Our Mission
Local Futures works to renew ecological, social and spiritual well-being by promoting a systemic shift towards economic localization.
A pioneer of the new economy movement, Local Futures has been raising awareness for four decades about the need to shift direction – away from dependence on global monopolies, and towards decentralized, regional economies.
We produce books, films, and other ‘education for action’ tools, as well as organizing activist-oriented conferences and workshops worldwide. These programs are helping to catalyze a global movement for change.
History
Local Futures began as The Ladakh Project more than thirty years ago in the Himalayan region of Ladakh. The organization initially focused on supporting Ladakh’s indigenous culture by bringing information to balance the idealized images of Western culture flooding into the region through tourism and 
development. In 1986, founder and director Helena Norberg-Hodge won the Right Livelihood Award for her groundbreaking sustainability work in the region. In 1988 Helena’s book, Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh, was published in Sweden and Denmark. An English translation was published in 1991. Two years later, an award-winning film of the same name was produced by Local Futures’ Programs Director, John Page. In 2011 Local Futures released the award-winning film The Economics of Happiness on four continents, with major film premieres in Oregon, California, New York, Toronto, London, Delhi, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney.
Read more about Local Futures’ history.
Who We Are
A full list of our staff and directors can be found here.
We are a 501(c)3 organization incorporated in California. We adhere to Bylaws adopted in 1991, including oversight by a Board of Directors. Our funding comes largely from individual donors and foundations, as well as from the sale of publications and videos, and lecture and writing fees.