From the Bellingham Herald, January 6, 2003:

COMMUNITY:
"This is what true democracy is all about."
Mark Porter, The Bellingham Herald

Better health, alternative energy, higher self-esteem, and peace efforts. Those are just a few of the goals envisioned by a new grass-roots group in Whatcom County that held its first public meeting here Sunday.

Leaders of the effort, called Action Now! Solutions Project, spent Sunday at a “communi-tea” public gathering with more than 30 people at the RE Store conference room to introduce and publicize current and upcoming presentations, public events and workshops on different topics each month. In a time when possible U.S. conflicts in Iraq and North Korea loom — in addition to financial upheaval and state and federal budget woes — people need to know about the positive innovations and advancements they can use to solve ecological, personal and community conflicts, according to supporters. Supporters say those improvements include everything from alternative energy systems to nonviolent communications as well as building community through neighborhood potlucks and kids’ skateboard events. “Rather than feel frustrated and hopeless about the state of the world, we have decided to join together with our friends and neighbors and do something positive to enhance our community and give us hope and tools to make real changes in our lives,” according to the organization's Web site introductions. Last summer, Dudley and Dean Evenson and friends such as Jason Darling and Serene Stevenson talked about how to make a difference in the community. They decided to create the organization, which is in the process of becoming a nonprofit.

“Our goal is to be able to shine the light on good things that are already happening,” said Dudley Evenson, a long-time local musician. “If we don't take the opportunity to do this we'll have missed a chance to have a better life.”

The first three months of events, many of which are free, include:

• January: Creative self-expression to enhance self-esteem and hope as well as storytelling, music, dancing, art, theater, poetry, and peace through arts and music.

• February: Relationships and conflict resolution through nonviolent communication, conflict mediation, and one-on-one community strategies.

• March: Health and healing arts with physical and mental health, fitness, exercise, diet, yoga, massage, meditation, hospital, healing centers and fitness centers.

Other months will focus on energy and technology as well as youth empowerment, farming and gardens as well as healthy families, ecology and neighborhood networking, the media and communications as well as spiritual life. The plan is to use these platforms to create actions and strategies people can use in their lives to make a better and healthier life for themselves and the world, Darling said. “I’d really like to see a greater number of people getting together and do good things,” he said. The sense of neighborhood and community is the strong point of society, and this kind of effort helps build that — along with all the other important social service agencies and organizations, said Serene Stevenson.

“This is what true democracy is all about,” she said at the gathering. “I think the sky is the limit for what we can accomplish.”

Read another article on the Solutions Project: “Residents urged to plant home gardens,” from the front page of the June 23, 2003 issue of the Bellingham Herald.