September 26, 2022 Update
The Global Earth Repair Summit continues to evolve. Here is the latest news.
Welcome to our latest core staff person: Ryan Rising of the Permaculture Action Network.
Ryan has organized over 100 events which combines hands-on work projects and musical entertainment with musicians like Appalachia Rising. Ryan brings his many connections in the musical and permaculture worlds to the Summit. Ryan will coordinate the Summit’s Global Day of Earth Repair Action. He is experienced in the ways of unconference formats and will help guide us through an exciting and useful-to the-world event.
* Plans for the October 23 Global Day of Earth Repair Action are moving forward. Ryan Rising is facilitating this effort. Look for a form on our website where you can register your event.
* The summit includes elements of a structured conference including keynotes and pre-scheduled workshops throughout the Summit. Most presentations will include a question and answer period.
* Unconference: We are adding elements of an unconference which will organize the breakout groups in an effective manner. An unconference is a sophisticated system which allows a great degree of interaction and allows participants to find the topics and conversations most dear to their heart. The unconference scheduling will be happening at all sessions, except for the first morning workshop period and will end up creating many additional workshops as well as talking circles
Unconference description:
Unlike traditional conferences, an unconference is a participant-oriented meeting where the attendees decide on the agenda, discussion topics and workshops. The informal and flexible program allows participants to suggest topics of their own interest and choose sessions accordingly. The format provides an excellent opportunity for researchers from diverse disciplines to work collaboratively on topics of common interest. The overarching goal for most unconferences is to prioritize conversation over presentation. In other words, the content for a session does not come from a select number of individuals at the front of the room, but is generated by all the attendees within the room, and, as such, every participant has an important role.
Advantages of the unconference format include: a focus on topics that are relevant to the attendees (because they suggested them), an opportunity for teamwork development, flexibility of schedule, and an emphasis on contributions from every participant. The relationships built during an unconference often continue well past the event. The interactions can lead to productive collaborations, professional development opportunities, and a network of resources and are very effective at building a community amongst participants. The unconference format, therefore, gives participants experience in working together, and this can change how they think about their day-to-day work. From: Ten Simple Rules for Organizing an Unconference
* Spanish Language Program for the America’s
Ercilia Sahores of Regeneration International is coordinating a Spanish-language program for South and Central America. Their program will overlap (time-wise) with our English language Americas’ program.
* African Program: Precious Phiri of Regeneration International in Zimbabwe is coordinating our Africa Program and already has a full slate of fantastic presenters picked out. The Africa program will be 3 hours a day for three days. Workshops and small group sessions.
* European Program. Candida Shinn of International Permaculture Co-Lab is coordinating the European component. It will be 3 hours in the evenings on October 21, 22, and 24. Workshops and small group sessions.
* The Summit will not include a program for East Asia/Australia/Oceania, this time around. We have not found coordinators for Asia, Australia and Oceania. We expect some will come forward before Summit II.
* Symposium: “Using drought resistant plants to restore natural function in water scarce areas”. The Ecosystem Restoration Camps Foundation is hosting a panel on September 22 as part of the Summit.
* Indigenous Participation. Indigenous voices and indigenous leadership will be prominent during the Summit. Opening and closing ceremony, pre-scheduled workshops, keynote talks and a strong presence in the unconference scheduling. There will be Indigenous-led talking circles in which the elders will speak first followed by discussion.An announcement about the Indigenous Track and a list of noteworthy, Indigenous presenters is on our website.
In addition, Ilarion Merculieff has just informed us that Mindahi, Mona Polacca (one of the 13 Grandmothers), Ed Sparks, and Pacha Kanchay are willing to participate. Pacha is a well-known facilitator for the Elders in Brazil. We are also in touch with tribal people in the Philippines and are about to be put in touch with many other indigenous people around the world. We wish to lay the groundwork for a long relationship whereby we can provide another place for Indigenous voices to reach the world.
* Nature Communication Track
The Global Earth Repair Summit includes a Nature Communication Track on working with the spirits of the land. The spiritual side of earth repair. All indigenous peoples spoke to the land, waters, animals, plants, and all life forms and this goes on to this day and indeed there is a resurgence in this. Earth Repair can be informed by communication with the intelligences in nature. This track is for people who communicate with nature or who wish to. Earth Spirits are invited, acknowledged and respected.
