10-18 Catalyzing a Resilient Communities Network (Pre-Conference)

Co-Sponsored by The Thriving Resilient Communities Collaboratory and Threshold Foundation

“The science says we have physically entered a period of great change, a synchronized, related crash of the economy and ecosystem. This crisis presents what may be a ‘once in a civilization’ opportunity for a step change in human evolution, but one driven consciously rather than biologically. The Great Disruption will ultimately take human society to a higher evolutionary state. We are the people we’ve been waiting for.” — Paul Gilding, The Great Disruption

This landmark gathering will feature leading models, strategies and tools for building resilience at the community, local and regional levels, highlighting the opportunity for a Resilient Communities Network nationally and globally.

In the face of the Great Disruption, the key is building resilience, both ecological and social, while making the successful transformation to a sustainable civilization. Key principles of resilience thinking include systems thinking, fostering the system’s capacity to adapt to dramatic change, and diversity of stakeholders and responses. It requires greater decentralization, localization and redundancies, while relinquishing command-and-control approaches. Other keys are to build community and social capital, and empower local communities to solve their own problems. Above all – learn, experiment and innovate.

Mounting numbers of communities, cities, states and regions are already acting as laboratories of resilience practices and democracy. The Collaboratory will highlight innovative methods, approaches and tools for restructuring systems of energy, food, water, finance and governance at the local and regional levels.

We’ll illuminate the opportunity to create a Resilient Communities Network, with examples of the power and effectiveness of strategic action networks as uniquely powerful agents of social transformation for the 21st century.

Networks are nature’s favorite form of organization. Global Action Networks (GANs) are tying together businesses, governments and NGOs in a super-web of connections to realize the scale and direction of change necessary to address the 21st century’s critical challenges and opportunities. They are a new organizational form, as different from business as business is from government, and as both those are from NGOs. The emergence of GANs holds great promise to respond effectively to complex paradoxes and dilemmas through support for diverse perspectives, cultural variety and transcendent action.

We’ll present an initial systems mapping “sketch” of Resilient Communities drawn from the “mental models” of diverse thought leaders and doers in the field, designed and synthesized by Scott Spann of Innate Strategies. Collaboratory discussion circles will invite group dialogue. Participants will locate themselves in relevant action-domain nodes on the map and connect with others in that domain. A structured networking lunch will offer further opportunity for focused connection.

Schedule

8:30am	Registration
9:00am	Welcome – Kenny Ausubel
9:10am	Steve Waddell, The Power of Global Action Networks
9:30am	Ruth Rominger, Operationalizing Action Networks
9:50am	Scott Spann, Systems Mapping of Resilient Communities
10:15am	Plenary Panel: David Orr (Oberlin Project), Mary Gonzalez (Gamaliel Foundation), Rick Reed (Garfield Foundation/RE-AMPP), Andy Lipkis (TreePeople)
11:30am	Break
11:45am	Plenary Panel: Astrid Scholz (Ecotrust), Peter Warshall (Dreaming New Mexico), Jim Sheehan (Envision Spokane), Mateo Nube (Movement Generation)
1:00pm	Lunch
2:15pm	Collaboratories: Participatory discussion circles catalyzed by plenary and other speakers with short framing presentations.
	1. Tools: Kirsten Schwind, BayLocalize; Peggy Duvette, Wiser Earth; Asher Miller, Post Carbon Institute 2. Social Resilience: Carolyne Stayton, Transition US; Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous Environmental Network; Michelle Long, Executive Director of the Business Alliance for Local, Living Economies (BALLE). 3. Governance: Jim Sheehan; Janelle Orsi, Sustainable Economies Law Center; Mark “Puck” Mykleby, Colonel, U.S. Marine Corp (Retired) 4. Ecological Resilience: Peter Warshall; Andy Lipkis 5. Financial Resilience: Gar Alperovitz; Astrid Scholz; Ted Howard, Evergreen Cooperatives and The Democracy Collaborative 6. Networks: Steve Waddell, Ruth Rominger, Rick Reed
3:45pm	Break
4:00pm	Through the Mapping Glass: Participants will locate themselves in nodes to critique the map and explore collaboration (who needs whom to succeed?)
5:15pm	Gar Alperovitz – The Green Economy and Democratization of Community Wealth
5:35pm	Mark “Puck” Mykleby – New National Security Sustainability Grand Strategy
5:55pm	Closing and Next Steps – Kenny Ausubel and Scott Spann
6-7pm	Reception