On November 8th, a spectrum of expert thinkers and activists from around the world will meet at Cooper Union to discuss our globalized economy at Voices of Hope in a Time of Crisis. The group will investigate to what extent global issues like climate change, urbanization and our food crisis require local solutions — and you’re invited.
Two important highlights of the event include the screening of The Economics of Happiness alongside the launching of the International Alliance for Localization. The Economics of Happiness is a documentary featuring activists from across the globe and describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions: a more globalized world on one hand and a yearning for a more localized one on the other. The voices featured in the documentary argue that in order to respect and revitalize diversity, both cultural and biological, we need to localize economic activity.
The launching of The International Alliance for Localization (IAL) is the formalization of a growing network of individuals and organizations dedicated to exploring new approaches to today’s ecological, social and economic crises. Its philosophy is to share the worldwide lessons learned at a community level without imposing a top-down planning. Broadly, its goals include:
- To identify common threats to cultural and biological diversity, as well as economic security, and seek common strategies to resist these pressures;
- To explore community as well as institutional supports (at all levels — local, national and international) needed to sustain diversity and security;
- To enhance the capacity of members to make reasoned, well-informed choices on issues related to economic development, resource use, and cultural and environmental integrity;
- To expand the existing knowledge base about strategies being implemented to localize economies, rebuild resilience and adaptive capacity, strengthen food security, and maintain cultural integrity in different parts of the world;
- To forge global partnerships in support of such renewal and resilience-building initiatives;
- To discuss alternative strategies in the production of basic needs, especially food
Featured speakers will include (to name a few): Scott Chaskey of Quail Hill Farm; Adebayo Clement-Akomolafe, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Covenant University in Nigeria; Peter Buffett, an Emmy Award winning musician and philanthropist, author of Life Is What You Make It; Manish Jain, founder and coordinator of Shikshantar: The People’s Institute for Rethinking Education and Development; and Helena Norberg-Hodge, founder and director of Local Futures, author of the bestselling Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh and producer of the film, The Economics of Happiness.
Tickets are available here.
