From the Director's DeskConference ReportSustainability: From Vision to PracticeSirius Community, August 7-10,1998Thomas H. Greco, Jr. August 25, 1998 A four day conference entitled, Sustainability: From Vision to Practice, was sponsored by and held at Sirius, a twenty year old intentional community in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, August 7 - 10, 1998. The main topical currents of the conference included:
Substantial amounts of celebration and entertainment were built into the program. Participants enjoyed fellowship, delicious, wholesome food, and pleasant natural surroundings. My main involvement as presenter was on the second day, starting with my keynote presentation in the morning, and followed by my participation on two panels. One panel topic was "Sustainable Economics Systems," and the other addressed the Year 2000 phenomenon (Y2K). Both sessions provided ample opportunity for open discussion in plenary and small groups. Keynote Presentation The keynote presentation, which I entitled, Sustainability, Y2K, and the New World Order, was intended to sketch a broad vision of the social metamorphosis which I believe is underway, and to inspire participants to continue their positive efforts in a more coordinated fashion. It included the following main themes and propositions: 1. The world has been going though a process of profound cultural change. It has been a long and often difficult process for many of us who view ourselves as agents of change who have been challenging the status quo and advocating greater equity, freedom, and sustainability. 2. The process is reaching a climax. Conditions are emerging which will very soon require everyone on earth to make major adjustments in the way we live. 3. Paul Ray's Integral Culture Survey provides convincing evidence that there is a sizeable portion of the adult population (about 24%) which holds transformational values and could presumably lead the popular movement through adaptation into a more sustainable and harmonious way of living. This is the group which Ray calls the Cultural Creatives. 4. A primary task of the Integral Culture is the building of community and the restoration of ecologies. 5. The social, political, economic, and ecological aspects of living cannot be separated. All have been embedded within a primary mode of DOMINATOR relationships. We must work toward a new mode of cooperation or PARTNERSHIP relationships. 6. In understanding our deepening present crisis, we should consider the process of metamorphosis. It is more than a metaphor. We are actually going through a socio-cultural metamorphosis in which the Cultural Creatives are the imaginal buds of the new "butterfly" culture. The process of consumption and rapid growth of the "caterpillar" society is about to give way to the "pupa" stage of disintegration and reintegration. 7. The change must proceed at all levels: personal, interpersonal, and structural. We must open ourselves to spiritual transformation, work to heal our relationships, and regenerate our institutional infrastructure. It is time for us to rethink, reorganize, and restructure. 8. Five main areas in urgent need of attention are:
9. There is a need for a second "Enlightenment." We should work toward a new Declaration of Economic Independence and a new Constitution for the United People of the World. 10. The Millennium Crisis, caused by the millennium bug, is bringing the current change process to a climax. We have about 16 months to prepare for a major shift in our way of living. Major failures and disruptions in critical infrastructure systems can be expected starting as early as next year (1999). This will be a time of both anxiety and excitement, difficulty and opportunity. It will pose major challenges to our ingenuity and adaptability, but it will also provide unprecedented opportunities for us to make major improvements in who we are and the way we live. 11. Let us welcome The Gift of Y2K. For the full text of the speech, click here. Forming Communities One of the sessions of particular interest to me was Diana Christian's presentation of Six Essentials for Forming Communities. Diana, who is the editor of Communities Magazine, has brought her considerable community experience and knowledge to bear in developing what I would call a "recipe for success." The following is a list of her "six ingredients" and a synopsis of her presentation. The first four items address "structural" conflict, while the last two address interpersonal conflict.
