1. No category

November 6-9, 2014
Earle Brown Center Minneapolis, MN
TOMORROW
IS IN
OUR HANDS
Welcome to the Future First 2014 Women’s Congress!
We have been called to become a part of a conversation, a great feast of soul, that has been
going on for as long as there have been storytellers.
It has been calling us from the moment we were born. Somehow, even in the first moments
of life, we sensed some part of the conversation, sensed the meanings with which it is
concerned. And some deep part of us knew we must be a part of it too.
Every fiber of our being, then and now, demands it.
Christina Donnell, author, shaman, dreamer
Welcome, dear people, to the 2nd Women’s Congress for Future Generations. This is an opportunity for us to gather, find our voices, think
and sing, mourn and celebrate. We are so honored that you are here at this extraordinary time in history.
Why are we here?
At the first Women’s Congress we crafted a Declaration of Rights for Future Generations and Responsibilities of Present Generations. At this
Congress, we will explore themes in the Declaration that are at the confluence of water, economics and justice.
Water informs how we think about community organizing and social change. We speak of rising tides and tides that lift all boats. There are
groundswells and waves of protest. We know that we are one drop but together we are the Ocean.
We are water! Is there anyway then, that when the great bodies of water —the ocean, rivers and streams — are polluted, that our bodies are not also?
This weekend, we will have really rigorous intellectual conversations. What’s an economy for? What’s government for? Can we create new
institutions?
At the 2012 Women’s Congress we recognized that we must withdraw our consent to policies and practices that are in conflict with nature
and we will give our consent to the things that fulfill our responsibility to our neighbors and future generations. This requires new and
improvisational thinking!
Where are we?
Minneapolis sits about 250 miles below the headwaters of the Mississippi River on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and the Dakota.
Its twin city, St. Paul, is just downriver, near the confluence of the Mississippi with the Minnesota and the Saint Croix. Together they are one
of many metropolitan centers of the Great Lakes basin — the largest interconnected fresh water system in the world.
Who are your fellow travelers this weekend?
You may be wondering who is here with you this weekend. We are a mix of old and young, urban and rural, every color and hue of the
rainbow and a healthy combination of genders but yes, primarily women. Some are steeped in the work of the “Great Transition” as Joanna
Macy says. Some are new to larger forums offering an opportunity to talk and learn with others about the most critical issues of our time. We
are thrilled you are all here.
We welcome the men among us to be in full voice as well as reflective and quiet at times, noticing and allowing for the full range of women’s
voices and wisdom to be seen and heard.
When you registered, we asked you why you were coming.
• 43% of you said to Take Action to protect the planet for Future Generations.
• 32% of you are here to Network with others who care.
• 15% said your #1 reason is to learn more about the State of the Planet.
• 5% cite another primary reason to be here — from supporting colleagues to “being alive and engaged!”
What do we hope to “dream into being?”
Women are coming together now in numbers not seen since the Women’s
Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. We are taking seriously our responsibility
for the fate of the world and future generations.
This is not the equal rights of early feminism. This is the next stage
of claiming responsibility. And where better than the Midwest to claim our
responsibility for all of our neighbor’s children, the honeybees, the birch trees,
the mussels in the river — all of them? On Sunday, we will craft a way forward based on the work begun in 2012 and
incorporate the wisdom of all of you here this weekend. It will be a work in
progress.
We are grateful that you have come to be a voice for future generations. We invite
you to be part of this conversation, to find your part in the chorus and to sing it
with all your heart and soul.
The only real hope we have is each other.
I dreamed that I was
standing before the
Tree of Life, charged
with keeping it
alive. One branch
was already dead. I
scanned the horizon
for those I knew who
were coming to tend
it with me.
“Dream Quotes” by Carolyn Raffensperger
General Information
Registration / Information
The registration/information area will be staffed at the
following times:
Garden City Lobby
Thursday, November 6 - from 3:00 – 9:00 pm
Friday, November 7 - from 7:30-9:00 am
Carriage Hall Lobby
Friday, November 7 - from 9:00 am – 6:30 pm
Saturday, November 8 - from 7:30 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday, November 9 - from 7:30 am – 12:30 pm
Need help?
Conference staff from GTS and designated members of the
Congress Planning Committee are available at any time
to answer questions regarding the agenda, room locations
etc. Just come to the info desk or look for the “orange”
name badge for assistance.
Meal Functions
Your name badge is required for all meal and break
functions. Please wear your name badge at all times.
Speaker Info
Evaluation Forms
We will ask for your feedback about the Congress via
an electronic evaluation form. Registered attendees will
receive an email containing a link to a SurveyMonkey
evaluation. Please respond to this quick and easy online
form so we can better serve the Congress in the future.
Internet Access
Complimentary wireless internet service is available at
Earle Brown. Select the Earle Brown network and enter
the password Windsor64.
Things to do locally
Looking for something to do after the conference or
somewhere to eat locally? Your conference bag includes
information and coupons to local restaurants and shopping
areas supplied by Meet Minneapolis North.
Please refer to the Future First web site http://futurefirst.us
for complete information on our speakers. You can also use
the QR code below for easy access.
Photos
Please note that photos may be taken during the Congress.
They may be used in future Congress marketing efforts and
publicity. Permission to use such photos containing your
image is implied by your registration for this event.
QR Code
Scanning this QR code with your
smart phone will take you to the
2014 Future First website for more
information and resources.
