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October 27th, 2007, Program

Citizens and Community Groups Collaborate Toward a Sustainable Future

The first annual Cascadia Convergence encouraged an alliance of efforts across the bioregion.

WHAT:
The First Cascadia Convergence provided a forum where the public came together with community groups, businesses and municipalities to explore sustainable ways to live now and in the future.

The event offered a day-long program at the Seattle Center, beginning with a forum on “The State of Sustainability”. The program included a variety of break-out sessions for participants to deliberate on specific issues. The day concluded with a harvest of what was learned with particular regard to critical and immediate next steps toward sustainability in one generation, followed by music and celebration.

WHEN: Saturday, October 27, 2007, 9am – 6:30pm

WHERE: Seattle Center Pavilion and NW Rooms

Program Details

MORNING PLENARY

The State of Sustainability: 9am - Noon
Participants will learn about the advantages of working on sustainability as a bioregion and the initiatives already underway in Cascadia, by applying the Suzuki Foundations’ framework for Sustainability within a Generation. Groups will explore where the opportunities for collaborative advantage exist and identify questions and key issues that need to be addressed to work collaboratively on shared priorities and collective action coming out of the Convergence.

BREAK-OUT SESSIONS: 1pm-4pm
Participants will join a break-out session of their choice, to explore and get involved with sustainability themes and initiatives occuring at individual, neighborhood, municipal and bioregional levels. Groups will also explore the question, “How might this work get amplified by working as part of a bioregional learning community?”

Session A: Citizen Climate Action Dialogue
Host Organization: 2People
Many of us have the sense that it is time to take responsibility for stopping global climate change, but no one can do it alone. Come join a participatory session on the Climate Dialogues and the Citizen's Climate Summit. Together, we can create solutions.

Session B: Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium
Host Organization: Pachamama Alliance
Awakening the Dreamer is an inspirational educational program developed by the Pachamama Alliance in response to the accelerating degradation of our planet. This seminar is designed to engage and awaken participants from the dream of the industrialized North and focus on what will make a difference for our families, ourselves and all life--now and for future generations.

Session C: SCALLOPS (Sustainable Communities all over Puget Sound)
Host Organization: Sustainable Ballard
SCALLOPS is the hub of community sustainability initiatives in the Puget Sound region. This session addresses how to get more people involved in their communities and will inspire and motivate. The SCALLOPS Panel will stimulate dialogue around local sustainability initiatives and why they feel this is the most important place to focus our time and the diverse ways in which all can be involved. This will be both a working session for SCALLOPS organizers to get ideas from community and also an educational session for all grassroots organizers

Session D: Port Sustainability
Host Organization: Port Observer
This presentation is designed to advance public understanding of Port activity including Seaport and Airport environmental impacts and how we can advance a sustainable port agenda through education and public involvement.

Session E: Sail Transport Network
Hosts: Vic Opperman, Jan Lundberg, Fulvio Casali
Sail Transport Network (STN) was founded in 2000 from Jan Lundberg's sloop in Everett. The idea was to offer the whole coastal bioregion a means of travel and trade based on truly renewable energy, looking to the post-petroleum future when fuel would be terribly expensive or unavailable. We hope to share our vision of the positive impact this network could have for our region, while encouraging many others to join us in bringing this effort to reality. Once this project gains momentum through the interest and involvement of SCALLOPS and others, we will start an organized trade of produce and products in the Puget Sound region using sail power (with minimal to no petroleum usage).

Session F: Cascadia Bioregional Collaboration
Host Organizations: Ecotrust and Sustainable Cascadia
We wish to invite a deeper exploration of what advantage becomes possible when we work toward sustainability as a bioregion. What particular issues are best addressed on this geographic scale and why? How can this amplify the good work already underway in communities of all scales? How can organizations in the corporate, non-profict and civic sectors benefit from working collaboratively as a bioregional alliance? What are the obstacles to working together that must be addressed? What value is generated from continuing the dialogue and convening on these issues over a 5 year timeframe? What process would optimally support a bioregional learning-action journey toward sustainability in the Salmon Nation also called Cascadia?

