"Fissiparous forces always create disunity and exploitation in collective life. To counteract these fissiparous forces, Prout encourages those common factors amidst divergent views which lead to unity and synthesis."

– P.R. Sarkar

                                                                                                                     Photo by James Lee on Unsplash

A quick announcement: Prout Alliance is pleased to announce that we have a new newsletter editor, Rebekah Moan. She has more than 17 years of experience working as a professional writer and editor and has graciously agreed to serve in this role for PA.

Welcome, Rebekah!

- Submitted by Nina Shapiro, former editor

War, Geo-Sentiment, and the Future of Human Civilization

By: Nina Shapiro, Prout Alliance steering committee chair

In these painful and difficult times in the Middle East, Ukraine, Africa, and other places in conflict in this world, it is easy to become one-sided in our view of what is just, fair, and right. It is important to keep a balanced mind and to consider all sides of things, to allow for others’ views and opinions to be heard and considered. As Proutists, we must embrace humanitarian approaches to social justice for all beings, to protect and defend the innocent and the vulnerable, and to focus on our commonality rather than our differences. We are one human family and we must embrace this wholeheartedly in order to survive, to move together into a preferred future and to evolve as a species.

Below is an excerpt of a discourse by P.R. Sarkar, the founder of Prout, regarding the dangers of geo-sentiment, which he viewed as the greatest threat to humanity’s inner asset:

“Now let us see what the impact of geo-sentiment is. This geo-religion, geo-economics, geo-sociology, geo-social sentiment – these “geo’s” are limited to a particular country or a particular direction. And those countries or directions which are beyond its confines are considered profane. To one group, judging according to this so-called holiness or profanity, the east is sacred, while to another group the west is sacred. Thus conflicts arise between these contradictory sentiments, leading to war and bloodshed. People have forgotten the fundamental spirit of humanism, and deviated from the principles of dharma.

So now we see that the greatest threat to the inner asset of humanity is this geo-sentiment. Where does this geo-sentiment come from? Where does it originate? It is born in that place where people do not follow the path of rationality, the path of conscience. Dharma (characteristic property) is the ultimate goal of the path of conscience – it is not related to geo-sentiment.

Some people adopt geo-socialism, geo-politics or national socialism, thus limiting socialism to their countries only, but this is not possible. Geo-socialism, geo-religion, geo-economics, etc., which are based on this geo-sentiment, not only confine people in the bondages of limitations, but also alienate one particular social group from another. And – what is more harmful – different groups become violent toward each other, which is extremely dangerous for human civilization.”


P.R. Sarkar

"Geo-Sentiment," Discourse 3

7 March 1982, Calcutta

                                                                                                                   Photo by M Rishal on Unsplash

Zero Proofed Turns Alcohol Culture on its Head

By: Rebekah Moan, Prout Alliance newsletter editor

One of the aspects that makes Prout so unique and revolutionary is that it’s an entire systems-change phenomenon. It’s a theory, a practice, a movement, a guide for living that focuses on creating a healthy, harmonious society that values all beings. One tangible way to do that is to create a space where people are in harmony with themselves. That’s exactly what sisters Priyanka and Chirasmita Kompella have accomplished with their business Zero Proofed. 

Zero Proofed reimagines how people can meet, socialize, and build community in such a way that’s not damaging to their bodies. Instead of centering around alcohol, Zero Proofed shows there’s fun to be had and connections to be made in sober environments. Using non-alcoholic drinks that aren’t juice or soda, and sporting names like “Pear Ginger Mule” and “Blood Orange Paloma,” these drinks have all the appeal of their alcoholic counterparts with none of the alcohol.

In addition to creating non-alcoholic drink recipes, the Kompellas host pop-up events in LA and Denver. Attendees can drink and socialize at poolside yoga, speakeasies, and silent discos. Primarily what they’re selling is an experience, all without brain fog, hangovers, and recovery time.

