Livable Future Project

Newsletter for May 16:

May 19, 2006

Livable Future Newsletter
Editor: Patricia Mikkelson, May 16,2006
livablefuture@yahoo.com 479-582-1681
Neighborhoodlink.com/org/livablefuture

Purpose: To help create a sustainable world by supporting the creation of sustainable neighborhoods and communities where every living creature thrives.

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the issue of oil dependency. I hadn?’t really thought that much about it, because I was so focused on creating a sense of community among people that for some reason it did not seem relevant. I did a lot of research on Peak Oil?—the theory that we have or soon will produce our maximum amount of oil on the planet, and we will not have enough supply to equal the demand. Then I talked to a lot of people, and found that there is a high probability that everyone (except perhaps those who benefit monetarily from the oil industry) is concerned about how vulnerable we are when we are dependent on oil. Our core needs for survival: production and transportation of food; maintaining water supplies; and heating; are all affected if we do not have enough oil to meet our needs.

Thus, I have come to the conclusion that it is really important to focus on those issues which concern everyone, because the division that exists right now among so many people who need to work together to make positive changes, is benefiting the people who want power and money. There are many examples in history where people have withdrawn their energy from the powers that be, and they emerged victorious. One such example is Denmark, during World War 2. When Hitler?’s troops came in to take over, the king supported the people in a non-violent resistance. Mechanics would not fix the soldiers?’ vehicles. Food was not made available. No one would help in any way. The troops just left, without violence, because there was nothing to support them in such a united front.

It is my hope that through the activities of the Livable Future Project, we will be able to see our common ground and work together to create sustainable neighborhoods, communities, and world. I hope you will attend a Community Conversation where we can focus on finding solutions to oil dependence, and in the process, find a unity that we never knew we had. Patricia

Economic Localization: A Sustainable Solution to Oil Dependency: A live call-in talk show on Cable Access Television. Wed. 7-8PM, May 24. Patricia Mikkelson and Coral Rose will co-host this show, and you are invited to be a live audience, and briefly share what you are doing in the realm of sustainable living. We especially want to hear from people who focus on community and organic gardening, emergency preparation, healthy neighborhoods, alternative fuels, and rain water retrieval systems. If you can not attend in person, please do watch and call in.

Oil Dependency: Finding sustainable solutions together: A Community Conversation. Sat., May 27, 5:30-9PM, Yvonne Richardson Center, 240 E. Rock (about 3 blocks east of College Ave.), Fayetteville, Arkansas We will be showing the movie, THE END OF SUBURBIA for those who have not seen it. Potluck and conversations start at 5:30PM. If you can't bring something, we trust there will be enough food for you! Bring extra if you can.

Every issue of importance to anyone (especially you!) is on the table. Each person will have the opportunity to name the topics of conversation. Then we will quickly break off into smaller work groups to make these outcomes a reality. We create a summarizing document so that others may join in the discussion on line or in person. Bring your address books and publicity resources to share so we can brainstorm ideas and share information. Openspaceworld.org tells more about the unique way that this meeting will be facilitated.
Oil Dependency: Finding sustainable solutions together: A Community Conversation. Sat., June 3, 5:30-9PM, Living Springs Community Center, near Kingston, Arkansas. (email Patricia for directions) Same format as the May 27 meeting.

Community Conversation Facilitation: If you would like to sponsor a Community Conversation in your neighborhood, I am available to facilitate these events. Call or email me for more details.
Networking meeting and Idea exchange. Tuesday, June 6 6-7:30PM, Fayetteville Library, Conference Room .We will divide the time among the people who attend, and give each other support on our projects. A great way to meet new people, deepen friendships, and give and receive excellent feedback. Please note the change in rooms; you can ask for the location at the front desk.

E-Ocean Report: I have talked to many of you about a web site I want to create which connects people who offer sustainable goods and services, with customers, and educates about sustainable living. Martin Jardan, Robert Kersbergen (my husband) and I are all working on designing the website, and I hope to have a report soon..

Kingston Fair on the Square: The Livable Future Project had a booth at this event to promote the Community Conversations about oil dependency. I got such a great response. I was also happy that I received permission to facilitate a Community Conversation at the Living Springs Community Center (mentioned above). I made one contact who is really excited about the Livable Future Project, and we are in contact daily, encouraging each other and exchanging ideas. My daughter, Mariyanna, sold jewelry right next to me, and thus we were able to fulfill each of our individual dreams and be together!

Mary Thornton had her baby! Many of you might know that Mary was one of the first people who really encouraged me to keep going (along with Martin Jardan and Liz Stewart). She helped a lot, then needed to withdraw as she got closer to the birth of her beautiful baby girl, born last Tuesday. She had a great home birth. Congratulations!

Free Raw Food talk and demonstration: Denise Thomas will be giving a free class in raw foods preparation as well as telling her story of how a raw food diet healed her diabetes. This Sat. 2-4PM at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville on Dickson and College.. Email: denisedthomas@yahoo.com
Resources


Resources

Lifeaftertheoilcrash.net This gives an analysis of the problem and solutions.

