The Schumacher Center has a 25-year history of developing and promoting regional economic institutions that link citizens and producers in the task of shaping their own local economies. The Schumacher seminars, Building Sustainable Local Economies, have provided an opportunity to explore these “tools for change” in depth. We are pleased to announce a series of four new seminar training programs designed for engaged citizens and community organizers. The first training session will be held May 25th-29th in the Southern Berkshires of Massachusetts. The seminars will focus on successful citizen-driven strategies for reconnecting people, land, and community. Faculty (including Michael Shuman, Chuck Turner, and Susan Witt) and participants will examine how communities can regain economic power and create vibrant local economies by addressing the following issues:
- Structure, ownership, and community accountability of businesses
- Access to land for housing, farming, and appropriate-scale industry
- Financing new initiatives that meet social and ecological criteria
- Retention of capital within a community
In addition to workshop sessions, participants will have access to the books and papers of the Schumacher Center Library. The seminar program also incorporates site visits to local projects, including a community-financed business, an organic Community Supported Agriculture farm, and an 18-unit neighborhood of affordable owner-occupied homes built on land owned by the Community Land Trust of the Southern Berkshires.
Many of the seminar documents and background papers are at our website. Schumacher staff is adding additional material in advance of the May program, thereby creating a free collection of resources for use by communities working to strengthen their local economies. Seminar participants will train with experienced practitioners in the use of the materials. Together we will explore the practical steps for building a new economic system that values local culture, local ecology, and human-scale.
We hope you can join us! Register soon to secure a place. If you are unable to attend the May seminar, you may want to sponsor a seasoned community leader or promising young activist from your own region. Details can be found at the events page.