Creating an Economics of Happiness in Berkeley
International conference to take place at the David Brower Center, Berkeley, California March 23-25, 2012 www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/conference
February 22, 2012 - The Economics of Happiness conference will bring together some of the most respected thinkers and activists in the worldwide localization movement to focus on an agenda for change—away from jobless growth towards sustainable livelihoods; from large-scale sweatshops towards scaled-down business; from self-recrimination and guilt towards empowerment and collaboration; from a globalized system of exploitation and inequality towards an economics of happiness.
Speakers include Bay Area locals Annie Leonard, Anuradha Mittal, Joanna Macy and Rebecca Tarbotton, as well as Charles Eisenstein, Sulak Sivaraksa, Richard Heinberg, Michael Shuman, Stacy Mitchell, Megan Quinn Bachman, Judy Wicks, Gustavo Esteva, Manish Jain, Helena Norberg-Hodge and more. The event will also feature performances by local celebrities Jennifer Berezan, Nina Wise and Wes “Scoop” Nisker.
"Economic localization is the key to sustaining biological and cultural diversity - to sustaining life itself. The sooner we shift towards the local, the sooner we will begin healing our planet, our communities and ourselves." - Helena Norberg-Hodge, director and producer of The Economics of Happiness film.
Hosted by the International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC), the Economics of Happiness conference seeks to provide clarity on the way forward — towards more truly sustainable ways of living. It will cover a range of interconnected topics, including public policy choices; local initiatives in food, energy, education, business and banking; the need to bridge the North-South divide; and the influence of the economy on our psychological well-being.
“Trade--national or international--isn't the goal, but a means to promote well-being, good jobs, a healthy environment,” says Annie Leonard, creator of The Story of Stuff.
This ground-breaking three-day event will be held March 23 to 25 at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, California. www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/conference
A special screening of the documentary films, The Economics of Happiness and Schooling the World, will take place March 22 at 6:30pm at the Marsh Arts Center in Berkeley.
Film directors, Helena Norberg-Hodge and Steven Gorelick, are available for interviews.
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