“We’re entering an era of entrepreneurship where innovators are building community spaces and prioritizing experiences that enable people to blossom and embrace their authentic selves,” Chirasmita said. “Every time we host an event, we witness how cultivating the space for people to socialize with others, without the presence of alcohol, transforms their ability to build lasting connections and drive conversations towards personal and societal progress.”

People of all ages, not just Gen Z, attend Zero Proofed events and in doing so meet their future business co-founders and new friends. Zero Proofed creates a platform for meaningful discussions and connections where everyone can be more fully themselves without the influence of alcohol.

“Zero Proofed gives our community the opportunity to take a step back, unlearn the constructs or preconceptions around how they interact, and reimagine how they build relationships,” she said.

Priyanka adds, “Historically, the entertainment industry has been intertwined with alcohol. Live music, festivals, and dance have all become synonymous with alcoholic events. However, as alcohol-free beverage options become more widely available, people are opting to enjoy these entertainment events without alcohol. This is completely challenging the role alcohol has played in entertainment. Our guests at Zero Proofed continue to tell us that alcohol had been masking their importance of genuine community and present connection.”

By connecting with yourself and others in a sober way, there’s room for something more to emerge. The backbone of Prout is neohumanism, a philosophy that encourages universalism, and social spaces filled with people of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities support that neohumanistic outlook. Instead of erecting walls, neohumanism builds bridges. And that’s exactly what the Kompella sisters are doing with Zero Proofed, one pop-up at a time.

To learn more about Zero Proofed, visit www.getzeroproofed.com.  

News from ProutSisters

ProutSisters hosted a stimulating and engaging conversation on November 18th led by Mahajoy Laufer and Nada Khader. "Tools to Overcome Psycho-Economic Exploitation" used quotes from Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar to support overcoming psycho-economic exploitation and Marie Koschorke shared a powerful theatrical piece about human trafficking. The full recording may be viewed here.

Submitted by Nada Khader

The Resilient Communities Project

Without a profound transformation of our basic socioeconomic system, our current civilization and its life support systems will continue to break down with devastating consequences to most of humanity and all life on Earth. The Resilient Communities Project is based on the conviction that the best and perhaps only realistic way to forge a vibrant new socioeconomic system is to start very small and then scale up as conditions allow or even compel. Influenced by Prout, permaculture, and eco-communitarian principles, the purpose of Resilient Communities is therefore to develop and establish practical prototypes of a convivial, equitable, and regenerative way of life. By Resilient Community we mean:

  • a small, socially and economically cooperative group
  • living in simple, affordable, low-impact dwellings in town or country
  • regeneratively producing much or most of their own food and other daily needs
  • nurturing the healing and well-being of their members and the wider community
  • sequestering more carbon in soil, trees, plants, and structures than they emit

Who are we? The Resilient Communities Project is comprised of landholders in the U.S. Pacific Northwest with from 14 to 120 acres and an experienced support team with a combined skillset in organizing, permaculture, land use, architecture, natural building, communications, interpersonal relations, business, and technology. We value People care, Land care, and Fair share; love of the natural world; healthy bodies and minds; harmonious interpersonal relationships; cooperative economic democracy, and an individual or collective spiritual foundation.

What do we offer? The Resilient Communities Project offers an opportunity for individuals, couples, or families to participate in the design and establishment of multi-generational Resilient Communities, whether helping to create one, already a landholder, or seeking land to form one. We are currently developing cooperative land ownership models, methods to establish a good fit among members, and fair, effective decision-making processes.

Who are we looking for? We are looking for the following qualities in core members of these communities:

  • Self-motivated, resourceful, and creative thinking
  • Hardworking team players
  • Strong skills in practical, organizational, or interpersonal domains
  • Health-conscious, healthy-minded, and emotionally stable
  • Integrity and financial responsibility
  • The desire to establish roots in the land and in the community 

What is our economic model? The Resilient Communities Project is developing an alternative economic model that will largely free us from the extractive economy. By greatly reducing exorbitant living and operating costs, we can invest the resulting surplus into helping grow a regenerative economic system aligned with Prout principles. This starts with a diverse membership among our communities who possess a combination of practical skills, organizational capabilities, and financial resources. We all need each other.

