Essay | Wetiko and Cultural Assimilation
By Myk Estrada,
Mexican farm worker
As my grandmother grows older in age, I’ve made sure to ask her as many questions as possible so I don’t miss out on the vast wealth of family history she holds in her mind. “What jobs did you have growing up?” Her answer; everything from school custodian to cotton picker (her least favorite). “What was it like when The Beatles came out?” “They were…
Dreaming Beyond Capitalism: A Culture Without Fear
By Martin Winiecki
In the 1990s an unusual encounter took place in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In plant rituals, shamans of the Achuar, a tribe living in pristine forest that had never been in touch with Western civilization, received the warning that the “white man” would try to invade their lands, cut down the forest and exploit the resources. Deeply shaken, they called out to the Spirits for…
Kosmos Welcomes Two New Board Members
Kosmos Associates is pleased to announce the addition of two new Members to our Board of Directors, Stephanie Shorter and Rhonda Fabian.
Stephanie Shorter, Ph.D., is on a mission to use brain and behavior research to help people thrive and to scale positive change from individual behavior design to culture design for the common good. Originally trained as a behavioral neuroscientist and…
Hyperlocal Heritage | Poi Day in Kauai
By Sherry Ott, via her blog
Peeling taro with volunteers at Waipa
“I’ve been coming to poi day since 2001, “ his eyes crinkled in a smile as he fiddled with his fishing net, “I like to come meet people and talk story.” Charlie said.
‘Uncle’ Charlie was one of many old timers I met who showed up every Thursday to make poi as part of a tight knit ohana (family in Hawaiian)…
Hyperlocal Sharing | A Store Where Everything is Free
Editor's Note: In the interest of full disclosure, I have been involved with the TTM Free Store since it's founding two years ago in our small town of Media, Pennsylvania. It is an initiative of Transition Town Media. The Free Store currently has more than 6,000 members on its Facebook Page, most of them locals. For a small store in the annex of a Methodist Church, it is a massive presence in our…
Hyperlocal Peace | Organize a Community Dialogue on Race
A template
What do we mean by dialogue?
A dialogue is a forum that draws participants from as many parts of the community as possible to exchange information face-to-face, share personal stories and experiences, honestly express perspectives, clarify viewpoints, and develop solutions to community concerns.
Unlike debate, dialogue emphasizes listening to deepen understanding. Dialogue…
Hyperlocal Journalism | Video Activists in Rural India
by Shweta Vitta, via Your Story
When a school in Bakayan, Madhya Pradesh served lunch just twice in 40 days to its 201 students, Arti Bai, a local community correspondent, decided to intervene. She shot a three-minute video capturing the plight of the parents and students and used it to grab the attention of the district authorities, who immediately intervened and started the mid-day meals the…
Hyperlocal Lending | Circle of Aunts & Uncles
By Judy Wicks, via her website
Editors Note: Judy Wicks a social entrepreneur, author and cofounder of the Circle of Aunts and Uncles, a local network of business leaders who mentor and make loans to entrepreneurs of promise and small business owners in and around Philadelphia. It is a logical extension of Judy's decades-long effort to build and promote Local Living Economy. We share her model…
Hyperlocal Food | Growing a Garden on City Land
By Amanda Froelich, via True Activist
Growing food on government land is an illegal practice in many cities and towns across the U.S. But not everyone desires – or has the means – to pay an extraordinary amount on fruits and vegetables just to maintain their health.
credit: RonFinley.com
For this reason, a growing percentage of the populace has begun planting foods near their home and on…
Beginning Anew in Our Own Communities
Dear Reader,
We can always begin anew. This simple truth is liberating. We are not beholden to our pasts, to our fears, or to old ways of thinking and being. With each new day there is a fresh opportunity to start over.
Sometimes we think there is no way out of a current crisis. Let's say one family member is not speaking to another. There are hurt feelings that go back perhaps for years.…