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Monday, July 24th – Friday, July 28th, 2017
(this event has passed)
With Helena Norberg-Hodge, Stephan Harding & Satish Kumar
Schumacher College
The Old Postern, Dartington Hall
TQ9 6EA, Totnes
Devon, UK
What would the world look like if humans lived harmoniously with nature rather than creating environmental mayhem? An important pathway for achieving this is to create an economic system which enhances both human and ecological wellbeing. Drawing inspiration from Gandhi, Schumacher and the fundamental laws of Gaia, this course explored urgently needed alternatives to business-as-usual economics. Our focus was on the power of economic localisation, a solution multiplier which restores the fabric of community, while simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions, unemployment and the gap between rich and poor.
Participants joined an in-depth exploration of the steps involved in moving toward integrated, human-scale economic structures in which deeply personal, heartfelt relationships matter most of all. Envisioning a shift from global to local entails grappling with a number of difficult questions: Just how localised should we strive to be? What strategies can be employed to overcome the entrenched power of big business, big banks, and big government? What is the role of technology in a localised economy? How do we start from where we are? These topics were and more.
Together, participants addressed the shifts needed at both policy and grassroots levels and the wisdom and practical knowledge of indigenous cultures and envision a society based on the proven principles of connection and community were honoured. Participants learned from the kaleidoscope of people-powered movements around the world—a source of real hope for the future which has been almost completely ignored by the mainstream media.
Our approach was very broad and holistic and we considered a range of themes from perspectives of both the global North and South, including:
• How to measure real progress
• Putting food and farming at the center of the local economy
• Reducing energy use while creating meaningful jobs
• Tackling climate change through localising trade
• The balance between urban and rural
• The spiritual and psychological benefits of connecting to nature and community
• Healthcare in a life-based economy
• Resolving the roots of racial, ethnic and religious conflict
• Restoring democracy through localisation
This course gave the participants a global perspective on localization and equiped them with practical strategies for fostering and supporting genuine social, ecological, and economic renewal.
Read more information here: https://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/short-courses/earth-culture-economy
Speakers
 . | Helena Norberg-Hodge is a pioneer of the new economy movement and recipient of the Right Livelihood Award and the Goi Peace Prize. Her inspirational book Ancient Futures has been translated into more than 35 languages. She is co-author of Bringing the Food Economy Home and From the Ground Up: Rethinking Industrial Agriculture and the producer of the award-winning documentary The Economics of Happiness. She also is the director of Local Futures and the International Alliance for Localization (IAL), and a founding member of the International Forum on Globalization (IFG) and Global Ecovillage Network. |
 . | Stephan Harding is Programme Coordinator of the MSc in Holistic Science and resident Ecologist at Schumacher College teaching on the MSc core modules and on most short courses at the College. He holds a doctorate in behavioural ecology from Oxford University, and before coming to the college taught ecology at the National University in Costa Rica. He is a close associate of James Lovelock and an expert in the study of Gaia theory and deep ecology. He is the author of Animate Earth and Grow Small, Think Beautiful: Ideas for a Sustainable World from Schumacher College. |
 . | Satish Kumar is a former monk and long-term peace and environment activist, Satish has been quietly setting the Global Agenda for change for over 50 years. He was just nine when he left his family home to join the wandering Jains and 18 when he decided he could achieve more back in the world, campaigning for land reform in India and working to turn Gandhi’s vision of a renewed and a peaceful world into reality. Satish was the originator and cofounder of Schumacher College, served as its program director from 1991 to 2010, and was also the primary fundraiser during that time. He is currently a visiting fellow. |