‘Naughty’ in the Noughties

As a registered charity, the Findhorn Foundation is prohibited from taking part in political activities, and has always strictly adhered to this. This prohibition does not, however, extend to private actions taken by individuals who are living in the Community.

By the time we entered ‘the noughties’ in the year 2000, our Community had become so large and vibrant that political action based on spiritual values began to blossom. These protests were not official actions by the Findhorn Foundation, but private actions by individuals in the Community.

It started in 2001, when a local farmer near Nairn wanted to plant genetically modified (GM) oilseed rape. I had an unusually clear inner prompting not to stand by and let something so contradictory to my values happen so close to home. I soon found others in the Community who felt the same. We got ourselves informed about the underlying dangers of GM food to our health and our eco-systems, and the threat of a few corporations having total gaining control over nearly all farming.

We joined forces with some of the neighbouring farmers and many other concerned local citizens to start a local debate and put pressure on the farmer. Eventually he cracked, and dropped the field test. After this success we turned our attention to supporting the growing local campaign against a test of the same crop at a 36-acre field on the Black Isle. A 24/7 vigil camp had been set up in a lay-by beside this field, after a few women and children spontaneously stood in front of the tractor sowing the GM seed. Inspired by these local heroes, we helped spread the growing sense of empowerment by helping to train groups in non-violent direct action, and by supporting group decision making based on respect and equal influence for all.

In the first big action, over 100 people pulled out almost five acres of the GM oilseed rape in the middle of the night. No tools were used in case we hurt each other in the dark. We also helped organise a silent walking meditation around the field. During all the other actions, people in the Community meditated to support those on the field.

I think the main lessons of the campaign were empowerment and non-attachment to outcome. We experienced that standing up for what you believe in can make a difference. After two-thirds of the crop had been destroyed, the government gave up on the third year of farm tests. We inspired, and were inspired by, many other groups across the UK. As a direct result the government dropped the whole idea of GM, though last year they began a new attempt. Of course we were frustrated when each action failed to take out the whole field, which was our goal. But the fact that we made a new, ever more daring attempt every few weeks kept the issue alive in the local and national media.

In 2003 we ran another local campaign with Friends of the Earth. This time we achieved our full goal — Moray Council declared Moray as a GM-free zone. In the following years, significant groups of people from the Community participated in national protests against the Iraq War, poverty in the Third World and at the G8 summit held at Gleneagles. In the latter we created a ‘Healan’ Kitchen’ at the anarchist eco-camp. The calmness, service and care that infused our camp, along with amazing cooking, made us one of the most popular spots for the thousands of young protesters who needed to recharge their batteries.

We learnt that individual and especially group action can make a difference in the world. But most important it was ‘the how’ we did it that mattered most … along with the many friends that we made along the way!

Gordon McAlpine