Note: we mention some names of potential presenters here, but none are yet confirmed.
MONDAY: BIOREGIONALISM: LIVING IN PLACE
1. Welcome Home: The Fabric of Bioregionalism: Reinhabitation and Ecocentric Ways of Living (structure to be determined, but probably, we would have some speakers, particularly Ken, Gene and Joyce Marshall, David Haenke, Peter Berg, Stephanie Mills, etc. and a way for people to participate fully into the conversation – maybe small groups, etc. Please put your ideas about who and what you would like to see included here in the comments section below). (1 hour)
2. Tools For Sustainable Communities: Small groups or other formats to discuss how the above presentation/discussion applies to their lives, communities, goals and visions. (1 hour)
3A. Bioregionalism 101: Getting to know your local address on the planet: Reinhabiting and Restoring Local Ecosystems
Brief presentations, open space activities, hands-on, interactive activities on:
Landscapes and Bioregional Mapping
Becoming attuned to your landscape, your watershed, your ecosystems, your ecoregion
The Seasons: your place as it moves through time
Migratory Connections: how other species knit our home together with other places
Planetary Connections: local participation in planetary cycles of the biosphere
(2 hours of hands-on, guided activities and reflection)
3B. Relocalizing and Transitioning Our Communities Toward Sustainability: (no workshops today)
******************************************************************************
TUESDAY: COMMUNITY & GOVERNANCE
1. Welcome Home: Bioregional Practices in Making and Keeping Communities, and Empowering Self-Governance: (format not yet determined, but perhaps a presentation by Bea and others involved in self-governance practices -- keep this to 30 minutes, more as an introduction to what comes next....)
2. Tools for Sustainable Communities: Building Community Through Group Process: Group process and consensus-based meetings to grow community (a workshop format with Bea Briggs and the facilitator's pool that forms at the congress on the basics of a sound group process, including some role playing, q & a, discussion – 90 minutes for this)
3A. Your Local Address on the Planet: Reinhabiting and Restoring Local Ecosystems: (no workshops today)
3B. Relocalizing and Transitioning Our Communities Toward Sustainability: (participants choose one of these workshops to attend for 90-120 minutes) with workshops in the following areas:
Food and farming
The built environment
Energy and fuel
Water and resource sheds
****************************************************************************
WEDNESDAY: BIOREGIONAL ARTS & EDUCATION
1. Welcome Home: Remaking Culture Through Bioregional Arts & Education: Brief presentations about each of the following to facilitate later open space process -- workshops could include such options as the following (with some potential presenters sugsested)
Re-storying the Landscape and Communities – Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Joyce Marshall (on eco-memoir, ecopoetics, eco-theatre)
All Species, Music & Pagentry – Chris Wells and Stan Slaughter
Bioregional Education -- Ralph Lutts, Liora Adler, Frank Traina, etc
Midwifery: Ina Mae, Pamela from The Farm Health, and Healing for Person, Culture, Nature -- Suzanne Richman and others Personal and Communal Empowerment --
(1 1/2 hours?)
2. Tools for Sustainable Communities: Remaking Culture In Your Home: An opportunity for participants to brainstorm, map out, share what's happening and what's needed to reknit culture through arts and education in their home communities and in their lives. (format: Well-facilitated small groups that discuss all this and also write up on large paper, later posted and shared with all participants, what's happening in various communities, what needs to happen, and what resources are needed to spark new developments in arts and education) (1 hour)
3A. Your Local Address on the Planet: Reinhabiting and Restoring Local Ecosystems Focus on effective creative art/educational approaches to share local ecosystem information and restoration efforts (format to be determined, but would be ideal to build on #2 above)
3B. Relocalizing and Transitioning Our Communities Toward Sustainability: What are effective ways to get people interested in sustainable communities, ecovillages, sustainable food, energy and health practices? Open Space plus presenters (suggestions in comments, please!)
**************************************
THURDAY: BIOREGIONAL ORGANIZING
1. Welcome Home: Grassroots bioregional organizing and integrating bioregionalism into other movements: Overview on bioregional organizing tools for activism, other like-minded movements, tools for collaboration and bringing bioregional perspectives into other movements and communities. (format to be determined) (30 minutes)
2. Tools for Sustainable Communities: Sharing tools and resources for effective organizing, including introductions to: defining issues, strategies, and goals; building bridges; strategic planning; outreach and marketing; sustaining groups, using listservs and other web-based tools, group activities such as walkabouts, etc. (format: handouts and presentation followed by discussions on local adaptability of these tools and resources, what else is needed, how to find it, etc.). (90 minutes)
3A. Your Local Address on the Planet: Reinhabiting and Restoring Local Ecosystems Green corridors, ecological restoration and preservation, environmental justice--what is working and not working where nature meets culture. (topics, activities in comments, please!)
Final discussion for whole curriculum (at congress) on what bioregionalism has to offer other movements, and how to integrate these gifts into other movements, projects, communities, and build strong links with bioregionally-related movements. (format: this could be organized as a keynote even that caps the curriculum at the congress and also opens the door to important alliances, joint projects, etc.).
**************************************
Include an exercise for getting the people connected by their regions through the standing on the map of North America. Otherwise, it all looks pretty comprehensive. thanks for all your work!
ReplyDeleteFrom Bob R
ReplyDeleteMonday 3A Would like a better name than Bioregionalism 101. How about Knowing our place
Tuesday 1-2 This is great. Somewhere though there are a bunch of issues regarding organizations and how they run, raise money, handle it, meet or don't meet, deal with volunteer effort or lack of; handle burn out, etc.
Tuesday 3B These foci on food, built, energy, water, and (should be?) transportation are one approach; but possibly because I work with urban, suburban, rural and small town situations, I am guessing that dealing with all of these in those contexts would be better. Would you rather go to a workshop on how to deal with all these issues in the place where you live, or one say on food that has to talk about the issues in urban,rural, small town, and suburban?
In Wednesday 1 we might add architecture/housing arts; and in 3A wonder if we look at publishing & web on bioregion for local population
Thursday Bioregional Organizing
non-profits? larger collaborations? how to do fundraising, outreach, labor (paid, unpaid, poorly paid--separate issues or interconnected?
organizing strategies generally (not just strategic--which is a business derivative)
under 3A Your local address--the labor issue for doing this is crucial.