Two short teaser videos from the event (less than 2 mins each)

‘Nature is the only thing that has value’
< 2 mins with
WiN Rep, Dr Muzammal Hussain

‘Is Communalism 'selfishness' of a different kind?’
< 2 mins ~ WiN Rep, Dr Shumaisa Khan

This participative Zoom gathering on Actualising Community
took place on Sunday May 31st 2020

It was organised by Wisdom In Nature
Islamic Ecology - Permaculture - Inclusive Leadership
Five Strand Activism Model

We hope you enjoy:
A) The Full Videos of the introduction, and
B) Notes of participants sharing
(All below!)

This online gathering was limited to approximately 10 people. It was open to Muslims and anyone who leans towards Islam.

A) Short Intro: The Spark to ignite a Conscious Conversation…

Enjoy watching the 2-part video…

Part 1/2 of Intro: Muzammal then Shumaisa (17 mins)

Part 2/2 of Intro: Muzammal then Shumaisa (17 mins)

Part 1/2: Timings & Topics
(Feel free to ‘fast-forward’!)

Muzammal Hussain

00.00: Intro

1.30: Regenerative vs Sustainable Communities:

3.15: George Floyd

• Marianne Williamson: Healing the past & the need for reparations (following several hundred years of racism and violence against the Black community - slavery and institutionalised oppression) as reparations have happened for the Jewish community

5.00: Needs/Care & Forms of community: conscious/less conscious ; Formal / less formal ; Mutual Aid groups

Shumaisa Khan

8.20: Intro

9.30: Community as place

Regional & cultural differences

12.15: Pandemic-induced mutual aid: Going Beyond

13.40: Regenerative vs Degenerative communities

Community addressing other needs & expressions of care: E.g. :

- Health: mental & physical
- Spiritual
- Safety
- Material
- Beyond degrowth

15.25: Examples of Regenerative Communities:

• Rojava, (NE region of Syria);

• Jackson, Mississippi (USA)

Part 2/2: Timings & Topics
(Feel free to ‘fast-forward’!)

Muzammal Hussain

00.00: Dysfunctionality of normality

• Power

• From where are we getting our needs met?

• Dependence on a degenerative, unsustainable system (hence need for alternatives)

2.00: Power of dominant financial system vs Nature

• What has value? / Money as a catalyst / The dysfunctionality of nature subservient to monetary system & the need to reverse this

3.25: Qualities of Regenerative Communities

• Real wealth is nature

• History, Story, Healing (of past),

• Celebrating life / ritual

• Conscious group work / listening deeply / Including those on margins / allowing difference, Processing/Transforming conflict vs conflict avoidance

7.00: Personal obstacles & opportunities for ‘community’

• Multicultural / Faith & Diversity

• Strengthening social qualities for ‘community’

Shumaisa Khan

8.40: Power & Time constraints

• Addressing power imbalances: Community decision making, Community safety

10.55: Aspects of the self:

• Individualism vs Communalism

• Postpartum depression example (12.00)

• Cultural differences related to communalism

13.00: The attraction of staying with communal setups

14.00 Where the answers lie: Indigenous and Black community

B) Participants Contributions

1) Following this conversation, a 10/15-minute opportunity for sharing between the other participants was opened. The following was discussed/came through:

• With regard to the need for community; what are our obstacles in terms of intention and expectations? And how to encompass and accept that there will be differences between each individual’s understanding and needs.

• People are currently time-poor; this presents a difficulty for organic growth

• What are the intentions and expectations of everyone, how can we meet these all as a community?

• The importance of considering our own personal agenda, are we bringing bias/own goals into the community, are these productive/growthful?

• There are community connections between people nationally/globally, but how can we meet these locally? Due to time poor/financial pressures, there seems to be a lack of time and opportunity for slow connection and meeting needs. How can we overcome this?

• Agreement felt by all that this society makes us time-poor;

• Discussion that power and money are blocks to community building,

• What do I have as my resources/time as an individual? The idea that we are much more powerful as individuals and as a community than we think we are.

• Discussion from an academic viewpoint; sociology has shown us that industrialisation has led to community loss.

• The need for a physical ‘place’ is an important concept of community, there is an interconnection between physical place and community building for survival and existence of all beings.

• Land as a means of sustenance/food/shelter/medicine.

• Discussed the idea that mass migration has led to a detachment to land/culture/beings.

• There is a need for healing regarding this disruption of community; especially in places where this has come with destruction of natural resources and land, communities need to provide a necessary call to nature and healing.

• In an age of information technology, we can all be connected from different places i.e. like this zoom call. During Covid, this has been useful and as a tool to round and connect society, however at the disadvantage of face to face community loss.

2) Following this discussion, the group met as a whole and created a final go-around inviting ideas especially around personal change following sharings so far. Reflections shared were:

• A need to return to our faith as Muslims, turn back to Allah swt and an awareness that we have been created as an integral part of the planet. Look towards our responsibilities in the human/non-human world, and focus on our connection through Allah swt to the planet and and trust that doors will open and change will happen with the right intention, while putting into practice our ideas

• Putting away thoughts of over-thinking and doubt, and placing energy into the projects and ideas we hold ‘without too much thinking about it.’

• Focus on the immediate community around us, checking in basic ways on our neighbours/friends locally; asking them ‘what do you need?’

• Missing the physical connection in current ‘social distance’ world; looking forward to physical/face to face connections when lockdown loosens; using green spaces/ shared picnics, and focusing on the intention in relationships



The event was not intended to reach a conclusion, but was a means for facilitated explorations and the drawing out, gathering, and documenting of ideas and insights that emerged :)

Thank you to: Valentina Maccario for wonderful facilitation support and contributing to rigorous note-taking!