Greetings,

My name is Stefan Pasti. I have a partially finished 184 page manuscript titled "Billions of Bridges: An Introduction to The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative (in light of Ecological Footprint Analysis and the Implications of Peak Oil)." As a way of sorting out what are the real challenges of our times, and sorting out what are sound and practical solutions to those challenges, this book can provide a very valuable workbook outline for similar collaborative workbook creation projects at the regional level. I am willing to share the contents of this manuscript, such as it is, (or the Table of Contents and the 9 page introduction) with anyone—as part of my search to find people interested in helping the book project along its way to completion.

[Note: the manuscript is an expansion of material currently available on The IPCR website at www.ipcri.net You may also find short writings of mine at www.solvingdcproblems.org DC Appleseed has sponsored a contest seeking 250 words or less solutions to Washington DC's problems, and I have made 8 entries (see entries by locale; VA; between 4/10/06 and 4/22/06-- Community Good News Networks; The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative; Community Visioning Initiatives for Peace; Billions of Bridges; The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative (Version 2); IPCR Journal/Newsletters—Monthly local community and regional publications associated with The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative; Questionnaires That Build Caring Communities; and Community Good News Networks (version 2) ( I note this also because you might find the DC Appleseed approach to brainstorming solutions useful to problem solving efforts in your community or region.)]


Many Opportunities for Collaboration:

The manuscript still requires about a year of work (less if I can work on it full time with assistance) involving seeking permissions, seeking contributors for specific sections, expanding outline into text, building in footnotes, creating an index, etc. I include here 3 possible approaches to making this book project a collaborative community response to the challenges of our times: 1) This book can become a "community" project.... In other words, in the process of bringing this book to completion, members of a specific community would explore, research, and also experiment and gain experience with many of the relevant responses to the challenges of our times 2) The Eight IPCR Concepts suggest many possible approaches for developing collaboration and cooperation with people who are not currently associated with a peacebuilding project—or a specific way of responding to the implications of peak oil-- but might if given enough opportunities.... (even the notes above would be sufficient as a starting point for a clearinghouse of "'things people can do in the everyday circumstances of their lives' which will contribute to peacebuilding and community revitalization efforts in their own communities and regions-- and in others parts of the world") 3) Further outreach with this draft manuscript—or with a finished book—can be inspiration for similar collaborative workbook creation projects at the local community and/or regional level.


Possible Next Steps

I am sharing information about the “Billions of Bridges” project—and about The IPCR Initiative—because I believe that this is information meant to be shared with others who can benefit from it. I am hoping to find people interested in helping the “Billions of Bridges” project along it way to completion, so if you share some of my belief in the service-oriented potential of the “Billions of Bridges” project (and/or The IPCR Initiative), I would very much like to hear from you. However, I also realize that there may be other ways this information can result in connections and collaboration. So I am most interested in your comments, suggestions, and recommendations. I believe there are billions of ways the good people of different faith communities and cultural traditions can work together towards the highest ideals each faith community and cultural tradition has to offer. I see myself as a facilitator of Concept Introduction Workshops associated with The IPCR Initiative. I am simply hoping to find a way to contribute what I have, and help others do the same.


With Kind Regards,

Stefan Pasti, Outreach Coordinator
The IPCR Initiative
P.O. Box 223561
Chantilly, VA 20153 (USA)
(703) 209-2093


“… in a highly developed civilization… every person of good will can in some way or other succeed.” (from Richard Wilhelm’s interpretation of the “I Ching”)

Hi,
I congratulate you on your efforts. I am sure you have heard or read Bill Moyers' recent lecture on the importance of understanding and bringing faith into focus.

I have difficulties however, when people talk about interfaith and such. I once spoke to a woman who was new in a town and saw postings for an interfaith event that was held weekly. She was very disappointed to discover during her first (and only)attendence, that the group was comprised of all the different Christian people in the neighborhood joining together in community, they did not in fact acknowledge all the other "faiths" that exist. She said their faces went blank when she spoke up briefly about Bhuddism.

I myself became a member of an intentional community that claimed to honor all religions. As time went by I began to feel judged by the group when not wishing to particiapte in their weekly rituals. This group of religious people did not honor the individual's experience of goddess worship - as it was not a "religion" These "open-minded" people had in fact just put themselves in a slightly larger box, so to speak.

I think if people would have faith in their own devine, bridges could truely be built.

be like the full sun -- I Ching