Proposed Program: As with all bioregional congresses, the proposed program will be agreed upon and fully fleshed out at the start of the congress. The congress will include mornings of small talking circles, big group circles and meetings; afternoons of hands-on workshops; and evenings of cultural sharing and celebration. Throughout the congress, we draw on consensus-based decision making: our open process is balanced by the skills of deeply experienced facilitators who know how to guide large bodies of bioregionalists toward consensus in efficient, compassionate and timely ways. While the journey is as important as the destination to many in the bioregional movement, the destination, especially at a time of increasing global threats, is especially important too, and we hope the consensus process allows us to arrive together at important places.
The Bioregional Curriculum will be offered Sun. - Thurs.
Please scroll down to see the proposed congress schedule in the works. To download an excel spread sheet of the proposed program in the works, please click here. You may need to get a google or gmail account (which you can set up in seconds) to access this file.
Highlights of the ceremony village we create together include:
- Circles: We begin each day in a circle, welcoming the day, sharing information, and gathering our energy through song and standing together on the earth. Throughout the congress, we will share in earth-based rituals that inspire and inform, and there will be opportunities for bioregional arts through workshops and other pathways of expression.
- Talking Circles: All conference participants will be part of a small talking circle, a clan of 7-8 people to meet with each morning in order to share and integrate insights and experiences, and make strong interpersonal connections that will sustain us beyond the congress. Each talking circle will also be responsible for volunteer tasks throughout the week, such as helping serve,prepare or clean up after meals, grounds keeping and other tasks.
- Plenary Sessions: During The Plenary Sessions we are proposing an agenda to create a unified vision for bioregionalism in the world, pushing for a ten point document outlining our commitments as a body politic and our next steps towards furthering the vision of bioregionalism in the world.
- Workshop threads running during the CBC 10: The Bioregional Curriculum: A Regenerative Toolkit: Sessions in the works will very likely include the following, covering a variety of bioregional theory, practice and possibilities:
- Seasonal Cycles as Community Blueprints for Ecological Education
- Ecovillage History and Practices
- Organic, Community Gardening and Permaculture
- Consensus-Based Group Process
- Ecological Restoration
- Water and Watersheds
- Media Eco-Literacy
- Cooperative Businesses
- Eco-feminism
- Transformative Bioregional Arts and Culture
- Eco-Spirituality
- Watershed and Bioregional Mapping and Community Planning
- Integrative Design with Gaia University
- Green Business
- Green Cities
- Indigenous Ecological Practices
- Biofuel Technology
- Community Schooling with The Farm School
- Cultural Mentoring
- Carbon Farming with Felix and Appleseed Permaculture
- Open Space: We will rely heavily on Open Space Technology to create opportunities for the rapid spread of important ideas and information. We will utilize an internal server system to rapidly document and communicate the Congress and share with satellite congresses around the world in a simulcast of bioregional ideas. We will use World Cafe to cross pollinate ideas
- Men’s and Women’s Circles: During one afternoon at the congress, men and women will each have their own circles, self-designed, to share at a deep level with one another. These circles in the past have been a life-giving source of strength and connection.
- Cultural Sharing Nights: Each evening, we will gather for cultural sharing presentations from various regions attending. Please join with others in your area share theater, music, dance, artwork, storytelling and poetry, visual arts and more about what it means to to be of the specific places that make up our great and varied continent.
- All Species Celebration: On the final night of the congress, we will celebrate many plant and animal species through an All Species pageant, dance to live music, and celebration. Supplies for making your own costume will be available during the week, and we also encourage people to bring their own costumes and supplies if available.
- Workday: A workday at the congress is an opportunity to honor the place of our meeting by giving something back. Participants may choose between various community and land restoration projects.
Proposed Schedule:
Saturday, Oct. 3:
4:30-6 — Welcome, followed by orientation to the site sessions
6 p.m — Dinner
7:30-9:30 — Welcome, introductions, spiral dance
9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. — Drumming, dancing and visiting
Sunday, Oct. 4: Theme: Bioregionalism: Welcome Home
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
9:45-12:15 — Introduction to the Farm and Cumberland Bioregion/ site tours
9:45-11 — Facilitators Pool* meets (all people with facilitation experience who want to be part of a pool of facilitators available for plenary and other meeting and workshop facilitation)
12:15-2 — Lunch
2-3:30 — Plenary 1 — to approve proposed agenda
2-3:30 — Open space sessions
4-5:30 — Bioregional Curriculum Plenary 1: Bioregionalism 101: Mapping, Watersheds, Ecoregions, Seasons, etc.
