October 21, 2021
Author, lawyer, and activist Julian Aguon, a native of the island of Guam, will deliver the 41st Annual E. F. Schumacher Lecture—Felled by Beauty: Guam and the End of American Empire. The date is Sunday, October 24th at 3PM EDT New York City, 9PM CEST Amsterdam, 5AM ChST Guam. The free event will be held … Continued
September 7, 2021
The announcement of David Cayley’s new book Ivan Illich: An Intellectual Journey, reminded me of Cayley’s 1989 interview of Leopold Kohr for the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s “Ideas” program. Both Illich and E. F. Schumacher credit Kohr as a major influence on their thinking. Illich’s 1994 E. F. Schumacher Lecture honored Kohr. Kohr was in Great … Continued
August 30, 2021
Taking my first sip of coffee on a recent Saturday morning, I scrolled through the NPR website. I clicked on a story about how scientists, with the assistance of powerful computer simulations of the world, surmise that humanity’s only chances of avoiding the worst possible climate outcome rely on us achieving levels of global cooperation … Continued
August 13, 2021
In the first of a new series of talks that focuses on writers who are tackling the compelling issues of our day, the New Marlborough Meeting House is hosting authors Bill McKibben and Susan Halpern, and the committee for the series couldn’t have chosen better. The date is August 14th from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. … Continued
August 10, 2021
Author, lawyer, and activist Julian Aguon will deliver the 41st Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures — Felled by Beauty: Guam and the End of American Empire. The date is Sunday, October 24th at 3 PM EDT. The free event will be held virtually. Register here. Aguon’s latest book The Properties of Perpetual Light, is both … Continued
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