permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

RECLAIMING ECONOMICS • June 18-20, 2004 • EARTHAVEN ECOVILLAGE
PROGRAM
FRIDAY
NOON on…    Arrival, Check-in and Setup
BARTER FAIR all afternoon/all weekend
2-5:00        Tours of Earthaven
5-6:00         •The Giving Tribe – GASPAR ROBLES
6:30         Dinner
8 -10:00     Opening Circle, Introductions – MIHALY BARTALOS

SATURDAY
7:30         Breakfast
8:30         Opening Circle/Announcements – ARJUNA da SILVA

Morning Session
REALITY CHECK: THE PROBLEMS   
9:30-10:15    •Truth & Lies of the Banking System – KEVIN INNES
10:30-11:15    •Peak Oil: Turning Point for Humanity – JIM LATENDRESSE
11:30-12:15    Workshops:
       •Turning Debt into Wealth – DOUG STEHLING
       •Liberty Dollars – KEVIN INNES
       •Developing Personal Leadership – JOHN PARKER
12:30         Lunch

Afternoon Session
PARADIGM SHIFT
2-3:30        •Economic Justice, Community Development & Social Action –
       JOHN PARKER
3:45-4:45    •Community Building and Self-Reliance – CINDY LITTRELL,     
           ARINDA MANNING, JENNY FARUSO
5-6:00        Workshops:
       •Economics in Ecovillages & Intentional Communities –       
       DIANA LEAFE CHRISTIAN
       •Reclaiming Agriculture Knowledge (CSAs) – JESSIE DOWLING
       •Ithaca Health Fund – BOB LeROY
6:30         Dinner
8:00         Asheville Playback Theatre **

SUNDAY
7:30          Breakfast

Morning Session
LOCAL SOLUTIONS
9-10:15    •Creating Community With Plenty –
       ROBERT ANDREW SMITH, MATT KALB, JONATHAN LEPOFSKY
       •Self-Reliance Through Microlending – SHARON OXENDINE       
10:15-11:15    •Collaborative Networks – STEVE OWEN  & MARIE CIRRILLO
11:30-12:15    Workshops:
       •Reclaiming Material Wastes – JIM SCHULMAN
       •Buy Local! – TBA
       •"Loops" (a game) – ROBERT ANDREW SMITH et al
12:30         Lunch

Afternoon Session
ALTERNATIVE CURRENCIES AND CREDIT
2-3:00        •Creating Living Economies – BRAD JOHNSON
3:-4:00    •Lending for the Earth – WES ROE & DON SARICH
4:15-5:00    •Tax & Accounting Matters in Local Currencies – BOB LeROY
5:00         Closing Circle – KIMCHI RYLANDER


** Playback Theatre is an original form of improvisational theater in 
which audience members tell stories from their lives. Performances begin 
with short "fluid sculptures" that reflect the audience's answers to 
evocative questions. Later, audience members tell personal stories, 
choosing which actors play each part. This evening, an additional 
feature, Forum Theatre, will be presented in which the audience is 
invited to participate in transformative solutions to challenging 
dilemmas. All are welcome. Donations of $3-5 (or more) to the passing 
hat will be gratefully appreciated, so please bring your wallet!

PRESENTATIONS (All of these presentations will be held at the Council 
Hall.)
•The Giving Tribe - Gaspar Robles, Earthaven. Turning exchanging into 
giving and bartering. 
•Truth & Lies of the Banking System – Kevin Innes, DRS, Asheville, NC. 
How an understanding of the manipulation of the money supply can be used 
to reform it.
•Peak Oil: Turning Point for Humanity, Jim Latendresse –Appalachian 
Coalition for Sustainable Communities, Boone, NC. How peak oil will 
effect us and what we can do.
•Economic Justice, Community Development & Social Action – John Parker, 
Good Work, Durham, NC. Economics and activism that is accountable to 
both environment and financially challenged people.
•Community Building and Self-Reliance – Cindy Littrell, Arinda Manning, 
Jenny Forero, Emma Family Resource Center, Leicester, NC. Providing 
services (and local currency), focused on self-reliance and building 
stronger community. Such programs can make a difference in your community!
•Creating Community With Plenty – Robert Andrew Smith, Matt Kalb, 
Jonathan Lepofsky, NCPlenty, Chapel Hill, NC. The PLENTY is a regional 
currency in NC. The inspiring work of the dedicated band of savvy 
community activists who also oversee the PLENTY will be presented.
•Self-Reliance Through Microlending – Sharon Oxendine, Mountain 
MicroEnterprises, Asheville, NC.  MMF programs not extend borrowing 
power, they  offer support to microbusinesses.
•Collaborative Networks – Steve Owen, ACSC, Boone, NC &  Marie Cirrillo, 
Clairfield, TN.
How we can synergize our voices to deal, at a local level, with such 
things as corporations usurping local businesses' right to survive. This 
is a special networking opportunity
•Time Dollars & Co-Production - Andrew Willis Smith, Washington, DC. 
Andrew was unable to come due to a job change. Learn more about Time 
Dollars, the most replicated exchange system in the U.S., and how to set 
up a local version, from him: andrew@mutualaid.org, (202) 277 5262.
Tax & Accounting Matters in Local Currencies – Bob Leroy, Ithaca Hours, 
Ithaca, NY. Income tax implications of local currency transactions and 
relevant accounting concepts. Q&A.
•Lending for the Earth -–Wes Roe & Don Sarich, Permaculture Credit 
Union, Santa Fe, NM. Learn how PCU helps fund environmentally 
sustainable borrowing.