main entrance
Earle Brown Center
entrance
entrance
carriage
hall
B
captain’s
harvest room
loft
garden
city
ballrooom
carriage hall A
lower level
tack
A
tack
B
Agenda — Thursday, November 6, 2014
7:00-8:30 pm Pre-Congress Event: Bees, Butterflies, Birds, and Beverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden City
Dr. Karen Oberhauser, University of Minnesota, Butterfly Lab
Becky Masterman, Bee Squad and Lucia Watson, Lucia’s Restaurant
Kristin Hall, Audubon Society
Moderator: Mary Pipher, Author, The Green Boat
“Honey in My Bowl”
Barbara Ford, Singer/Songwriter and Barbara McAfee, Keyboard
8:30-9:15
Networking and Refreshing
Agenda — Friday, November 7, 2014
9:00-9:30 am Opening of Pre-Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden City
Ann Manning, Initiative Director, Women’s Congress for Future Generatoins
Environmental Justice and Why It Matters
Shalini Gupta, Executive Director, Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy (CEED)
9:40 -12:00 pm Concurrent Workshops (choose one)
1. The Interconnectedness of All Things (Co-sponsored by our ally, CEED) . . . . . . . . . Garden City
Sonia Davila-Poblete, sociologist, consultant, Bolivia
Cecilia Martinez, Director of Research Programs, CEED
Robin Milam, Administrative Director, Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature
Carolyn Raffensperger, Executive Director, Science & Environmental Health Network
Moderator: Mary Pipher, clinical psychologist, author
2. The State of our Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Room
J. Drake Hamilton, Science Policy Director, Fresh Energy
Karen Olson Johnson, author, educator, radio host
Kim Wasserman, Director, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
Moderator: Ellen Anderson, Executive Director, Energy Transition Lab, University of MN
12:00-1:30 pm Lunch for Pre-Congress participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden City
1:30-2:00
Opening Ceremony for Future First 2014 Women’s Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Welcome and Blessing
Sharon Day, Native American Elder
Maddie Nicholson
Teresa Konechne
Robyn Langkos, “Leaves”
2:00-5:00 pm Welcome to Our Journey Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Ann Manning, Carolyn Raffensperger
Climate, Carbon and Chemicals: Finding a Way Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Sandra Steingraber, biologist, author, cancer survivor
Panel Response
Cecelia Martinez
Kim Wasserman
Julia Frost Nerbonne, Executive Director, Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light
Moderator: Lisa Renstrom, Co-Director, Divest-Invest
5:00-6:30 Resourcing, networking and refreshing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carriage Hall Pre-Function
Book signing — Sandra Steingraber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Captain’s Room
The environmental crisis is not one, but two, parallel crises: the de-stabilizing of our climate with heat-trapping gases and the
toxic trespass of chemical pollutants into living ecosystems, including our own bodies. Using fracking as a case study, this talk
explores the ways in which these two trees of crisis share a common root: a ruinous dependency on fossil fuels. Steingraber
argues that the road to meaningful chemical reform runs straight through our energy policy and examines the way in which
women can lead the necessary transformation.
6:30–7:15 pm Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
7:15-8:30 From Despair to Hope: Reconnecting to the Sacred Web of Life . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Mary Pipher, clinical psychologist, author
Guided Visualization
Barbara Arney, teacher, consultant, spiritual guide
8:30-9:15 Resourcing, networking and refreshing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carriage Hall Pre-Function
Book signing — Mary Pipher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Captain’s Room
Pipher will explore the deluge of information about the fate of Mother Earth that people are confronted with daily. She’ll suggest
how to transform fears and sorrow into positive forces in our lives and discuss how we can heal ourselves and help heal the
planet with “transcendent responses.” Drawing from her own experiences as part of a group fighting installation of the Keystone
XL oil pipeline in Nebraska, Pipher will also discuss how we can mobilize ourselves and our communities working together to
solve global problems while attending to the world around us with calmness, balance, and great love.
Agenda — Saturday, November 8, 2014
8:30-9:00 am
Opening Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Robyn Langkos
9:00-10:30
Creating a Caring Economy: What’s Good for Women is Good for the World . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Riane Eisler, attorney, author, systems scientist
Panel response
Teddie Potter, Nursing Professor,University of Minnesota
Sonia Davila-Poblete, sociologist, consultant (Bolivia)
Becky Rom, activist
Moderator, Ann Manning, Future First Initiative Director
10:30-11:00 Book Signing – Riane Eisler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall Pre-Function
Eisler first captured world attention with her international bestseller The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future, which
has changed the way millions of people view themselves and their role in the world. Her most recent book is the groundbreaking
The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics. It shows that behind our most pressing personal and social problems
lies the failure of present economic systems to value and support the most essential work of all: the “women’s work” of caring and
caregiving. Piercing through the smokescreens of prevailing myths, she shows the powerful influence of our hidden system of
gendered values on our lives and the world’s policies, outlining ways we can -- and must -- lay foundations for a way of living and
making a living that is sustainable, equitable, and truly meets human needs.
11:00-12:30 pm Concurrent Workshops (choose one)
1. Learning from Our History: Creating a Path for Climate Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Room A
Shalini Gupta, Cecilia Martinez
2. Taking Care of the Things We Share: Protecting the Legacy of a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden City
Healthy Commons
Alexa Bradley, Robin Milam, Carolyn Raffensperger, Julie Ristau
3. Partnership: An Essential Model for a Healthy Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Teddie Potter, Riane Eisler
4. Breaking Taboos! Having Money Conversations that Foster Our . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Room B
Collective Wellbeing
Marian Moore
5. Beyond the Plate: Working Toward a Just and Sustainable Food System . . . . . . Harvest Room C
LaDonna Redmond
6. Fracking, Pipelines and Mining! OH NO! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Captain’s Room
Kathy Hollander, Alyssa Hoppe, Becky Rom
7. The Heart of Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall B
Kate Jacobson, Erin Pratt
8. Student Perspectives on the Work Ahead: Insights, Actions, Energy! . . . . . . . . . . . Tack Room B
Ranae Hanson, Minneapolis Community & Technical College Students
9. Building Sustainable and Healthy Communities: It Starts at Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tack A
Lisa Daniels
Agenda — Saturday, November 8, 2014
12:30-1:45 pm Lunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Table Discussion: What Does a Caring Economy Require of Us?
Book Signing — Riane Eisler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall Pre-Function
1:45-2:45 Call to Gather and Introduction of Joanna Macy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Carolyn Raffensperger
Video Conversation with Joanna Macy: Deep Ecology
Joanna Macy
Introduction to the Caucus of All Waters – Carolyn Raffensperger, Barbara Arney
2:45-3:05
Snack and Transition to Caucus
3:05-4:15 Caucus of All Waters
When we protect the water, we protect all life. Deliberations on an Economic Declaration for Future Generations
and Responsibilities of Present Generations.
