Your thoughts on conference?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cliff Figallo on October 22, 2007 at 11:17am

Transformative with a capital "T".

OK, let's just capitalize the whole word: TRANSFORMATIVE.

And as I told Marita yesterday, I've been through some major transformations in my life. But never have I been with such a gathering of people to hear such a constellation of heroes give such compelling testimony to the power of belief and determination and sincerity and communication and soul.

Maybe it was the virtual, spiritual presence of all the satellite groups, but it felt like a lot more than the 1900 of us who fit within the Civic Center auditorium.

I feel transformed in that my faith has been renewed in that goodness and honesty and compassion have a chance to prevail over greed and materialism, violence and selfishness. We have big power.

Now with the aid of Chantal (thank you), our efforts to hold this energy among us and do make big changes with it can bear fruit. I hope many of you take advantage of this medium, even if you've managed to stay away from it until now. The Internet can be the tool that helps us build upon what we discover in person. Set up a Profile and connect on connect.bioneers.org - keep the dialogue alive.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Urban Gardener on October 22, 2007 at 6:45pm

Viva la Seed Exchange!

Also, I loved hearing from people transforming their urban spaces into places of natural beauty.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David FINAC0M on October 23, 2007 at 1:09pm

I came to the conference weary from a long discouraging year, and as I arrived I became even more gloomy with thoughts of things I'd been enthusiastic about last October that I'd forgotten to even try. Right away, I was reminded that all around me probably the "greenest" recent year had just happened, and there were Bioneer people and ideas achieving traction everywhere. That was cheering, but it doesn't quite get to the heart of what was TRANSFORMATIVE, as Cliff says.

Someone (Kenny I think) talked about how important it is to "solve for the whole." To me, it wasn't just the goodness and honesty and compassion that the speakers demonstrated - it was the deep problem-solving wisdom they were all using. They were all 'solving for the whole," even as they were working fiercely on specific parts in particular places. Of course solving for the whole is probably just another way of saying compassion, right...

Re taking advantage of this medium - one of the Indigenous Grandmothers (Bernadette) told a funny story of how, before the 13 Grandmothers group existed, she'd had visions of all these old ladies talking to her. She started telling her family and friends, "I don't know how much longer I'm going to be around. The Ancestors are starting to come to talk to me, and I think they need me for something." Then, long story short, she met another one of the Grandmothers in the flesh, compared visions, and realized that these were people she was intended to work with in THIS life!

So, yes, I too want to work with this tool and see what it can do!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim Ridley on October 24, 2007 at 2:37pm

The Bioneers Conference always inspires me to deepen my own commitment to social change. Here's some wisdom I gathered for transforming inspiration into action from presenters at Bioneers By the Bay at UMASS Dartmouth.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by John Coate on October 30, 2007 at 7:46pm

Yeah to all that has been said. I had been dropping off my daughter to the Bioneers for a few years but had not attended myself until this year. the whole thing was great. Especially how everyone I heard could back up their talk with real results from local action. There wasn't any 'new age hot air' or empty platitudes to be found anywhere I looked. And I was pleased to see a number of friends attending as well. And the whole thing felt pretty tribal in a very good way, which is something I miss these days.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David FINAC0M on October 31, 2007 at 1:03pm

Cool - a two generation Bioneers family. Three things I would say about what partly accounts for the good tribal feel:

First, the organization genuinely learns. A few years ago the average age was way higher. Then Julia Butterfly Hill came down out of her tree, gave a barefoot plenary, looked around and said, "Anyone who wants to talk about youth activism come meet me on the lawn at lunch." That was pretty much the beginning of the whole youth tent/scholarship/etc component. Many more examples of learning too.

Second, the sense of equality is sustained by the rampant curiosity and willingness to learn exhibited by all the presenters. Someone who gave a morning plenary or the last workshop will inevitably end up sitting next to you in a session, at a dining table, visiting an exhibitor booth, or smoking out back. The educators want to know about indiginous land practices; the solar designers want to know about women's leadership; the farmers want to know about Web 2.0.

And third, as a result of 1&2, the organization nurtures its own. Paul Stamets, Diane Wilson, Van Jones. All folks who came off in their first presentations as brilliant, inspiring, and yet you worried for them - determined but fragile individuals, and hard to say what lay ahead. Well, it turned out, among other things, a ton of Bioneers connections lay ahead, and, if it hasn't made "all the difference," it certainly has contributed.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by John Coate on October 31, 2007 at 4:04pm

Hey is this the David Finacom who used to work at whole Earth back in the late 80s?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David FINAC0M on October 31, 2007 at 5:05pm

Yes indeed! Those were the days when J. Baldwin's estimated half-a-million miles of lifetime driving seemed unfathomable. Now, not so far away...

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cliff Figallo on November 1, 2007 at 11:08am

Yo, David. Let's raise a glass to Whole Earth and 27 Gate Five Road. It was great having Stewart at his first Bioneers. I think he enjoyed it.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by David FINAC0M on November 1, 2007 at 6:20pm

To Gate Five Road! Vollyball at lunch next year?

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by John Coate on November 1, 2007 at 6:22pm

Paul Hawken's Natural Capital Institute is located on Gate Five Road now. The volleyball court is long gone sorry to say.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sami Sunchild on October 31, 2007 at 5:17pm

Does anyone have suggestions for what should come next after that terrific Bioneers weekend? Beaming Bioneers is so exciting that it should be seen by as many people as possible all year long!

Is there anyone out there who would like to screen the keynote speakers DVD's in San Francisco every month, or possibly every week? What do you think? It would be like a book club (or video club) where people gather to watch and discuss the presentations.

If you have the DVD's, we have the projector and the place. Let's make a regular showing for the world. I'm located at the Red Vic Peace Center on Haight Street. Feel free to contact me or stop by if you are interested in attending or coordinating these inspiring messages!

▶ Reply to This

• 1
• 2