Peace is a Choice in every day and in every moment
If you want peace to be a part of your life and the world, therefore, you should choose it in the everyday life and in the everyday thoughts and acts.
6th Council Meeting Helga
A lecture for the 6th Meeting of the European Council of Grandmothers in Island
INNER PEACE
I am Grandmother Helga from Germany. I am happy to be here in Iceland together with my European Grandmother Sisters, and I am happy to meet all of you. Our topic for this council is PEACE, and I am sure that this is one of the most important issues for all of us in these days and it is no coincidence that our council takes place in Iceland just in the time of the UN-WORLD PEACE DAY.
It is my part today to talk about our inner peace, our peace of mind.
Why shall we think about inner peace?
Many years ago, I thought about what I can contribute to the goal PEACE in the world! I felt overwhelmed by this immense challenge! I was about to give up, but I read about Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and other great peace campaigners and I understood that peace is not a state but a process.
“There are no roads to peace, peace is the way”. (Mahatma Gandhi)
Then I understood that PEACE in the world starts with us. That means I have to find peace inside of me. I remembered the cosmic principles of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece. One of them is “As the outer world, so the inner world – as the inner world, so the outer world.” The Dalai Lama: “If you do not know inner peace, you will not find it in your encounter with others.” These examples may be enough for the moment to explain, why I decided to think about inner peace, work on it and share my experiences with you. Now – a little break! Although I know, that there is only little time!
Please -Take your time!
Now!
Close your eyes!
Take a deep breath and exhale! Four times!
Find your own rhythm now, be quiet and relax!
Imagine you are at your favourite place in the nature!
Realize that you are connected to everything!
Stay there and enjoy this moment until I will call you back!
– two minutes –
Come back and open your eyes!
Sometimes it needs not more to find our inner peace:
Take some time!
Be aware of your breath!
Be just in this moment!
Be in the nature!
Feel connected!
Sometimes it is much more difficult to find our inner peace. There are many reasons for this.
One reason is that we are angry with ourselves. We are very often angry with ourselves, one aspect of us fights against the other as if we have war within us.
We have to understand, perceive and accept that we do not really value ourselves.Most of us have a deep fear of rejection. That is why we try to live up to expectations of others and our own. For many of us this means a tremendous effort and causes great stress.
Mostly the cause for this is in the past. That means, that we have to look into our childhood, sometimes even deeper – into the childhood of our parents or grandparents- to understand all the suppressed feelings, deep mental injuries we all have suffered. Children are very vulnerable, and dependent to their parents, they need their love. When parents have had to suppress their feelings, they are unconsciously afraid, that these feelings, especially deep pain, come into their consciousness.
Where fear is there cannot be love, because fear makes our body tight and love needs space.
So almost all of us have a lack of love. We have many ways to deal with it. Most ways do not lead to inner peace, because most of us do not understand that many of our activities and efforts have something to do with our need for love. That means that we have to look into our childhood and to our ancestors to see, understand, feel and accept the hidden wounds, pain and anger to heel them. Then we can learn to forgive our ancestors and ourselves. When we forgive, we are connected. This forgiveness, our connection leads to INNER PEACE!
6th Council Meeting Elisabeth
My local, weekly commitment with a woman seeking asylum in Switzerland – a win-win-situation
The village of 2000 inhabitants where I live, was assigned to care – among others – for a family of six people from Afghanistan by the federal authorities. I have known the family now for over two years. The eldest ofthe four children is twelve, the youngest 3 years old. The father has recently been allowed to do manual work for the community and to earn a little money.
Every week I study with the mother, who is taking two different German language courses, offered free of charge by volunteer organisations. We do her homework together. She was illiterate, and I am astonished how quickly she gets along with everything.
Again and again I also try to sum up for her the letters the children bring home from school and kindergarten. I practise with her to read the calendar, dates and appointments and the time. Great trust and love has grown between the two of us. She calls me her Swiss mom, and grandmother towards the children. Every time, I leave their flat gratified. From the start it was clear to me that I wanted to work with the mother, for, if a mother is psychically stable, the children profit most directly. After the death of her mother, this woman had to work in a factory sewing clothes, when she was only ten years old.
In our village we have a small group of mostly young people looking afterthe asylum seekers. We advise each other and provide the necessary materials. Somebody was able to find a sewing machine for my “Afghan daughter”.Now she is sewing for her children and girl-friends and is very happy about it.
My motivation for this engagement is my belief that an open, warm new home should be offered to these people, who were forced to leave their homeland and become refugees. In this way I can personally “better” theofficial Swiss position, which is a compromise with those Swiss people who fear the loss of jobs and the Islamic religion. They believe that in oursmall, closely populated country there is no room for more people, meaning first of all refugees and the costs they cause for the state. (I am sure you all know this!)