Track presenters to date:
* Mahala Frye operates within the Core and Peruvian Shamanism systems, which she has blended with the Perelandra materials.
* Pam Montgomery is an herbalist, author, international teacher and plant spirit healing practitioner.
* Marko Pogacnik is a Slovenian artist with an international reputation in conceptual and land art. Through his work, he has developed the skill of Geomancy as a tool for unlocking the hidden wisdom of the Earth. He leads workshops throughout the world in Earth Healing.
* Brenda Selgado is an author, medicine woman, Toltec energy healer, and consultant. Trained by elders in Purepecha, Xochimilco, Toltec and other lineages.
* Earth Musicians
We are lining up Earth musicians to perform their musical magic for us. Including African youth choirs and dancers, Laurance Cole, Summer Fawn, and Alice DiMicele so far. Their music will regale us during the break periods and will be recorded so that everyone will have a chance to listen and watch. We are excited to see who else wants to perform. If you’d like to be part of the Earth Musicians contingent contact Ryan Rising.
* Global Earth Repair Action Plan:
This could also be titled an “Action Plan for Planetary Regeneration”.
Action Plan components:
1. We are in the process of identifying the best global plans put forward to date and their authors. Links to these plans will be part and parcel of our Action Plan. The Summit will feature presentations by many of the authors at the Summit.
* Dennis Garrity of Evergreening Alliance.
* Paul Hawken: Author of Drawdown and Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation.
* Michal Kravcik: Zuzka Mulkerin will present on Kravcik & team’s thinking and Michal will join us for the Q&A period.
* Rob de Laet will speak on Cooling the Planet Fast with Nature Based Solutions.
* John Liu: Ecosystem Restoration Camps Keynote at the summit.
* Michael Pilarski, Author of Carbon Sequestration Proposal for the World. 2010.
Others will likely be added to this list.
2. We will be collecting input for the Action Plan leading up the summit.
There will be a questionnaire form on the Summit website where people can send in their proposals/ideas for the Action Plan. Everyone can contribute their action items and whether it is meant for local, regional, national or international scales. We hope to set up a way for all the content to be displayed on our website as it comes in.
3. On the 4th day of the Summit (October 24), We will focus ideas for the Action Plan. Lots of ideas will come out of the small groups. This is also the day we want the above list of speakers to present their latest thoughts on the plans they have developed.
4. Between the Summit and COP27 (12 days) we need a crash team to filter through the contributed ideas and choose the ones to add into the Action Plan. Probably verbatim by category. The crash team (as a whole) has to have familiarity with the identified best plans mentioned above. Who would like to volunteer their time and experience?
5. The composite Action Plan can be presented to the world and disseminated through all our collaborating organizations. Some of our people can bring it to the civil society encampment outside of COP27. We plan on making this a living document on the internet.
6. At our next Global Earth Repair Summit (perhaps as early as April 2023) we will go through a reiterative process to build on, and expand, the initial Action Plan.
OUR SISTER SUMMITS
We are not alone. The movement is vast and decentralized. There is A LOT going on. Here is a list of other restoration summits/events happening in September/October 2022. Culminating in Eco-Restoration Week. Check them out and participate in the ones which interest you. See here
There are many eco-restoration hubs. Some of them are alliances of many organizations. The Global Earth Repair Summit is being advised and publicized by many of these eco-restoration hubs. See the Summit’s list of collaborating alliances/organizations. Their combined outreach is vast. The Summit will involve representatives and participants from many of them. The Summit wishes to serve all of them. We will be working to continually expand our international network of collaborators leading up to Phase II of the Global Earth Repair Summit.
Global Earth Repair Summit
SPONSORS (as of September 20, 2022)
Deborah & Russ Koff-Chapin $10,000
Michael Pilarski $5,000
John Roulac, Nutiva, Kiss the Ground $2,500
Abundant Earth Foundation $1,000
Janet Dowell $750
Tom Aeschliman $750
Brian Hughes $500
Mary Waters Minton $300
Chimacum Corner Farmstand $250
Total: $21,050
Our total budget needs are much larger.
Please donate generously. Seek other funders on the Summit’s behalf.