Great Lakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Missouri River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden City
Mississippi River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Captain’s Room
Colorado River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tack B
Ogallala Aquifer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall B
Pacific Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Room A
Atlantic Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Room B
Arctic Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morgan
Gulf of Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tack A
Clouds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Room C
4:35-6:00 Women’s Congress in Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden City
Draft the Bill of Rights for All Water
Presider: Carolyn Raffensperger
6:30-7:15 Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
7:15-9:00 Celebrate! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage Hall A
Rachel Bagby, transformational vocalist, divining daughter
Ilene Evans, performing artist
Barbara Ford, singer, songwriter
Barbara McAfee, singer, songwriter, voice coach
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Agenda — Sunday, November 9, 2014
8:30-9:15 am
Conscious Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage House A
Opening Reflection — Rachel Bagby
Sustaining the Movement — Julie Ristau
Heartland & Headwaters: Setting Goals for Going Forward
Julie Ristau, Carolyn Raffensperger, Kaitlin Butler
9:30-10:45 Concurrent Workshops (choose one)
1. Coming into the Fold: the Embodiment and Grounding of our
‘Environmental’ Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage House B
Shalini Gupta, Pramila Vasudevan
2. Using Your Full Voice to Effect Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage House A
Barbara McAfee, Claire Curran
3. We Are The Water! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garden City
Sharon Day, Nibi Water Walkers
4. Fuel Change: Divest-Invest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Room A
Patty O’Keefe, Lisa Renstrom
5. Food Freedom Radio: Where We Plant the Seeds of Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Captain’s Room
Laura Hedlund, Karen Olson Johnson
6. The Art of Collaborative Leadership: A Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tack Room B
Kate Davenport, Patricia Neal, Betsy Stites
7. Honoring Our Pain: Restoring Health to Our Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Room B
Nina Roberts Salveson, Nancy Cosgriff
8. Community Solar: No Roof Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Room C
Laura Burrington
9. Partnering to Build a Restorative Agriculture and New Relationsips
with the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tack Room A
Julie Ristau, Nina Utne, Paula Westmoreland
10:45-11:00 Transition/Refreshing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage House Pre-Function
11:00-12:30 pm Our Call to Action: Game Changers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carriage House A
Bill of Rights for Water — Carolyn Raffensperger
Closing Ceremony: Ratification and Signing of the Declaration — Robyn Langkos
Call to a New Relationship with Water and Mother Earth — Sharon Day
Becoming Beloved Ancestors — Carolyn Raffensperger
12:30 Adjourn
Tree of Grief / Tree of Hope
Do you have dreams and hopes for our earth?
How about feelings of loss or sorrow? Come express these by designing a leaf
or two for our ‘art’ trees. Write, draw or color a leaf and hang it on one of the
trees located outside the Captain’s Room. The art project, including supplies,
will be available throughout the conference.
Friday, Nov. 7
Workshop Descriptions
Saturday, Nov. 8
Workshop Descriptions
WORKSHOP F-1: Interconnectedness of All Things: Placing
Mother Earth and Women at the Center
Co-sponsored by Congress ally, Center for Energy and Earth
Democracy (CEED)
A stimulating conversation for activists of all ages and experience levels to
deepen their thinking and consider ways to unite the women of the northern
and southern hemispheres around a common agenda. In the workshop we
will talk about women, environment and justice through the lens of sustainable
development, focusing on building relationships between women of the North
and South (Latin America and the United States). We will use two examples of
the most pressing global concerns today: food security and elimination of fossil
fuels. What are the challenges to building a sustainable environmental women’s
agenda that includes women from around the world? How do we come together
to push this agenda forward, understanding, respecting, and honoring each
other’s unique circumstances?
Sonia Davila-Poblete, sociologist, consultant
Cecilia Martinez, Director of Research Programs, Center for
Earth, Energy and Democracy (CEED).
Robin Milam, Administrative Director, Global Alliance for the
Rights of Nature
Carolyn Raffensperger, Executive Director, Science and Environ mental Health Network (SEHN)
Moderator: Mary Pipher, clinical psychologist, author
1. Learning from Our History to Create a Path for Climate
Justice
What do we know about the real causes of climate change? How can we
learn from history to build a future that respects the Earth and all people? In
this session we will talk about how the causes of climate change are also the
causes that create injustice in the world. We will also strategize about what
changes we can make in our communities, and equally important, how we
make them, to create a world where the environment and people are treated
justly. While the path is not an easy one, it requires understanding how we
got to where we are today. Come learn what it means to be working toward
climate justice.
Shalini Gupta, Executive Director, Center for Earth, Energy and
Democracy
Cecilia Martinez, Program Director, Center for Earth, Energy and
Democracy
WORKSHOP F-2: The State of Our Planet
Let’s put on our green glasses and look at the state of our planet, our own cities
and our very own kitchens. This incredible interactive workshop will engage and
enthrall with the latest thinking about the state of our home. Hear from urban
activist and winner of the 2014 Goldman prize for environment, Kim Wasserman,
J. Drake Hamilton, the Science Policy Director for Fresh Energy and Karen
Olson Johnson, co-host of the lively and informative show, Food Freedom Radio.
If you are new to the movement, really want to know the realities of our world,
and how ordinary people just like you have taken back their right to a clean
and healthy environment — and then be able to take all of this home to our
communities, our kitchens and our children, this is the experience for you.
J. Drake Hamilton, Science Policy Director, Fresh Energy
Karen Olson Johnson, author, educator, radio host
Kim Wasserman, Director, Little Village Environmental Justice
Organization
Moderator: Ellen Anderson, Executive Director, Energy Transition
Lab, University of Minnesota
Please take time for yourself
this weekend. The Labyrinth
outside on the lawn near
Garden City is available
anytime and can be used by
many people at one time.
Walk in silence and reflection. The path will take you
all the way into the center. Stay as long as you like
and then simply walk out the way you came in. You
may meet others on the path, quietly passing on your
journey of silence.
2. Taking Care of the Things We Share: Protecting the
Legacy of a Healthy Commons
When we talk about ’the commons” we are referring to the cultural and natural
resources accessible to all members of a society, including the natural environment such as air, water, and a habitable earth as well as our human culture of
music, art, language, dance and more. Over the past several decades, more
and more of ‘what we share’ has been privatized and is becoming less accessible and available to us as citizens. In this workshop, we will explore how to
enliven our sense of the commons and our deep connection to it as we look at
new ideas, legal and otherwise, to protect the commons for future generations.
We can leave a rich legacy of what we inherited from our ancestors but only if
we think creatively together about how to do this. New ideas such as Trustees
and Guardians are emerging around the globe. Hear some of our country’s
leading experts on the commons and improvisational ideas for moving forward.
Carolyn Raffensperger, Science & Environmental Health Network Julie Ristau, On the Commons
Robin Milam, The Alliance for the Rights of Nature
Alexa Bradley, The Great Lakes Commons
3. Partnership: An Essential Model for a Healthy Future
In order to create a healthy and sustainable future we not only need to apply
systems thinking, we also need to develop new ways of relating. The partnership model in Riane Eisler’s cultural transformation theory offers a template
for relationships built on mutual respect, inclusivity, and equity. This talk will
discuss partnership, using examples from Potter and Eisler’s partnershipbased health care model.
Teddie Potter, RN, PhD, University of Minnesota, School of
Nursing
Riane Eisler, Co-Founder, the Partnership Way
4. Breaking Taboos! Having Money Conversations that
Foster Our Collective Well-Being
Breaking the taboo that prohibits money conversations — including how
money serves or doesn’t serve our individual and collective well-being — can
free us from the isolation that the dominant culture perpetuates. We will
share stories about how we are using our money to create the world in which
we want to live. Becoming aware of our unexamined assumptions is part of
that process. The intention of this interactive session is to create a loving
environment in which to continue to increase our consciousness about money.
