Written by: Jim Hansen
Friday, May 04, 2007

I am glad to be back blogging again. You experts out there bear with me as I get back into the swing of it. Kind of like getting back out in the garden each spring - the pace is a little erratic but the intention is good.

I just returned from Arizona last night after spending five days with some of America's most impressive and inspirational leaders. Not politicians or celebrities but people making change happen on the grassroots level in many places like New York, Louisiana, Milwaukee, North Carolina, Denver, New Mexico, Chicago, Nevada, Missiouri, etc... This is a group of 17 "Leaders for a Changing World" selected in 2005 through a program created by the Ford Foundation.

On Monday, I spent 12 hours as a guest of the Hopi leaders who shared their passion for creating lasting community. At one point, we walked through Walpi, an ancient town on the top of a mesa where Hopi people continue to live after over a thousand years. There are many lessons we can learn from the Hopi people about what makes communities thrive and about where to our priorities ought to be to nurture families and be good stewards to the natural resources around us.

I shared stories of many people are doing in Idaho to live up to these values. The sense of isolation in both states can be daunting but the direct connections between communities that can be made are powerful.

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