Session G: Environment/Faith/Justice: A Call to Action
Host Organization: Interfaith Creation Festival Steering Committee
As we look at the challenge of achieving sustainability in one generation, the voices, witness and actions of people grounded in a variety of faith traditions, whatever they may be, are crucial. Join members of the Steering Committee of the Interfaith Creation Festival and ongoing Year of Dialogue and Action, along with other spiritual leaders in discussing how we embed the call to action into effective discourse, witness and systemic change for a healthy Cascadia and a world that meets the needs of all for survival – for current and future generations.

Session H: Catalyzing the Energy of Business for Sustainability
Host Organizations: NBIS and BALLE Seattle
The Seattle Climate Partnership, BALLE Seattle, the (NBIS) Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability, and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Committee are showing that business can be a powerful drive of prosperity within framework of sustainability. This hands-on workshop will bring together business leaders interested in or working toward sustainability within their companies and for the Cascadia region and beyond. Participants will help identify ways to augment existing efforts and prioritize the highest leverage points for businesses to take action at this time.

Session I: Dancing the Earth
Host: Jack Yantis
Stephan Harding’s Imagination Journey of The Carbon Cycle from Animate Earth: Gaia, Science and Intuition will be a major exploration in the workshop. Through kinesthetic play, the participants are encouraged to connect their sense of biophilia with laughter, imagination and metaphorical investigation. The workshop is designed to help people of all ages and abilities make representative connections that are grounded in the body, rather than an abstracted disconnection to environmental perspectives, within a framework of wholeness, interconnectedness and co-creating.

AFTERNOON PLENARY AND CLOSING
Weaving Strategies and Commitment for Critical Next Steps: 4:15pm-6:30pm
Groups will reconvene into a large group of all participatns to assimilate key learning from the break-out sessions, further explore the benefits of a bioregional framework for amplifying ongoing efforts, identify priorities for collective action and critical next steps. The Convergence will be completed by a closing ceremony and a post event celebration is in the works!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The Pacific Northwest boasts a long history and a high degree of activism toward a sustainable future. Cascadia Convergence is a great opportunity to get well-informed and to plug into local activities. It’s just one of many events occurring during Green October 2007 (www.greenoctober2007.com), a community campaign to highlight dozens of sustainability related events we can all get involved with.

Program Schedule

Cascadia Convergence

8-9:00 AM REGISTRATION (registrants to indicate what afternoon sessions they might attend)

Room Location: Seattle Center, NW Rooms Lobby and Pavilion A Lobby

9-10 AM Introduction to the Cascadia Convergence Day 2 Program

Room Location: Seattle Center, Pavilion A

Ø Opening, Layout of Convergence, Introduction of Speakers – Todd Girouard

Ø What is Sustainability?

David Johnston, What’s Working and Co-founder, Sustainable Cascadia

Ø What is Sustainable Cascadia?

Sandra Poulson, Sustainable Cascadia

Ø Advantages of a Bioregional Approach to Sustainability

Howard Silverman, Ecotrust

Ø Audience Engagement/Pair Discussion: Why are you here? What do you hope for?

Ø Announcments for State of Sustainability Discussions

Issue Framework: Sustainability within a Generation

10-10:15 AM PAUSE, Transition to Break-out Rooms for State of Sustainability Discussions

10:15- Noon The State of Sustainability – Theme Discussions in Break-out Groups

THEME 1: GENERATING GENUINE WEALTH

Room Location: Seattle Center Pavilion A

Presenters:

Chantal Stevens, Sustainable Seattle

David Batker, Earth Economics

Facilitation Team:

Host: Sheri Herndon

Harvester: Teresa Posakony

THEME 2: IMPROVING EFFICIENCY/SHIFTING TO CLEAN ENERGY/REDUCING WASTE AND POLLUTION

Room Location: Seattle Center Pavilion B

Presenters:

Larry Garcia, Seattle City Light

Paul Horton, Climate Solutions

Facilitation Team:

Host: Pat Hughes

Harvester: Sandra Poulson

THEME 3: PROTECTING AND CONSERVING WATER/CONSERVING, PROTECTING AND RESTORING NATURE

Room Location: Lopez Room

Presenters:

Diana Gale, Puget Sound Partnership

Nat Scholz, NOAA

Facilitation Team:

Host: Craig Fleck

Harvester: Stephanie Ryan

THEME 4: PRODUCING HEALTHY FOOD/CONSERVING, PROTECTING AND RESTORING NATURE/BUILDING SUSTAINABLE CITIES

Room Location: Fidalgo Room.