Marian has been facilitating conversations about money for over twenty years
and thrills at the liberation that comes from releasing the taboo.
Marian Moore, philanthropy and social investment consultant,
songwriter, singer and producer of concerts
5. Beyond the Plate: Working toward a Just and Sustainable
Food System
LaDonna Redmond calls herself the “urban food goddess,” and invites you to
a wide ranging conversation about food. This workshop will cover access for
everyone to organic, non-GMO food, at how we all can play a role in making
sure there is fair pay for workers who produce and harvest the food as well as
how we can together, unite our voices and our votes and have the power to
take back the food system from giant corporations who do not always have the
interest of our children at heart. LaDonna works to ignite the voices of women
and politicize them about the food that is available in our communities as well
as the whole food chain from soil to seed to harvest to table.
LaDonna Redmond, Founder, The Campaign for Food Justice
Now; Education and Outreach Coordinator, Seward
Community Cooperative
6. Fracking, Pipelines and Mining! OH NO!!
Sandra Steingraber gave us a scientist’s perspective on fracking. This
workshop will take a deeper dive into related topics of mining and transport of
crude oil by pipelines and rail as well as next steps toward a “just transition”
as unlikely allies and communities join forces to protect the pristine wilderness
of the northland. Join three activists on the front lines and be inspired by their
knowledge, wisdom and commitment. Come prepared to think about these
questions: Should we allow America’s most toxic industries in the watershed of
America’s most popular Wilderness, The Boundary Waters Canoe Area or near
the Headwaters of the Mississippi? How can we build resilient communities
that preserve nature and protect the vitality of the region’s economic and
social wellbeing? Love Water, Not Oil signs were at major league ballparks
and public parks this summer. Millions of barrels of crude oil are now crossing
our state daily in trains and pipelines, bringing new challenges and risks to our
waters and communities. We have a choice: Do we invest in more fossil fuel
infrastructure or advocate for policies, laws and regulations that shift dollars to
renewables as quickly as possible?
Kathy Hollander, Tar Sands Team Leader, MN350
Alyssa Hoppe, Coordinator, Honor the Earth
Becky Rom, Leader, Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters
7. The Heart of Climate Change - An experiential workshop
exploring how heart-led action builds a just and sustainable
movement that will change the world.
Wondering how to talk about climate change and justice with family, friends,
neighbors and our communities at large in a way that inspires action? This
workshop explores how we effectively break the silence and approach these
challenging topics in a way that invites action. While 70% of people in the US
believe climate change is happening, only one in three talk about it. Research
also shows that while education is a necessary step, most people are likely to
take action as a result of communicating with friends or family. We will explore
story, pivotal questions and active listening as tools for constructive conversations that strengthen relationships, lead to empowered action and contribute to
the deep cultural shifts necessary for radical change.
Kate Jacobson, Coordinator, MN350.org
Erin Pratt, Director, Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light 8. Student Perspectives on the Work Ahead: Insights, Actions, Energy!
Diverse, urban community college students, working together, develop
perspectives on ecofeminist, ethical, and global/local actions that can inform
the work of more traditional groups. These eager, passionate representatives
of their ethnic and cultural communities wish to know that more established
women and men hear them, care about them, will back them up. A group of
current ecofeminism, environmental ethics, and global studies students will
discuss with workshop participants the insight they are developing together, the
actions they are taking in their varied home communities, and the energies they
have to create sustainable, ecocentric futures.
Student leaders from MCTC
Ranae Hanson, Professor, Ecofeminism, Global Studies, and
Developmental Writing, Minneapolis Community and Technical
College
9. Building Sustainable and Healthy Communities: It Starts
at Home
Renewable energy has arrived. It is here for us today and for our future
generations. Every day matters. This is your invitation for a guided journey of
technology and the practical solutions being implemented here in Minnesota,
the Midwest, industrialized nations and developing countries around the
world. We will talk about wind, solar, and geothermal choices that can be
implemented and work everywhere. We will present exciting new reports about
enacting real solutions and how we are already seeing the benefits. Yes, this is
challenging and there is a lot more that needs to be done. By working together
from our hearts, we can move forward. This interactive workshop enables
you to explore the path for a better, cleaner future for all of us. There will be
additional guest speakers. This is an interactive workshop.
Lisa Daniels, Executive Director and Founder, Windustry
Sunday, Nov. 8
Workshop Descriptions
1. Coming into the Fold: The Embodiment and Grounding of
Our ‘Environmental’ Identity
How we make our identity as women in the environmental movement is
steeped in history, culture, power and memory. How do our we embody
this experience today? What do our bodies remember about our ancestral
relationship to the Earth? How can this move us toward action and movement
building that is grounded in this history? In this workshop, we will use our
bodies to create movement sculptures to explore our personal experiences
related to this narrative. Elements used in this workshop have been created
out of the performance installation Fold, which explores how different acts of
folding across mediums (the folding of our voices, of our body) are socially
and historically rooted, involving uneven power relations between peoples,
communities, and nation-states.
Shalini Gupta, Executive Director, Center for Earth, Energy and
Democracy (CEED)
Pramila Vasudevan, Artistic Director, Aniccha Arts
2. Using Your Voice to Effect Change
Clear, flexible, and congruent communication is an essential skill in effecting
change in our communities and the world. How we say what we say has a
profound impact on whether it will be heard. And when we listen to others
deeply — to their words and what is underneath them — we forge connections
that can create beautiful results. This interactive and joyful workshop will
introduce tools for opening more awareness, flexibility, and choice in how you
use your voice in everyday communication.
Barbara McAfee, Voice Coach And Author of Full Voice: The Art
and Practice of Vocal Presence
Claire Curran, Campaign Coordinator, Minnesota Power & Light
3. We Are The Water!
Workshop participants will explore their own relationship to bodies of water
thru art and writing. By the end of the workshop session, each participant
will express what she or he are willing to do for their own particular bodies of
water. Sharon has led 6 Water Walks. The southern direction of the Mother
Earth Water Walk which began at Gulf Port, Mississippi and ended in Ashland,
Wisconsin, the Mississippi River Water Walk, the Seneca Lake Water Walk, the
Ohio River Water Walk, and the Pokegama Water Walk and in mid October, the
St Louis River Water Walk. Each walk is ceremony to save the life giving force
of water.