6th Council Meeting Beate
Peace work in The Sami community
Boures, (good day). I am Beate, a Sami and very proud of it. Today I will tell you about my grandmother, Henrikke. She was the daughter of Henrik and Elida. They were immigrants from Finland, leaving their country behind in the 1860’s when there was no food to get for the children. They had no choice but to leave if they wanted to give their children any future. So, they packed the little they had and put it on their backs and led the children by the hand to Ruija- Norway. The ocean-land where there were said that the fish was so rich that you could go down and put your hands into the water and catch it. For a person starving that is a great fairy-tale. And on the long walk to Norway they longed for the fish.
But of course, leaving everything behind they could only bring what was close to their heart; the language, the culture, the way of living.
When they came to Norway and settled along the coastline, they could not hunt for the reindeer anymore. They had to adapt to a new way of living, now being farmers and fishermen. What they didn’t know when they left their country was that in the 17th Century the Norwegian Church had been very sceptical to the Sami people. The priests could not understand the Sami language, so they banned them. They looked at them and they could see the ritual drums with very strange marks on them and they thought the Sami was the devil’s people. So, my great grandparents were met with a sceptical attitude. An attitude can be inherited through many generations forward, so it was not an easy life to come to Norway as a Sami. They had to blend in as soon as possible, and even up to these days it is normal to make fun of the Sami. And since you form your identity by the way society is looking at you, the Sami learned to look down on themselves. They were not considered as good as the Norwegians.
When my grandmother was born in 1908, her family lived in a very small house. If you stretched out your hands you could reach the walls on each side of the house. It had a floor made of earth, and a ladder up in the one-room house where all the 13 children were sleeping together with their parents on a half-roof room.
In 1924 my great grandmother started to cough. She got a cough that would not stop and the doctor came. He shocked his head and said it was tuberculosis- the white plague. Everyone looked at my grandmother, their eyes said; – It is you who are going to look after her till she dies. At that time, they thought that was a disease that you got because you were not sanitary enough. So now my grandmother had two stigmas. One she was a Sami and two she was not clean enough. And she was left with her mother in that little house. Her father left with the rest of the children, but every day he would come to the steps with food. And he would knock on the window and then he would step back. My grandmother would open the window and talk to him. During the sickness, and everyone knew the end of it; no-one came to visit. Not her sibling, not her husband, not her children, not the neighbours. None at all came. WHEN Elida died the whole family was scattered with the winds. My grandmother did not want to be a Sami anymore. She didn’t want to be considered dirty and she didn’t want people to look down on her. So, the rest of her life she kept her Sami identity a secret, as many other Sami- due to the Norwegian suppression.
So, I did not know until I was 40 that I was a Sami.
Today we have a big invasion of immigrants wanting to come to Norway and other countries. My heart bleeds for them- and specially for the children coming alone. They need a warm embrace and friends in this strange land. They don’t come because they want to, they come out of pure necessity. So we need to give a thought to these children and families and meet them with open arms and not like the Norwegian met the Sami two generations ago.Let us learn from history. Let us embrace them and tell them that a stranger is just a friend you yet don’t know.
6th Council Meeting Astrid
Text Rojbin Khalaf, Syria
If you want to create a weapon, think about how many children, mothers, men and youngsters will die. Planting a flower, wouldn’t that be better? That would make our future better. Let us live together in peace.
What is peace anyway?
Oh, it’s just a word…
No, it’s not just a word!! Peace means that we live together. Peace means that we do not make a difference between rich, poor, black, or white. A human being is a human being after all! But you do make a difference… Let us live in peace and create a good future.
Take down your weapons. Pick a flower or pick up a pen, so that life will get better.
Let us live together in peace.
6th Council Meeting – Sabina
Being that Absolute dream of freedom
Lily the butterfly is a Creature that will learn to listen deeply the rhythm and changes in Nature waiting for her moment to fly… And entering the deep state of meditation will help her to fly and enter the realm of all possibilities…. Being that Absolute dream of freedom…
7th Council Meeting Södertälje/Sweden 2022
The Council of European Grandmothers
Official report of the 7th Council Meeting in Sodertalje, Jarna, Sweden
Topic: Life
Host: Grandmother Madeleine Söderström
Present: Grandmother: Aldona, Beate, Bette, Elisabeth, Erika, Helga, Isabel, Irene, Madeleine, MaryAnne, Monika, Pascale, Soizig, Tina
Absent: Grandmother: Daiva, Mary, Sabina, Sofia, Swami Nitya, Toni, Vibeke, Wenche
Date: Official part. Friday 17th – Sunday 19th June 2022
Friday morning, 17 th of June
The Grandmothers met for the first time in three years due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid19 pandemic. A morning walk together down to the ponds in Ytterjärna Trädgårdspark. “A garden meets a park that meets a landscape” it says about this place – Ytterjärna Conference Center – a bit outside Järna by the Baltic sea, 5 miles south of the Capital Stockholm. After the walk a internal opening ceremony for the European Grandmothers.
Opening Ceremony
On Friday evening the Official Opening Ceremony took place in the 900 year old St.Ragnild’s Church in the centre of Södertälje.
