For nearly 30 years bioregionalists have been gathering in congresses to envision and develop a realistic, restorative way of life in the bioregions of the Americas. We set our own agendas, operate by consensus and build a common commitment. Grand times and good friendships are only the first fruits. At bioregional congresses, we live in community, concern ourselves with the things that matter, and return home informed and inspired.
From 1980 on, the movement has had a number of regional congresses and councils. Since NABC I in ‘84, the Continental Congress has convened on an average of every 2 years, in
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The Great Lakes Bioregion (Michigan, 1986)
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Cascadia (British Columbia, 1988)
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Gulf of Maine (Maine, 1990)
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Edwards Plateau (Texas, 1992)
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Ohio River Valley (Kentucky, 1994)
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Cuahunahuac (Mexico, 1996; this was also a hemispheric gathering)
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The Prairie (Kansas/Kansas Area Watershed/KAW, 2002)
A radio program was created around this event entitled:
A Continental Bioregional Congress on the Prairie: An Audio Documentary of an Eco-Revolution
produced by Jacqueline Froelich, hosted by Pete Hartman. Fayetteville, AR.: KUAF National Public Radio, 2002. A 29 minute NPR report of the bioregional congress featuring Judy Goldhaft, David Haenke, Stephanie Mills, Gene Marshall, Alberto Ruz, Anna Diaz, and many others.
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Katuah (Southern Appalachians, at Earthaven Ecovillage, 2005.
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See pictures from this event. -
See Proceedings from this event.)
- The Farm, Cumberland Bioregion
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Each one of these convenings has been put on by a bioregional group from the host region. In a sense, from its beginning in 1984, there has been just one congress, going in and out of session on that average of every 2 years, for nearly 20 years, maintaining its continuity between assemblies through secretariats and coordinating councils. Each convening of the Continental Congress has been a landmark event, widened our vision, and deepened our commitment to bioregionalism.
Read an article, written collaboratively with the Kansas Area Watershed Council and Coordinating Council of the Bioregional Congress, by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg on the history of the movement 1998-2000.