Sharon Day, Executive Director, Indigenous Peoples Task Force;
artist, musician, writer
Sunday, Nov. 8 - Workshop Descriptions — continued
4. Fuel Change: Divest-Invest
Across the globe, individuals and institutions are divesting their 401 K’s, savings
and investment portfolios of oil, gas and coal companies and investing in
companies that create the products that are healthy and sustainable. In this
interactive workshop, you’ll hear from two leading activists in this work about the
history of the movement as well as the moral and financial reasons to divest.
What would it look like if we all invested in companies that create products the
world needs? What does it mean to “Catalyze the Clean Trillion?” We’ll also hear
about the process for divesting and you’ll be able to consider taking the pledge
yourself.
Patty O’Keefe, Fossil Fuel Divestment Coordinator, MN350
Lisa Renstrom, Co-Founder, Divest Invest Individual
5. Food Freedom Radio: Where We Plant the Seeds of
Change
Does what we eat really matter? Laura Hedlund and Karen Olson Johnson,
cohosts of Food Freedom Radio, will be “in studio” as they share the wisdom
realized by interviewing over one hundred guests about food. Take part in a
mock show by “calling in” and being part of the conversation. A lively exchange,
Karen and Laura promise cutting edge information and challenging perspectives.
This experience will open our collective eyes to the world of what we feed our
children and ourselves.
Laura Hedlund co-host, Food Freedom Radio, public relations
Karen Olson Johnson, co-host, Food Freedom Radio, author,
educator
6. The Art of Collaborative Leadership: A Case Study
Eureka Recycling is the only Minnesota organization that specializes in zero
waste, and built on a collaborative leadership model, a process of engaging
people to deliver results across organizational boundaries. All of us together
can be smarter, more creative and competent than any of us alone, key to
addressing the multifaceted problems that Eureka and other environmental
and social enterprise organizations face. Collaborative leaders use the power
of influence rather than positional authority to engage and align people, focus
our teams, sustain momentum, achieve results. Success depends on creating
an environment of trust, mutual respect, and shared aspiration in which all
can contribute fully and openly for collective goals. The medium is highquality conversation. Heartland Circle, a leader in convening and essential
conversation, is piloting a Collaborative Leadership Model™ to support the work
of leading-edge organizations such as Eureka. Betsy Stites will facilitate this
essential conversation and interactive workshop.
Kate Davenport, Director of Business Development, Eureka
Recycling
Patricia Neal, President, Heartland Inc.
Betsy Stites, Founder, Imago Consulting
7. Honoring Our Pain: Restoring Health to our Planet
Many people all over the world are silently and often hopelessly mourning the
devastating impact we are having on the climate and our planet. Without acknowledging our grief and allowing ourselves to speak about what is happening
we will not be able to move forward to act for change. Join us to experience for
yourself how the transformative nature of grief can be a powerful agent for the
change we want to see. We’ll present Joanna Macy’s four stage Spiral for the
Work that Reconnects: Gratitude, Honoring Our Pain, Seeing with New Eyes and
Going Forth as we engage in exercises and conversation that will help us both to
honor our pain and restore a sense of calm, peace and inner resolve.
Nancy Cosgriff, facilitator, life/work coach, spiritual guide
Nina Roberts Salveson, educator, facilitator, coach
8. Community Solar — No Roof Needed
Have you wanted to have solar panels but can’t afford them? Or no roof to
put them on? This new model of ownership allows everyone with a utility
bill to participate in the solar revolution making solar less of a hassle, more
affordable and accessible to all. There is a growing consensus that there are
many economic, environmental and health reasons to increase the use of
solar in Minnesota. While we have made progress growing renewable energy
production, there is still a very large untapped solar market in Minnesota, the
people who are unable to purchase and install solar on their residence or
business. Over 70% of Minnesotans cannot install solar. Reasons a solar system
on-site may not be viable include many physical siting factors like shading, lack
of roof space, poor roof orientation or other barriers such as lack of upfront
financing, non-ownership or multi-family units of housing that make it difficult to
install a system on a shared roof and meter to the correct household. In addition,
participating in a program like this gives freedom from having to maintain or
repair a system and the ability to move without a loss of investment.
Laura Burrington, Managing Director, Minnesota Renewable
Energy Society (MRES)
9. Partnering to Build a Restorative Agriculture and New Relationships with the Land
More land will change hands in the next 10 years than did during the Louisiana
Purchase. So, how do we get new farmers on the land growing perennial crops
and healthy food? How do we create the economic, social, and mentoring
pathways for them to be successful? How do we meaningfully engage urban
people in this work?
At Lily Springs Farm in western Wisconsin we are partnering to build an education and demonstration farm using permaculture design to restore habitats to
health and build a perennial-based food system that integrates land and people.
As three women, we are taking a new approach to exploring these questions
and in the process creating experiential learning opportunities for others.
In this workshop we will share our goals and vision, what we have learned so far,
and discuss innovative ways forward.
Paula Westmoreland, Ecological Gardens, and co-founder
Permaculture Research Institute Cold Climate
Julie Ristau, Co-Director, On The Commons and President, PRI
Cold Climate
Nina Utne, Lily Springs Farm, writer, political activist, mother and
community-builder
So many of you here today – and some who are not here – have made
this work possible with your generous support from the very beginning.
In recent weeks, you have answered the call for last minute resources
to fund “one more scholarship.”
You have given your time, your talents and your treasure, investing in
the ‘more beautiful world we know is possible.’ Perhaps you hosted a
house party, invited friends to a house party or a potluck, forwarded
our emails far and wide, joined a committee and gave it all you had. Or
perhaps you shared some of your financial treasure with us – we have
been truly amazed at the generosity of so many of you. Corporate
sponsors usually fund events like these; we chose to rely on you,
individuals and foundations. We truly treasure you all and extend
gratitude to the many ways you have demonstrated your desire to take
a stand for Future Generations.
Our Guides for the Journey
Rachel Bagby, transformational
vocalist, divining
daughter
If Rachel were to
create a résumé, it
would be scrawled
on a piece of
sheet music with a
swooping treble clef
next to her name:
Rachel Bagby, J.D. It would include a number
of positions, titles & roles: Graduate of Stanford
Law School, poetic innovator & creator of
Dekaaz Facilitation™, international speaker &
author of Divine Daughters: Liberating the Power
and Passion of Women’s Voices. Award-winning
composer, social artist, and Founder of Singing
Farm, she was a soprano in Bobby McFerrin’s
original international touring ensemble,
Voicestra. Whether immersed in the harmonic
joy of blessing leaders’ voices or articulating the
powers of a community in ten perfect syllables,
the thread of commonality is the same: Rachel
coaches individuals and communities to turn
experiences into WISDOM & to cultivate our
VOICES into instruments of change.