When women and men from Ukraine, Russia, Finland, Norway, Sapmi, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Lithuania, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Iran, Peru, Chile, and Africa had taken their seats, and silence fell, the fanfare for Life and Peace was raised by Mathilda Lindgren. After this a Reconciliation ceremony between genders, generations, cultures/people and Mother Earth was held in four steps and in between music, storytelling, speech and poem.
The heart of this was a touching and courageous ritual of forgiving between the male and the female, performed by Grandmother Madeleine and Martin Winter in front of the altar. Swedish musicians contributed with songs and instrumental pieces of music. Madeleine Söderström commemorated women´s suffrage in Sweden, drawing on the fact that Sweden is now entering the 101st year as the beginning of a new circle.
The ceremony ended with a huge circle of women and young people, using the whole space of the church. It was symbolically and practically completed by the men stepping in. Together we sang “Circle of Life“.
| Music/talk:Ebba Svensson & Jonathan Ed. Tobias Fjälling & Daniel Lundbäck. Mathilda Lindgren. Siri Lundström. Beate Heide. Gestalta: Martin D Winter, European Grandmothers and the audience | Host: Madeleine Söderström. Malin Sommanö. Hanna Lönneborg. Gunilla Gustavsson. Marlen Ablahad Eskander Aili Lundström, 10 år |
Saturday – Sunday 18 th – 19 th of June
Council Dialog in three parts:
We investigated the following questions:
1.What is life and the conditions of life?
2. How is the life support system of which we are currently a part perceived; in
finance/banking, law, nature & wildlife, children, water, business, politics, government?
3. What do we do now so that nurturing life becomes important and the basis for the
development of sustainable life systems and social systems?
A diverse group of 40 women and men of different ages, ranging from their 20’s to their 90’s, from different parts of society and 12 European countries, took part in this dialog together with the Grandmothers.
The idea was to build a safe field of research, where the diversity of people was able to be included as a whole person with a respected voice, as per the Credo of the European Grandmothers: “Everybody has the Wisdom to Support and Maintain a Sustainable World for the next 7 generations.“
Maria Bergbäck guided us expertly through a variety of verbal and non-verbal communication processes, involving movement and body postures, where we shared what is blocking life processes and what is supporting them. We began as individuals, progressed to duo’s then trio’s, etc. For example we identified with major protagonists including: “big bank“, “government“, “nature“, “science“, “children” and explored the limitations and possibilities of these systems from an insider point of view.
The second day – Sunday – was Harvest Day.
The dialog participants formed groups out of their inspiration on: „How can I bring something forward that supports the living system?“ Some Grandmothers supported the process with their centered energy by sitting in meditation.
Short summary of the dialog:
- Not being angry at the system
- Being aware that you are part of the Golden Net of Light/Life
- Radical act of being at peace with „what is“ – is necessary
- Things are complicated, but imagine, it is simple
- Communication in tolerance and acceptance
- The importance of listening to others and voluntarily changing perspectives.
- Helping each other to listen to what we can collectively live up to.
- Helping each other move to a field where we are able and willing to support the living system together.
- Realize that you are a creator
- A mutual love relationship with all that is giving us life and meet your own life process with love every morning.
Midsummer time in Järna, Sveden…..Abundance of light, joy and exitement. To this the side programme was a great match. It surrounded the heart of our meeting, the investigation of, “how can we support life, what are the acupuncture points?“ like a bed of flowers.
Other activities and ceremonies during the days
Saturday – Sunday 18th and 19th June
Womens gathering with Dagomara Ullman close to the see. We received symolically the seeds of life in the
form of vivid Marigold seeds.
Visiting the Reading Promotion Institute, bridgebuilder between cultures
Friday afternoon we met founder Marlen Ablahad Eskander, who reported about her work to support successful integration of immigrants into Svedish society by written and spoken word. LINK
Morning meditations
Water ceremony with Grandmother Erika Völker-Elshof
Outdoor meditation with Cellist Eva Fasth in the Rosegarden
Exibitions
Midwife Elisabeth Ubbe : The first seconds of life on earth plus talk
Artist Elisabeth Cardell: Creativity
Photographer Tom Jonasson: The forest, the forest, the forest
German Artist Eike Eschholz : Walfahrt project plus talk
Artist Ute Drexel: The beauty and magic of nature
Lecture and talk on the theme of ‘END ECOCIDE’ – as leverage and support for life, society, climate, nature and business conditions. With systemic activist Pella Thiel, Swedish: Link to End Ecocide Sweden English: https://www.stopecocide.earth
Silent walk in nature by Malin Sommanö and Tobias Fjälling
Storytelling by Isa Tibbling, Sweden and Sami Grandmother Beate Heide
Circle peace dance led by Kirsten Nistedt
Closing Ceremony – Walking the spiral
Sundayafternoon
We plant the seed of life and also the context of the Council dialog into a Closing Ceremony.
A huge spiral made of hay, was located beside our venue.
