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13 April 2011

Haiti Today: The Sustainable Leadership Challenge

Posted by Admin under: Ecology; Economy; Events; Forum; Future; Haiti; Inspiration; People; Policy; Story; Sustainability .

Opportunities and challenges in the sustainable redevelopment of Haiti: Can we imagine an alternative future for “the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere”?

Haiti is perhaps the most powerful example of a society suffering from a deficit of triple-bottom line outcomes-ecologically, economically, and socially, though it continues to have a strong culture and an indomitable spirit. Our recent trip was both magical and disturbing, inspiring and transformative, and profoundly moving.
This Saturday’s Sustainable Leadership Forum event will focus on Haiti and its special implications. Jonathan just spent ten days in Haiti with Matt Polsky, my colleague at the Institute for Sustainable Enterprise at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and his wife Sandy. The goal was to do fact-finding and relationship-building on the ground, from the perspective of “the 100-year resilient reconstruction” of Haiti; and they had a remarkable series of meetings, events, and experiences in Haiti that have many lessons for us here as well. Matt and Jonathan then returned to Miami for the Sustainable Haiti Conference and Jonathan co-led a session on April 6 with Doug Cohen, co-founder of the Sustainable Haiti Coalition.

At our Saturday, April 16th meeting – 1-4 p.m. at the Morristown EcoCenter – we’ll be sharing some of our experiences and reflecting on what they might mean for us, in both philosophical and practical terms. What does Haiti have to teach us about sustainable development, and what is our role in making a difference both there and here? There will be a brief presentation, photos and films clips from the Haiti trip, and discussion followed by potential action steps.

In terms of immediate practical action we are looking at collaborating with several Haitian entrepreneurs to expand their businesses in mountain biking and adventure “voluntourism,” renewable energy, and green construction. There are immediate opportunities to get involved, e.g., in the importation to the US of authentic, naturally and organically grown foods; and there are equally important issues to wrestle with, conceptually, as they have implications for policy, advocacy, and practical action.
We invite you to join us for a discussion of these issues and opportunities, and to explore what these might mean for our work here in New Jersey. Please RSVP to rsvp@slforum.org. The meeting will be held at the Morristown EcoCenter, 55 Bank Street, Morristown, NJ 07960. Thanks.

One Comment so far...

Jasmine Scott Says:

15 April 2011 at 2:12 pm.

Please include me in your list of attendees.

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Past Events

Correction: We'll be hosting this year's holiday potluck — "Bringing Solar Power Home for the Holidays" — on Saturday, December 15, 2012 from 4 to 9 p.m. Click here for more details. RSVP to rsvp@slforum.org.
Saturday, November 17, 2012, 10 a.m. Eastern: Sustainable Neighborhood & Community Conversations (III).
Saturday, October 13, 2012, 10 a.m. Eastern: Transforming Neighborhoods and Communities II.
Saturday, September 8, 2012, 10 a.m. Eastern: Transforming Neighborhoods & Communities.
Saturday, June 16, 2012: SLF Potluck June 16: Sustainable Living Communities.
The Sustainable Haiti Conference took place April 23-25, 2012 in Miami.
"Inside Job" Movie Party. Saturday, February 11th, 6:00 PM, Liberty Ridge, The Hills, Bernards Twp, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920.
2nd 'Buy Haitian, Restore Haiti Conference', January 26, 2012, Karibe Convention Center, Petion Ville, Haiti
Dec 11 SLF Potluck: "Bringing Sustainability Home for the Holidays" Basking Ridge, NJ. RSVP to rsvp@slforum.org.
Saturday, July 9, 2011, 4 p.m. Open House Party & Potluck, Saturday, July 9, 4 p.m., Basking Ridge, NJ.
RSVP to rsvp@slforum.org
Saturday, May 21, 1-4 p.m. EcoCenter Update. At the Morristown EcoCenter, 55 Bank Street, Morristown, NJ 07960.
Saturday, April 16, 1-4 p.m. "Haiti & Us: The Leading Edge of Sustainable Development." At the Morristown EcoCenter, 55 Bank Street, Morristown, NJ 07960. A copy of the update presentation has been posted here.
Saturday, March 19, 1-4 p.m. "Creating the Morristown EcoCenter." Held at 55 Bank Street, Morristown, the site of the proposed EcoCenter.
Saturday, February 19, 1-4 p.m. Monthly meeting, ""A Profound Transformation in Consciousness," Morris County Library, Whippany, NJ. Click here for details.
Saturday, January 15, 1-4 p.m. Putting Idealism into Practice: Tour of Half Moon House. Click here for details.
Saturday, December 18, 1-4 p.m. Challenge & Strategy Session: "Reinventing Wealth," followed by our annual "Potluck for the Planet" from 4 to 8. Click here for details.
Saturday, November 20, 1-4 p.m. Challenge & Strategy Session: "How Do We Measure Sustainable Value?". Click here for details.
Saturday, October 16, 1-4 p.m. Challenge and Strategy Session: "Toward a Sustainable Growth Strategy for New Jersey".
Download the slide presentation here, and the discussion paper here.

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