Ilene Evans, performing artist
Ilene is an inspired
storyteller, performer
and scholar who
weaves music,
poetry, dance and
drama, to bring
history alive. She is
co-founder of Voices
from the Earth, a
non-profit theater
arts organization. Ilene creates and presents
theater programs and workshops/seminars
that inform, educate and entertain audiences
young and old. She specializes in multicultural
tales inspired by a rich Affrilachian life and all
its folklore as well as historical portrayals of
women who have made a difference in the
world and inspired others. Ilene has toured
extensively across the US and internationally.
Barbara McAfee. voice coach,
author
For over twenty
years Barbara
has helped
leaders from all
sectors unleash
the full power
and presence in
their voices. Her
book, Full Voice: The Art and Practice
of Vocal Presence was the #1 Amazon
bestseller in business communications when
released in October, 2011. She was an
organizational development consultant for
twelve years, specializing in team building,
communications, and applying organizational
principles and practices within communities.
A professional singer/songwriter and
keynote speaker, Barbara blends practical
content, sassy music, useful wisdom,
and sophisticated humor in her keynote
presentations. She has released six CDs of
her music.
Friday Plenary Presenters
Barbara Arney, teacher, consultant,
spiritual guide
The enduring thread of Barbara’s work as a
teacher, international management consultant,
and spiritual guide is that of a “catalyst”.
She ignites individuals and teams to directly
experience their inner wisdom and power to
make a difference in the world. This calling is
based on a nighttime dream she had many
years ago. The dream revealed the potential
for women to align their infinite capacity to love in service of the health
and well being of the planet. This continues to inspire her work. After
receiving an M.A. in Applied Behavior Science, Barbara served on
the faculty of The Leadership Institute in Spokane, Washington. Her
immersion in Neuroscience, the Enneagram, and the Sacred Feminine
culminated in 2009 with the creation of LUNA Women’s Spirituality
Program and Learning Community www.Barbara-Arney.com. The LUNA
experience activates personal transformation and propels coherent
action through ritual, guided visualization, and embodied learning.
As women gather together they experience the magic elixir of mood
elevating oxytocin and learn to tend and befriend each other.
Sonia Davila-Poblete, sociologist,
consultant (Bolivia)
Sonia Davila-Poblete, Ph.D., is a sociologist
specializing in integrated water, river basin,
and environmental policies. As Emeritus
member of the Technical Advisory Committee
of the Global Water Partnership (GWP),
independent consultant and adviser, she
works with grassroots groups, governments,
and international organizations on
environmental and social issues, mainly in Mexico and Bolivia. Her
primary interests include: advocating for women’s participation in
development projects, mainstreaming a gender perspective in all
public policies, and foregrounding the Andean culture’s “Living Well”
paradigm into solutions for environmental and climate change issues.
Sharon Day, Executive Director,
Indigenous Peoples Task Force
(IPTF); artist, musician, writer
Sharon Day was a co-founder of IPTF in
1987 (originally a volunteer organization
known as the Minnesota American Indian
AIDS Task Force), and was hired for her
current position in May 1990. She is enrolled
in the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, is a 2nd
degree M’dewiwin and follows the spiritual path of the Anishinabe
people. She has led five Water Walks (ceremonies to save the life giving
force of water) and has edited the anthology, Sing! Whisper! Shout!
Pray!, Feminist Visions for a Just World. Sharon has received numerous
awards, including the Resourceful Woman Award, the Gisela Knopka
Award, BIHA’s Women of Color Award, The National Native American
AIDS Prevention Resource Center’s Red Ribbon Award, and most
recently, the Alston Bannerman Sabbatical Award. She has been named
one of the 100 best loved women by Yes! Magazine.
Ann Manning, Future First Initiative
Director
Ann Manning is known as a passionate
advocate for justice. Her work with Future
First and the 2014 Women’s Congress
combines her long-time interest in economic
justice with a relatively new awakening to
the need for environmental justice. Ann
was Interim Executive Director for United
for a Fair Economy in Boston, MA and consults with Wealth for the
Common Good on economic reforms as well as creating the New
Economy. She has held board leadership roles with organizations
including Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, the YWCA of
Minneapolis, and Habitat for Humanity Minnesota. Ann has an M.A.
in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of
Government. Since 2007, after 30 years in the corporate sector, Ann
is now a full time activist.
Friday Plenary Presenters
Julia Frost Nerbonne, Executive
Director, Interfaith Power & Light
Julia has an undergraduate degree in
Religion and Ph.D in Conservation Biology
and serves as an Adjunct Assistant
Professor in the Conservation Biology
Graduate Program at the University of
Minnesota. Her research focuses on citizen
empowerment and social movements.
She comes to the climate movement after
15 years of teaching ethics and sustainability studies to college
students at the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs and the
University of Minnesota.
Mary Pipher, clinical psychologist,
author
A best-selling author and activist, Mary
Pipher is known for exploring how American
culture influences the mental health of its
people. She has tackled issues as diverse
as adolescence, the immigrant experience
and opposition to the Keystone Pipeline.
The author of nine books, she is perhaps
best known for Reviving Ophelia, Saving
the Selves of Adolescent Girls (#1 on the New York Times bestseller
list for 26 weeks); and The Green Boat: Reviving Ourselves in
Our Capsized Culture. “Mary Pipher takes on our planet’s greatest
problems with the skills of a truly gifted therapist,” says the author and
activist Bill McKibbon. “She knows why we avoid and deny the truth
and she knows how we can heal ourselves and our communities even
as we try to heal the earth.”
Carolyn Raffensperger, Founder,
Women’s Congress for Future
Generations; Executive Director,
Science and Environmental Health
Network (SEHN)
Carolyn Raffensperger is the country’s
leading expert on Guardianship of Future
Generations and one of the world’s most
respected voices on protecting the planet.
An environmental lawyer, she specializes
in the fundamental changes in law and policy necessary for our
generation to become ‘beloved ancestors,’ to step fully into our moral
and ethical responsibility to protect the planet for today’s children and
the generations to come. Asked why she is compelled to do this work,
Carolyn said: “I dreamed once that the scales of Justice were being
held by the Tree of Life. I do this work with the Women’s Congress
and Future First because I hope to look future generations in the eye
and say we did everything we could to give you a sporting chance.
We did everything to tend the Tree of Life on your behalf.”
Lisa Renstrom, Co-Director, DivestInvest
Starting at the local level in Charlotte, North
Carolina, Lisa chaired a local Sierra Club
and held the position of Executive Director of
Voice & Choices, a 13 county smart growth
initiative. Shifting from local to national, she
became President of the national Sierra
Club from 2005 to 2007 seeking to engage
Americans in climate solutions. Dozens of
boards, initiatives and campaigns later, she’s still at it. The focus of
her current campaign is to revoke the social license of the fossil fuel
industry to pollute our atmosphere and politics.
