Dear friend,
In a world troubled by the consequences of an expanding global economy, the
E. F. Schumacher Society is a trusted voice for positive change and citizen
action, linking people, land, and community by building local economies. In
this our twenty-sixth year staff, volunteers, and board of directors
• Mourned the death of Jane Jacobs, champion of regional economies, friend
and Advisory Board member of the Schumacher Society
(www.smallisbeautiful.org/about/jacobs.html);
• Welcomed leading young activists from inner-city neighborhoods of New
Orleans, Boston, Lexington, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and nearby Hudson,
New York, who joined with others in our May seminar to explore tools for
building sustainable local economies
(www.smallisbeautiful.org/seminars.html);
• Added new publications to our growing E. F. Schumacher Lectures collection
featuring leading thinkers on ecology, sustainability, economics, and
community (www.smallisbeautiful.org/publications.html);
• Continued to steward and grow the unique collection of books and papers in
our Library, including Fritz Schumacher's personal books and papers, an
archival treasure (www.smallisbeautiful.org/library.html);
• Refined and added to the content at our web site, now drawing over 6,000
hits per day;
• Collaborated with other organizations—Business Alliance for Local Living
Economies (www.livingeconomies.org), Biodynamic Farming and Gardening
Association (www.biodynamics.com), Northeast Organic Farming Association
(www.nofamass.org), Orion Society (www.oriononline.org), Marion Institute
(www.marioninstitute.org), Vermont Commons (www.vtcommons.org), the newly
forming National Community Land Trust Network (www.communitylots.org), and a
vibrant young local currency network—to celebrate the growing citizen
interest in shaping local solutions to global problems;
• Hosted researchers, handled growing media attention to our work, and in
general responded to the many inquiries regarding our strategies for
rebuilding regional economies in a socially, environmentally, and culturally
responsible manner;
• Strove to put theory into action in our home region of the Berkshires with
the September 29th scheduled launch of BerkShares, a local currency
developed in collaboration with the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce,
local banks, and local businesses—and designed to serve as a model for other
regions (www.berkshares.org);
• And planned another wonderful E. F. Schumacher Lecture program for October
to gather our members together in common fellowship and celebration
(www.smallisbeautiful.org/events/26th.html).
Membership support has been, and continues to be, essential to sustaining
the programs of the E. F. Schumacher Society. Won't you make your
tax-deductible donation today?
(http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/membership.html)
Sincerely,
Susan Witt
for staff, volunteers, and board of directors
E. F. Schumacher Society
140 Jug End Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
www.smallisbeautiful.org
Board of Directors: Starling Childs, Hildegarde Hannum, Eric
Harris-Braun,Constance Packard, Katie Smith, Benjamin Strauss, Ganson
Taggart, Nancy Jack Todd, and Grace Wicks.
Board of Founders: Ian Baldwin, David Ehrenfeld, Satish Kumar, John
McClaughry, and Kirkpatrick Sale.
Advisory Board: Tanya Berry, Thomas Berry, Wendell Berry, Lisa Byers, Olivia
Dreier, Jane Jacobs, Hazel Henderson, Wes Jackson,Amory Lovins, John
McKnight, David Orr, Michael Shuman, Cathrine Sneed, Lewis Solomon, John
Todd, Greg Watson, and Arthur Zajonc.
Back to Newsletters
