“Life is too short for second rate ambitions.”
– Ranulph Fiennes, explorer
There’s a blessing, and the curse, of having achieved something like rowing alone across three oceans. Once I discovered that I was capable of so much more than I had previously imagined, I now know that if I’m not at least a little scared of what I’m about to do, then I’m not aiming high enough.
So here we go.
I have an audacious vision for changing the world by harnessing the intelligence and strength of the world’s women and directing their actions toward change. And I need your help.
We all want a world of sustainability, of peace, and of thriving – not just for the few, but for the many. We want partnership and collaboration, not domination and oppression. We want equality, across genders, orientations, countries, ethnicities, income groups, and belief systems. We want connection: to community, to nature, and to our own best selves.
I have an idea how I can make this happen.
I’d like to start with the female half of humanity, because we need to see greater prominence given to the feminine qualities of cooperation, nurturing, and intuition, to provide balance for the important, but currently over-prominent, masculine qualities of ambition, achievement, and competitiveness. Ultimately we need to bring the masculine and feminine back into balance on an individual level as well as a global level, but first, as women, we need to find the courage to stand up and speak up, and to be what we really are, rather than what society tells us to be.
By focusing on women, I intend to bring balance and equality to conversations many women don’t know how to enter, adding their intelligence and perspective in ways all in the world can benefit from. As we start, The Sisters will be for women only. I look forward to finding ways to involve people of all genders in our vision and action as time goes on.
This is not #metoo, although it has been partly catalysed by that. #Metoo has been a venting of frustration and fury, not just from this generation, but on behalf of millennia of abused women. This has been a necessary step, but we mustn’t stay in that negativity for too long. One of the conclusions I’ve drawn from fifteen years focusing on environmental issues is that positive visions of what we do want are much more inspiring than being anti-whatever. So that is what this women’s network is about – to use the words of Charles Eisenstein, to envision the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.
We’re at a point in time where a lot of assumptions are being challenged. The systems that have got us to here won’t get us to there. When we look at the current structures of economics, governance, agriculture, energy, justice, education, media and health, we can see that they are failing to serve many in the way they should be served. We can do better than this. We have to do better than this. And women have a key role to play in designing this new iteration of civilisation.
So what does that look like?
In essence, The Sisters is creating the infrastructure that connects women from around the world, inspires and enables the formation of project-based teams, and directs resources into those teams so they can make the world a better place. We will share stories of transformation via our website, which will serve both to inspire and to catalyse change in other communities. We will share resources, combining into project-based teams to draw on the collective wisdom, skills and talents of the whole. We will create a central pool of funds, both conventional and alternative, to fund our projects.
There are three main aspects to our activities:
- The Inner Journey: we unleash our creativity and leadership to become powerful agents of change
- The Shared Journey: we share resources, ideas, skills, talents and contacts to create projects with impact
- The Outer Journey: we stand shoulder to shoulder to advocate for peace, sustainability, and unity
As one of our core values is collaboration, not competition, we will be reaching out to existing women’s networks to weave connections around the world. The whole will become greater than the sum of its parts in a synergistic web of co-creation.
As I embark on this journey, there are many parallels with rowing across oceans. The vision of the destination is clear. I’m aware that the voyage could well take longer than expected, and face unexpected diversions, even setbacks. But I know that with determination, patience, and tenacity, most things are possible. I feel very called to do this work, and I can think of no better way to take the skills and the network that ocean rowing has brought me, and putting those assets in service to the greater good.
I’d like to invite you to join me on this journey. Although membership of The Sisters is currently only open to individuals who identify as female, anybody of any gender is welcome to support our work. We’re looking for funds to get our website up and running and to hire a core team to arrange a series of national launches around the world and to forge partnerships with existing organisations.
Here’s how you can help – be you male, female, or other – in one or more of the following ways:
1. Subscribe to support us on a monthly basis. In case you’re wondering, the different levels are named after the seven sisters of the Pleiades constellation. If you’d like to subscribe at a level not specified, please email me. A subscription automatically grants you membership of The Sisters (if you’re female), or honorary associate membership (if you’re male).
2. Make a one-off donation. If you donate $500 or more, you will be listed on The Sisters website as a Prime Mover, and will have our neverending gratitude.
3. Spread the word on social media, e.g. “Want to make the world a better place? Support The Sisters! I did. https://www.rozsavage.com/announcing-the-sisters”.
4. Sign up for The Sisters newsletter to get updates as we prepare to launch.
5. If you are in an existing women’s network that you feel would be well aligned with the goals of The Sisters, please let me know.
Thank you so much for your support in helping create a better future for generations to come!