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The Slow Movement: Making a Connection

The Slow Movement aims to address the issue of 'time poverty' through making connections. If we think about the following trends. Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in the world today. People are turning to organic food in droves. Schools are in turmoil.

How slow can you go? Home schooling is becoming commonplace. People are downshifting. The Slow Food movement is gaining popularity with 811 convivia worldwide.



Stress is leading to unprecedented health problems. “Stop the world I want to get off” is a feeling we all have sometimes.

Why is this happening? What is wrong? What are we searching for? The one thing that is common to all these trends is connection. We are searching for connection. We want connection to people - ourselves, our family, ourcommunity, our friends, - to food, to place (where we live), and to life. We want connection to all that it means to live  we want to live a connected life.

This desire for connectedness is not new. Traditionally, in times past, our lives were connected. Most traditional cultures still have these connections.

Cultures with connection These people are connected to their culture, to people, to place and to their lives.

It is not so long ago that the extended family was a real live entity with the extended family often living under the same roof. Children grew up knowing their cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and other relatives. These children felt connected.

In these not too long ago times people were connected to their food. Most people grew their own vegies and some fruit. Backyard vegie gardens were the norm not the exception. Many families had a house cow for milk, cheese, butter and cream. Most families also had poultry or other meat animals. When visitors came unexpectedly, dad would be sent out back to kill the chook for dinner. Families used fresh produce and meat to make traditional recipes. Everyone was involved in cooking and mealtimes were a social event. When the meal ended most of the family was involved in cleaning up and washing up. How different is the situation today?

Our fast paced life has weakened these connections. Technological advances have meant that the work we do is different from work in the past and it is less connected to living and life than it has been in the past.

Technological advances have resulted in labour saving devices for the home. Who would complain about vacuum cleaners, electric stoves, hot water systems, flush toilet, or the bread maker, but have these technologies really given us more time to enjoy life as was their claim? Or have we used this time to become even more busy. We are engaged in constant fast-forward motion whereby we are often overscheduled, stressed and rushing towards the next task. This rushing is not restricted to our work environment. We rush our food, our family time and even our recreation.

This website supports a growing cultural shift towards slowing down. On this site we discuss how we have lost connection to most aspects of our life and to the natural world and rhythms around us, and how we can reconnect  how we can live a connected life. The Slow Movement is a worldwide movement to recapture

Meaningful Connection this state of connectedness. The movement is gaining momentum, as more and more people recognise their discomfort at the fast pace and disconnected nature of their lives.

Recognising the disconnection and pace of our life as an unwanted state of affairs is an important first step in re-establishing the connections and slowing the pace. What we all want to know is how do we reconnect? How do we live slow, whilst at the same time meeting our most important responsibilities?

This website tells us how. It is gives examples of ways to live slow and be part of the slow movement. It points out the areas of our life that have become disconnected. We are often unaware of just what it is that isn’t ‘right’, we just know that something is ‘not right’.

Time to rethink prioritiesThis website tells you where the disconnections lies and, more importantly, it shows you how you can reconnect. It provides you with tangible, easy-to-do steps to becoming a practicing slow mover, and member of the Slow Movement. You will find the sanity you so desperately crave.

Some of the things I talk about are easy to do  some are not so easy. Perhaps the hardest thing to do is to change our attitude and mindset. We have to rethink our priorities and rethink the way we approach life and all thing in it.

Some of us may take the step of downshifting. Downshifting is a fast growing movement of people who choose voluntary simplicity in all aspects of their life. Downshifters go beyond materialism  beyond the fast life. They downshift to a slow connected life.

Green Damselfly is an Australian business supporting eco ethical enterprises to alleviate poverty in developing countries.