On October 27–29, 2017 Local Futures and David Korten’s Living Economies Forum presented at the Economics of Happiness Conference in Port Townsend, WA “to discuss, discover and devise better systems for now and the future.” Click here for a list of speakers. The conference program included plenaries, panels, interactive workshops and other participatory sessions. The wide range of inter-connected topics included: the New Economy movement, income inequality, local food and regenerative agriculture, public policy, local business, cooperatives, Transition Town initiatives, community-sourced finance, connection to nature, education, intentional communities, climate and environmental justice, and the impact of the economy on our psychological well-being. Click here to watch a YouTube shortened version of the award-winning 2011 documentary film The Economics of Happiness. You can watch, rent or buy the full 68-minute film at Vimeo. The Economics of Happiness film “describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On the one hand, government and big business continue to promote globalization and the consolidation of corporate power. At the same time, people around the world are resisting those policies – and, far from the old institutions of power, they’re starting to forge a very different future. Communities are coming together to re-build more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – an economics of localization.” Like the Local Futures/Economics of Happiness page on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter @EconOfHappiness. Get involved in a new project. Find out how to make your work more effective. Link up with local initiatives. Explore new policies. Deconstruct the old. See the connections. Articulate solutions. Get engaged in creating the New Economy – one that works for people and the planet. #Localizing #intentionalcommunities #LocalFutures #localbusiness #happiness #NewEconomymovement #communitysourcedfinance #DavidKorten #publicpolicy #wellbeing #YESMagazine #education #connectiontonature #incomeinequality #environmentaljustice #LivingEconomiesForum #cooperatives #Regenerativeagriculture #TransitionTowninitiatives

On February 24-25, 2023 Southern Oregon University is having Climate Justice Conference 2023 "to discuss, learn, and take action toward centering racial equity and social justice in the climate change resistance and resilience movements. The goal of the conference is to accelerate the pace with which a racial equity lens is integrated into regional climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience efforts." "This two-day conference will feature case study presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and keynote speakers from Southern Oregon and beyond, around these three themes: Climate justice activism, action, and learning Adopting a racial equity lens – for individuals, for groups, and for action Learning lessons about equity and resilience from the 2020 fires Conference registration is now open with varying rates (lunch on Saturday is included in the registration fee): Register here. College and high school students: $20 General full-conference registration: $45 before January 27, 2023 Late general registration: $55 starting January 27, 2023 Virtual-only registration (keynote and plenary panels only): $20 Presenters: free Financial assistance is available Southern Oregon University offers sustainable degrees emphasizing sustainability in a wide range of programs from art to business. Options highlighting human/environment interaction specifically include Environmental Science & Policy, Biology, Sustainability Leadership, Outdoor Adventure Leadership, Sociology & Anthropology, and Environmental Education.

At the United Nation's Stockholm+50 held June 2-3, 2022 (the week of World Environment Day), world leaders made calls for bold environmental action to accelerate the implementation of the UN Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, including the 2030 Agenda, Paris Agreement on climate change, the post-2020 global Biodiversity Framework, and to encourage the adoption of green post-COVID-19 recovery plans. The event took place five decades after the 1972  United Nations Conference on the Human Environment with the theme "a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility," The UN's Global Climate and SDG Synergy Conference took place in Tokyo on June 20-21, 2022.

Chanukah is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” which begins this year Sunday night, Dec. 18, 2022 and continues through Monday, December 26, 2022. It is also Christmas eve, another festival of lights. In this TED Talk, Rabbi Sharon Brous pleads that we must reinvent religion to meet the needs of modern life. In this impassioned talk, Brous shares four principles of a revitalized religious practice and offers faith of all kinds as a hopeful counter-narrative to the numbing realities of environmental loss, violence, extremism, and pessimism. She offers a prescription of Wakefulness, Hope, Mightiness and Interconnectedness. Brous is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR, a community “that has become a model for Jewish revitalization in the US and beyond. IKAR’s goal is to reinvigorate Jewish religious and spiritual practice, inspiring people of faith to reclaim a moral and prophetic voice in counter-testimony to the small-minded extremism now prevalent in so many religious communities.” As Rabbi Michael Lerner said in Tikkun Magazine “Chanukah and Christmas can be turned into occasions for the spiritual progressives in these religions to unite, affirm their shared message of hope and insist that all our friends and families stop wallowing in despair and cynicism and instead join us in challenging the forces of fear that have led so many people to embrace militarism and xenophobia.” “Let them hear the voices of those who raise high the banner of love, kindness, generosity, social and economic justice, environmental sanity and awe and wonder at the grandeur of the universe — and let that message be prominently and explicitly articulated by YOU throughout this holiday season.” “It’s a spiritual progressive approach — and you can be a militant atheist, agnostic or secular humanist and still be a spiritual progressive — you don’t have to believe in God or be part of any religious community, you only have to be willing to commit your energies to build a world of love, justice, and environmental sanity," Reading Tikkun's vision at www.tikkun.org/covenant and then join their international movement at www.spiritualprogressives.org/join.” Let there be light this sacred season, among all of us!

