The Planetshifter.com Interview with Entrepreneur and CommuniTree.net and ArtinActionWorld.org Co-Founder Aaron EzRa Ableman by Willi Paul

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CommuniTree.net is dedicated to social and ecological justice through the arts and service learning. We work with the arts as an essential tool for facilitating political, ecological and cultural education. Our work is rooted in local community building with a global perspective. Emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, we believe that the stories, songs, and dreams of a culture shape the actions and relationships of a people with their environment. We are telling a new story, singing a new song, dreaming a new dream, and seeding a new world.

How do you view the track record of the Oakland Police Dept. on community relations, crime prevention programs and youth violence?

It's not hard to see the "thug-life" relationship between Oakland PD and low-income neighborhoods, communities of color, and activist communities. Sadly, this is a microcosm of a larger system of oppression, which shows marginalized communities across the world subjected to the violence, both mental and physical, of a divided humanity.

The age-old challenge is to witness this "oppressor & oppressed" dynamic with a grain of salt, like MLK Jr. Such visionaries have shone a way toward peace where there was only war and offered love when there was only hate. We all know what happened with the Oscar Grant case (and countless others) and I can only pray that we remain informed, peaceful, and courageous about this challenging human condition.

Green is rapidly becoming a commercial blurr in the media and the global mind; a clique? How do you keep the sustainability movement fresh and focused at CommuniTree.net?

Given the nature of the capitalist system (which turns civil rights heroes to Macintosh advertisements and the climate crisis into a marketing opportunity for cap & trade) it is the strength of our communities, which remind us why we need integrity in any movement building efforts.

Without the revolutionary content which hip-hop music was born from, the genre has (by and large) become a "co-opted industry" for glorifying drugs and violence. And of course, without the ethic of earth stewardship or bio-diversity, the "green movement" is just another opportunity for companies to sell us "more stuff" and consumers to consume "more stuff".

Part of the work of CommuniTree is to guard against this story of co-optation and exclusion. At our best, CommuniTree must remain steadfast as to "why" we're here on the planet, the impact of our relationships, and the vital role of living authentically. These are the part of the foundation of our mission, providing ecological stewardship and social transformation through the resilience of arts and culture.

Using the arts as a foundation creates a fresh and innovative work, evolving the movement through creativity and celebration. That being said, we know that in our ecological and social justice work, we are subject to intense scrutiny to "walk the talk" (and remain inclusive) and we hope to model this with honesty and diligence.

How do you define localization? Is this a top-down or a bottom-up process?

Localization must necessarily start from the bottom-up, rooted in community. This is a function of the bio-regions which we inhabit, surviving through close relationships, intimate communications, and symbiotic connections. We are no different than a forest ecosystem, dependent on one another like the Arbuscular Mycorrhiza, a symbiotic relationship between plants and mushrooms. Even when humans were nomadic, there was a sense of respect for the local environment and balanced respect for what was available to consume.

Our modern society is by and large an ecological nightmare, shipping food thousands of miles across the world, piping the oil even greater distances, and creating deserts and disasters in one locality for the abundance of another. Taken with a dose of perspective, it seems ridiculous for Washington, DC to impose "foreign policies" onto a small town in Afghanistan. Washington, DC has little relationships with the needs of the local cultures of Afghanistan beyond investment in politics or economic gain.

And even while our televised world claims we all want "blue jeans and a coke", what we actually need is more connection with out local surroundings. Our airplanes can continue to carry us to the global conscience; but we have yet to transcend the needs of the physical environment wherever we land. There is a bumper sticker, which says, "If we ignore the environment, will it just go away?" This is the same question we should ask about our local neighborhoods, communities, and cities.

Who are the key enemies of green change in America?

NO ENEMY BUT OURSELVES!

What are the top five causes in the youth movement?

First of all, youth movements will always redefine any list, category, or definitions! With that disclaimer, I think that our youth are greatly concerned with violence, discrimination, self-empowerment, music/dance culture, and global warming. There are so many causes to be concerned about today, the next generations are faced with an overwhelming world of choices and challenges. As adults, parents, or leaders we must offer platforms of clarity and purpose in the midst of chaos and hopelessness.

What new stories, symbols and myths are you creating / using at CommuniTree & Art in Action?

Every culture alive today contains a wealthy reservoir of myths and symbols, it's only that most of the inheritors have forgotten the respective languages to access them. Stories, symbols, and myths must be rediscovered and brought into modern context. CommuniTree and Art in Action seek pathways to reawaken these stories of resilience, innovation, and creativity. We must fight to overcome the amnesic consciousness of our modern age.

Utilizing the master's tools to take down the master's house (akin to the "youtubeification" of the media), we engage with art as a tool for cultural history, ecological justice and worldwide healing. Examples of our trials and experiments include Eco-Hop music, InterdepenDance, Seed Planting Songs & Garden Theatre, Meditation as Medicine, and many more.

We made it!! The Green Movement is a success!! What do you see now, Aaron?

Ecological solutions and powerful social justice models exist all over the world, we need to learn how to work together. We need to "work the play and play the work"! In other words: Know Your Community; Plant Trees; Save Seeds; Stay Positive; Sing Songs!