RSS Feed
Newsletter July 2009
Last week for Autumn courses at early booking rate
Early booking discounts for some of our autumn courses run until 24th July. So do visit our course pages for more information about our exciting programme which includes hands-on on topics like ethnobotany to creative approaches to educating on sustainability.
Take advantage of early booking – go straight to on-line booking for all courses
Earth Jurisprudence and Community Resilience: Learning from Africa
21 – 25 September
Exploring Ethnobotany: Plants as healers
19 – 23 October
Closing Loops, Opening Minds: Educating for a greener future
2 – 6 November
Ecoliteracy: First principles for radical change
New course from Schumacher College
October 5 – 16, 2009
Transforming the way we live on the planet is vital, and to do that we need a whole new set of skills that enable us to act effectively in a complex world. Only by working with nature can we have a viable future for all, and to do that we have to be ecoliterate. Fundamental to this is the ability to understand ecosystems, society and people in a holistic context which mirrors the interdependence found in the natural world. We need to change our relationship to nature and the basis of how we study science, economics, business and psychology, in order develop a systemic understanding of how to address current ecological and social challenges.
|
Business for a better world
An extract from an article by Chris Nichols and Chris Seeley, visiting teachers at Schumacher College, which will be published in a forthcoming issue of Resurgence:
“ …We wonder what would be different in our companies if business people of an ecological mind experimented a little. What if we thought about business as a relationship?
These relationships are:
- Money: what is the relationship between the business and money?
- Customers: what does the company do that meets genuine needs?
- People: what is quality of engagement between the business decision-makers and the business being done?
- Ecology: what is the relationship between the business and the ecological context in which it exists?
We have sometimes worked with senior executives who feel powerless in their decision-making because of the interests of their investors; who are driven to take business actions they feel to be wrong out of “economic necessity”. Maybe the time is right for a deep inquiry into our choice of investors? A business based on anonymous finance from the equity market is going to have different imperatives than one backed by patient and ethical funding. The choices business people make about money can lead in practice to better business actions…”
To read more from this article
The Economics of Happiness
The work in Bhutan to pursue and measure happiness is inspirational. Whilst globally unique, it is receiving mainstream attention with a piece in the New York Times only a few weeks ago.
In February we will welcome Dasho Karma Ura, the President of the Centre for Bhutan Studies to teach on our course The Economics of Happiness alongside Tim Kasser, Per Espen Stoknes & Nic Marks.
The Centre for Bhutan Studies is a non-aligned, objective, multi-disciplinary and autonomous social science research centre focused on Gross National Happiness and its applications, and on the culture and history of Bhutan. Until recently, Dasho Karma Ura was one of the five eminent appointees of His Majesty the 5th King, Jigmi Khesar, to the 25-member National Council, which elected him as its Vice-Chair.
For further information on the course The Economics of Happiness click here.
|
Third reprint of Gaia’s Kitchen: Inspiration from food and people at Schumacher
With over 10,000 copies already in circulation, Schumacher College’s cookbook Gaia’s Kitchen, has been re-printed for the third time since it was first published in 2000. Gaia’s Kitchen author Julia Ponsonby talked to Anna Lodge about why the cookbook remains popular.
“I think the personal quality of the book is something that people really enjoy. Many elements of the cookbook come from the participants and staff. Some of the recipes are the result of participant meals cooked together on a Sunday evening. Participants, volunteers, staff and the Old Postern itself feature in the documentary style photography that runs throughout the book. So people see the book Gaia’s Kitchen as a souvenir of their experience at Schumacher College.
Not only is it inspiring to share in the expertise and experience that holistic science Masters students, participants, volunteers and teachers bring to the kitchen, it is also validating for the College. The almost unequivocal pleasure people continue to express about working in our kitchen and the sense of meaningfulness gained from this activity, confirms that we are on the right path, with the values of both participants and teachers very much at the heart of what we do.”
To read the full article, click here.
Cookbook Gaia’s Kitchen, third impression, was released in June 2009. To buy a copy from the publisher Green Books.
Frank Cook and Andrew Whitley, both featured in the full article will be teaching at Schumacher College this autumn on two courses.
To read more about the course Exploring Ethnobotany: Plants as Healers with Frank Cook, Nancy Turner, James Wong
To read more about the course Baking for a New Food Culture with Andrew Whitley
|
Chris Lloyd joins Satish Kumar and Stephan Harding for the third Earth Pilgrim course
Chris Lloyd is a journalist, writer and education manager with a background in history. His book What on Earth Happened? was launched in October 2008, and has since sold more than 20,000 copies in the UK. It was serialised in The Independent newspaper under the title The World, A Pocket History.
Chris will spend one morning with participants on Walking with the Earth Pilgrim asking What on Earth Happened? Based on his popular book of that name, Chris will introduce participants to a holistic historical perspective that includes geology, natural history and human cultural evolution. In the first session, he surveys the 13.7 billion years of history up until the emergence of the first hominids about 3 million years ago. The second session will look at the impact of human history on the natural world and vice versa from 3 million years ago to the present day. What is the place of humans in nature, and why does our perspective on history matter in a world dominated by nearly 7 billion people?
Courses open for booking
Don’t forget, many courses have early booking discounts available for a limited number of participants.
|
Walking with the Earth Pilgrim
14 – 18 September 2009
Earth Jurisprudence and Community Resilience: Learning from Africa
21 – 25 September 2009
Ecoliteracy: First principles for radical change
5 – 16 October 2009
Exploring Ethnobotany: Plants as healers
19 – 23 October 2009
Closing Loops, Opening Minds: Educating for a greener future
2 – 6 November 2009
Purpose and Profit: How holistic thinking can remake business
9 – 13 November 2009
Growth and Consequence: Rethinking our economic future
23 – 27 November 2009
Baking for a New Food Culture
30 November – 4 December 2009
Science Meets Spirit: The search for meaning
January 2 – 22 2010
The Economics of Happiness
February 1 – 19 2010
After Copenhagen: Opportunities and challenges
March 1 – 19 2010
Biotecture in Practice: Building an earthship
19 – 30 April 2010
Click here to book your place(s) using our on-line booking system
Associated events
Sustainable Development: The Retrofit Course
This intensive course starts with the first principles of sustainability, through sustainable development and planning, design principles and materials, to real retrofit design solutions for a range of existing building types.
Course planned for September 2009
For further information contact Jon Rae j.rae@dartington.org
GreenSpirit Annual Gathering: Evolution, Wildness and Emergence: Be playful and creative in the spirit of Darwin
Friday 11th to Sunday 13th September 2009 at Poulstone Court, Herefordshire.
www.greenspirit.org.uk/ag2009
Schumacher College
(E) admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
(T) +44(0)1803 865 934
www.schumachercollege.org.uk
Schumacher College is an initiative of The Dartington Hall Trust, a registered charity, bringing ideas on sustainability to life.
Schumacher College is part of the Dartington Hall Trust, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and as a charity (company no. 1485560, charity no. 279756). Registered office: The Elmhirst Centre, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EL, UK.