Two grandmothers as gatekeepers invited each person to enter. Everyone picked a flower from a bouquet, which had brightened up our conference room, and walked in a dignified pace towards the centre. There she/he laid down the flower; then stayed for a moment until the impulse to leave led them to stride out of the spiral-to regroup in the circle and draw the conference to a close.
A big Thank You to Grandmother Madeleine and Edda Sweden and to all who contributed to this beautiful Midsummer Council Meeting!
Programme Documents
Picture Gallery
The Swedish team thanks you for visiting our country and sharing your wisdom with our wisdom and your determination to support life on our earth for the next seven generations.
We send a big warm thank you to all the visitors from all the countries and the Town Södertälje.
Thank you to all the women and men from who supported this event in various ways:
Siri Lundström, Aili Lundström, Malin Sommenö, Eva Fasth, Hanna Lönneborg, Gunilla Gustavsson, Marlen Ablahad Eskander, Maria Bergbäck, Isa Tibbling, Elisabet Cardell, Dagomara Danza Ullman, Ebba Svensson, Petronella Sjöö, Tobias Fjälling, Mathilda Lindgren, Daniel Lundbäck,
Jonathan Ed, Anette Arenberg, Anna Gran, YIP and to Ytterjärna Conference center and Foodculture/Matkultur.
Thank you to the film team: Martin D Winter and Frank Pelwitz
“Until we meet again, let us all continue planting and take good care of the seeds of Life“
The Council of the European Grandmothers
6th Council Meeting – Reykjavik/Island 2019
Impressions of the 6th Meeting held in Reykjadalur i Mosfellsdal, Iceland from 19th to 22nd September 2019, Topic – Peace
International Peace Day in Collaboration with the UN in Iceland
We all experienced this meeting on the island in the middle of the North Atlantic as being so special. Was it because of the topic “peace” itself, with which we connected intensely in advance? Was it the rhythm of the program which took up the pulse of bringing consciousness inward in form of meditation and outward by expressing ourselves internally and in public? (This we experienced so obviously after evening meditations when words came out of silence like lotus flowers rising from the depth of a lake.) Was it because more than half of the grandmothers were involved this time in creating and guiding parts of the program? Was it due to the 15 guests who gave their hearty contributions and attention? Was it the parts played by art, which addressed our soul and senses: Watching a huge scales loaded with burning pieces of wood in the darkness of a stormy night; Being touched by a peace poem, created as gift for this meeting; Listening to Monika playing the harp introducing morning and evening meditations; Tasting energizing colourful herbal drinks? Or being surrounded by warm water heated by the powers of Mother Earth? All of this happened during a weekend, while 1,4 million people worldwide were protesting to stop climate change. This truly allowed the enfolding of a vibrant field in which the topic “Peace” cycled around in many variations…..
GRANDMOTHERS PRESENT AT THE MEETING:
Aldona, Beate, Bette, Daiva, Elisabeth, Erika, Helga, Irene, Isabel, Madeleine, Maria, MaryAnne, Mary, Monika, Sabina, Sissy, Soizig, Tina, Toni, Vibeke, Wenche.
In Attendance:
Nolwenn and 15 guests
With us in spirit:
Pascale
Sofia
Swami Nitya
Christine
SUMMARY:
THURSDAY, 19TH SEPTEMBER 2019
There was great joy for all of us meeting after 9 months. Our venue was a holiday spot for disabled children, located between green mountains with a warm pool and hot tub in the back.
FRIDAY, 20TH SEPTEMBER 2019
Opening Ritual
Monika, our host grandmother, presented a colourful Peace Staff, which she and her friend, Guðfinna had prepared. It was Blessed by each of us and given a Place of Honour.
Each of us brought an Offering for the Peace Altar.
The Peace Poem, a gift from Kristján Hreinsson to the European Grandmother Council, was read by Monika in Icelandic and by Soizig in English
FRIÐUR
Í friði lifir fögur sál
Sem finnur lífsins mildi,
Sem skynjar hjartans hlýja bál
Og heimsins traustu gildi.
Og friðurinn er festa manns
Sem faðmlag kann að bjóða
Sem nýtur þess að náðin hans
Hún nær til allra þjóða.
Því viska friðar virkar best
Ef vilt þú úlfúð sefa
Og hefur það í huga flest
Sem hjartað kann að gefa.
Kristján Hreinsson.
PEACE
In peace lives a beautiful soul
that finds the gentleness of life,
that understands the heart’s warm flame
and the world’s most trusted values.
And peace is the determination of a man
who knows how to offer an embrace
who enjoys that his grace
reaches all the world’s nations.
For the wisdom of peace works the best
if you wish to soothen the controversy
and simply keep in mind all of that
the heart knows how to give.
(translation by PállÓskar)
All present were then requested to create a small Poster showing the word for Peace in their native Language.
Astrid’s Project
Astrid, a young teacher from Germany, who had been involved in the Grandmother Council in Germany 2016, was invited to share her experiences with a Peace Project, created by herself, in her school. She presented touching texts from her students about Peace. This generated an idea that Astrid would speak about one of her students, a girl from Syria at the Public meeting in Thjoðminjasafn, on the Peace day.
