April 26, 2021
By their very nature, islands have a limited land mass. The allocation of use of that land raises heightened public debate pitting social, economic, and environmental interests against each other. Community Land Trusts stand as an arbitrator of these concerns. On Friday, April 30th, we will hold the third in a series of Community Land … Continued
April 7, 2021
The small business owners of the Berkshires are my heroes. They have adjusted to the restrictions of COVID; they are meeting the economic challenges brought on by the pandemic with good spirits. I want to support them with the same good spirit and enthusiasm, letting them know the Berkshires are a better place because they … Continued
March 16, 2021
First formed in 1969 in Albany, Georgia by Robert Swann and civil rights activist Slater King as a vehicle to ensure access to farmland for Black farmers, Community Land Trusts are now spreading throughout the world. Join us for the second gathering in a series of Community Land Trust Roundtables on March 18th which will … Continued
March 10, 2021
George Monbiot’s much-heralded 40th Annual E. F. Schumacher Lecture, Private Sufficiency, Public Luxury: Land is the Key to the Transformation of Society, continues to inspire new thinking about community land ownership. To explore the topic further, the Schumacher Center is holding a series of virtual Community Land Trust Roundtables. The recording of the first Roundtable, … Continued
February 15, 2021
The Lindisfarne Tapes are a collection of conversations with visionary thinkers about culture, society, economy, and technology. The late William Irwin Thompson first convened the Lindisfarne gatherings in the early 1970s, yet the conversations have maintained their relevance, informing a new generation of thinker/activists. Our colleagues David Fix and Caleb Stone have begun the process of converting the tapes to podcasts … Continued
February 15, 2021
Access to land is key to the transformation of society, argues George Monbiot in his 2020 E. F. Schumacher Lecture. Access to land means security for families in an ever more turbulent world. Access means continuity of traditional land use practices; it means communities can plan responses to climate change. Farmers and ranchers can invest … Continued
February 1, 2021
Do you know what your money is doing tonight? Community bank depositors can be pretty sure theirs is supporting local businesses on their respective Main Streets. Unlike their Wall Street counterparts, community banks are often owned and operated by members of the local community who understand the needs of their neighbors and are well-equipped to … Continued
January 26, 2021
In the twelve months since the onset of COVID-19 communities have experienced immeasurable economic instability — closings of small businesses, reduction in tax revenue, growing unemployment, disruption of schools, in addition to loss of lives to the pandemic. Despite this fracturing, what we see emerging is greater adoption of alternative ideas for uplifting local economies–ideas that can inject capital into communities and help to increase circulation of goods … Continued
January 13, 2021
In 1940 the legendary comedian and silent film star, Charlie Chaplin, made his first “talking” film. Called The Great Dictator it is the story of a barber mistaken for the dictator of the fictional state of Tomainia. The barber is expected to give a speech to his followers. Chaplin was said to have labored over … Continued
December 4, 2020
An illuminated page from the Lindisfarne Gospels. Source: The British Library On a rocky outcropping off the northeastern coast of England, the monastery of Lindisfarne once stood as an outpost of religious, philosophic, and intellectual study against the “dark” times of early medieval Europe. With Northumberland to its back and the expanse of the … Continued
November 11, 2020
In February of this year, the Schumacher Center hosted a two-day meeting of representatives of foundations and organizations concerned about the climate crisis. The gathering sought to probe the roots of the crisis and in doing so, better access where to put our collective energies and resources to create change. The title of the gathering … Continued
November 3, 2020
George Monbiot delivered the 40th Annual E. F. Schumacher Lecture on October 25th. Titled Private Sufficiency, Public Luxury: Land is the Key to the Transformation of Society, the talk was followed by a question period hosted by Jodie Evans and joined by Greg Watson.