WORKSHOPS  (Variously located. Please check the schedule in the Council 
Hall.)
•Turning Debt into Wealth – Doug Stehling, Debt Relief Services, 
Asheville, NC.   
•Liberty Dollars – Kevin Innes, Asheville, NC. Liberty Dollars are 
backed by precious metals.
•Developing Personal Leadership – John Parker. Organize your personal 
vision and mission into attainable goals and a sustainable plan. 
Storytelling, passions and values, successes and struggles.
•Economics of Ecovillages & Intentional Communities – Diana Leafe 
Christian, Earthaven. An in-depth look at the way intentional 
communities aspire to sustainability.
•Reclaiming Agriculture Knowledge – Jessie Dowling, Piedmont Organics 
CSA, Linden, VA. History of community supported agriculture and its 
critical educational role. Ways to market CSAs.
• Creating Living Economies: A New Model For Doing Business – Brad 
Johnson, Baltimore, MD. Decentralized networks of locally owned 
businesses that encourage people to "buy local," promote a multiple 
bottom line including the health of communities, the environment, and 
the "fiscal body."
•Reclaiming Material Wastes – Jim Schulman, Community Forklift, 
Washington, DC. How to turn trash into community gold: look close to 
home to leverage community-based economic development.     
•Ithaca Health Fund – Bob LeRoy. Folks in Ithaca have created a 
revolutionary health care fund that includes natural medicine options. 
Find out how they did it and how to join.
•"Loops" - Robert Andrew Smith et al. An interactive game that teaches 
about self-reliance and connectedness within and among communities.

PRESENTERS  (Note: Presenters are known to appear, disappear, and 
replace one another!)
ARINDA MANNING is the Director of the Emma Family Resource Center.
BOB LeROY has been the accountant of the Ithaca Hours system for over a 
decade, as well as a
Board Member of Ithaca Hours Inc. since it was founded.
BRAD JOHNSON dreamt up this conference! He was an organizer for the 
Baltimore Hours local
currency program and is now helping to create a network of locally owned 
businesses in Baltimore.
CINDY LITTRELL is the Emma Bucks Coordinator of the Emma Family Resource 
Center.
DIANA LEAFE CHRISTIAN is an author and the editor of Communities magazine.
DON SARICH is President and CEO of the Permaculture Credit Union.
DOUG  STEHLING is a personal debt specialist helping people settle 
credit card debts.  He started
the free "FreedomNews" internet group.
GASPAR ROBLES, D.C., has been  involved with local currency and barter, 
from Florida to Maine.
JENNY FORERO coordinates Emma Family Resource Center activities for 
Latino families.
JESSIE DOWLING, although still a youngen', is motivated and passionate 
about viable
alternatives that grow local communities and foster regenerative practices.
JIM LATENDRESSE, now a software designer and developer, has been a 
commercial banking
financial analyst and a small business consultant.
JIM SCHULMAN is the Executive Director of Sustainable Community 
Initiatives (SCI).
JOHN PARKER, as Executive Director of Good Work, helps strengthen 
working people's lives
through participatory business, organizational and community education, 
and ongoing support.
JON LEPOFSKY has been involved in a variety of community economic 
development and social
justice initiatives in Boston, Atlanta, New York City, and now in 
central North Carolina.
KEVIN INNES is the Asheville area's regional currency officer for the 
American Liberty Dollar,
and a debt relief specialist and lecturer with Cornerstone Financial Group.
MARIE CIRRILLO has dedicated her life to freeing corporate land for the 
Appalachian peo-ple.
She is a prime organizer of the Woodland Community Land Trust in eastern 
Tennessee.
MATTHEW KALB, telecommunications engineer and database specialist,  
joined the local currency
movement through marriage! He is a professional musician with ties to 
the local music community.
ROBERT ANDREW SMITH is the Director of the Leaflight, a regional 
non-profit conducting
environmental research, planning, and education.
SHARON OXENDINE is Program Coordinator for Mountain Microenterprise Fund 
and Director
of the Women's Business Center.
STEVE OWEN is President of the Appalachian Coalition, which links 
regional community
activists with resources for enhancing sustainable community initiatives.
WES ROE is a Board Member of the Permaculture Credit Union in California.

--
Keith Johnson
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 1209
Black Mountain, NC 28711
(828)669-6336

also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
Culture's Edge at Earthaven Ecovillage
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
http://www.earthaven.org
http://www.bioregionalcongress.org