Grandmothers Meeting
After Lunch, the Grandmothers met in closed session and each presented a brief report on their work for Peace. These included:
- Working for Peace and Reconciliation in war torn areas
- Being a Voice for the voiceless
- Developing Inner Peace
- Human Rights
- Conservation and Bio Diversity
- The Influence of the Collective Consciousness
- Working with Refugees
- Releasing balloons for Peace
- Climate Change
- Peace being an Experience
- Resuscitation of the Feminine Principle
- Health Challenges
- Encouraging Inner Growth in others
- Using Storytelling
- Meditation
- Overcoming conditionings
- Challenges of accepting the ‘What Is’ of the moment and going with the flow.
Walfahrt Project
After a short Break, Eike joined the meeting to update the council on her Walfahrt project. She intends to have the series of 13 books complete for a Launch in October 2021 at Germany’s largest private Art Gallery at Eckernförde near Kiel on the Baltic Sea.
Fire Ceremony
In the evening Gerhard König, the inventor of what is called a Fire Scales, demonstrated the balancing act of Nature’s yearly cycle between the Masculine and Feminine Energies.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY
SATURDAY, 21ST SEPTEMBER 2019
Tuning in on the Theme of Peace by Meditation.
Peace Day Ceremony 1 in the town of Mosfellsbaer
In a circular building decorated with an Exhibition of paintings and sculptures concerning the topic “Peace” created by the children of the preschool Rjupnahaed, we were welcomed by two deputies from Mosfellsbaer and Kopavogsbaer. The principal Hrönn Valentinusdottir explained that the children were asked open questions about “Peace” in group meetings. Out of this they produced their paintings and stories.
The essence: In a safe and loving environment I can be with myself.
A choir of children from the preschools sang a Peace Song for us. Grandmother Sabina danced the story of Lily Butterfly, written by herself. read more …
Peace Day Ceremony 2
In the afternoon, we went by bus to Reykjavik for the Opening of Peace Day in Thjodminjasafn by the former Chairman of the United Nations Association (U.N.A.), Thröstur Freyr Gylfason.
Each of the Grandmothers identified themselves, and 4 of them spoke about their personal Peace Projects. Helga spoke about Inner peace read more …, Irene spoke about her support for refugees read more …, Beate spoke about the suppression of Sami people in Norway read more … and Elisabeth spoke about her work with refugees. read more … Astrid shared a little of her Peace Project with refugee children and read a letter from a Syrian girl. read more …
Pall Oskar, Monika´s musician partner, summarized the content of the songs in English before he sang and Monika played the Harp for us
One hour Peace Walk through Reykjavik
Our Sami Grandmother carried the Peace Stuff ahead.
When we returned home, Monika had a surprise in store – a Rainbow Drinks Party by the pool, prepared by Aslaug Snorradottir, who had created Colourful non-alcoholic Herbal Drinks, which were most refreshing.
SUNDAY, 22ND SEPTEMBER 2019
MORNING
Following Meditation and Breakfast, we headed off by bus to Reykjanes for a Ritual. For many of us it was the first time we left the city precincts. Very suddenly the city vanished and the real landscape of Iceland, so very different and so very stark and beautiful, appeared.
Ritual – Invocation of the Elements
Led by the Peace Staff, we formed into a large circle and called in the Four Elements:
Earth from the North by Monika (Iceland)
Water from the West by Mary (Ireland)
Fire from the South by Isabel (Spain)
Air from the East by Daiva (Lithuania)
Maria (Europe) called in the Centre. All present offered Gratitude and Prayers to Mother Earth.
AFTERNOON
After lunch back at base the Grandmothers met in Closed Session to discuss the Future.
Grandmothers Meeting 2020 – 7th Meeting
Following discussion, it was agreed that the 7th Meeting of the Council will take place in Sweden from 19th to 22nd June 2020. The Proposed Topic will be Life – How to Support Life – Inner Life – Motherhood and the Feminine Principle.
Closing Ritual
Grandmothers and guests completed our meeting by performing the “Daughters and Sons of the Earth”- Ritual, guided by Erika.
EVENING
After dinner we listened to Ragnheiðu Ólafsdottir, who sang very Old Icelandic songs without instruments – Kveðskapur. She is preserving an Old Icelandic tradition.
Alongside the official program we saw a huge rainbow, we were surprised whom we met in the pool at daybreak, we had some very trustful talks and we laughed until we curled up.
We were embraced by a cheerful field of peace which nourished every day the space to be our SELF.
A big Thank You to Monika and all supporters in the background!
Erika, Mary-Anne
Fotos: Laura Calletti
5th Meeting: Birštonas/Lithuania 18 – 21 of January 2019
GRANDMOTHERS PRESENT AT THE MEETING:
Aldona, Beate, Bette, Daiva, Elizabeth, Erika, Helga, Irene, Isabel, Madeleine, Maria, MaryAnne, Mary, Monika, Pascale, Sabina, Sissy, Sofia, Soizig, Swami, Tina, Toni, Vibeke, Wenche.