The collective mission of The Great Turning Initiative at Findhorn is "to cultivate a spiritually-awakened, holistic, life-affirming counterpoint to support humanity to navigate the challenges of our times and accelerate our evolutionary impulse toward a mature planetary civilization." The Great Turning Initiative brings together the visionary work of the following: Craig Schindler & Gary Lapid, The Great Turning: Personal Peace, Global Victory (1989) Joanna Macy, Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in with Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power (revised 2022) Thomas Berry's The Great Work: Our Way into the Future (2015); The Dream of the Earth David Korten, The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (2006) Duane Elgin, Choosing Earth: Humanity's Journey of Initiation Through Breakdown and Collapse to Mature Planetary Community (2022) In the YouTube video above Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee describes the inspiration behind his new publication of essays, Seeding the Future: A Deep Ecology of Consciousness. #GreatTurning #JoannaMacy #ThomasBerry #DavidKorten #DuaneElgin

Can you imagine a world where humans work together to reverse the negative effects of climate change and created a flourishing, sustainable world for people and all living things? As the YouTube video above says, "Anything we ever achieved started with someone imagining it first." Can we cut greenhouse emissions by 50% by 2030? Can you imagine 2040? 2040, the movie "is a hybrid feature documentary that looks to the future, but is vitally important NOW! A story of hope that looks at the very real possibility that humanity could reverse global warming and improve the lives of every living thing in the process." Lloyd Gerring in his 2013 book From the Big Bang to God: Our Awe-Inspiring Journey of Evolution concludes: "We can draw hope from the 'Great Story" of how we came to be here at all. It is a truly awe-inspiring universe that has brought us forth and, at least on this planet, has come to consciousness in us, displaying the human inventiveness, creativity, and entrepreneurial skills that have helped to make us the creatures we are. And this potential may lead us to as yet unimaginable heights." #Future

From SOCAN: "From rising temperatures and heat waves to water shortages and drought to reducing snowpack and increased wildfire risk, the evidence that a climate crisis is here in Southern Oregon is probably clear to every reader of this sentence. The questions then become: ‘what is driving this crisis? ‘how is the crisis affecting us? and “what, if anything, can we do to avert a worsening crisis?" "For several years, Southern Oregon Climate Action Now has offered a ten-week course providing a summary of the critical elements of the issue. By completing the 2023 offering of SOCAN’s ‘Master Climate Protector - A Primer for Action,’ residents of Southern Oregon can join the over 100 graduates of this course in gaining a better understanding of the issues." "Over the ten weeks of the course, SOCAN will cover: the basic science, alternative explanations for the warming trend, energy, construction, transportation, agriculture, terrestrial natural communities, human health, population, consumption, climate justice, and what we can do individually and collectively. SOCAN will also discuss ways to talk with friends and family who are skeptical about climate science." "The offering begins on February 6, 2023 and runs weekly from (6-9 p.m.), ending on April 17, 2023 (no class on Feb 20) at the RCC/SOU Higher Education Center (HEC) on S. Bartlett in Medford. In order to keep the sessions interactive, SOCAN will limit enrollment to 20 participants. The cost is $100 but thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, SOCAN has scholarships available." For more information and to register, visit: https://socanmcp.eco/ or contact: ellie@socan.eco