Agreements are of three types, legal, written covenants, and informal agreements subject to simple renegotiation process. Diana is writing a book on this subject. She can be reached at 970-593-5615, or by e-mail at: diana@ic.org. Other major conference sessions included:
More information about the conference can be obtained from the Sirius Website: www.siriuscommunity.org/susconference.html, or from: Sirius Community, 72 Baker Road, Shutesbury, MA 01072. Tel.: 413-259-1251, E-mail: sirius@siriuscommunity.org. CIRC NewsletterJune 13, 1997Dear Friends, This is to update you on our recent and current activities, and to let you know that we're still fighting the good fight. The following covers just some highlights of the past 18 months. Presentations, Conferences, Projects 1996 was a big year, with numerous trips and activities. In March, I was invited to be one of four presenters at the Institute of Noetic Sciences membership retreat in Ben Lomond, California. The topic of the retreat was "The Soul of Money." I spoke about monetary system dysfunctions and the prototype local currencies and mutual credit programs (like LETS) that are proliferating around the world. I felt privileged to be able to share some of what I've learned about the subject with so many fine, forward-thinking individuals. In April, I was invited again to participate in the "Peacebuilding for the 21st Century" symposium at the Fetzer Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was the second in the series which I've attended. I'm also expecting to attend the fifth round of this "inquiry process" next October. I was especially pleased to be able to work with Willis Harman, IONS President, at both of the above events. Those experiences are especially valued in light of Willis' passing-on in January of this year. He will be sorely missed, not only by those who knew him, but all those who have followed and benefitted from his awesome work. For more than a year now, we've been providing regular consulting support and advice to Resources for Human Development (RHD) for their local currency project. RHD is a large, multi-program, nonprofit organization in Philadelphia which works with a low-income, economically and educationally disadvantaged constituency. Their Equal Dollars local currency project is the first of its kind to be attempted in an inner city environment with this type of clientele. Launched last October, the Equal Dollars program has been growing steadily and gaining support in the local neighborhoods. Besides providing a supplemental medium of exchange, the program has been helping to build community and stimulate mutual aid relationships. In June, I traveled east to attend the Decentralist Conference at Williams College in Massachusetts, which we co-sponsored. The conference, which was organized by our friends at the E. F. Schumacher Society, was very exciting and well-attended. A major theme was local currency and exchange systems. I had the opportunity to be on a panel, and also to present a workshop, which attracted a full house. On the way to the Decentralist Conference I made a stop in Philadelphia to meet face-to-face with the folks at RHD, who were very cordial and made me feel most welcome. Our meeting, while brief, was very productive. In September, I undertook a major motor trip up the west coast, making numerous stops along the way to give presentations and to assist various groups which are organizing local currency projects. Presentations were made in the San Diego area, San Francisco, Berkeley, Half Moon Bay, and Ukiah, California, and Olympia, Washington. I also met with Michael Linton and LETS associates in Vancouver, BC, and participated as a resource person in a retreat at Sherry Dupe's Green House center in Christina Lake, BC. One major highlight was the presentation I gave in Olympia. Thanks to the skillful organizing of Joanna Lee, we had an excellent venue filled with a large and enthusiastic audience. That presentation was videotaped for showing on a public access channel. The Olympia group has subsequently made a successful launch of their Sound Hours local currency. During the trip I also gave a couple of radio interviews, one, in person, in Ukiah and another via telephone. The Ukiah interview by Barry Vogel was especially well done. It was aired in April on Barry's Radio Curious program. I have this one on tape. All in all, it was a good trip -- until the end. It lasted six weeks, about a week and a half longer than planned. Getting home to Tucson turned out to be a major ordeal. My car's transmission went out and I got stranded in Ogden, Utah for eleven days. The shop that was supposed to fix it (part of a national chain) proved to be both inept and dishonest. In the end, I opted to rent a truck and tow the car home where I had a rebuilt transmission installed at a cost of almost $2,000. With the added cost of the truck rental it turned out to be a major personal financial setback, not to mention the emotional anguish and frustration. I complained to the company home office but to no avail. Oh well, that's life. Since last summer, I've been spending quite a bit of time in the Dripping Springs valley, about 80 miles north of here. A friend is caretaking a beautiful 25-acre property there which is up for sale. Together with some friends and associates I had hoped to get a community organized to buy it. The vision was to make it a combined residential community, eco-village demonstration site, educational facility and healing center. Alas, that dream remains unfulfilled. The impediments have been mainly financial. The property has now been listed with a realtor and will probably be sold soon. We'd really like to see it go to someone who can appreciate how special that place is, and who will build on all the love and energy that have already been put into it by previous owners over the past 15 years. It would be a great buy just as an investment. If you know of anyone who might have the resources to make such an investment, please have them contact me. Meanwhile, good things keep happening there at the Dripping Springs Holistic Healing Center -- potluck meals, celebrations, rituals, and workshops, many in conjunction with the folks at Windspirit community just down the road. In March, we helped to organize a Hands-on Straw Bale Construction Workshop. The