Julie Ristau, Co-Director, On The
Commons; Co-Chair, Homegrown
Minneapolis
The focus of Julie Ristau’s work is
animating new possibilities for communities,
organizations, businesses and people. This
work as “an animateur” happens through
collaborative planning, strategic problem
solving, visioning and implementation. Her
expertise crosses many fields from organizing to start-ups to community
restoration. Ristau is leading the process to establish the Will Steger
Wilderness Center, co-leads On the Commons, a commons movement
strategy center and is now launching Regeneration Partnership, a
collaborative to help bring new social and sustainable initiatives to life.
Early in her career, she started a breeding stock farm in southern
Minnesota, she helped launch Utne Reader magazine, held an
endowed chair in Agricultural Systems at the University of Minnesota,
and served as Executive Director of the national League of Rural
Voters. As an active community volunteer, Ristau co-founded and
helped design and lead Homegrown MPLS, the mayor’s local food
initiative. Her long work with the commons led to her active involvement
with the Women’s Congress.
Sandra Steingraber, biologist,
author, cancer survivor
Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., writes about
climate change, ecology, and the links
between human health and the environment.
Her highly acclaimed book, Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation
of Cancer and the Environment, was the
first to bring together data on toxic releases
with data from U.S. cancer registries and
was adapted for the screen in 2010. As both book and documentary
film, Living Downstream has won praise from international media.
Continuing the investigation in her books, Having Faith: An Ecologist’s
Journey to Motherhood and Raising Elijah: Protecting Our Children in
an Age of Environmental Crisis, she explores the intimate ecology of
pregnancy and reveals the ways which environmental hazards now
threaten each stage of infant and child development. Throughout, she
calls parents and cancer patients alike to political action.
Made possible by support from the Ceres Trust
Kimberly Wasserman, 2013
Goldman Environmental Prize
winner; Director, Little Village
Environmental Justice Organization
Kim Wasserman Nieto organized her
neighbors to lead the fight that closed
down two of the nation’s oldest and dirtiest
coal-fired power plants on Chicago’s
southwest side—the Fisk and Crawford
plants, owned by Midwest Generation. Just a few hundred feet away
from the Crawford plant is the vibrant and diverse community of
Little Village, a small but densely populated neighborhood of some
100,000 residents, mostly Latino families and children — including
Wasserman. She worked with local community-based organizations
to form a strategic alliance of faith, health, labor, and environmental
groups. With limited resources, they mounted a formidable campaign,
including “Toxic Tours” of industrial sites and a “Coal Olympics” timed
around the city’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Wasserman
is training the next generation of organizers to lead the community in
transforming old industrial sites in Little Village into parks and open
spaces such as skate parks, soccer fields, and picnic sites where
residents can exercise and enjoy the fresh air.
Saturday Plenary Presenters
Riane Eisler, attorney, author,
systems scientist
Riane Eisler is the groundbreaking author
of The Chalice and the Blade: Our History,
Our Future (now in 26 foreign editions);
and The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating
a Caring Economics. She is internationally
known as a systems scientist, attorney
working for the human rights of women and
children, and leader in the movement for peace, sustainability, and
economic equity. Her work on cultural transformation has inspired
both scholars and social activists. She lectures worldwide, with
venues including the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. State
Department, and Congressional briefings. Riane is president of the
Center for Partnership Studies, dedicated to research and education
and co-founder of the Caring Economy Campaign. Her work, to
quote Vigdis Finnbogadottir, President of Iceland 1980-1996, is: “An
essential tool for …everyone looking for ways to halt environmental
destruction, eradicate poverty, stabilize population, and build a better
future.”
Barbara Ford, singer, songwriter
Barbara Ford is an activist, facilitator, singer,
songwriter, and artist. Skilled in working
with groups with creativity, empathy, and
humor, she often incorporates ritual, music,
movement, and other creative activities to
deepen the workshop experience. She has
worked closely with eco-philosopher Joanna
Macy, and offers workshops, classes, and
webinars on Active Hope, The Work That
Reconnects, Radical Gratitude, and other offerings that explore
the convergence of spirit, creativity, and the engaged life. Most
recently, Barbara has recorded Blue Earth, a collection of original
and cover songs that speak to the multiple stories of connection and
disconnection to the world and each other.
Robyn Langkos
Lives take sharp turns sometimes. Robyn’s life
took such a turn from corporate organizational
consulting work into a deep love and
appreciation for ritual when she first attended,
and then later became staff manager for Nine
Gates Mystery School. Since leaving that
position many years ago, she has continued
to lead groups in ritual designed to remind us
of what we already know in our hearts about
ourselves and our connections to the natural world. She also leads a
meditation group and works with a local restorative justice organization.
But the most important things to know about Robyn are that she lives
on 80 acres of land in Wisconsin together with her husband and three
other families – land which rests within the watershed of the Kinnikinnic
River and which is now placed into conservancy for all generations.
She is an organic gardener and lover of trees. Except for three years
when it couldn’t be helped, she has lived her entire life with a view of
white pines out her window.
Joanna Macy, teacher, author
Joanna Macy is a scholar of Buddhism, general
systems theory and deep ecology. A respected
voice in the movements for peace, justice
and ecology, she interweaves her scholarship
with five decades of activism. She is the root
teacher of the Work That Reconnects and the
author of 13 books, including World as Lover,
World as Self and Coming Back to Life. The
Work That Reconnects helps us to see our world as our larger living
body and to free ourselves from the attitudes and behaviors that
threaten life on Earth.
Cecilia Martinez, Director of
Research Programs, Center for
Earth, Energy and Democracy
(CEED)
Cecilia Martinez, PhD, focuses her work
and research on the development of energy
and environmental strategies that promote
equitable and sustainable policies and
environmental justice. She currently serves
on the Climate Action Planning Steering Committee for the City of
Minneapolis, and recently completed an analysis of coal-based energy
and environmental justice communities, and a review of climate
adaptation and public health for the National Environmental Justice
Leadership Forum on Climate Change. Among her publications is the
co-edited volume Environmental Justice: Discourses in International
Political Economy which includes some of her work on North
American Indigenous peoples and the challenge of forging a common
agenda of indigenous rights, justice and sustainability.
