May Spore: The Resilience Revolution

In our globalized world, the basic survival needs of many communities are precariously out of their hands. Multinational corporations exercise near-total control over the systems that sustain and connect us, from food and clean water to energy and communication. At the same time, natural disasters such as the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile seem to be occurring with more frequency and intensity, while manmade catastrophes like
the ongoing economic collapse continue to loom. As we saw with the bungled response of FEMA after Hurricane Katrina, reliance on inept government bureaucracies in times of crisis is a perilous act of faith. In a world fraught with uncertainty, an empowered and resilient local community is the best defense.

How would your community react if it suddenly had to fend for itself? What are some vital tools and techniques we can implement today to prepare for tomorrow’s challenges? In this Spore, we will discuss innovative methods and memes that self-reliant societies are using to achieve local resiliency.

Evolver Regionals may choose to explore the preparedness strategies of grassroots groups like Burners Without Borders, Transition Towns and The International Preparedness Network, dig deep into the revolutionary principles of Permaculture, or consider the role of intentional communities in a resource-scarce future.

Our speakers for the evening will be Nic Esposito, co-founder of the Walnut Hill Community Farm, and our very own Matt Bennett, permaculturist extraordinaire!