Apology: Christine.
Guest: Gudrun
The Council of European Grandmothers meets every 9 months in one of the member countries, with the aim of continuing to strengthen our capacity to stay connected to the natural Wisdom that knows how to support and maintain a sustainable world for the next seven generations.
A theme of the conference is chosen in advance. Each grandmother prepares for this in her own unique way and shares her findings with the Council and the people in the host country. Rituals form a major part of each gathering and, together with events and dialogs, are organized by a team led by the grandmother of the host country. In this way, each meeting is a gift for both the host country and the visitors. It also helps us to support our daily work in our home countries for a sustainable world.
In January 2019 we met in Lithuania. Our theme was Sound and was organised by Aldona and Daiva. The rituals in the conference focused on Water, Minerals and Ether.
SUMMARY:
FRIDAY 18TH OF JANUARY 2019
It was such a lovely reunion in Hotel Domus in Birštonas. Arriving in this beautiful spot with the snow, the trees and the river all the grandmothers got together. We gathered in the meeting room, Daiva gave us all a hearty welcome, but we were all sorry to learn, that Aldona was sick and not able to be there for the welcoming ceremony.
We began our Ceremony by lighting a beautiful beeswax Candle provided by Aldona. Daiva initiated our ritual opening ceremony by explaining her personal understanding about the 5 material elements – Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Ether before going around the group on her knees offering each of us an opportunity to bless Water in our own special way. As Lithuania is one of the world’s producers of Amber, we participated in a similar blessing ceremony with a bowl of Amber crystals of varying sizes.
We also participated in the traditional Welcoming Guests with a sharing of their sacred Black Lithuanian Black Bread, and Salt.
Then we walked in procession in the dark to the snow-covered river, Nemunus, and ceremoniously offered our water to the river. In the Lithuanian tradition Nemunas is the father of Lithuanian rivers (his name comes from the Sanskrit word Munis which translate as wise). The Nemunas flows into the lagoon, and the lagoon into the sea, so we symbolically gave our water to our father to carry it to the sea.
After the ceremony we enjoyed a lovely dinner in Hotel Domus, and then gathered for a short meeting and Meditation.
SATURDAY 19TH OF JANUARY 2019
In the morning Sabina led the grandmothers through the “Morning Movement Exercises”. Influenced by her life of dancing she showed us beautiful ways of awakening the body and becoming fit for the day.
After breakfast we had our first Closed meeting. In the circle we all shared with each other what had happened since last meeting. The theme of this meeting was “SOUND”, so we also shared our thoughts about this. “What is your sound?” “What is the sound of your family?- of your country?” The contributions included:
- Sound to me is the world of people, places and things.
- Sound; baby’s being born, their first cry,
- Music coming out of a radio – Happy, sad, dance music.
- Trees full of birds singing, leaves rustling in the wind.
- Sound is energy! Energy is all around us. It is everywhere even in silence…
- Sound for me is an inner vibration and a wave of joy and I have this special feeling especially if I am together with children, with nature and sometimes in my daily life. At this moment I think I am in contact with my beginning, my element, the ancestors.
In the Afternoon, we had first of two opportunities to meet the people who had responded to an open invitation to meet the Council of European Grandmothers. An “Open singing seminar with Lithuanian folk singers” was arranged for us in Birštonas Community House by the non-governmental organization Bočiai with their leader Julija Barutiené.
A mixed group of females and males of a variety of ages had come to meet with us, and we all enjoyed the young singer from Vilnius, Laurita Peleniūtė, who taught us to chant Lithuanian folk songs, called Sutartines, which are in UNESCO heritage list.
Sutartinės (from the word sutarti – to be in concordance) is a form of polyphonic music. Laurita Peleniūtė and her friends did a fantastic job with us and created a warm and nice atmosphere for us all.
This afternoon showed us how very important sound is to Lithuania, and how it provides connection between people. We did not know each other when we started and after 30 minutes of singing the large group of people from 18 different European countries felt connected.
Sound is also important for cultures all over the word. The song and sound are both different and also the same worldwide. It was a great opportunity to speak direct, or through a translator, to the people who had come to meet us.
Later on Saturday afternoon we had the possibility of trying out the different facilities in Birštonas.
Some grandmothers enjoyed a mineral spa treatment, sauna or a massage or found pleasure in walking in the snow-covered landscape.
Saturday was rounded off with a good dinner and the evening meditation ceremony.
SUNDAY 20TH OF JANUARY 2019
After breakfast Aldona had arranged a bus to take us to Kaunas, where we visited the Prana Yoga Center.
The yoga teachers all met us in the circle, and it was a great pleasure to learn about this place and the background for their work here. They were interested to learn more of the aims of the Council of European Grandmothers.
Over a fantastic vegan lunch for us by the Prana Yoga Centre, we had the opportunity to share more informally.
We finished in the circle singing together.
Next stop on the program in Kaunas was the Museum of the famous painter, composer and writer M.K. Čiurlionis. Here we had a guided tour around the museum and enjoyed his paintings.
