WHERE
DO WE GO FROM HERE CONFERENCE
As a global community, we currently face many challenges. We collectively depend on shared resources including clean
water, energy, a just economy, access to
food and lately;
the Internet. However, these assets are threatened by economic, political, and social systems that do not support what’s best for the vast majority of people
in the natural world.
As we consider how to bring forth the changes that will help us move toward a world of greater social equity and environmental resilience, it is important to understand the interconnectedness of all the issues at hand.
One of the most important issues from a social standpoint is housing
and affordability, rather than wealth
generation, which is invariably not shared with the masses, but locked
away for no benefit to mankind.
This gathering is led by activists and thinkers on the front lines of change,
coming together to explore “The Commons” as a unifying paradigm to move
planet earth closer to sustainability. Whether you are a business leader, educator, student, architect, builder,
politician, or simply a concerned citizen, this gathering has the
ingredients to inform and motivate you to take action in your own community.
At
BMS, we are at the cutting edge of technology that has the potential to
solve a number of the issues likely to be discussed at this venue. We
are a proactive think tank, developing ideas and disseminating
information that others may share our vision.
OMEGA
AGENDA
THURSDAY,
OCTOBER 23
4:00
p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Arrival
& Check-In (Rooms
available after 5:00 p.m. for participants
arriving on Thursday)
6:00
p.m.-7:15 p.m. Dinner
FRIDAY,
OCTOBER 24
7:00
a.m.-8:00 a.m. Optional yoga, meditation, or Tai Chi
7:30
a.m.-8:45 a.m.
Arrival & Breakfast
9:00
a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Keynotes with Robert "Skip"
Backus, David Bollier, and Vandana
Shiva
12:30
p.m.-2:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00
p.m.-2:00 p.m
Optional tour of the Omega Center for
Sustainable Living
2:30
p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Presentation: Detroit Kitchen Connect by
Devita Davison
Keynotes with Winona
LaDuke
and Elizabeth
Lesser
Dialog
Walks 5:30
p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Room
Check-in for participants who arrived
Friday morning.
5:30
p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Optional tour of the Omega Center for
Sustainable Living
6:00
p.m.-7:15 p.m. Dinner
8:00
p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Omega's third annual OCSL Leadership in
Sustainable Education Award
Keynote with Van Jones
SATURDAY,
OCTOBER 25
7:00
a.m.-8:00 a.m. Optional yoga, meditation, or Tai Chi
7:30
a.m.-8:45 a.m. Breakfast
9:00
a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Keynote with Jeremy Rifkin
Conversation with Jeremy Rifkin
and Vandana Shiva, moderated by
David Bollier
Presentation: 3D Printing by Michael
Gayk
12:30
p.m.-2:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00
p.m.-2:00 p.m Optional tour of the Omega Center for
Sustainable Living
2:00
p.m.-4:45 p.m.
Presentation by Osprey Orielle Lake
Conversation Women's Leadership in
Sustainability with Vandana
Shiva, Winona LaDuke, and Osprey
Orielle Lake, moderated by Carla
Goldstein
Presentation by Xiuhtezcatl
Martinez
Keynote
with Bob
Berkebile
4:45
p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Conference Mixer: Meet and
greet other conference participants. Learn about
current work being done; and the vision
individuals and organizations hold for our
shared future.
6:00
p.m.-7:15 p.m. Dinner
8:00
p.m.-10:00 p.m. Evening entertainment
SUNDAY,
OCTOBER 26
7:00
a.m.-8:00 a.m. Optional yoga, meditation, or Tai Chi
7:30
a.m.-8:45 a.m. Breakfast
9:00
a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Presentation: The Billion Dollar Oyster
Project by Harbor School
Students
Keynote with David
Orr
Keynote
with Bill
McKibben
Conference
Close with Robert
"Skip" Backus
12:30
p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00
p.m.
Check
Out
1:00
p.m.-2:00 p.m. - Optional tour of the Omega
Center for Sustainable Living
Schedule
and speakers are subject to change. Please check
the organizers website
closer to the event.
