When Joanna Macy speaks, the world listens. At 95, this eco-philosopher, author, and Buddhist scholar continues to inspire and guide those yearning for a sustainable future. We present an episode of EcoJustice Radio that celebrates Macy’s life and work, particularly her concept of “The Great Turning.”
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Joanna Macy on the Work That Reconnects
Join us as we celebrate the wisdom of eco-philosopher, author, and Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy on her 95th birthday in this profound episode of EcoJustice Radio. We delve into Joanna’s groundbreaking work, “The Great Turning,” examining the transformative journey from an industrial growth society to a life-sustaining civilization. With excerpts from a 2002 talk and a 2018 interview, Macy’s insights on activism, spirituality, and deep ecology offer a beacon of hope and a call to action for a better world. Tune in to be inspired by Joanna Macy’s vision for a sustainable future and her unwavering commitment to peace, justice, and environmentalism.
“We don’t have to take this system apart so much. We don’t have to conquer it because it’s doing a good job by itself. It is self-destructive.” — Joanna Macy
Macy’s vision is a powerful one: a transformative journey from our current industrial growth society to a life-sustaining civilization. Through her work, she has touched countless lives, teaching us to transform despair and apathy into constructive, collaborative action. This episode features excerpts from a 2002 talk on Salt Spring Island, where Macy’s words resonated with timeless wisdom and urgency. Her message is clear: change is not only necessary but possible, and it begins with us.
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In a heartfelt interview with EcoJustice Radio host Carry Kim from 2018, Macy shares her thoughts on activism, the spiritual and ecological crises we face, and the importance of embracing our pain for the world. Her words are a call to action, urging us to see beyond our individual selves and recognize our part in the larger web of life. Macy’s approach to hope as a verb – an action we take rather than a feeling we passively harbor – is particularly poignant in today’s climate.
“To suffer with the world is a wholesome and indeed beautiful expression of our humanity.” — Joanna Macy
As we listen to Joanna Macy’s reflections, it becomes evident that “The Great Turning” is not a distant dream but an ongoing reality. It’s happening in the grassroots movements, in the actions of environmental activists, and in the hearts of those who dare to envision a better world. This episode not only honors Macy’s legacy but also serves as a rallying cry for all who care deeply about our planet’s future.
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More Info:
Joanna Macy and the Great Turning Talk in British Columbia 2002 https://youtu.be/ZB6YcL0vy74?si=cJgf_YC_NimYH1Bf
Joanna Macy 2018 interview: https://wilderutopia.com/landscape/spiritual/ecojustice-radio-joanna-macy-and-the-great-turning-episode-10/
Joanna Macy is the Founder of the Work That Reconnects, a groundbreaking framework and methodology for personal and social change. She is an international spokesperson for anti-nuclear causes, peace, justice, and environmentalism, most renowned for her book, Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World and the Great Turning initiative, which deals with the transformation from, as she terms it, an industrial growth society to what she considers to be a more sustainable civilization. She has created a theoretical framework for personal and social change, and a workshop methodology for its application. Her work addresses psychological and spiritual issues, Buddhist thought, and contemporary science, and helps people transform despair and apathy into constructive, collaborative action. Learn more at: https://www.joannamacy.net/main
The Work That Reconnects sees the world reality told in three stories: Business As Usual, the Great Unraveling, and the Great Turning. The third story, the Great Turning is the epochal transition from an industrial growth society to a life-sustaining civilization.
More information: https://workthatreconnects.org/
Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes a column on PBS SoCal called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.
Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth.
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
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Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
2018 Interview by Carry Kim from EcoJustice Radio.
Engineer: JP Morris
Executive Producer: Mark Morris
Interview Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 219
Photo credit: Joanna Macy
Updated 29 December 2024
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