July 7, 2014
Thomas Piketty’s book Capital in the 21st Century has placed a proverbial line in the sand for all those concerned with inequality of wealth distribution. Piketty is an economic historian. In his book he documents the fact that owners of capital assets – including stocks, bonds, and real estate – have historically realized a financial return higher … Continued
July 4, 2014
In his presentation at the 1974 Agriculture for a Small Planet Symposium in Spokane, Washington, Wendell Berry remarked: “Few people, whose testimony would have mattered, have seen the connection between the modernization of agricultural techniques and disintegration of the culture and the communities of farming.” “This community killing agriculture, with its monomania of bigness, is not primarily the work … Continued
June 30, 2014
In her opening address at the 2014 BALLE conference held in Oakland, California in June, Michelle Long set out 12 steps for building strong local economies that serve both people and planet. Promote a culture of local, cooperative and community ownership Build entrepreneurial capacity to meet local needs and to innovate for the greater good Align workers, … Continued
May 22, 2014
We are pleased to share the following news and resources: Welcome to New Board Members Matt Stinchcomb is Vice President of Values and Impact at Etsy, a marketplace where people around the world connect to buy and sell unique goods. The Company’s mission, inspired by the work of E. F. Schumacher, is to re-imagine commerce in … Continued
May 2, 2014
At a seminar held in the Schumacher Center Library this fall, Gar Alperovitz provocatively posed the question: “If you don’t like Capitalism and you don’t like Socialism, what do you want?” The responses he received indicated both a confidence in solutions initiated by citizens working in their local economies and a distrust of purely political … Continued
April 21, 2014
Wes Jackson does not apologize for thinking long-term. He knows such visioning is a practical necessity for achieving a transition to an agriculture that restores and conserves the health of the soil while mitigating the effects of climate change. He is a plant geneticist, after all, trained to consider future generations. At The Land Institute, … Continued
April 14, 2014
What does a new economy built on principles of fairness and sustainability look like? How do we model it; where is it emerging; how do we collectively strategize to fully implement it? These are the pressing questions of our time. The Schumacher Center’s speakers are pioneers in the development of a new economy. Together they … Continued
April 8, 2014
A new generation of young, well-prepared, and sustainable farmers is on the rise, ready to establish themselves securely on the land. Inspired by the opportunity to do meaningful, healthy, and productive work by rebuilding regional food systems, these entrepreneurs form a powerful force for the future of ecologically informed agriculture. By raising food locally for … Continued
February 26, 2014
It was October of 1981 when Kirkpatrick Sale, supported by the Schumacher Center’s Director David Ehrenfeld, recommended that we revive the fine art of “pamphleteering.” Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson had just delivered prophetic talks at the First Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures at Mount Holyoke College. In “A Call for a Revolution in Agriculture,” … Continued
February 7, 2014
In June of 2004, Pete Seeger attended the Schumacher Center’s three day conference at Bard College “Local Currencies in the 21st Century,” bringing with him a group of friends from his community in Beacon NY. He felt a local currency might be the answer to empowering Beacon’s regional economy. Pete called the gathering of 350 … Continued
January 13, 2014
Today is the 11th anniversary of Bob Swann’s death. In 1974 Bob helped to arrange E. F. Schumacher’s first lecture tour in the USA. While on the tour, Fritz Schumacher asked Robert Swann to start a sister organization to his own Intermediate Technology Development Group, but it was not until 1980, when prompted by Resurgence editor Satish Kumar, … Continued
December 23, 2013
What does a citizen-supported economy look like? It looks like YOU! There is a lot of work ahead to create an economy that is green, diverse, peaceful, equitable, and engages our best characteristics as joyful, social, and loving creatures. Thanks for being a part of this effort. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy … Continued