Summary of Land Sohbet on August 13, 2022
As salamu ‘alaykum, beloveds. SSC hosted an open and hopeful update and sharing of intentions and vision for the Land in Pope Valley, CA, last Saturday, August 13th. Mahdi, Said Bin Yunus, and others shared their visions and answered questions. Beloveds could feel the light of what was opening and many offered support and encouragement.
SSC intends to hold another special Land sohbet in mid-September so that you may all be a part of this important discussion as things continue to open. This is not a simple public works project, it’s becoming a real movement–a movement generated from a few tender seeds of himma and Divine openings emerging through the surrendered hearts of the Pope Valley/Napa community. Inshallah, it will continue to blossom with love and freedom and be a living example of the teachings of our guide Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal for all to drink from and experience.
This is a perfect example of what SSC has been talking about when we speak of ecosystems and Divine Flow. The beauty and hope that is moving is not by our command; we are simply listening and responding. We intend for this example to be the template for all of our future attempts to listen and respond to the needs of our community, following and clearing space for Divine flow, and encouraging community to allow themselves to be animated and enlivened through it by their participation as He commands, insha’allah.
Watch the Meeting
SSC intends to post updates and notes from these sohbets on our website on the page titled “New Beginnings at the Land” in the Communities section. Here is the link to that page: https://suficommunities.org/community-connections/new-beginnings-at-the-land/
Next Steps
1. We are waiting to receive a proposal from Rhamis Kent, the expert who has been selected to create a permaculture plan for the Land and a business and sustainability plan for the overall project.
2. Mahdi and Said Bin Yunus and others from the local community will be creating their own legal entity in order to receive donations and begin operating under their own organization. They will then create a more detailed proposal for SSC and the greater community.
3. There is a need to purchase a tractor and other basic equipment to begin preparing the soil so that it can retain more water ahead of the next rainy season.
4. SSC will be seeking counsel on how this new group will access the Land and how we can best serve and support this intention, while allowing all decisions and day-to-day governance to be managed by this group.
5. The SSC Land Committee, chaired by Nura Melody Baughman (other members are Abdul Latif Howard and Amin Colman), will continue to do the bulk of SSC’s work related to this new project. The Land Committee will continue working with local community members to promote and facilitate the initial steps of the new beginnings at the Land.
If you have any questions or comments please direct them to me, Abdul Latif Howard, at abdullatifhoward@sscboard.org.
