Bridgework Alliance for Cultural Wellbeing
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a registered maine non-profit
Culture evolved with humans as a means to support our wellbeing. Because of the powerful and integrated force culture has on our physiology, it also is a tool easily abused. We need language to differentiate between cultural practices which enable collective health, and oppressive/controlling practices which masquerade as culture and take us away from wholeness.
Without this language, our current explorations of symptoms and collective conflicts will continue to miss essential data. We will continue to find ourselves frustrated and with non-sustainable solutions. We cannot address the root causes of our dis-ease without words that clarify the full picture. We must fully articulate the problem in language that is understood across systems.
Attention & articulation are partners in awareness
Our bodies and our ecosystem are calling for our attention. Our minds are trying to make sense of this call. In order for us to have clarity and awareness about our situation, we need our minds to to articulate what our bodies perceive. Awareness comes from a unified expression of our minds and bodies. Developing a glossary of carefully defined words will help our minds make sense of our situation. This will make it easier to understand what our bodies our trying to tell us as well as communicate more easily with each other. In order to develop sustainable solutions to the ecological, social, and personal issues of our times, we need to unlock the language to fully grasp the depth of our situation.
Develop a Framework for deeper understanding
With this new glossary of terms we can develop the scaffolding needed to develop new ways of being with ourselves and each other. We want to clear a path forward so that new cultural practices can organically develop around the authentic needs of our integrated communities. Relevant life-ways are protective and support our individual and collective wellbeing.
Restore Evolutionary Lifeways
The new non-profit will nurture restoration of evolutionary lifeways with these three first steps:
Clarify language
Develop a glossary of terms specifically to clarify understanding of wellbeing culture vs practices that breed oppression and control.
collect data and articulate the core issues
Our current systems understand data, we need to provide solid data that illustrates the core issues. We have been looking at our social symptoms with a magnifying glass when we need a microscope. More complete data will enable better whole-picture understanding.
develop a global assessment and Framework for healing
For sustained change, we must create a real life immersion structure (culture) for a healing pathway that is relevant, practical, and action based. We will develop a global assessment that can be used by any organization to identify their community needs and develop healthful cultural practices specific to their goals.
"Our bodies, minds, and spirits need support finding their way back to wholeness because its become so unfamiliar to us."
Initiatives
Cooperative Buyer’s Program
One of our campaigns for social transformation is bypassing systems that do not serve wellbeing. Rather than dismantling systems and starting over, bypassing is about using the existing systems while building new systems right along side. When our new systems of wellbeing are sustainable, old systems that don’t serve us become obsolete. Learning to work together to create these systems to meet our collective needs is also practice and relationship building for the future we want to see.
Making conscious and conscientious purchases is increasingly difficult because of cost, time, information, and production systems. In this cooperative we use our collective buying power to purchase supplies, food, and products that our families need. This process allows us to build a new way of engaging with the production systems around us while also offering us greater access to great products.
There is no cost or membership fee for the cooperative and there is no obligation to buy or participate. You can join and follow along until you feel comfortable with placing an order- there is plenty of benefit in the knowledge shared along with orders.
Our Board of Directors
Rachel Gilbertson, Chairperson
Northern Minnesota
What calls you to be part of Bridgework?
I want to live in a world where everyone is free to be their full self and I believe in the wisdom that we each have to contribute to support each other and stay connected with our humanity.
I have a passion for supporting whole person and collective wellbeing. I also have a lifelong love of learning and have an undergraduate degree in Community Health Education and Masters of Education and a graduate minor in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices. I am a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, a certified Intrinsic Coach, an A.C.E certified personal trainer, and a mindfulness facilitator.
Anna Penuel, Secretary
Eastern Coast of Florida
What calls you to be a part of Bridgework?
As a resident of the southeastern United States, I have an up close view of the work that needs to be done to nurture collective wellbeing and dispel oppressive systems. I see the desire others have to make this happen and how there is a need for underlying support of those same people. As a mother, I want to be an active participant in fostering a compassionate world for current and future generations.
Laura Merrill Bundy, Treasurer
Downeast Maine
What calls you to be a part of Bridgework?
I feel called to Bridgework to better ensure our children ultimately inherit a different world. Trying to navigate oppressive, unworkable systems has left far too many of us feeling rageful, reactionary, disempowered and/or demoralized. And though we are all inextricably bound and meant to live in community, in right relationship with one another and all of nature, we’ve become so disconnected from ourselves, each other, and the rest of the natural world. I believe we need to (and can!) find our ways back to ourselves and to each other; to peaceful, cooperative relations and healthful lifeways. I envision this Alliance helping us to creatively, constructively, concretely and consistently show up for, support and nurture one another. To freely share resources and ideas, laughs and tears. To dream and co-create, to process and grieve, together. To honor our healing lineages and traditions and harness our collective wisdom. To rediscover and rebuild holistic health and well-culture. I have my Masters in Health Advocacy and am passionate about supporting the radical empowerment and care of individuals and communities, and working to eliminate barriers to care, stigma, discrimination, and health disparities. I believe in us, our collective liberation, and the attainment of a better world, and I am so honored to be a part of the Bridgework Alliance for Cultural Wellbeing.