February 12, 2003
Wendell Berry’s timely essay “A Citizen’s Response to the National Security Strategy of the United States of America,” is featured in the March/April issue of Orion Magazine. The Orion editors chose to introduce the issue with a beautiful tribute to Bob Swann: For the past year or more, there has been an ongoing peace vigil … Continued
February 3, 2003
“For centuries men have attempted to change human attitudes, to achieve disarmament agreements, to promote international understanding and cooperation. But little attempt has been made, and except in a nationalistic framework, almost no success has been achieved, in eliminating poverty, exploitation, and imperialism. In my opinion, only an economic program can reach to the heart … Continued
January 1, 2003
On October 12, 2002 Demiurgus Peace International held a Peace Concert and Awards Ceremony in Zug, Switzerland. Andrey Bykov, the founder of the organization, invited me to sit on its Council representing the Schumacher Center. My role at the ceremony was to present South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu with a $50,000 prize for his contributions … Continued
December 1, 2002
This week Ivan Illich died. I am glad to have known him. He made my mind dance with new ideas, skipping over convention, exploring uncharted intellectual territory, questioning accepted patterns of thought. He challenged the institutions of education, medicine, religion, and in his 1994 Annual E. F. Schumacher Lecture he even challenged the “institution” of … Continued
October 1, 2002
Responsible Impact David Orr and Kevin Lyons are featured speakers at the Twenty-Second Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures, Greening the Campus: Values in Action. Our regional colleges and universities are just one of a number of local institutions whose purchasing policies could be directed to more responsibly impact local economies and local communities. As active members … Continued
April 1, 2002
“Widening the Context in the Biotechnology Wars” David Ehrenfeld, Professor of Biology at Rutgers University and author of the recently published Swimming Lessons: Keeping Afloat in the Age of Technology, will give a Spring 2002 Schumacher Lecture. His talk, entitled “Widening the Context in the Biotechnology Wars,” concerns the way scientific studies are often used … Continued
November 1, 2001
The Twenty-First Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures drew over 550 people to Amherst College to hearAlanna Hartzok, John Todd, and Amory Lovins. Each speaker focused on integrated approaches to addressing ecological and social problems. Audience reaction was enthusiastic. “The speakers renewed my faith in humanity,” commented one attendee. The lectures will be transcribed, edited, and … Continued
April 9, 2001
The Schumacher Center is pleased to announce two upcoming lecture programs: Andrew Kimbrell speaking on April 27th at 7:30 at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington and Peter Forbes speaking on May 24th at 7:30 at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington.. Andrew Kimbrell is a public interest lawyer effectively challenging government agencies and industry on … Continued
January 1, 2001
We are pleased to announce that Amory Lovins will be one of the speakers at the Twenty-First Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures scheduled for October 27th in Amherst, Massachusetts. Lovin’s work to develop a hydrogen fueled car was front page story in the January 9th Wall Street Journal. The prototype Hypercar® is an elegantly designed, sports utility vehicle … Continued
December 1, 2000
It was October of 1981 when Schumacher Center 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,” Wes argued for an agriculture … Continued
June 1, 2000
The Schumacher Center’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the Center’s first Capital Campaign has reached the $150,000 mark in lead contributions and pledges towards its goal of $250,000. The funds have been used to retire debt on the library building and start a modest endowment fund, an important step for the organization’s future. We … Continued
December 1, 1998
The world view that we carry as a culture—our sense of optimism and of responsibility to future generations, our relationship to our neighbors and neighborhood, our capacity for empathy, our ability to recognize and mourn collective cultural losses—shapes our economic decisions. Much of the work that we do in the Schumacher Center is meant to … Continued