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OMEGA
CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
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Vandana
Shiva, PhD, is a
world-renowned environmental leader,
eco-feminist,
author, and thinker. Director of the
Research Foundation on Science,
Technology, and Ecology, she is a leader
in the International Forum on
Globalization, along with Ralph Nader
and Jeremy Rifkin. Recipient of many
awards, she also has served as an
adviser to governments and NGOs. navdanya.org |
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Van
Jones, a former advisor to President
Obama and best-selling author of the
definitive book on green jobs, The
Green Collar Economy, is cohost of Crossfire on
CNN and an award-winning pioneer in human
rights and the clean energy economy.
In 2009, Time magazine
called him “one of the 100 most
influential people in the world.” vanjones.net
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Jeremy
Rifkin, president of the
Foundation on Economic Trends, is an
authority on economic sustainability.
His books
include The Third Industrial
Revolution and The
Empathic Civilization. foet.org
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Elizabeth
Lesser is cofounder of
the Omega Institute and senior advisor
on Omega’s board of directors. Author
of The Seeker’s Guide and
the New
York Times best seller, Broken
Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us
Grow, she is a frequent host
on the Oprah Radio channel on Sirius/XM.
In 2002, she initiated the Women &
Power conference series and is cofounder
of the Omega Women's Leadership Center. elizabethlesser.net |
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David
W. Orr is “Counselor
to the President” Oberlin College and
Steven A. Minter fellow at the Cleveland
Foundation. He is founder and Chair
of the Board of the Oberlin project and
a founding editor of the journal Solutions. oberlinproject.org
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Bob
Berkebile, is an
influential sustainable design architect
and community planner, a founding
principal of BNIM Architects, and a
board member of the U.S. Green Building
Council, the Nature Conservancy, and the
Center for Global Community. bnim.com
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Winona
LaDuke is an
internationally acclaimed author, orator
and activist. A graduate of Harvard and
Antioch Universities with advanced
degrees in rural economic development,
LaDuke has devoted her life to
protecting the lands and life ways of
Native communities. LaDuke is founder
and Co-Director of Honor
the Earth.
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Bill
McKibben, over the
past three decades, has
shaped public perception—and public
action—on climate
change, alternative energy, and the
need for localized economies. An
environmental activist, best-selling
author, and "the planet's best
green journalist" (TIME),
McKibben is the founder of 350.org,
the massive grassroots climate
change initiative. |
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Xiuhtezcatl
Martinez is the 13 year old
indigenous environmental activist and
youth director of Earth
Guardians. He has organized
many rallies, actions, demonstrations
and events, giving his first speech at a
climate change rally when he was six
years old. He has become a plaintiff in
lawsuits against Colorado and the
federal government for not protecting
the atmosphere. |
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Osprey
Orielle Lake is
the Co-Founder Executive Director of the
Women’s
Earth & Climate Action Network (WECAN).
She is Founder and President of The Women's
Earth and Climate Caucus (WECC) and
works nationally and internationally to
promote resilient communities and foster
a post-carbon energy future, while also
addressing societal transformation. |
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Devita
Davison spearheads Detroit
Kitchen Connect, a network of
shared, commercial kitchen spaces
city-wide that provides community
resources and an array of
industry-specific services to burgeoning
food entrepreneurs.
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Robert
“Skip” Backus is
chief executive officer of Omega and the
visionary behind the Omega
Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL).
