"We never know how our small activities will affect others through the invisible fabric of our connectedness. In this exquisitely connected world, it's never a question of 'critical mass.' It's always about critical connections." ~ Grace Lee Boggs "Connection to others is important in many aspects of life, from establishing a sense of self to securing basic safety. In this piece, Curtis Ogden shares the story of a couple who discovered this truth while hiking in the mountains of Nepal during … Continue reading
Social Permaculture | Starhawk
Starhawk, author and permaculture designer and teacher, on the need for social permaculture.... "To be honest, in Permaculture, the trees and the vegetables are the easy part. The people are often the challenging part. In Permaculture, there is a sense that disturbance is necessary for the regeneration of ecosystems. In Social Permaculture, we look at how this same principle can be applied; occasionally it is necessary to shake things up a bit in order to get a fresh look at things. "One of … Watch video
Permaculture Podcast | The Transition Town Movement with Rob Hopkins
Rob Hopkins, Findhorn Fellow and co-founder of Transition Town Totnes and the Transition Network, recently appeared as a guest on the Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann. Their conversation spans permaculture, Transition, BREXIT, and what it takes to build real community resilience. Continue reading
Transition to a Regenerative Society
What would a regenerative society look like? The Center for Planetary Culture is developing its first research project, as a position paper and wiki to answer the questions: What is a strategy for rapid transition to a regenerative society? What kind of technical and social infrastructure must be instituted? How can media be used to bring about this transformation? "We invite the global community to work with us to envision our current situation as an opportunity for an evolutionary leap, and … Continue reading
Kosha Joubert: The Power of Community
South African-born Kosha Joubert shares about the power of building community as an integral, intimate part of new story creation. We do not need our future to be defined by the current mainstream and by the advertising and media that are fed to us. We can design our own pathway to the future. By coming together in community wherever we are, we can support one another's potential, dreams, visions and imaginings. Kosha is President of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) and Executive Director of … Watch video
Linda Kabaira & Mugove Nyika: Transforming the Future of Zimbabwe
Linda Kabaira and Mugove Nyika are leading participatory educators who are transforming life in Zimbabwe for future generations to come. Mugove Walter Nyika is a Permaculture and Environmental Education specialist with international experience of working with governmental and non-governmental organisations to build resilient school and college communities. His mission is to use his life skills, land use design skills and passion for culture and the environment to listen, encourage and teach … Watch video
We have three chances to change the world for the better in 2015
"In the year that world leaders will meet three times to set goals for sustainable development, planetary boundaries can frame our choices. "We live in an era of great contrasts. Never before have we faced catastrophic environmental risks on a planetary level, and seldom has there been such potential for innovation to allow us to avert serious risks and transform the world. Decisions made now will have profound impacts on the Earth for centuries to come. This calls for a new logic; abundance … Continue reading
Restorative Narratives: Defining a new strength-based genre
"What if the news media covered stories of recovery and resilience as much as they cover stories about devastation and despair? "This question has been central to our recent work at Images & Voices of Hope (ivoh) and aligns with our mission to strengthen the media’s role as an agent of world benefit. We’ve coined a term — Restorative Narratives — which describes a genre of stories that focus on recovery, restoration and resilience in the aftermath, or midst of, difficult times. This genre … Continue reading
Voices and Reflections of the Community Resilience and New Economy Movement
"A movement is emerging in many places, under many guises: New Economy (or Economies), Regenerative Economy, Solidarity Economy, Next Economy, Caring Economy, Sharing Economy, Thriving Resilience, Community Resilience, Community Economics, Oppositional Economy, High Road Economy, and other names. It’s a movement to replace the default economy of excess, control, and exploitation with a new economy based on respecting biophysical constraints, preferring decentralization, and supporting … Continue reading
Powerful Music Video – Naima Shalhoub Sings The Ferguson-Gaza Blues
"What would life look like on the streets if we held each other up across our differences? "I wrote this song in August for the people in Ferguson, Gaza and elsewhere rising up against horrific racial injustice, and for those that continue to grieve, rage and rise. As an artist I'd like to make it clear that the tragedies in Ferguson and Gaza are not isolated nor limited to these regions, but are parts of a greater evolution of racism that continues to isolate, confine and destroy lives and … Watch video