This was followed by the second Open Public Session where we met a mostly female audience from the Community. We were treated to some of the beautiful music of M.K. Čiurlionis and learned more about his life and paintings.
Some of the grandmothers talked to the assembly and all the grandmothers introduced themselves. The public put questions to the council, which were answered to the best of our ability. Afterwards there was time for one-on-one conversations. Reporters from TV and a local newspaper were present to get some interviews of us.
The weather was wintry and lovely as we later visited old Kaunas and strolled along the banks of the two frozen and snow covered rivers – Nemunas, which has a Male energy, and Neris, which has a female energy. We performed a Light and Singing Ceremony in a stone circle close to the point where the two rivers meet.
Finally we had a nice dinner at the vegetarian restaurant Radharane in Kaunas.
On the walk there we had the opportunity to hear personal memories of life during the Russian occupation and learn how deeply the Lithuanians suffered, when they were not allowed to speak their own language and live their own culture. Thankfully, they now enjoy their freedom, to live and share the richness of their native country.
MONDAY THE 21ST OF JANUARY 2019.
Our final meeting took place in Birstonas in the Medical SPA Eglè. We reflected over and made a summary of this Council meeting and planned the next meeting in Iceland. We received a guided tour of the excellent facility and heard of all the benefits it offers for the Restoration of Health and Wellbeing. They work on the basis that we should all “Do good things to your body that your soul has joy to live in it.”
After our meeting we had lunch at the Spa.
Then it was time to say goodbye and thank you to Aldona and Daiva and Lithuania for this lovely meeting in a very special country with very special people, of whom we now have a little more knowledge. A people and a country with a great and special story and history, which we also got to know. Thank you so much for having us.
A big Thank you also goes to
- Lithuanian friends Šarūnas and Elona, Neringa and Edita
- Aldona’s friend Eglė – our guide in Vilnius
- Danute Kunciene who welcomed us in traditional dress in ancient Lithuanian way with bread and salt
- Laura and Vilija (in museum) and Vaidas, who did a great job as translators
- our permanent company Leo and our guest Gitta Gudrun for their love and support
- Hade de Neve and other grandmothers for financial support
- all the warm and interested Lithuanian people who treated us in such a natural and kind way
February/April 2019
4th Council Meeting: Florence/Italy 6 – 9 April 2018
GRANDMOTHERS PRESENT AT THE MEETING:
Sabina, Erika, Madeleine, Irene, Elisabeth, Helga, Mary, Soizig, Sissy, Sofia, Vibeke, Maria, Swami, Tina, Isabella, Beate, Monika, Bette, Wenche, Aldona, Daiva, Christine and Toni.
Unfortunately MaryAnne was not able to come.
Guest: Pascual.
FRIDAY 6TH OF APRIL 2018
All the grandmothers came travelling during Thursday and Friday to the beautiful spot of Ostello del Bigallo. On Friday around 5pm we were all enjoying a warm welcome from Sabina and her helpers in the lovely garden, an olive grove, where the traditional “Opening Ceremony” could take place. We all walked to the far end of the beautiful garden, where Helga guided us all in a quiet, peaceful and lovely ceremony, and we all blessed the water.
Then we went inside, had a nice dinner around the wooden tables in the wonderful environment of the old monastery. Hereafter we gathered in the big hall for our first meeting. Sabina welcomed us again and explained the plans for the coming days.
FRIDAY 7TH OF APRIL 2018
After breakfast we gathered again in the big hall, where Sabina initiated the meeting. The topic “Exploring the timeless Wisdom” – Traditions & Rituals – “What is a grandmother, then?” was introduced. We shared and debated in the circle. Everybody put forward statements and opinions. Here is a selection of quotes:
- “Tradition is the link between human ….and the next generation”
- “Traditions…experiment, find possibilities, be open….find new traditions”
- “Wisdom (cosmic laws, which are everywhere) & traditions are totally different things. The connection between you – nature is a problem. We have lost the link. The parents have not been able to tell/give the great understanding, which goes beyond particular place.”
- “grandmothers should talk to young people, where ever they meet in everyday life.”
- “sitting on a park bench, being in a bus …..talk to the young people you meet!”
- “children have lost the connection….”
- “traditions are important. They become part of you, you understand who you are. People/refugees/immigrants without traditions can have hard time finding/understanding themselves”
- “tradition is important, but not enough. You must decide, what part you will keep/pass on – and what part you will let go. Deep in the roots, you will find timeless wisdom. If you stay in traditions you cannot grow.”
- “It`s a big inside work in our souls to know what you want to pass on”
- “traditions come from the male and from the church”
- “tradition is the Nature. We cannot change it. It is blessings of God, we cannot give it to others, we have it in us ….be in it”
- “…about singing…in a women group (UNESCO) young people take up old folk songs”.
- “….I feel blessed listening to us all (with brain and heart). Show young people: learning by doing. The key is: be kind to yourself and to others. It`s easy, the world will change.”
