Robin Delmore Saip

Throughout the millennia of human existence, the term "Circle of Elders" has undoubtedly been applied many times in many languages. And, from our own instinctive experience of human gatherings, especially around a campfire, we can easily imagine that the circle was the most common form of coming together. As caretakers of traditional values, earthkeepers, storytellers, historians, decision-makers, and lawgivers, elders were traditionally regarded as the highest cultural authority.

With civilization's political and commercial development, however, the role of elder authority seems gradually to have diminished. The how and why of changes that have silenced the elder voice--the voice of compassionate wisdom--is a topic that has held my attention for some time. I believe that the rapidly growing population of older persons worldwide (the global "age wave"), and the increasing threat to Earth's ability to sustain future generations, set the stage for the return of a meaningful Elder Presence.