To achieve our vision, we must function as a cooperative learning community where we humbly learn from one another, supply practical training where needed, and continually grow our knowledge and capabilities.

To explore the possibility of joining this project contact Brad Smith: 

bsmith.interplay@gmail.com (805) 705-5844

PA Organizational Reports

Steering Committee Report:

The Steering Committee bade farewell to two members whose terms had reached their conclusion, Dada Maheshvarananda and Nada Khader. Our heartfelt thanks to each of them for their dedicated four years of service on the committee. In their place, we welcome two new members: Dada Vedaprajinananda and Japa Buckner. Each of them has an extensive background in progressive social change and community-based activities. They are eager to begin serving on the Steering Committee. Welcome and congratulations!

Now the Steering Committee structure is as follows:

  • Nina Shapiro, chair
  • Mark Friedman, secretary
  • Prakash Laufer, finance co-chair
  • John Linkhart, finance co-chair
  • Alex Jackimovicz, member
  • Dada Vedaprajinananda, member
  • Japa Buckner, member

In other news, the Annual Gathering in October was a success and out of that weekend came a renewed commitment to work on Prout. New project focus areas include:

  1. Economic Group with a particular focus on reaching out to youth (ages 18-30)
  2. Community Driven Recovery Team(s) under the umbrella of Climate Change
  3. Social Justice with an emphasis on reaching out to progressive individuals and organizations.

Onward to 2024!

Submitted by Nina Shapiro, Chair

Climate/Community-Driven Recovery and Transition Report:

In early October, Prout Alliance (PA) held a hybrid Annual Meeting with post-COVID record attendance. While hybrid events pose a number of challenges, they also make it possible for people to still participate in some meaningful ways that would otherwise not be available for those unable to attend in person.

There was a welcome focus during the annual meeting this year on trying to ensure PA is engaged in the practical application of Prout and Neohumanism principles as well as active engagement with others in a collaborative manner consistent with its guiding vision and mission. As a result, there were three proposed initiatives addressing the concrete needs of climate, justice, and economy within society that affect a broad spectrum of people. In the course of the presentations and various break-out meetings, those of us who elected to participate in the Climate group ultimately elected to adopt the Community-Driven Recovery and Transition (CDRT) exercise completed by a group in Lane County, Oregon during the first half of 2023. Among those participating in the climate-focused meetings, there was substantial interest in the exercise, and ultimately a number of sites were identified as prospective locations for running CDRT exercises.

The CDRT project uses disaster scenario planning to build a framework that leads to a resilient, just, and sustainable future. Working in sector teams (e.g., food, housing, well-being, government, and economy), frameworks are created that embody values of regeneration, cooperation, equity, inclusion, and decentralization. Once the sector plans are done, all of the teams come together to integrate and crosscheck the sector frameworks to build a unified plan for recovery and transition.

On the latter point, it is important to distinguish the CDRT exercise from more traditional emergency management approaches in which the final goal is to restore the impacted area to the pre-event status quo. Instead of that more limited goal – often not even achievable as many have discovered around the world – the focus of CDRT is to take advantage of the total disruption of the fundamental status quo as it affords people the opportunity to consider other alternatives that may serve them and their communities much better, i.e., all bets are off as the Overton window shifts and what may have previously been politically impossible now becomes politically inevitable.

Serious disruption of the status quo provides an opportunity for transition to an entirely new way of being that is grounded in fundamental Prout and Neohumanism principles. It is in effect a reverse shock doctrine response and the opposite of the standard disaster capitalism opportunism and exploitation response.

The sites identified for CDRT exercises are the mid-coast Maine area, Asheville, N.C., Lahaina/Maui, H.I., and an expanded version in Lane County, O.R. There have been multiple meetings with all sites and some are well along in their scenario planning and even recruiting people for key roles to run their exercises. Guidance is being provided by people who participated in the original Lane County exercise, which in some respects helps streamline the new efforts by sharing lessons learned during the original exercise while still retaining room for learning more.

