Conscious Economics

The Intimacy and Complexity of Local Production and Exchange

A talk by

Susan Witt

Executive Director of the E.F. Schumacher Society

(as well as founder of the BerkShares local currency program, administrator of the Community Land Trust, and board member of the Great Barrington Land Conservancy)

Time: Friday, April 11th, at 7:30p.m.

Place: First Congregational Church, 251 Main Street, Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Cost: 10 BerkShares/Dollars

----------------------------------------(Past Events)----------------------------------------

Two Public Talks by Gary Lamb

On the subject of

Anthroposophy and Activism

"Rudolf Steiner as Social Reformer and Activist"

             Friday, February 22nd, at 7:30 at the Hawthorne Valley School Music Room. Open to people of all ages. Admission is $10.

"The Threefold Nature of the Human Being as the Basis for Social Initiative"

 

          Saturday, February 23rd, at 7:30 at the Hawthorne Valley School Music Room. Open to people of all ages. Admission is $10

Think OutWord Meeting:

Introduction to Social Threefolding

Time and Place:

The first meeting will take place in Harlemville, NY, as well as across the border in Great Barrington, MA. Registration will be at the Old Farm Store at Hawthorne Valley Farm (address is below) at 4:00 PM on Friday, the 22nd of February, and the session will end in the early afternoon on Sunday the 24th.  

Instructor:

Gary Lamb of the Institute for Social Renewal has offered to give us two lectures, both of which will also be open to the public. Friday evening's talk is entitled "Rudolf Steiner as Social Reformer and Activist" and Saturday evening's will be on "The Threefold Human Being as the Basis for Social Initiative." The group will also meet with him independently on Saturday morning.

Coursework:

The rest of our time together will consist of discussions, presentations by participants, artistic activities and maybe a short hike. This meeting will be an introduction to Steiner's social thought and the group will look closely at the foundational work for his sociology - "Towards Social Renewal." We're expecting all participants to read this. We're also encouraging participants to read, as a companion piece, Christopher Houghton Budd's helpful essay "The Social Question," as well as an essay by Robert Karp called "Toward an Associative Economy in the Sustainable Food and Farming Movement" (which goes far in illumining some of Steiner's key ideas and bringing them into a contemporary framework).  

Participation and Independent Study:

The training is open to anyone with a strong desire to contribute to the health of the social organism. (It is meant for individuals between the ages of 18 and 35. If you are older, but still want to participate, please contact me.) Our goal is to begin to create a core group of dedicated young people who have the desire to understand all aspects of social phenomena, including the spiritual, and out of this to help bring healthier social forms into the world (perhaps by creating new mentoring networks, economic associations, etc.). In order to do this we think it necessary to work in a variety of ways around a shared course of study, as well as for participants to develop independent studies that they can then share with the group.  

The independent study is an opportunity for participants to go further in-depth, in a structured way, on any subject of special interest. Potential participants should think about possible studies they would like to undertake, as well as individuals who could possibly act as their mentors. (In many instances the expertise of the mentor will have a determining effect on the content of the independent study, so mentors should be sought at the same time as one is deciding one's study.) Independent studies will then be presented at those meetings where they are most thematically appropriate.      

Cost:

The cost of the conference is $50. This includes sleeping arrangements and 4 meals. Lunch on Saturday can be purchased from the Farm Store at Hawthorne Valley School.

Directions and Registration:

The address of the Old Farm Store where we're meeting on Friday is: 330 Route 21C, Ghent, NY 12075.

Please contact us at seth@thinkoutword.org in order to register.

Miscellaneous:

Participants should bring sleeping bags and mats as it's likely that most people will be sleeping on floors and couches.    

I've attached a basic poster advertising Gary's talks. If you think anyone in your area might be interested in them you should print them up and do a little product placement.

Upcoming sessions:

•Meeting in April with Susan Witt, executive director of the E.F. Schumacher Society, on Land, Labor, and Money.

•Meeting in July for a five-day session at the Rudolf Steiner Institute with Nicanor Perlas, Globenet3 co-founder and 2003 Right Livelihood Award recipient, on Socially Engaged Spirituality.

•Meeting in July with Tad Montgomery, Theosophist and Ecological Engineer, on Permaculture and Ecological Awareness.