3:30-6 — Open space sessions
6 — Dinner
7:30-9:30 — Cumberland Bioregion Cultural Sharing
9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. — Fundraising music and auction
Monday, Oct. 5: Theme: Bioregionalism: Reinhabitory Right Livelihood
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
8:30-9:30 — Morning circle and Clans (talking circles of small groups that meet daily)
9:45-12:15 — Plenary Session 2
9:45-12:15 — Open space sessions
12_15-2 — Lunch
1:30-3 - Workshop session 2
2-3:30 — Bioregional Curriculum Plenary 2: Reinhabitory Right Livelihood
4-5:30 — Bioregional Curriculum Breakfast: Food and Farming, the Built Environment, Water, or Midwifery
2-5:30 — Open space sessions
6 — Dinner
7:30-10 — Cultural Sharing night followed by fire circle
Tuesday, Oct. 5: Theme: Communty, Economics & Self-Governance
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
8:30-9:30 — Morning circle and Clans (talking circles of small groups that meet daily)
9:45-12:15 — Plenary 3
12:15-2 — Lunch
2-3:30 - Workshop session 3
2-3:30 — Bioregional Curriculum Plenary 3: Community & Self-Governance
2-5:30 — Open space sessions
4-5:30 — BC Breakouts: Financial Permaculture, Ecovillages, Transition Town, Relocalization, Regional Network, or Facilitation
6 — Dinner
7:30-9:30 — Cultural sharing night
9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. — Fire circle
Wednesday, Oct. 7: Theme: Arts, Culture & Education
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
8:30-9:30 — Morning circle and Clans (talking circles of small groups that meet daily)
9:45-12:15 — Plenary 4
12:15-2 — Lunch
1:30-3 - Workshop session 4
2-3:30 — Bioregional Curriculum Plenary 4: Arts, Culture & Education
2-5:30 — Open space sessions
4-5:30 — BC Breakouts: Write from the Earth, Bioregional education, All Species, Bioregional Curriculum committee
6 — Dinner
7:30-9:30 — Men’s and Women’s circles
9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. — Dancing
Thursday, Oct. 8: Theme: Bioregional Organizing
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
8:30-9:30 — Morning circle and Clans (talking circles of small groups that meet daily)
9:45-12:15 — Plenary 5
12:15-2 — Lunch
1:30-3 - Workshop session 5
2-3:30 — Bioregional Curriculum plenary 5: Bioregional Organizing
2-5:30 — Open space sessions
4-5:30 — BC Breakouts: Building Bridges, Strategic Planning, Communication, Sustainable Organizing
6 — Dinner
7:30-9:30 — Cultural sharing night
9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. — Music
Friday, Oct. 9: Theme: Workday and Transition Town
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
8:30-9:30 — Morning circle and Clans (talking circles of small groups that meet daily)
9:30-12:15 — Workday projects: help out around The Farm and community
12:15-12 — Lunch
2-3:30 — Workday option A and Workday option B
4-5:30 — Transition Town Training
4-5:30 — Workday option C and Workday Option D
2-6 — costume and pagentry making in preparing for All Species
6 — Dinner
7:30-9:30 — All Species Parade and Party
9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. — Music
Saturday, Oct. 10: Theme: The Unbroken Circle
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
8:30-9:30 — Morning circle and Clans (talking circles of small groups that meet daily)
9:45-11:30 — Plenary 7
12-1 — Lunch
1-2 — Closing circle
2-5:30 — Transition Town Training (with 30 minute break)
6 — Dinner, party and second closing circle
Sunday, Oct. 11 :
7:30-8:30 — Breakfast
8:30-9:30 — Morning circle and Clans (talking circles of small groups that meet daily)
9:45-12:15 — Transition Town Training
*Facilitators Pool led by Ken Lassman Oct. 3-5/Bea Briggs Oct. 5-10
**Bioregional Curriculum coordinated by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Ken Lassman & Jennifer English