- “knowledge: the wisdom of the heart – (just an old Greek interpretation, passed on in Europe) Wisdom is in each cell, love and passion, to pass on”
- “We are all enlightened. We must show power (not weakness)”
- “don`t forget : storytelling gives guidelines between feelings (woman) and brain (man). Don`t just use stories/pictures from films.”
- “we/our generation is brought up with Nature. So, take the young generation to the forest, the sky, the sea…”
- “we`re destroying our nature with garbage. Tell stories to the children to make them take responsibility.”
- “my source of wisdom/inspiration is children. Use vinegar and soda instead of soap”
- “The young people in Trondheim showed us how to connect and talked about what they needed.”
- “it doesn`t have to be difficult, just to show the children wisdom”
- “tradition: choose what you bring from your country – mix traditions.”
- “wisdom: open up for the source, it`s easier when you get older.”
- “I feel enriched….like a flying fish”
Sabina had invited a number of guest, and they joined us for the next parts of the Agenda. First was “Gong experience” by Elis, Eleonora and Silvia. These 3 talented young women really reached our senses and so did Nadeshwari with her beautiful song. Later we were all guided by Sabina in phenomenal “movement session”/”dances” to different rhythms, which in the finest ways gave us mentally and physically experiences in our body.
Eike Eschholz (and Petra) had travelled from Northern Germany to be with us. Eike told us about “The Walfahrt Project”. She had had this dream to find out about these grandmothers, she decided to get to know 13 of us, to make paintings characterizing the individual grandmothers and finally get it all together in a book. We learned that she had already met Helga, Sabina, Monika and Aldona and prepared 4 small books about these grandmothers. Eike’s lovely paintings are impressions, based on interviews concerning the questions:
- Who are you?
- What are you doing?
- Where are you?
- What do you say?
Learn more about Eikes project: http://www.eike-eschholz.de/walfahrt/
After another lovely dinner in the Ostello del Bigallo, the grandmothers had a circle meeting.
SUNDAY 8TH OF APRIL 2018
This Sunday we had all been looking forward to. We were going to Florence to meet Florence in “Sala degli Specchi” in Palazzo Medici Ricardi. It was the most beautiful place for a grandmother conference. The hall slowly was filled with men and women, young and old ones. Chairs were placed in a circle, where mostly grandmothers were sitting. Sabina and Nadeshwari moved and danced for us all. Such a splendid performance.
Sara Funaro, councilor of equal opportunities in Florence, made us a warm welcome and talked about the need of breaks, of meditation and of presence in the present, and about the need of time away from the digital world. Sabina was a fantastic hostess for this conference. She professionally introduced us to the guests, told about our council and about our topic for this year. Every grandmother told about themselves and Sabina translated. Guest were encouraged to put forward questions to the grandmothers, and in a very nice and loving atmosphere people debated and exchanged and shared.
After the meeting we all walked through sunny Florence streets to a cozy little restaurant, where we had marvelous lunch, anti-pasta and pasta. It was late when we all were back at Bigallo, having a little rest before dinner and the following “sharing”.
MONDAY THE 9TH OF APRIL 2018.
Again the grandmothers met in a the circle.
- Next year’s meeting is in Lithuania,18th – 21st of January 2019. Aldona and Daiva will send out information as soon as possible. The topic will be: “Sound”. Homework for the circle (about sound):
- What is it to you?
- What are you in sound?
- What is sound in your country/family?
- What role does it play in your culture?
- Presentation: show your sound. ………….it will be like a wave, we will develop, many people..a symphony
- The following meeting, around sep. 2019, will take place at Island, Monika happily announced. And maybe next time Ireland?
- On this Monday morning we also had the pleasure of trying “Vedic Art” as Christine led us through a lesson of this. With a blank piece of paper, a pencil, silent music and our eyes closed we draw on the paper whatever came to us. This we did for a long time. Afterwards we were asked to try to find pictures, things, beings in the doodles. Interesting art work came forward. Thanks to Christine for teaching us.
- Closing ceremony:
We gathered in the big hall with the guests, who had come to be with us. Sabina had the last information for us. In a silently falling rain we walked in a long line to the far end of the olive grove. The blessed water was brought to the middle of the circle again. Helga and Sabina lead the ceremony. Aldona gave out the bread brought from her country, and we all gave it to the birds and to the ground. With the rain falling heavier now, as a blessing from the sky, Daiva took some of the blessed water into a bottle to bring home for next years meeting, before she spread out the water in the circle. Many guest were joining us in this closing ceremony, and finally there were lots of goodbyes, hugs and kisses under the umbrellas. The rain stopped after all and sunshine was back.
Before everybody took off into Europe again, we had lunch at Ostello del Bigallo.
Many thanks to Sabina and all her helpers, Chiara, Silvia, Eleonora and Nadeshwari, and to the guest, who made this grandmother meeting come alive and flowing. Thanks to photographers. Thanks to Ostello for hospitality and a good spirit.
May 2018/Wenche & Toni
