Postponed - Has anyone said Russell Brand?!? I am Speaking at Going Local - Hope in a Time of Crisis

I am very excited to be speaking at the Going Local: Hope in a Time of Crisis Conference. At this stage the conference in Byron Bay on Sunday, March 22 about "Community Building and Alternative Business Models". And, can you believe it Russell Brand will be there, too! :)

Going Local is organized by Local Futures – The Economics of Happiness & New Economy Network Australia (NENA).
It's about how we could work together to create a different economic system and a better world. We are shipping items from one country to another (think Baltic sea shrimp being shipped to Morocco for peeling and then shipped back to Germany to be sold, empty 'ghost flights' within the European Union so airlines don't loose their allotted airport slots, ...).
We are in a time of crisis: first the drought, then the fires, then the floods and now a new virus.
Awareness is rising that we can't keep going as we have and need to think of new and better ways. We need to act now. There is "a path forward that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously restoring secure livelihoods and reweaving the fabric of community".

The key themes this year are all about:

• Understanding the dominant economic system and global market and its impact on democracy and local economies
• Showcasing and amplifying strategies for reclaiming local economies for the benefit of people and planet
• Stories of success – challenging corporate domination of national, regional and local economies

My talk is part of session C and will run on Sunday at 10.30 am. I will be talking about my experience with the Manly Food Co-Op when it comes to building community in a busy beach-side suburb and the benefits of the co-operative model that puts community at the heart and is indispensable for its success.

In the same session there will be Stone & Wood with "How brewers have led the charge of the localisation movement" (James Perrin) and Mahi Paquette from Seabin "Local solutions to marine pollution". I would love to see you there and I'll update you on how it goes.

Oh, and Charles Eisenstein (speaker and writer focusing on themes of human culture and identity) and David Suzuki (scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation which "collaborate(s) with Canadians from all walks of life including government and business, to conserve our environment and find solutions that will create a sustainable Canada through science-based research, education and policy work”) will be present via Skype.

Great speakers and important topics. I am hoping that the conference is still going ahead despite the Corona Virus crisis. Fingers crossed.