In summary, the Climate/CDRT Initiative is off to a very strong start, and it is the intent of the facilitators to provide updates about the progress being made with the various groups as they move forward with their exercises. Some truly outstanding and very capable people are participating in the exercises so it is anticipated that some valuable outcomes will result from the new exercises. Thus far, some exciting ideas are already being considered that may ultimately help many other communities and bioregions better prepare for how to constructively and systematically respond to seriously disruptive events.

Submitted by John Linkhart

Finance Committee Report:

In March, the steering committee recognized the need to establish a standing finance committee (FC), which was subsequently authorized and created in the 2nd quarter of 2023 with Prakash Laufer and John Linkhart appointed as co-chairs.

The FC’s primary function is to ensure the financial health, accountability, and sustainability of nonprofit organizations. Its expertise and oversight help maintain financial transparency, safeguard assets, and support the organization's mission and strategic objectives. In the course of its work, the FC provides financial analysis, advice, and oversight of the organization’s budget and ensures the organization is operating with the financial resources it needs to provide programs and services to realize its vision and serve its mission.

While membership dues have provided some income for PA, for a number of years the organization has primarily relied on donations from people who support PA’s vision and mission. Now that PA is more firmly established as a formal and independent organization (e.g., incorporation as a non-profit, obtaining IRS 501c3 status, opening a bank account, and setting up accounting and organizational management systems), it is time for PA to shift its focus to more directly realizing its vision and mission.

PA is at a critical crossroads in its evolution as a functioning Prout- and Neohumanism-inspired change agent within society. To be able to move with the speed and focus necessary in an ever-more rapidly evolving dynamic system wherein society is on the threshold of a major transition, PA can no longer rely exclusively on the pro bono work of willing volunteers. To do so will needlessly compromise PA’s ability to be current and effective in the evolving emergent strategy environment of a rapidly changing world.

PA must now consider paying people to do needed work that volunteer efforts can no longer cover in a timely manner. We are contemplating a fairly modest level of paid staffing until both workload warrants and financial capacity have developed to increase staffing as needed.

Along with other critical functions like education and training, PA also needs to invest in projects demonstrating the practical application of Prout and Neohumanism principles. Again, amounts can be modest and could possibly be effectively leveraged like the “Seedlings for Sovereignty” project that was done in 2022 in the New York Hudson River Valley.

Both of those priorities require more financial capacity than PA has thus far but now needs to develop. It will not come from once-a-year dues nor is it effective to have dues-matching campaigns. There simply aren’t enough ad hoc donations to provide the financial capacity necessary to retain part-time staffing and support practical application projects. So, we are considering a number of possibilities and would welcome your feedback.

In general, we are considering a “Capacity Campaign,” which adapts the more traditional capital campaign model (usually focused on true capital investments such as purchasing or remodeling a building and is a concerted effort over a specified period of time) to fund growth in organizational capacity. Paid part-time staffing could increase PA’s capacity to fulfill its mission.

Perhaps the most obvious source of a steady income is people making a monthly donation pledge. Another option may be to start charging for programs – e.g., the popular monthly seminar series. Professor Sohail Inayatullah’s 11/11/23 presentation had 56 registrants. At a modest amount ($10/person?), some income could be generated. Having shared that, we want to stress that in all aspects of PA, we provide a waiver option as we don’t want an individual’s financial circumstances to prevent them from attending programs.

We welcome your feedback about what we have shared as well as any fund-raising suggestions you may have.

You can contact us by email at:

steering@proutalliance.org

The PA Finance Committee Co-Chairs

Social Justice Group Report:

The Prout Alliance Social Justice Group (SJG) seeks to establish collaborative relationships and engagements with other national (as well as state and/or local) social justice organizations that have values and priorities compatible with Prout. The focus is on genuine relationship-building, meeting needs through skill-sharing, and grassroots member advocacy to act as a bridge for thoughtfully introducing Prout ideology to people in aligned social justice spaces.

