Spirit of the Future for 2012 and beyond

Even though we, as the Findhorn Foundation Community, celebrate our 50th birthday in 2012, we do so knowing the long-term survival of the planet that we all share is at stake.

As the Foundation moves into its next stage of pioneering sustainable change, we are deeply aware of the spiritual, social, environmental and economic challenges being faced worldwide. We believe that in order to support inspired leadership in this time of transition we must strengthen and develop our partnerships with diverse groups and people, to co-create a positive future for all.

This is a time for all of us in the Findhorn Foundation community and the world community to come together, a time to bring the strengths and gifts of different groups such as educational organisations, businesses, charities, social enterprises, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, scientific and technological groups into creative cooperation with one another for a common purpose: to learn to live in right relationship with each other and the Earth’s ecosystems.

During 2012, we are launching a vision for the Foundation — Spirit of the Future. This is a collective movement towards inspired leadership based on individual connection and inspiration. The inner ecology of co-creation with nature and with the subtle aspects of life is a key part of the transformational process that happens at the Findhorn Foundation. We provide a space that holds and supports each individual’s adventure as they travel their own unique journey of insight.

The vision of Spirit of the Future is based on an inspired plan to ensure the Foundation’s next 50 years of service and beyond. It’s a time to remember the foundations of Findhorn by honouring Dorothy, Eileen and Peter for their dedication; and David Spangler, Robert Ogilvie Crombie, Sir George Trevelyan and others who have contributed to and influenced the shape of this spiritual community.

It is a time to re-dedicate our energies, strengthen our purpose and launch new initiatives.

We are a centre that is committed to providing experiences and concrete tools that help people learn to relate to each other and the world in new ways, drawing upon the inherent capacity of all people for insight, caring and cooperation. Over the past three years, even though there has been an international financial crisis, we have seen a strong rise in the number of people coming to our courses and conferences, demonstrating a need for what we offer. The health of humankind and the natural world depends upon a widespread change in worldview and attitudes in order to generate new systems that are inclusive and compassionate. We are offering a holistic learning environment to support this, and now need to create new educational, social and environmental initiatives, including new facilities and infrastructure.

Many of the projects we are moving forward with are educational, with further projects that will provide new and ecologically sustainable facilities to support them. Our recent Building Bridges work, which reaches out to schools, the socially disadvantaged and also to corporate clients, requires that our buildings and facilities are accessible to all people. To meet these needs, we have updated the Community Centre, constructed a biomass heating system and a wildlife garden, and improved the Universal Hall. So far we have received funding for these projects as well as donations from hundreds of individuals, including an incredible legacy of almost £500,000 from Tom Welch, a former community member. We are also planning to further improve the Universal Hall and create more guest accommodation at The Park and are looking at ways to achieve this aim.

In 2012 and beyond we are celebrating and encouraging the deepest potential of all people to co-create positive and sustainable change. We do this knowing that we are called to play our part as a seed centre and holistic learning centre, demonstrating cooperation with nature and the immense power of love. We look back at 50 years of service and forward to a new future for all of humanity and our planet.

Ana Rhodes Castro and Eva Ward