Monday, June 8, 2015
Principles for an Ecological Civilization ascendant as Sheri Liao presents in Claremont.
What do 1000 plus people do to celebrate humanity and look towards its future? Gather to explore Process and Whitehead. Against the background of Pomona and Pitzer Colleges beautiful landscapes, Dr. Cobb and his colleagues co-created a Pandopopulus gathering to explore and celebrate mathematician Alfred Whitehead's Process Philosophies as students, specialists, scientists, sustainability engineers, architects, philosophers, professors, artists, teachers, parents, grandparents. From Bill McKibben on Climate Warming as a Civilization Crisis to Dr. David Ray Griffin on the Whiteheadian Century, speakers from Wes Jackson, to John B. Cobb, Herman Daly, to all the section leaders evoked concern, praised innovation, and charged with the Pando Tree's botany that we plant roots for beauty and for long term survival.
Visitors arrived to hear that some alternative options and piloted concepts are ascendant….a whole system mix of ideas that are leading to new civilization and sustainability were on display for adoption and discovery.
The shared possibility that our Earth, its climate challenges, habitat, now requires humanity to act consciously and choose to transition with intelligence through present and pending changes was clear. Seizing the opportunity of alternatives was the theme. "Will we sort through diverse alternatives in order to rise to face new economic realities and in the process find creative options and new opportunities for living?"
Banquet and plenary speakers seemed to think so.
As a 10th conference, Claremont's Pomona Campus became an intellectual ground zero for process thinking and cross discipline exploration. The gathering of international thinkers looked at many aspects of choice, change, chance, and changing conditions.
For example, the group dedicated to ecological civilization and sustainable alternatives dedicated its creative processes to a species of our oldest trees. With many tracks, sessions, discussions and presentations that will complete today with recommendations on many topics to the Center for next year's focus.
Acting to have a say about where humanity is going, the groups met to envision a world beyond fossil fuel able to cope with rising seas and rising temperatures. 2015 is no longer a realm of futurists, but an era for both philosophy and action. As both, concept and praxis, the meeting was an international crossroad for looking forward for a sustainable road to travel, practical and apparent. At the heart of discussion for those convening and those who came to speak were practical innovations that will support safe passage for this and future generations. From the conference directory there are sessions which impact on Education, Population, Cultivation, Anthropology, Geography, Pollution, Religion, Culture, and many other topics.
One of the many plenary speakers a Clinton Global Citizen award winner, producer and media host, activist. Sheri Liao is the founder and president of the non-government organization Global Village of Beijing. She served as an environmental adviser on the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games. As president of Global Village of Beijing, she has produced models for green neighborhood complexes, rural communities, and organized many public awareness campaigns regarding pollution, recycling and reducing consumption.
Since the Szechuan Earthquake, she has been devoted to creating a new concept for living taking her work in the U.S. and at the university home to her own village and beyond. She is presently restoring confidence and new culture in over 300 villages.
Using Ancient Chinese wisdom and modern and historic practices she is advancing new harmony and happiness concepts and eco-agriculture with the help of citizen and state contributions and 40 years of research. Will we, in the states, or in California, find such courage under pressure when the "Big Shake Out" is not just an emergency test of our operations?
Inspired by Dr. John B. Cobb who turned 90 .. was feted last night for inspiring worldwide dialogue and discovery with a poem on a scroll from the Chinese delegates composed by Sheri Liao and concluded the banquet with excitement about the possibilities the delegates have launched.
The Chinese delegates were committed and radiant. The next conference will be held at the University of the Azores.
What a legacy is being advanced and the gathering is in the process of making!
Opening humanity's horizons for a new century embracing hope, action, and collective consciousness.
Where next? The Center for Process Studies is sure to have something new, important, and compelling to offer by the end of today. Watch for their forthcoming announcements.
The conference planted new concepts that will bear fruit and acted to create and hybrid concepts and enrichment that can challenge the past and lead to an optimum future.
P.S. If you missed this conference further discussions will continue in October and February with the next conference in the Azores.
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The Conference:
http://www.ctr4process.org/whitehead2015/
http://www.pandopopulus.com/whitehead-pando-and-a-philosophy-of-ecological-relations/
http://www.ctr4process.org/about/process/
www.pandopopulus.com/conference
Presentations:
www.slideshare.net/.../pando-populus-conference...2015
www.slideshare.net/TheHappinessInitiative/pando-populus
http://integralleadershipreview.com/9072-understanding-human-happiness-its-measure-and-a-new-leadership-role/
Sample of Solutions..new soil and food resources...new campuses:
www.landinstitute.org
http://www.wykontario.org/index.php/2012-01-09-23-47-35/2013-04-09-21-06-54/class-1965/455-edmund-kwok-65-awarded-a-doctor-of-humanities-honoris-causa
Science:
http://www.globalchange.gov/
The Problems:
www.oilsandsexperience.com
www.utah-oil.com
When words aren't enough:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithforward/2015/04/pando-populus-when-words-are-not-enough/?ref_widget=trending&ref_blog=poptheology&ref_post=
Happy Birthday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tci6calD6P4
China's new green revolution:
http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2015-06/05/content_35751145.htm
Alfred Whitehead and Ontological Thinking:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_philosophy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_North_Whitehead
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principia_Mathematica
John B. Cobb and Process Studies:
http://ctr4process.org/about/process/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Process_Studies
Pomona and Pitzer Divest:
http://pitweb.pitzer.edu/communications/2014/04/pitzer-college-robert-redford-announce-breakthrough-fossil-fuel-divestment-climate-action-model/
Claremont's and Los Angeles' Sustainability Plans:
http://plan.lamayor.org/
International Speakers:
Vandana Shiva: Future of Food
Sheri Liao
http://business.claremontchamber.org/events/details/sheri-liao-ecological-politics-8961
https://dictionary.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AwrTcd4fRnRVe1sA3lwnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByNWU4cGh1BGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=ascendant&fr=yhs-mozilla-004&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-004 adj. adjective
Ontology and Process:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology
http://www.sunypress.edu/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=897&SEName=whiteheads-ontology
http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/american_book_review/v032/32.2.menon.pdf
http://www.gurdjiefflegacy.org/70links/fourthway.htm