WilletsEconomicLocalization.org Willets is a town in Northern California which has organized extensively to help create a sustainable city.
endofsuburbia.com Clips of movie. Has many links relating to the oil crises

zaadz.com A great supportive site to utilize if you are wanting to make a living creating a sustainable world.
soarhigher.com A local site which helps business people network and be empowered. We need more sustainable businesses involved in networking

gmlets.u-net.com Talks about LETS, Local Economic Trading System. An excellent method for helping create thriving local economy. This is one of our next priorities for focus, for having alternatives to money will help the economic localization.

www.simpleology.com A free course in helping you set big goals and carry them out. I am thinking about having Simpleology Teams (similar to Success Teams) where people support each other in following through. The course can help with the goal setting and daily practice; the group helps with ideas, networking, encouragement, prayer, and other support.

OpenSpaceWorld.org Describes the technique we will use to facilitate community conversations.

SherSuccessTeams.com Our Success Teams/Unjobbing Teams were modeled after this concept. Working together to support each other in achieving our goals is vital. If anyone would like to become a Success Team facilitator as part of their right livelihood, this web site has information on training.

Unjobbing: The Adult Liberation Handbook by Michael Fogler I have listened to a tape of a class by Michael, and I yearn to facilitate such a workshop so that we can all focus on following our dreams and simplify our lives. I will let you know when I am ready. In the meantime, I highly recommend getting this book.

The Purpose Driven Life, The Purpose Driven Church, by Rick Warren Wonderful insights about how to prioritize your life, and create a church or organization that truly empowers people





Help Wanted for Livable Future Project

Spread the word! Print the attachments in this email. There is a flyer, newsletter, and a list of possible solutions which you can share with people. Call your friends, especially leaders and people with large spheres of influence--if they get motivated, then they will spread the word. If this is important to you, please prioritize! We are all in this together!

Find people who are are involved in neighborhood development and economic localization--ask them to call into the show so we can hear from them.

Farmer's Market Table: Help with the Livable Future Farmer's Market table this Saturday, 7am-1pm We could use some help from 11-1 especially.

May 27 event: Come early to set up for the Community Conversation. Stay late to clean up. Bring extra food for those who might not be able to bring food. Supply silverware and plates, and be willing to take them home and wash them.

Cash Donations: If you want to help financially, here is a wish list

End of Suburbia DVDS: . This movie has inspired many people to take action in such ways as economic localization. Willits, California, is one town focusing on this issue because a handful of people saw this film. WillitsEconomicLocalization.org $158 buys ten DVD?’s along with viewing guides. EndOfSuburbia.com

3 Steps to Neighborhood Emergency Preparation: This is the best guide I have ever seen for getting neighborhoods organized. Almost everyone can agree that preparing for emergencies is a good thing, and this booklet give step by step how to do it. Learning gardening skills and storing heirloom seeds are included in the ways to be prepared. I envision that once neighborhoods come together in this way, they will be ready to focus on more ways to be sustainable.

I want to sell these as a fundraiser and educational tool. $5 each with a discount for over 5. Their website is great, describing how a whole town (Provo, Utah) and now people all over the country are adopting this simple method. 3steps.org

A DVD on how Cuba dealt with their oil shortage when they were cut off from their supplies. This is a positive example of how people in urban areas dealt with their own peak oil crisis. I hope to show this on CAT, and lend it out. $20

Copies: I would like to continue being able to distribute free newsletters and make plenty of flyers.

Television Producer for CAT: I plan to make a video series on what it would take to live sustainably in neighborhoods. Each show would have a theme, such as community gardens, urban gardening (including edible landscaping), water retrieval systems; insulation; green houses.

Publicity director needed: Someone to get the word out to the press, and help develop a strategy so that when we do activities, we effectively use all of our resources, including bulletin boards, sandwich signs, telephone trees, word of mouth, radio psa's, community television adds, and more. We could have a special meeting just on this topic for those who are interested, so that when an event happens, it is simple to get the publicity out. This could be shared with other organizations.

Creating a 501C3: If someone can work on this who has experience and can easily guide me to fill in the blanks, this would help a lot.

Goals of Livable Future Project
1. Publish an excellent newsletter which appeals to all kinds of people and helps connect them.
2. Have an effective website which people can utilize to connect to each other locally, including sustainable business development and sustainable neighborhood organizing.
3. Inventory all the resources we currently have in our area, and make this information available in a directory, including: locally owned businesses, especially sustainable ones; networking opportunities; neighborhoods; individuals working on projects; non-profit organizations and publicity resources
4. Host monthly meetings for LETS, Local Economic Trading System
5. Talk to local churches about helping with neighborhood emergency preparedness.
6. Facilitate weekly at least one Community Conversation Facilitate one large networking event monthly.
8. Sponsor a Sustainable Living conference where 1000 people from Northwest Arkansas come together to create a strategic plan for sustainability in our region.
9. Produce a weekly television program.
10. Start a model sustainable neighborhood in my neighborhoods. Start the process of training for community facilitators (like peace corps)
11 In all these doings, be the change I want to see, and grow spiritually in my walk with Jesus and our Creator.