Upcoming event uncovers the interconnectedness of widespread “problems” and turns the focus to sustainability.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CREATING A BETTER ECONOMIC FUTURE FOR ALL:
The Economics of Happiness conference
March 23 – 25, 2012
David Brower Center, Berkeley, California
“Economic localization is the key to sustaining biological and cultural diversity – to sustaining life itself. The sooner we shift towards the local, the sooner we will begin healing our planet, our communities and ourselves.” – Helena Norberg-Hodge, director and producer of The Economics of Happiness film.
The Economics of Happiness conference will bring together some of the most respected thinkers and activists in the worldwide localization movement. This ground-breaking three-day event will be held March 23 to 25 at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, California.
Speakers include Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben, Annie Leonard, Sulak Sivaraksa, Richard Heinberg, Anuradha Mittal, Michael Shuman, Stacy Mitchell, Megan Quinn Bachman, Judy Wicks, Gustavo Esteva, Manish Jain, Helena Norberg-Hodge and more. The event will also feature performances by local celebrities Jennifer Berezan, Nina Wise and Wes “Scoop” Nisker.
Around the world, the realization is dawning that the problems we face are linked — from unemployment and poverty to Wall Street corruption, from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to the burning forests of Indonesia, from hydro-fracking to the rise of fundamentalism. As these crises intensify, a chorus of citizen voices is rising up in response. People are demanding an end to the exploitation of the many for the profit of the few.
Increasingly, we know what we’re against. It’s now time to decide what we’re for. And how to get from here to there.
The Economics of Happiness Conference will focus on an agenda for change — away from jobless growth towards sustainable livelihoods; from large-scale sweatshops towards scaled-down business; from self-recrimination and guilt towards empowerment and collaboration; from a globalized system of exploitation and inequality towards an economics of happiness.
Hosted by the International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC), the conference seeks to provide clarity on the way forward — towards more truly sustainable ways of living. It will cover a range of interconnected topics, including public policy choices; local initiatives in food, energy, education, business and banking; the need to bridge the North-South divide; and the influence of the economy on our psychological well-being.
Helena Norberg-Hodge and other conference speakers are available for interviews.
Contact: Kristen Steele
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