What Would Nature Do?

The Climate Ribbon was the closing ritual of a month-long course in Boulder called What Would Nature Do?, co-taught by Emma Ruffin and James Edwards. The course focused on systems design methods—Theory U and Permaculture Design—as powerful pathways to co-creating a resilient, regenerative, and equitable future for all. For this closing ritual, we asked students to put their ribbons into a basket once they finished writing on them (what they love and hope never to lose to climate chaos, as well as writing on the other side of their ribbons one commitment to action after the course), and asked them to choose a ribbon at random/chance/Mystery. We stood in a circle and read ribbons aloud, after which the group stated, “We are with you” or “Your commitment strengthens mine,” so that each person’s love and commitment wove a group poem. We closed by linking arms: left hand - the person who read your ribbon; right hand - the person whose ribbon you read. This formed a web of interconnectedness before we parted ways. 

“We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Photos below by Brian Hedden (brianhedden.com)