From: Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO): SAVE THE DATE: February 5, 2023, 1:00–5:30 p.m. The tenth annual Oregon Interfaith Earth Summit will take place in faith communities all over Oregon on Sunday afternoon February 5, 2023! in Rogue Valley, this interfaith event will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 85 S.Holly Street, Medford, OR 97501 The theme for the Oregon Interfaith Earth Summit 2023 is "Care for Our Common Home: Building Neighborhoods for Climate Resilience." EMO is experimenting with a hybrid Oregon Interfaith Earth Summit this year: Individuals will attend in person at a faith community in their part of the state. Part of the event will be on Zoom, with everyone watching from their regional locations. The rest of the time, local hosts will facilitate relationship-building and learning with other people of faith in your region who care about the environment and climate justice. Each regional gathering will end with a climate vigil at 5 p.m. Host locations register before the end of 2022. Registration for individuals will be available in January so you can select the closest location. If you are interested in volunteering as regional host facilitators for the Oregon Interfaith Earth Summit 2023, please join EMO for a Zoom info session Monday, December 12, 2022, at 7 p.m. After registering for the info session, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. REGISTER NOW. The information meeting will be recorded for those who are not available on Monday, 12/12/22, at 7:00 p.m. If you want to host another Summit location or help others plan a local space, please register for the information meeting and EMO will send you the recording and other materials. Email EMO with your questions. PRESENTED BY Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) and its program Oregon Interfaith Power & Light(OIPL)

On Monday, Dec 12, 2022 at 3 p.m. PST Institute For The Future is offering a free to the public behind-the-scenes look at how New Zealand is supporting the design of an aspirational framework for future food systems. Click here for more information and registration. "Corporate profits in proportion to GNP have been increasing rapidly since the 1980s, particularly in the last two decades. At the same time, employee compensation has been steadily declining in proportion to GNP since the 1960s. Labor, capital, ownership, education, technology, and community are crucial levers to reverse growing global economic inequalities and bring about more equitable business, economic, and social systems." ~ ITFT On August 10, 2022, Marina Gorbis, Executive Director of The Institute For The Future (IFTF) held their first free public zoom conversation Reworking The Future with four leading-edge experts who are re-making the future through newer forms of worker and community organizations and non-extractive finance models.

Did you know that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) now makes it possible for nonprofit organizations to receive a direct payment from the federal government that equals 30% of a solar installation’s cost? On October 12, 2022, Rev. Brooks Berndt, Minister for Environmental Justice for UCC had a webinar on how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) changes the landscape of what’s possible for faith communities when it comes to solar and energy efficiency. Panelists were: Jerome L. Garciano, Esq., a LEED Accredited Professional and author of the Green Tax Incentive Compendium Rebecca Perera, Director of Lending for the United Church of Christ Cornerstone Fund "The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) changes the landscape of what’s possible for faith communities when it comes to solar and energy efficiency. But, there is much about the law and how it can benefit faith communities that require careful attention and navigation. Moreover, there can be an alphabet soup of technical and financial jargon that one must confront when it comes to understanding PPAs, SRECs, ITCs, and more." Here are some additional resources on this topic: Rebecca Perera's PowerPoint Slides: https://bit.ly/3sE7U5V Jerome Garciano's PowerPoint Slides: https://bit.ly/3DRG7FL The Cornerstone Fund's Creation Care Investment and Loan Program: https://bit.ly/3gHKSbw Green Tax Incentive Compendium: https://bit.ly/3gRHxXw Interfaith Power & Light's Award Contest for Energy Efficient Congregations: https://bit.ly/3DgIAI1 The UCC's Our Faith Our Vote Action Center: https://p2a.co/zv3KyiE "Inside the Environmental Justice Movement's Big Win: Stopping Permitting Reform": https://bit.ly/3W5C9jE

On November 29, 2022, Peter Sage posted Climate Science Disagreement: Not all scientists think human-generated CO2 is a problem on his substack blog. Lots of incredulous readers reacted negatively! So the next day he replied: "Some people disliked yesterday's post." but he made his important point: "It isn't settled. Not in the minds of about half of American voters." People are talking past each other, neither convincing the other about science, facts, and their point of view. How can we better communicate? We need help! SOCAN is offering Mastering the Art of Difficult Conversations a two-part workshop scheduled for both January 14, 2023 and January 21, 2023 from 2:30-5:30 p.m. PST. Participants are expected to attend both sessions. These sessions will be held in the Carpenter Room of the Medford Public Library. Instructor Warren Kahn is a Senior Trainer for More To Life, an international educational non-profit foundation. Warren brings decades of experience to the SOCAN community in hopes of helping us be able to converse with anyone including those with very different points of view so we can help bridge the political and environmental divide and find common ground for what is needed to care for our planet and beyond. Normally the cost for this training would be $350/person but Warren Kahn is offering it to SOCAN members for free..Participation is limited to 30 so if you are unable to attend, please email Kathy@socan.eco. Register here.

