral infection in all left parties, …

Julian

Ps Here the news today (in the left – totally ignored by mainstream media so far) has been the way the right of the Labour Party worked to LOSE the 2017 election, so they could remove Corbyn. Since which time their nefarious activities have intensified around the Anti-Semitism issue, driving international socialists (disproportionately many actually Jewish) to despair. If similar in the US, turn your attention to the real enemies in the Democrat Party – there is no doubt a similar conspiracy against Sanders there.

From: <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on behalf of Alfredo Jornet Gil <a.j.gil@ils.uio.no>
Reply-To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
Date: Monday, 13 April 2020 at 21:00
To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Love in the time of corona

Really wonderful initiatives of retooling/stepping up virtual activity, very inspiring and helpful, Lois.

I was drawn by the “love” in your post’s subject, and then was looking for the term again in the body of your message, but could not find it. I thought then that “non-knowing growing” and the generating of “hope and possibility” was it. Thanks for sharing.

Interesting connection between your group’s therapeutic approach to the situation and recent characterizations of the current situation as a world-perezhivanie.
Alfredo
From: <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on behalf of Lois Holzman <lholzman@eastsideinstitute.org>
Reply to: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
Date: Monday, 13 April 2020 at 18:56
To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
Subject: [Xmca-l] Love in the time of corona

Hello All,

Following the lead of others, I'll jump in. While NYC and state are in serious crisis and all its cultural and economic conflicts even more glaring, the vibrancy and energy has not disappeared. It's just different.

As Vygotsky is purported to have said, "A revolution solves only those tasks raised by history..." History has thrown us a monster.

Different too are the forces working to shape this extraordinary historical moment. Much of that shaping by those who are in positions of political and economic, etc. authority—and the pandemic itself—are creating fear and despair, both for now and the future. At the same time, the shaping being done by so many thousands of people and organizations that inspire and organize people to exercise their power and creativity for connectedness are generating hope and possibility.
I feel that palpably all day long.

We in the global development community are re-tooling and/or stepping up our virtual activities, many of which involve play, performance and ensemble building, not to take people's minds off what's happening, but to involve them in some "non-knowing growing" and participation in creating positive responses to what's happening that have the possibility to continue to be transformative of individuals and communities. A few examples—
     establishing a Global Play Brigade working across borders of nation state, culture and economy (so far performance activists from about 40 countries involved)
     offering Creating Connection and Building Community <https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Play-Sessions-via-Zoom-Opened-Up--Free-online-social-gatherings.html?soid=1101246158194&aid=qweSrQdaUGo> free play sessions via Zoom, each one originating in a different part of the world (about 150 people per session so far)
     taking our Creating Our Mental Health conversation/workshop series national and international in a moment when people are realizing how they feel is not inside them, not merely socially produced and organized, but social in its potential transformativity
      taking All Stars Project programs for poor youth and their communities in NYC, NJ, Dallas, Chicago and the Bay Area virtual

If you're interested in any of this and more, let me know. And you can always check out the social media listed in my signature.

Stay safe,
Lois

--
Access my latest article—Why be Half-Human? How Play, Performance and Practical Philosophy Make Us Whole (written with Cathy Salit)—and read the rest of this marvelous book, Social Construction in Action<https://www.taosinstitute.net/product/social-construction-in-action-contributions-from-the-taos-institutes-25th-anniversary-conference>, which you can download for free!


Lois Holzman
Director, East Side Institute for Group & Short Term Psychotherapy
Chair, Global Outreach, All Stars Project, UX
Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Vygotskian Practice and Performance, Lloyd International Honors College at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Address: East Side Institute, Attn:Lois Holzman
119 West 23 St, suite 902
New York, NY 10011
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