We will be conducting outreach through Prout Alliance members who join and actively participate in social justice organizations to build authentic interpersonal relationships and eventually organizational-level contacts. This engagement is meant to go beyond casual affiliation and to focus on connecting as both an individual and representative of the Prout Alliance.

We aspire to offer skill-building seminars tailored to social justice groups around topics like self-care, stress reduction, conflict resolution, and the "Inner Work of the Organizer." We envision collaboratively developing these with partners to meet the capacity-building needs of frontline activists.

The goal is to build trust and rapport through concrete training collaboration projects. We want to develop internal training materials to equip Prout Alliance members to serve as "ambassadors" who are empowered to effectively convey Prout principles when networking with social justice groups. This involves appropriate messaging as well as listening to and learning about potential partners’ priorities.

Our first steps include partnering with the Prout Alliance Outreach Committee and leveraging existing connections that members already have with compatible groups by mapping these relationships through a survey. This survey will be sent out to all members of Prout Alliance and will gauge the depth of members' current engagement with these groups and help us to identify and analyze gaps and opportunities to further "Prout Ambassador" outreach. Anyone who wants to know more about the Prout Alliance SJG effort, or has an interest in joining our efforts can contact Alex Jackimovicz at alex.jackimovicz@gmail.com

Submitted by Alex Jackimovicz

PRI Report:

The Prout Research Institute (PRI) has begun a research project called Community-Driven Recovery and Transition (CDRT). Climate refugees in ever-greater numbers is a global problem. How can we organize large numbers of traumatized refugees to rebuild community in a resilient, ecological, and sustainable way that ensures a high quality of life for everyone?

CDRT is a strategic planning method with a simulation exercise. Our imagined scenario is that coastal flooding in Florida due to a super hurricane has suddenly brought 15,000 refugees to the Asheville, N.C.: 5,000 have made their own housing arrangements while 10,000 are in emergency shelters (fairgrounds, stadiums, gymnasiums, etc.). Their homes were destroyed so they can’t return for at least two years, if ever.

The teams are:

  1. Food – Dinakar
  2. Shelter – Jiivandeva, Dharma
  3. Water, Sanitation, Energy Infrastructure – Jacelyn Eckman
  4. Wellbeing and Health – Ramesh
  5. Livelihood – James Quilligan, Dharma, Mayadhiish
  6. Governance (self-help groups) – Dharma, Polina Rabinovich-Crotty
  7. Communication and Coordination – Tom Paprocki
  8. Education – Rudranii, Niiti

We are now finalizing the research project and our pattern language. Each team will research and interview at least three specialists from relevant organizations. Our final, consolidated report for the public is due on February 29. If you would like to join this research, contact Dada Maheshvarananda at maheshvarananda@gmail.com.

Submitted by Dada Maheshvarananda

Prout Alliance Education Committee Report:

The 23rd consecutive seminar in our monthly series is coming up on December 14, titled, “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Climate Crisis” by Alberta Pedroja, PhD. Admittedly a rather provocative title, but it will be well worth your time to attend and find out what she is referring to. We are happy to acknowledge that the November 11th presentation by Sohail Inayatullah, “The Futures of the World System: Prout and the Grand Transition” set an all-time registration record with a total of 56 people signing up!

The seminars are increasingly drawing people not only from the PA contact list but also from other Prout-oriented or aligned organizations as well as individuals. That broad attendance pattern is indicative of the growing number of people concerned about key trends being observed in society as well as the natural world. We’re going to be expanding our reach even further as Proutist Universal, the global Prout organization with which PA is aligned, has adopted the PA Seminar Series as valuable presentations that they are making available to their global contact list. The potential for ever-closer coordination and cooperation among activist-oriented people is both growing and encouraging.

Seminars are currently being scheduled for early 2024 so please watch for the announcements. The December 14 seminar is already open for registration so please sign up if you haven’t already.

We will close with our standing invitation to share suggestions with us about topics you would like to see covered, or even topics on which you would be willing to do a seminar yourself. You can contact us by email at:

steering@proutalliance.org

The PA Education Work Group Team