He helped lay the foundation for
Omega’s environmental and conservation
initiatives, including campus recycling
and composting, sustainable purchasing
and support of local agriculture, water
conservation, and 100% sourcing of
campus electricity
from wind
and solar
technology. |
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David
Bollier is an influential
American activist, writer, and policy
strategist who focuses on democratic
culture, promoting citizen action and
reclaiming the Commons. He is cofounder
of the Commons Strategies Group and the
author of Think Like a Commoner,
Green Governance, and The
Wealth of the Commons, among other
books. bollier.org |
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Carla
Goldstein, JD, is Omega
Institute’s chief external affairs
officer and cofounder of the Omega
Women's Leadership Center. An attorney
with 25 years of experience in public
interest advocacy, she has contributed
to more than 100 city, state, and
federal laws, and has worked extensively
on issues related to women’s rights,
poverty, public health, and social
justice. eOmega.org/owlc |
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Michael
Gayk earned an MFA in Jewelry
and Metals from the University of
Washington and an BFA in Metals Design
from the College for Creative Studies. Michael’s
current work is emblematic of tension
within muscular structures and pivot
points within the human
body. Michael is currently the
Chair of Education for ACM SIGGRAPH
2015. He is Assistant Professor of
Metal/Digital Design and Fabrication at
SUNY New Paltz. |
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Jason
Stern is co-founder and
publisher at Luminary
Publishing, which he launched
in 1993, to "nourish and support
the cultural, creative, and community
life of the Hudson Valley". Jason
publishes ;Chronogram, Upstate
House, and their
respective websites, and custom
publications for likeminded
organizations. Jason is author of Learning
to Be Human, and pens the
monthly “Esteemed Reader” column in
the Chronogram. |
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VENUE
- OMEGA INSTITUTE, RHINEBECK, NEW YORK
The
Omega Institute, is one of the nation's foremost educational retreat
centers. As a visitor to our Hudson Valley home, you join a long tradition of people who have made their way to this spectacular region known for its natural beauty, art, and cultural innovation.
The
Omega Institute for Holistic Studies is a non-profit educational retreat center located in Rhinebeck, New York. Founded in 1977 by Elizabeth Lesser and Stephan Rechtschaffen, inspired by Sufi mystic, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and his ecumenical spirituality, today it offers classes to over 25,000 people a year, at the 190-acre (0.77 km2) campus.
The institute's stated mission is to "provide hope and healing for individuals and society through innovative educational experiences that awaken the best in the human spirit". Omega’s workshops, conferences, and retreats aim to create dialogues on the integration of modern medicine and natural healing; connect science, spirituality, and creativity; and build the groundwork for new traditions and lifestyles.
RHINEBECK
NEW YORK CAMPUS
In 1982, Omega expanded from rented facilities in New York and Vermont to its current location on the former grounds of Camp Boiberik, a Yiddish camp, in Rhinebeck, New York. There are more than 100 buildings on the 195-acre (0.79 km2) campus, including a dining hall, café, and bookstore. Its buildings also include the Ram Dass Library, named for author Ram Dass who "has been a trusted guide to Omega". In honor of Dass' life’s work, the organization commissioned the library, which is designed in an eight petal lotus blossom shape to symbolize the unfolding of divine energy intended to represent Ram Dass’ service to public health, advancing social justice, and supporting spiritual development throughout the world.
The campus also includes the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL), which is an education center powered by a 48.5 kW solar electric system and has a water reclamation facility.
The OCSL was one of the first two buildings in the world to be certified as "living" by the International Living Building Institute. The Omega Center for Sustainable Living is a wastewater filtration facility that is designed to use the treated water for garden irrigation and in a grey water recovery system. Omega will use the system and the building as a teaching tool in their educational program designed around the ecological impact of their campus.
One
of the main conference buildings at the Omega Institute
PROGRAMS
and FACULTY
Omega’s
educational programs include workshops, professional trainings,
retreats, conferences, and a teen camp. Workshops are organized into six
categories: body, mind, and spirit; health and healing; creativity and
play; relationships and family; leadership and community; and
sustainable living.
New
York City events have included speakers such as Al
Gore, Christopher
Reeve, and Eckhart
Tolle. Annually, Omega hosts a yoga conference, and the Women’s
Institute at Omega offers a conference that has included speakers such
as Eve
Ensler, Isabel
Allende, and Sally
Field. Omega offers scholarships to a variety of its workshops,
trainings, conferences, and retreats.
