May 5, 2013 Time: 10-12 pm Where: Lydia’s Organics Sunflower Center, Petaluma Contemporary scientific research increasingly points to the interconnected nature of the universe, and highlights the power of conscious thought and action to interact with this universe. The wisdom traditions have honored the sacred unity of life for millennia, exemplified by their emphasis on… read more
Tag Archives: kari risher
Swarm Theory and Nonviolence
Recently one of the members of our Metta team, Stephanie, came across a fascinating article by Peter Miller from National Geographic about so-called “swarm theory”. It’s the theory that for some species such as bees, ants, fish, caribou, or birds, group intelligence dominates behavior rather than individual intelligence. This group intelligence has proven to be… read more
Self-Organization in the Cosmos and in Our Lives
by Kari Risher, Metta Research Fellow Our world is increasingly devastated by environmental degradation, hunger crises, and violent battles over ever-diminishing resources. We see the effects of a decaying fabric of life in the global economic recession, erratic climate patterns, and the epidemic of depression among industrialized populations. It seems at times that “the machine”… read more
Cooperation Among Yeast Cells Yields Unexpected Benefits
By Kari Risher Metta Research Fellow Any human among us can intuitively observe that, as we cooperate with others to serve the needs of our communities rather than ourselves as individuals, we reap social benefits that may not always be quantifiable. As we gain a reputation for being helpful, we are naturally liked and supported… read more
The Power of Restorative Justice and Reconciliation to Maintain Peace
Kari Risher, Metta Center Fellow An article was published on September 27, 2012 in Science by anthropologist Polly Wiessner from The University of Utah that examines the effectiveness of the intervention of small-scale tribal village courts in conflict to prevent war among the Enga tribal people of Papua New Guinea. The study’s findings are dramatic.… read more