Pachamama Alliance is offering graduates of their Game Changer Intensive (GCI) a 10-week program Introduction to Community Climate Action Training (ICCAT). The application deadline is Sunday, December 4, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. PST. Click here for the application form. Introduction to Community Climate Action Training is a "journey of discovery and action with a select group of people taking on local climate justice, grounded in the interconnectedness of all life. Every level of experience is invited. Some people don’t know what area of climate justice they want to focus on. Some are new to activism. Others are experienced organizers searching for a new direction. Other participants have clear goals but don’t know what skills they need to gain to reach them. The goal of the training is to help you determine an area of focus for the training, find a pathway forward, and gain the skills to reach your goals." Pachamama Alliance is a 501c(3) The applicatioThenon-profit with programs that "integrate Indigenous wisdom with modern knowledge to support personal, and collective, a transformation that is the catalyst to bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on this planet." Check out the Pachamama Alliance Blog - resources to change the dream of the modern world.

The mission of Disciples of Christ's Green Chalice Ministry is "to connect Christian faith, spiritual practice, and creation consciousness in order to demonstrate the fullness of God’s shalom." Disciples of Christ created a Green Chalice Program "to encourage and assist local congregations/DOC Offices and Assemblies who wish to live out their faith by caring for creation." With the urgency of climate change impacting our neighbors and the world right now Disciples of Christ have "prioritized Carbon Neutrality while still inviting congregations to care for creation more generally." To become A Green Chalice Ministry a congregation team must start a Creation Care Team; then sign the Green Chalice Covenant and make at least 3 changes that demonstrate your congregation's commitment to caring for God's creation. Their Disciples Home Missions website has a Congregation Toolkit and links to many other resources.

Team Global HOPE at UCC National Ministries is hosting a Blue Christmas virtual worship service. on Monday, December 5, 2022, from 12 to 1 p.m. PST. Register here. "Blue Christmas services traditionally provide space for those who don’t feel so “merry and bright” during the holiday season. This service seeks to recognize and stand in solidarity with the experiences of those aggrieved or displaced by disaster or forced migration in 2022, from Kentucky to Ukraine, and beyond. We remember that we are called to stand in solidarity with the captive and the oppressed, and work together with God’s guidance to create a just world for all." UCC Clergy and choirs engaged in humanitarian ministries across the denomination will be providing reflective liturgy, music, and preaching during this event. This event will be recorded for later availability or use in local Blue Christmas events. "Global Ministries is a common missional witness of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. Global Ministries works with approximately 290 faith-based international partners in close to 90 countries."

Greenfaith identifies the period between March 17 and May 6, 2022 as a Sacred Season for Climate Justice. It is a season when several religious holidays (Holi, Vaisakhi, Ramadan, Passover, Holy Week, and Easter, Vesak, Naw Ruz, and Ridvan) occur. The Equinox, Earth Day, and World Water Day also occur now. "The climate crisis means that diverse religious communities must share an urgency message during these sacred days: climate justice now!" ~ Green Faith "Drawing on our core values and in a spirit of compassion, love, and justice, we are shifting the narrative by calling for an end to new fossil fuel projects and deforestation and a rapid, just transition to a sustainable future. Together we’re showing up on our holiest days to connect climate justice with our religious values." Their collaborators include: Shalom Center THE BTS CENTER Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary The Many enfleshed Faith in Place Los Altos UMC JustFaith Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Faithfully Sustainable Faith Communities Environmental Network JCAN Jewish Climate Action Network Grace Centre Church EARTHDAY.ORG Ummah for Earth

Ashland Bahai Community Life warmly invites the public from all faith communities to celebrate the Bahá’í Naw-Ruz /New Year on March 20, 2022 Events and meetings of the Baha'is of Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass & Klamath Falls, OR can be found on MeetUp. Bahá’ís have “a new understanding of the purpose and nature of religion” – it is the “faculty of the human soul that enables individuals to mine inner resources of courage, vision, and high endeavor and allows groups and communities to explore reality together and forge a common vision and purpose. When harmonized with science, religion is a system of knowledge that propels the advancement of civilization.” “Three core assertions of the Bahá’í Faith sometimes termed the “three onenesses”, are central in the teachings of the religion. They are the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion and the Oneness of Humanity. The pivotal principle of the Bahá’í Faith is to unite all races and peoples in one universal Cause, the betterment of the world.” “Believing in the oneness of humanity demands rooting out of prejudice and inequality, it elevates the need for all relationships and systems to be grounded in cooperation and mutual assistance. Other teachings are the equality of men and women; the harmony between religion and science; the centrality of justice to all human endeavors; the importance of education; and the dynamics of the relationships that are to bind together individuals, communities, and institutions as humanity advances towards its collective maturity.” “Let us consecrate ourselves to the creation of a world in which knowledge will be the province of all; where there are no limitations imposed upon a soul by virtue of race, gender, or creed; where the material and spiritual aspects of life are in harmony; and where all of the truths essential for human progress are held sacred. To do so will require great sacrifice, courage, and audacity. Baha'i Tem[ple in Wilamette, IL Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baha%27i_Temple_-_Wilmette,_IL.jpg #EliminationofPrejudice #Civilization #Education #Equality #Oneness #Cooperation #MutualAssistance #Relationships #Unity