Other
Omega speakers and teachers have included Adyashanti,
Maya
Angelou, Deepak
Chopra, Pema
Chödrön, Jeanne
Fleming, Jane
Goodall, Pir
Vilayat Inayat Khan, Ram
Dass, Thich
Nhat Hanh, Allen
Ginsberg, Gloria
Steinem, Pete
Seeger, Robert
F. Kennedy, Jr., Philip
Glass, Betty
Williams, Lon
Milo DuQuette, Anandagiri
(One World Academy) and others.
ABOVE:
Henry Delamater House, Rhinebeck - European settlement in the Rhinebeck area dates to 1686, when a
Dutch group crossed the river from Kingston and bought 2,200 acres (890 ha) of land from the local Iroquois nation. Later, Henry Beekman obtained a patent for the land, and saw a need for development to begin. He brought into the area Casper Landsman, a miller, and William
Traphagen, a builder.
ABOVE:
Serendipity Farm, Rhinebeck - In 1703 the New York colonial assembly approved money for the construction of the King's Highway, later known as the Albany Post Road and today most of Route 9. Three years later Traphagen bought a tract of land in Beekman's patent where the King's Highway intersected the Sepasco Indian Trail, the route today followed by Market Street. He built a house and tavern on the trail a short distance west of the King's Highway. This was the beginning of Rhinebeck.
ABOUT
RHINEBECK
Rhinebeck is a village located in the Town of Rhinebeck in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The population was 2,657 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.
The Village of Rhinebeck is the principal community in the town. The postal ZIP code is 12572. US 9 passes through the village.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), of which, 1.6 is land and 0.61% is water.
DUTCHESS
COUNTY
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 297,488. The county seat is Poughkeepsie. Dutchess County is part of the New York metropolitan area.
Dutchess County is located in southeastern New York State, between the Hudson River on its west and the New York-Connecticut border on its east, about halfway between the cities of Albany and New York. It contains two cities: Beacon and Poughkeepsie.
LEFT:
Map of USA showing New York in red RIGHT: Map of New York showing
Rhinebeck in as red dot
Map
of New York showing Dutchess County in red
CONTACTS
Omega Institute
150 Lake Drive
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
Phone (Registration): Call toll free 877.944.2002 (US)
or 845.266.4444 (International)
Monday–Thursday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. EST
Fax: 845.266.3769
Email: registration@eomega.org
Website:
http://www.eomega.org/
Tell Omega how your time at their changed your life by emailing: OmegaStories@eOmega.org
Workshop Proposals: If you would like to teach a workshop at Omega please submit your proposal using their online form.
Useful Rhinebeck Campus (845.266.4444) Extensions:
Wellness Center: ext. 575
Guest Services: ext. 125
Special Needs: ext. 181
Scholarships: ext. 180
Seasonal Staff (voice mail): ext. 191
Omega Store: 845.266.4222
LINKS
Rhinebeck
Village
Enjoy
Rhinebeck
Wikipedia
Dutchess_County_New_York
Wikipedia
Rhinebeck New_York
http://www.eomega.org/
Wikipedia
Omega_Institute_for_Holistic_Studies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Institute_for_Holistic_Studies
http://www.solarpowerinternational.com/
http://www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutchess_County,_New_York
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinebeck_%28village%29,_New_York
http://www.rhinebecknyvillage.org/
http://enjoyrhinebeck.com/
LEFT:
The solar assisted Ecostar
DC50 equipped with the 60 second fast charge cartridge exchange system.
Solar assistance is worth around 200 free motoring miles a week. Cars with
the Bluebird™ fast swap system are perfect to demonstrate how service
stations might be implemented that are cheap to install and load level,
using either battery or hydrogen fuel cell for storage. At present this is
the only systems that allows a vehicle to swap between battery and fuel
cell technology at the flick of a switch. RIGHT: The Bluefish™ concept vessel is a platform to demonstrate technology for
zero carbon ships of the future, using solar
and wind power as the driving force. Governments could slash their
operational costs by going over to pollution free drone ships. This
Bluefish design uses no diesel fuel to
cruise the oceans
at relatively high
speeds of 7-10 knots 24/7 and 365 days a year - only possible with the unique energy harvesting system.
This vessel is likely to pay for itself in fuel
saved every ten years.
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