Presenters:

Alison VanGorp, Cascade Agenda

Chef Tom French

Facilitation Team:

Host: Warren Flint

Harvester: Ann Scheerer

THEME 5: PROMOTING GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY

Room Location: Shaw Room.

Presenters:

Global Justice: CAGJ, Heather Day

Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability: REI, Kevin Hagen

Facilitation Team:

Host: Susan Partnow

Harvester: Derek Hoshiko

12-1 PM Lunch-On-Your-Own

1-4:15 PM Showcasing Communities at Work

Session A: Citizen Climate Action Dialogue
Organization: Greater Seattle Climate Dialogues

Room Location: Seattle Center, Pavilion A

Time: 1-4:15pm
Many of us have the sense that it is time to take responsibility for stopping global climate change, but know that individualistic actions will not be enough. Come join a participatory session on the Climate Dialogues and the Citizen's Climate Summit. We are building a network of concerned citizens committed to getting beyond politics-as-usual. More info at www.ClimateDialogues.org.

Session B: Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium

Host Organization: Pachamama Alliance

Room Location: Seattle Center, Northwest Rooms, Olympic Room

Time: 1:00-2:30pm

Awakening the Dreamer is an inspirational educational program developed by the Pachamama Alliance in response to the accelerating degradation of our planet. This seminar is designed to engage and awaken participants from the trance of the industrialized North and focus on what will make a difference for our families, our self and all life--now and for future generations.

Session C: SCALLOPS (Sustainable Communities all over Puget Sound)

Host Organization: Sustainable Ballard

Room Location: Seattle Center Pavilion A, Annex A

Time: 1:00-2:30pm

SCALLOPS are the hub of community sustainability initiatives in the Puget Sound region. This session addresses how to get more people involved in their communities and will inspire and motivate. The SCALLOPS Panel will stimulate dialogue around local sustainability initiatives and why they feel this is the most important place to focus our time and the diverse ways in which all can be involved. This will be both a working session for SCALLOPS organizers to get ideas from the community and also an educational session for all grassroots organizers.

Session D: Port Sustainability Panel

Host Organization: Port Observer

Room Location: Seattle Center, Pavilion B, Annex B

Time: 1:00-2:30pm

This presentation is designed to advance public understanding of Port activity, including Seaport and Airport environmental impacts, and how we can advance a sustainable port agenda through education and public involvement. The panel includes Dr. Franz C. Verhagen, an environmental sociologist who’s been leading the metro NY citizen sustainability movement for the last ten years and is president of the national organization, Citizens Aviation Watch, USA. Other panel guests: Fred Fellerman, Friends of the Earth; Heather Trimm, People for Puget Sound; and Debi Wagner, US Citizens Aviation Watch.

Session E: Sail Transport Network

Host: Vic Opperman, Jan Lundgren, Fulvio Casail

Room Location: Seattle Center Pavilion A, Annex A

Time: 2:45 – 4:15pm

Sail Transport Network (STN) was founded in 2000 from Jan Lundberg's sloop in Everett. The idea was to offer the whole coastal bioregion a means of travel and trade based on truly renewable energy, looking to the post-petroleum future when fuel would be either impossibly expensive or unavailable. We hope to share our vision of the positive impact this network could have for our region, while encouraging many others to join us in bringing this effort to reality. Once this project gains momentum through the interest and involvement of SCALLOPS and others, we will start an organized trade of produce and products in the Puget Sound region using sail power (with minimal to no petroleum usage).