Teddie Potter, Coordinator, Doctor
of Nursing Practice in Health
Innovation and Leadership;
Director of Inclusivity and
Diversity, University of Minnesota
Teddie Potter, PhD, MS, RN has spoken
nationally and internationally about
Partnership-Based Nursing, and The
BASE of Nursing, new theories to guide
nursing practice, education, and research. Her newly released book,
Transforming Interprofessional Partnerships: A New Framework for
Nursing and Partnership-Based Health Care, was co-authored with
Riane Eisler and equips nurses to be full partners, ready to lead
necessary change to advance the health of all nations. Dr. Potter’s
commitment to whole systems healing led to her early involvement
in climate change activism. She was instrumental in leading the
Earthwise Resolution movement in the United Church of Christ and
has played an active role in Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light
and the Earthwise Ministry at Mayflower UCC. She believes climate
change is the most urgent global public health issue of our time.
Becky Rom, activist
Becky Rom is retired from her position as
President of the Twin Cities Community Land
Bank and from 30 years of the practice of
law at Faegre Baker Daniels. Becky currently
lives in Ely, Minnesota, where her family
has resided for three generations, and is a
leader of the Campaign to Save the Boundary
Waters. Becky has served on the Governing
Council of The Wilderness Society since 1996 and on the boards
of numerous conservation and community organizations during
the past four decades. Her many awards and recognitions for civic
engagement include the Willard Munger Award for Public Service,
Corporate Women of Achievement (NAWBO), 25 Most Influential
Women in Business (CityBusiness), John Benson Pro Bono Award,
and the Boundary Waters Conservation Award.
Acknowledgements
This Congress could not have happened without the dedication and generous
support of so many individuals and groups — many of whom have been working
for two years to transform this idea into a reality.
Leadership Team
Ann Manning, Initiative Director
Barbara Arney
Monica Bryand
Rebecca Cramer
KC Foley
Jan Leadholm
Emily Moore
Jan Neville
Patricia Neal
Vicki O’Day
Julie Ristau
Kathleen Seestadt
Betsy Stites
Jodi Williams
Program Committee
Kaitlin Butler
Barbara Ford
Helene Johnson
Ann Manning
Sarah Mollet
Patricia Neal
Karen Olson
Carolyn Raffensperger
Nina Salveson
Energy & Aesthetics
Committee
Barbara Arney
Patrice Connelly
Nancy Cosgriff
Marylee Hardenbergh
Margie Kostouros
Nancy Peterson
Robyn Langkos
Danette Olsen
Betsy Stites
Marketing &
Communications
Rocel Kingman
Jan Leadholm
Lisa Leland
Jan Neville
Jan Rabbers
Kathleen Raymond-Judy
Ember Reichgott Junge
Julie Sell
Anne Sonnee
Outreach
Monica Bryand
Emily Carlson
Rebecca Cramer
KC Foley
Katy Gaynor
Evan Adams-Hanson
Maureen Hurley
Allison Johnson
Pamela Kocinski
Linda Littrell
Lanie Millan
Emily Moore
Vicki O’Day
Patty O’Keefe
Kathleen Seestadt
Jodi Williams
Maryah Wolszon
Barbara Vaile
Lynn Voebel
Fundraising
Marcia Bergstrom
Sonia Cairns
Lori Jacobwith
Ann Manning
Patricia Neal
Jan Neville
Andrea Satter
Katie Silberman
Cheri Stofer
Margaret Telfer
Ellen Van Iwaarden
Gloria Wallace
Special Assignments
Marilyn Larsen — Labyrinth
Linda Littrell — Historical Memory
Mary Ludington — Kitchen Table Kits
M.J. McGregor — Labyrinth
Karen Olson — Kitchen Table Kits
Julie Ristau — Movement Strategy
National Team —
Science & Environmental Health
Network (www.sehn.org)
Carolyn Raffensperger, Executive
Director
Rebecca Altman
Kaitlin Butler
Barbara Ford
Robin Milam
Ted Schettler
Sherri Seidmon
Katie Silberman
Center for Energy and Earth
Democracy (www.ceed.org)
Shalini Gupta
Cecilia Martinez
On The Commons
(www.onthecommons.org)
Ana Micka
Julie Ristau
Jay Walljasper
Creative Catalysts
Amy Batiste
Nicki Craig
TV by Girls (www.tvbygirls.tv)
Serena Violet Hodges
Molly Burns-Hansen
Barbara Weiner, Founder
Steering Committee,
First Women’s Congress in
Moab, UTAH
Heart of the Beast
Guardians of the Elements
KNOCK INC.
Conference Management
Olivia Gault
Helene Johnson, Executive Director,
GTS Educational Events
Karen Beaulieu
Nancy Olson
Maureen Smith
Kim Wielinski
GTS Educational Events is a non-profit organization
dedicated to helping those who provide services to
Minnesota citizens and communities meet current
needs for knowledge and skills, plus anticipate and
prepare for changes to come. We have worked with
policy makers, staff and appointed officials from
all levels of government and all types of non-profit
agencies—and their collaborators in associations,
business, higher education and community groups—
since 1976.
Womens Congress Allies
A Note about RHEA, The Ancient Titan Earth Goddess
Susie Andler and Jessie Thompson, Co-Chairs for Koehler and Dramm’s Institute of Floristry 2014 Art in Bloom installation at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The installation featured a reclining woman made of moss with a faux stone face and flower hair. Our intention was to create
a natural form that appeared to be resting in the ground. She was given the name Adamina, derived from Hebrew, meaning
“daughter of the earth”. She was on display to the public for four days and we were delighted to receive many positive reviews.
The most interesting part was how she was interpreted. Some viewed her as a goddess, but to others she was representative of
mother earth.
We were honored with the request to create another version of Adamina. We are proud to present to you Rhea (Greek) The
ancient Titan Earth Goddess, responsible for the fertility of the soil and women. The name is most likely a form of the word era
meaning “earth”, although it has also been linked to ‘rheos’ the Greek term for “stream.”
Susie Andler works full time as an occupational therapy assistant and is a designer for Mary’s Floral, a home based studio in West
Saint Paul. Jessie Thompson is a certified professional floral designer, currently working as a designer for Your Enchanted Florist
in St. Paul. The 2014 Women’s Congress is deeply grateful to Susie and Jessie for their vision and creativity with Rhea who has
graced us throughout the Congress. Also we thank Ardith Beveridge, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, CAFA, MSF and Koehler and Dramm
Institute of Floristry for donating the display flowers as well as time.
Cover Art: Kat Bodie grew up in the St. Croix River Valley and now lives in
Traverse City, MI, where she works as a freelance illustrator. www.katbodie.com
I dreamed that I saw the Tree of Life
holding the Scales of Justice.
Justice itself would be determined by the Tree of Life,
the Owl nesting in its branches,
the Rain and River that watered its roots.