Melan Shannon's Youth Ambassador Speech
Stepping foot on the land of Suzanne's home, the Center for Healing with Nature, for the very first time felt like walking through an actualization of the Garden of Eden. The energy that is present in this place is so light and transformative, that it keeps me coming back as often as I can to assist Suzanne with all of the hard work she's putting forth for her ultimate foresight that is larger than our own individual lives, and an embodiment of "life" itself. I was introduced to Suzanne on a Thanksgiving (2013) dinner afternoon at another Center for Healing with Nature family supporter's house. I was 16 years old at the time and already following a vegetarian diet and primarily natural and healthy lifestyle for most of my life, inspired by my mother. My mother, two older sisters and I were very pleased to meet Suzanne and overheard her discussing the news of a murder trial that was interestingly connected to the monitioring of plant energy levels to detect if the murderer was in the room. The result of the experiment was that the plants responded. There was much more detail and depth to the story and Suzanne carried along in her knowledgable manner about the general consciousness of nature. We gave thanks on this occasion and also enjoyed the uniquely appetizing raw/vegan dishes she brought to the dinner table. At the end of the evening she invited us to come visit her residence in Hawai'i Kai, the next day we arrived, and my life in particular has been revolutionized ever since this particular moment.
Today I am 17 years old, and fortunately the consciousness that lies in nature is something I've always been faintly aware of due to my upbringing, but the wisdom and poise regarding the planet that Suzanne possesses has magnified my understanding of our duty to the Earth tenfold. After beginning to routinely visit the Center and work by Suzanne's side: making compost, concocting microorganism mixtures, watering, picking and planting the vegetation all around the yard and more, I noticed I was immediately in tune with the energy that founds the reciprocal relationship between man and nature. This is something humans were designed for. The agricultural movement, Westernization, colonization, environmental degradation, expansion and mass extraction and production of resources are all contributing factors that have brought humankind further from the truth of our duty to the Earth, and closer to our demise that is inspired by temporary human desires and activities. It's not just other species and their surrounding environments that are suffering due to these fleeting fulfillments of modernization. The majority of our food, that everyone indeed needs to survive, is being contaminated and the masses are either oblivious to this or are uncertain on how to regain their rights to natural health. Our physical, mental, emotional and spritual health relies on the intake of life force energy from nature, and that cannot be altered through GMOs and other chemicals without a longterm negative impact. Through having Suzanne as a mentor I have again learned that plants respond. They respond to our respect and maintenance for them in order to fulfill their life bearing purpose. We all know that without the prescence of trees all organisms would have no oxygen to breathe, and this is a simple reminder of the balance of ecosystems that is necessary in order for us to evolve, survive and sustain the health of future generations.
I want more than anything for as many people as possible, especially from my generation, to be fully absorbed in the knowledge that is flowing through the Center for Healing with Nature. Yes, our world is faced with ever-increasing conflict daily in regards to war, politics, and poverty but I am certain that the environmental and health conditions are the root of this unrest and should be progressively dealt with, with the utmost urgency. This is something else Suzanne has taught me, and I am honored to be apart of an effort that is greater than myself. Every innovation must start with a vision, and the Center for Healing with Nature's is concrete. The first step is education which has the power to renew the minds and perspectives of people, so they can tap into the awareness of their actions and responsibility to sustaining the environment. This strong community force is going to allow people to do hands on work with Mother Earth, as well as grasping the background information that is useful to apply to land. An appreciation for whole and absolutely "organic" foods is not only vital for achieving optimal health, it can be delicious and exciting for all. The Center will utilize the tools of technology and communication to spread the word on the condition of the planet and what proactive individuals are doing to make a difference. Small scale growth will inspire others to be apart of the cause because no reasonable individual wants their health to diminish or the world to self destruct. The Center is destined for success predominantly because we are in Hawai'i, and these islands were strongly founded on the very concept of the subsistance economy that is not based on money, but based on teamwork of all individuals to "malama'aina" or nurture the land so it can give back all we need to sustain life. Hawai'i is the perfect place to enact this vision as health is becoming a more popularized idea among the majority. The value of contributing funding to this non-profit project can not even be placed into words. The endorsement would take us one monumental step further to projecting the truth of why we are all here, and the tremendously postive impact we can have by joining together in this community movement to regain our individual rights to natural healing and health. This healing is disconnected from any government, industry or corporation that is currently in control of our resources. This healing is a human right.
Today I am 17 years old, and fortunately the consciousness that lies in nature is something I've always been faintly aware of due to my upbringing, but the wisdom and poise regarding the planet that Suzanne possesses has magnified my understanding of our duty to the Earth tenfold. After beginning to routinely visit the Center and work by Suzanne's side: making compost, concocting microorganism mixtures, watering, picking and planting the vegetation all around the yard and more, I noticed I was immediately in tune with the energy that founds the reciprocal relationship between man and nature. This is something humans were designed for. The agricultural movement, Westernization, colonization, environmental degradation, expansion and mass extraction and production of resources are all contributing factors that have brought humankind further from the truth of our duty to the Earth, and closer to our demise that is inspired by temporary human desires and activities. It's not just other species and their surrounding environments that are suffering due to these fleeting fulfillments of modernization. The majority of our food, that everyone indeed needs to survive, is being contaminated and the masses are either oblivious to this or are uncertain on how to regain their rights to natural health. Our physical, mental, emotional and spritual health relies on the intake of life force energy from nature, and that cannot be altered through GMOs and other chemicals without a longterm negative impact. Through having Suzanne as a mentor I have again learned that plants respond. They respond to our respect and maintenance for them in order to fulfill their life bearing purpose. We all know that without the prescence of trees all organisms would have no oxygen to breathe, and this is a simple reminder of the balance of ecosystems that is necessary in order for us to evolve, survive and sustain the health of future generations.
I want more than anything for as many people as possible, especially from my generation, to be fully absorbed in the knowledge that is flowing through the Center for Healing with Nature. Yes, our world is faced with ever-increasing conflict daily in regards to war, politics, and poverty but I am certain that the environmental and health conditions are the root of this unrest and should be progressively dealt with, with the utmost urgency. This is something else Suzanne has taught me, and I am honored to be apart of an effort that is greater than myself. Every innovation must start with a vision, and the Center for Healing with Nature's is concrete. The first step is education which has the power to renew the minds and perspectives of people, so they can tap into the awareness of their actions and responsibility to sustaining the environment. This strong community force is going to allow people to do hands on work with Mother Earth, as well as grasping the background information that is useful to apply to land. An appreciation for whole and absolutely "organic" foods is not only vital for achieving optimal health, it can be delicious and exciting for all. The Center will utilize the tools of technology and communication to spread the word on the condition of the planet and what proactive individuals are doing to make a difference. Small scale growth will inspire others to be apart of the cause because no reasonable individual wants their health to diminish or the world to self destruct. The Center is destined for success predominantly because we are in Hawai'i, and these islands were strongly founded on the very concept of the subsistance economy that is not based on money, but based on teamwork of all individuals to "malama'aina" or nurture the land so it can give back all we need to sustain life. Hawai'i is the perfect place to enact this vision as health is becoming a more popularized idea among the majority. The value of contributing funding to this non-profit project can not even be placed into words. The endorsement would take us one monumental step further to projecting the truth of why we are all here, and the tremendously postive impact we can have by joining together in this community movement to regain our individual rights to natural healing and health. This healing is disconnected from any government, industry or corporation that is currently in control of our resources. This healing is a human right.