Session F: Cascadia Bioregional Collaboration

Host Organizations: Ecotrust and Sustainable Cascadia

Room Location: Seattle Center, Shaw Room

Time: 1:00 – 4:15pm

We wish to invite a deeper exploration of what positive advantage becomes possible when we work toward sustainability as a bioregion. What particular issues are best addressed on this geographic scale and why? How can this amplify the good work already underway in communities of all scales? How can organizations in the corporate, non-profit and civic sectors benefit from working collaboratively as a bioregional community? What are the obstacles to working together that must be addressed? What value is generated from continuing the dialogue and convening on these issues over several years? What process would optimally support a bioregional action-learning journey toward sustainability in Salmon Nation also called Cascadia?

Session G: Environment/Faith/Justice: A Call to Action

Host Organization: Interfaith Creation Festival Steering Committee

Room Location: Seattle Center, Lopez Room

Time: 1:00 – 4:15pm

As we look at the challenge of achieving sustainability in one generation, the voices, witness and actions of people grounded in a variety of faith traditions, whatever they may be, are crucial. Join members of the Steering Committee of the Interfaith Creation Festival and ongoing Year of Dialogue and Action, along with other spiritual leaders in discussing how we embed the call to action into effective discourse, witness and systemic change for a healthy Cascadia and a world that meets the needs of all for survival – for current and future generations.

Session H: Catalyzing the Energy of Business for Sustainability

Host Organizations: NBIS and BALLE Seattle

Room Location: Seattle Center, Fidalgo Room

Time: 1:00 – 4:15pm

The Seattle Climate Partnership, BALLE Seattle, the Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS), and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Committee are showing that business can be a powerful driver of prosperity within the framework of sustainability. This hands-on workshop will bring together business leaders interested in or working toward sustainability within their companies and for the Cascadia region and beyond. Participants will help identify ways to augment existing efforts and prioritize the highest leverage points for businesses to take action at this time.

Session I: Dancing the Earth

Host: Jack Yantis

Room Location: Seattle Center, Olympic Room

Time: 2:45 – 4:15pm

Stephan Harding’s Imagination Journey of The Carbon Cycle from Animate Earth: Gaia, Science and Intuition will be a major exploration in the workshop. Through kinesthetic play, the participants are encouraged to connect their sense of biophilia with laughter, imagination and metaphorical investigation. The workshop is designed to help people of all ages and abilities make representative connections that are grounded in the body, rather than an abstracted disconnection to environmental perspectives, within a framework of wholeness, interconnectedness and co-creating.

Session J: Social Equity is a Foundation for Community Wide Sustainability

Co-Hosts: Julia Sterkovsky, Seattle Human Services Coalition, Patti Southard, King County, Rachel Myers and Natalie Novak, Real Change

Room Location: Seattle Center Pavilion B, Annex B

Time: 2:45 – 4:15pm

We’re all in this together! Participants in this session will discuss what that means for the social justice leg of the sustainability equation: Is it ok for some to benefit from the resources and opportunities that nature and civilization provide, without consideration for how use of these resources can benefit all? Is creating elements that will nurture social justice, economic stability, and human development a necessary foundation for accelerating our progress on all aspects of sustainability? What does that look like in Cascadia? Come explore these vital issues and how we can all add social responsibility to our sustainability agenda.

4:15-4:30 PM Pause and Return to Seattle Center Pavilion A for Afternoon Plenary

4:30-6:30 PM Afternoon Plenary and Close

Final Session: Weaving Issues, Strategies and Commitment for Key Next Steps

Room Location: Seattle Center Pavilion A

Groups will reconvene into a large group of all participants to assimilate key learnings from the break-out sessions, further explore the benefits of a bioregional framework for amplifying ongoing efforts, and identify priorities for collective action and critical next steps. The Convergence will be completed by a closing ceremony and a post event celebration!

· Commentary: Assimilation of the Day’s Proceedings

· World Café:

o Round 1: Priorities for Coming Year?

o Round 2. Focus Next 5 Years?

· Whole Group Synthesis, Graphic Recording

· Summary, Next Steps for Ongoing Collaboration

· Seattle Peace Choir

· Closing, Gratitude

6:30-7:30PM Dinner – On – Your - Own

7:30-10 PM Cascadia Convergence/Green October Celebration

Room Location: Olympic Room

· Music, Drinks and Dancing!