2009 Conference

Voices for a New Vision of Community: A People's Enquiry

Saturday, October 10th
10.00 am to 5.00 pm
Gandhi Hall, James Graham Building,
Leeds Metropolitan University Headingley Site

Themes

• Gandhi's Legacy - Non-Violence and Local Self-Reliance
• Plurality and Diversity - Dialogue, Respect, Celebration
• Rebuilding the Local Economy
• Transition to a zero-carbon future
• Developing local resilience
• Quality of life and conviviality

Format

This year's main Schumacher North event was a major departure from the familiar 'Schumacher Lectures' format of previous years. Instead of focussing on the contributions of three or four internationally known speakers, we set out to create the maximum opportunity for the full range of voices within our community to be heard, as we engaged with the question:

'What kind of local community, culture and economy do we want to create in this region, and as a model for the wider world, as we respond to the failure of the global financial and political system to deliver prosperity, sustainability and social, environmental and economic justice?'

The morning session featured a panel discussion with local speakers who are deeply engaged with these issues, followed by in-depth workshops with the panel speakers and other community leaders and activists.

The afternoon session was devoted to an 'Open Space' forum where everyone had the opportunity to lead a discussion on a theme of their choice

Speakers
Panel speakers and workshop leaders included:

Andy Goldring Permaculture Association
Rachael Unsworth Leeds University
Irena Bauman Bauman Lyons Architects
John Battle M.P., Leeds West
Penny Poyzer Low Carbon Urban Regeneration
Lee Griffiths Holbeck Food Enterprise
Bob Thorp Transition Town Keighley
Saleem Khan Bradford Khidmat Centre