"As we approach Earth Day on April 22, 2022, our churches will be engaged in education and action through a variety of means that evoke the prophetic tradition of our faith. Many of the themes from Holy Week transfer to the focus we give God’s creation during Earth Week." ~ Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt, UCC Minister for Environmental Justice (1) Prophetic Inspiration! Ames United Church of Christ is partnering with the Iowa Conference, the Central Association of Iowa, and the UCC’s National Setting to host a digital event for the entire denomination on April 23, 2022 entitled “The Faith of Prophets: Lessons for the Climate Crisis.” (Click the link to Register) (2) Prophetic art! Church members of all ages are coming together to create community climate collages that spark reflection on how our faith leads us to action. They will share their masterpieces with elected officials, especially as the Senate considers groundbreaking climate measures. (3) Prophetic worship! Creation Justice Ministries provides materials each year that help congregations focus their education and worship on a theme. This year’s theme is “Weathering the Storm: Faithful Climate Resilience.” An April 13, 2022 webinar will explore this theme and more. (4) Prophetic love! For their annual Faith Climate Action Week from April 22nd to May 1, 2022, Interfaith Power & Light has chosen the theme "Sacred Trust: Our Children’s Right to a Livable Future.” They suggest ways churches can work to safeguard our Earth for younger generations. The Faith of Prophets: Lessons for the Climate Crisis The best-selling Catholic writer Joan Chittister has written, “What this world needs most right now is a new generation of prophets.” This is especially true as we confront the climate crisis today. Yet, we can no longer wait for others to be the prophets that were needed yesterday. We have to find the prophet in each of us. We are the ones who can make a profound difference right now. To answer the urgent call for prophetic action today, this April 23, 2022 event will focus on what the Hebrew Prophets can teach us as well as what current prophetic leaders have to say. The event will consist of three parts: (1) Opening Keynote via Zoom: “Why Prophets Matter Today” by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt, Minister of Environmental Justice for the United Church of Christ (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. PDT). (2) Panel Discussion via Zoom: April 23, 2022 with the Rev. Michael Malcom from the People’s Justice Council, Nellis Kennedy-Howard from Honor the Earth, and Hector Arbuckle from the Ames Climate Action Team (8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.,m PDT). (3) Local Action in Your Own Community: Create and deliver a community climate collage to the district office of your Congressional Representative or Senator. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/PropheticAction

In researching the topic of "tradition" I came upon this engrossing 1 hour, 39 minute, YouTube video by Dr. Robert Lustig, where he unveils, among other things, how sugar addiction has resulted in a national epidemic of obesity. Lustig is the author of The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains. The four C’s: Connect – empathy – serotonin vs. dopamine Contribute – altruism, volunteerism, philanthropy Cope – sleep, mindfulness, and exercise. Cook – real food Five modest proposals: Healthy Beverage Initiative Type 2 diabetes should be renamed “Processed Food Disease” Roll back subsidies for processed foods: Corn, Wheat, Soy, and Sugar “Eat Real” trust mark Remove sugar from the “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) list.

I enjoy Matthew Fox's Daily Meditations delivered to my email inbox. I am grateful for the Via Positiva as a counterbalance to the Via Negativa we experience daily through media recounting: war in Ukraine; refugees; discord of American politics; crisis in democracy; voter suppression; human-caused degradation of our fragile ecosphere; social and economic injustices; genocide; lies and misinformation; incivility and coarseness; pandemic; anxiety and psychological distress; inflation; financial collapse; greed; crime; violence; surveillance and loss of freedoms; cyberattacks; depression... Returning to the sacred and Original Blessing is absolutely essential in the face of human folly at work today as we face our own extinction and that of other species. ~ Matthew Fox "A good dose of the Via Positiva goes a long way to feeding us with the beauty and goodness and love that allows us to persevere in combating Evil and its many, many faces. Returning to the sacred and Original Blessing is absolutely essential in the face of human folly at work today as we face our own extinction and that of other species." We are not powerless victims but “participants in the primary sacred reality in a time of darkness and unknowing." Let our lives sing a love song to the world.