workshop was produced by DeHavillan Workshops of Tucson, the leading provider of educational experiences in strawbale construction. Instructor, Jill Lorenzini, did a great job, and the workshop was a big success. We've also referred a local community group which has had two retreats out there. Beginning last summer, we've been promoting another brainchild of mine, namely, the "YES Exchange" project. This multifaceted initiative includes a local currency called Youth Employment Scrip (YES). The basic idea is to empower and employ youth, who, as a group, represent one of the most marginalized and alienated segments of our society. The program is comprehensive in providing training, counseling and meaningful employment. We managed to get an editorial about it published in the local afternoon daily newspaper and have presented the idea to a number of possible "partners" here in Tucson. We submitted two proposals for funding but were not successful. Because of that, progress here has been slow, and we're still in the preliminary stage. I've written three articles describing the program, which I continue to circulate to social entrepreneurs around the world and hope to have published. Perhaps some social entrepreneurs somewhere will see the potential and try to launch it. I've also been part of a diverse group of professionals which has been meeting regularly here in Tucson for the past year or so. Our general purpose has been to promote and work with "new paradigm" organizations. As the group has matured and mellowed, we have become a mutual support community and have taken on three primary projects: (1) participation in the "Pathfinding" process being coordinated by the Institute of Noetic Sciences, (2) the development of a marketable device for organizational development, and (3) support of the Civano solar village development. I won't take the space to describe these here, but if anyone wants to know more, I'd be happy to provide details. I have plans to participate in an upcoming conference called The Other Economic Summit (TOES), which will be held in Denver, June 19-22. That's the same time that the G-7 nations are having their summit there. I will be on a panel and co-lead a workshop on community economics and alternative exchange systems. Publications On the publication front, one of my articles, which appeared in Perspectives, the journal of the World Business Academy, was selected to be included in an anthology called The New Business of Business. This book, edited by Willis Harman and Maya Porter, has been published by Berrett-Koehler. It includes many excellent articles by some well-known people. I'm proud to be in such illustrious company. I've recently finished another article which will be published in the September issue of Perspectives. It is called, New Money: A Creative Opportunity for Business, and addresses the money problem at a global level. I think it could have a far-reaching impact on the future shape of money. I also have a couple other articles which are about finished and just waiting for me to decide where to submit them. I am now getting some recognition but so far no pay for any of these publications. Fortunately, I have been selling a few of my books, but not enough. With so many interesting things to do, I'm not inclined to spend a lot of time on promotion and marketing. I could use some help with that. Changes In December, we moved my residence and the CIRC office from Damian Ranch to a house in a culturally diverse, center-city neighborhood. As of April 1, the Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) has moved its offices here, too. This house was formerly the residence of DCAT Director David Eisenberg's parents, now deceased. With DCAT's recent growth spurt and increasing recognition, the atmosphere around here is becoming ever more exciting and energetic. Our Web Page We invite any of you who have Internet access to examine our Web site. With the help of Joan Watts, we launched it about a year ago, and with the help of Tim Spears, we have recently done a major revision and expansion. It now contains numerous links to other important sites containing a wealth of information on all aspects of social, political, and economic transformation. We believe that anyone who's involved in facilitating the emergence of the "New Paradigm" will find it to be an extremely useful starting point. From now on, we will give a high priority to maintaining and improving our Web site. Networking and Correspondence In addition to all of this, we continue to respond, as best we can, to many requests for information and assistance, primarily in the areas of intentional communities, community economics, local currencies and exchange, and appropriate technology. We also maintain very active correspondence with colleagues around the world, who are working in our areas of interest. Most of this has been via E-mail, which has allowed us to create virtual think tanks. This technology enables accelerated progress in solving problems and coming to a consensus. The Pitch Finally, and I beg your indulgence for asking, I'd like you to consider making a cash contribution to support this work. Frugal as we are, it takes a certain minimum amount of money to maintain the office facilities and provide the things we need to operate. We can manage on about $600 per month, with our biggest expenses being rent, telephone, office supplies, postage, Internet access fees, and transportation. Remember, as a project of NEST, Inc., we have nonprofit, tax exempt status, therefore your donation is tax deductible. As a token of our gratitude, I'll send a copy of the Barry Vogel interview tape to anyone who makes a donation of $15 or more. If you would like to see our financial reports, I'd be happy to provide them. To minimize costs, I am sending this letter by E-mail to those of you who have access. Please excuse the lack of pretty formatting. To everyone else, "snail mail" will have to do. If you receive more than one copy, I apologize. I'm working from several lists and may not have caught all the duplicates. I hope that all is well with each and every one of you and that your life is as full and exciting as mine. May we all move gently forward together into a better world. Sincere regards, Thomas H. Greco, Jr. |
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