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Oct. 19th, 2009
Relocalization Recap and Moving Forward

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped make this conference possible! It was a pretty incredible day at the Reggie Lewis Center, with about 250 people participating despite the October 18th SNOW! From powerful keynotes and empowering breakout sessions to scrumptious breads made of local wheat, delicious local harvest soups, and a new front runner for a local currency (Roxbury Rox), we hope that our attendees and participants got a small taste of what a relocalized Massachusetts might look like.


Frances Moore Lappé


Mel King


Bill McKibben





Putting on this conference was no easy task, and part of the struggle was trying to get a grip on the mind-boggling array of grassroots initiatives that are underway doing the work of relocalization in this Commonwealth. We are convinced that the paradigm shift we’ve been looking for is happening, and the transformation to a sustainable, just future is underfoot. We learned so much from this process, and we look forward to learning more.

There have already been some exciting conversations about a 2010 statewide conference next fall, as well as smaller regional events leading up to it. But before we embark down this path, we want to hear from you all about what went right, what went wrong, what we missed entirely, and what you think would make our efforts in 2010 more helpful to the work you are doing and the transformation you&#039d like to see.

And before we can commit to a 2010 statewide conference, we need to demonstrate that there is indeed support for it. In addition to filling out our online survey and indicating whether or not you&#039d like to see a statewide conference next year, we hope that you will reach into your pockets and chip in for the cause. We hope to raise $5000 this year so that we can build on the energy we experienced at the Reggie Lewis Center.<br /> <br /> <div style=”text-align: center”><br /> <object type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” classid=”clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000″ codebase=”http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0″ width=”300″ height=”271″ id=”spo_sQCxSZTKHT521sbA” data=”http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/sQCxSZTKHT521sbA.swf?v=1261008905″><param name=”wmode” value=”transparent” /><param name=”align” value=”middle” /><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true” /><param name=”allowScriptAccess” value=”always” /><param name=”quality” value=”best” /><param name=”flashvars” value=”seedPage=true” /><param name=”movie” value=”http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/sQCxSZTKHT521sbA.swf?v=1261008905″ /><embed type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer” name=”spo_sQCxSZTKHT521sbA” src=”http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/sQCxSZTKHT521sbA.swf?v=1261008905″ width=”300″ height=”271″ wmode=”transparent” align=”middle” allowFullScreen=”true” allowScriptAccess=”always” quality=”best” flashvars=”seedPage=true”></embed></object><img style=”visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;” border=”0″ width=”0″ height=”0″ src=”http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/CIMP/bT*xJmx*PTEyNjA5OTczNjYwMDAmcHQ9MTI2MDk5NzM2ODAwMCZwPTEyMDc*MSZkPXNRQ3hTWlRLSFQ1MjFzYkEmbj*mZz*x.jpg” /></div><br /> <br /> <div align=”center”><img src=”/relocalize_mel_and_crowd_sm2.jpg” alt=”mel king speaks to crowd” width=”250″ height=”141″><img src=”/maggie_and_mckibben_sm2.jpg” alt=”Bill McKibben and Maggie Zhou” width=”250″ height=”141″><img src=”/relocalize_crowd_sm2.jpg” alt=”crowd at conference” width=”250″ height=”141″></div><br /> <div align=”center”><font size=”1″>Mel King speaks to crowd Bill McKibben and Maggie Zhou Crowd at conference</font></div><br /> <br /> <div style=”margin: 0 auto; float: left”><br /> <div style=”display: inline”><img src=”/judith_and_mckibben_sm2.jpg” alt=”Judith Foster fields questions for Bill McKibben” width=”169″ height=”300″ hspace=”12″></img></div><br /> <div style=”display: inline; width: 150px; margin: 0 0 0 10px”><font size=”1″>Judith Foster fields questions for Bill McKibben</font></div><br /> </div><br /> And speaking of building, we at MCHC are looking to help build the institutions we need that will turn the converging crises of the day into a bridge to a <a href=”http://www.securegreenfuture.org”>secure green future</a>. We believe it is critically urgent to thoughtfully build power right now because there is a dangerous vacuum created by shortsighted policies and outright corruption. In order to be able to address rapidly developing opportunities and to get involved with critical legislative issues, we need funding support directly from our members. That is why we need your help in establishing MCHC as a member-supported and member-driven organization. Please consider <a href=”http://next.masschc.net/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=1″>becoming an MCHC member today</a>, so that we can help build the powerful grassroots network we need in order to swiftly relocalize, revitalize, and democratize Massachusetts.<br /> <br /> If you attended the 2009 Massachusetts Relocalization Conference, <a href=”http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=kIyZ_2fWiXLPZQryIvWpYi8Q_3d_3d”>please fill out this survey</a>.<br /> <br /> If you did <b>not</b> attend the conference, <a href=”http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=uyaKR2mFx6HJXbrxyP2IgQ_3d_3d”>please fill out this survey</a>.<br /> <br /> And whether or not you were able to attend, <a href=”http://www.relocalizemassachusetts.org/sponsors”>please support our sponsors</a> that helped make it happen!<br /> <br /> Thanks for all you&#039re doing to jumpstart the healthy communities and resilient local economies of our future, based on justice and sustainability.</p></td> <td width=”15%”>  </td></tr></table> </td> </tr> </table> <!– <p class=”normc”><center><a href=”subject.php?id=15″> Read related items.</a></center></p> –> <!– Stop Content Here –> <table width=”100%” cellspacing=”0″ cellpadding =”0″ border=”0″> <tr> <td bgcolor=”#003399″> <center><a href=priv.php><font color=”white” style=’text-decoration : none’>Privacy Policy</font></a></center> </td> </tr> </table> <center><form action=”vol.php” method=”POST”><i>Want to receive the MCHC newsletter?  </i><input type=”text” size=”16″ name=”email” value=”email address”>   <input type=”submit” value=”Go”></form></center> </body> </html&gt!