It’s no accident that natural systems are built around community – and, similarly, human communities are the bedrock building block of society. How we imagine, build and live in our communities may well be some of the most important decisions we make as a society.

At Bioneers 2015, we invite you to explore our Resilient Communities programming in keynotes and afternoon panels and workshops, as well as a landmark one-day pre-conference intensive. We will cover a kaleidoscopic palette of solutions, issues and themes including California’s Game-Changing Climate Leadership Model, The Nature of Cities, Culture & Community, Resilient Food Systems, Eco-Governance Models, Democratizing Technology, and more.

[blockquote align=”center”]”The basis of our biology is community.” —Paul Stamets[/blockquote]

Eco-Governance Models: Climate Leadership Across Scales

As the world looks towards the COP 21 Paris Climate Conference in December 2015, the question on everyone’s mind is whether the world’s nation states will be able to cobble together a climate deal after years of gridlock and missed chances. Regardless of the outcome, real, viable and encouraging action continues to swell across multiple scales below the nation state level. States, regions, cities, and citizen groups are rapidly developing collaborative networks and frameworks to take significant policy action on climate change.

Join us on Thursday, October 15, for a deep dive one-day forum on California’s Game-Changing Climate Leadership Model, which puts Environmental Justice policies front and center. This landmark gathering will feature visionary players in this hopeful new wave of global climate politics including former State Senator Tom Hayden, Vien Truong of the Greenlining Institute, Holland’s acclaimed water expert Henk Ovink and many others. Tom Hayden will keynote the full conference on Friday October 16th on this topic.

The Nature of Cities

We’re now a decade-and-a-half into the first century in history with a majority of the human population living in urban environments. At Bioneers 2015, we’ll be diving into the nature of cities, literally. Joining us will be two of the world’s most innovative urban thinkers and doers, both global leaders in re-designing cities at scale using nature’s model as the blueprint.

• Andy Lipkis, President and Founder of TreePeople, will return to keynote with news about the potential transformation of LA from a water-wasting disaster into a leading model of water use efficiency and a true urban watershed.
• Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Netherlands, conceived of and directed the now legendary Rebuild by Design project to climate-proof the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area after Hurricane Sandy. Ovink is now crisscrossing the globe, helping coastal cities to think, design and build ahead of time, before climate-related disasters strike – or strike again – and again.
• Hear visionary presentations by Lipkis and Ovink from the main stage, respectively on Friday and Saturday mornings, and then join them together for a truly historic first-ever dialogue on Saturday afternoon in a don’t-miss event.

Culture, Faith & Community

At Bioneers 2015, we examine models of thriving, diverse communities. What’s working, why is it working, what can we learn and apply elsewhere?

• Learn how Restorative Justice is transforming youth and public policy with young restorative justice leaders from Oakland, CA including keynoter Fania Davis, a renowned Restorative Justice leader who has expanded the idea to include rights for nature.
• Delve into Food Justice with the exceptional movement leader Malik Yakini, whose Detroit community is creating some of the most powerful community-based innovations to build a fair food system, plus a landmark panel with Fair Food founder Oran Hesterman.
• Hear Sister Simone Campbell of Nuns on the Bus lay out a faith-based vision for “Healing for the 21st Century,” coming in the slipstream of Pope Francis’ historic appearance at the UN in September to keep moving his climate encyclical into action.
• Explore the importance of basing community design on Indigenous knowledge and relationships with Tohono O’odham Community Action and Sustainable Nations as part of the Indigenous Forum.

Resilient Food Systems

At Bioneers this year, we’re featuring incredibly important conversations about food and community. Dive into the past, present and future of “Cuba and Sustainable Agriculture” with Greg Watson and Kevin Danaher. Witness the power of increasing access to healthy food to build and restore individuals and communities during Healing Foods, Healthy Communities. And lots more!

Democracy-enabling Technologies

For all the talk about the democratizing power of technology, too often communities find themselves left out of the conversations and decisions that really matter. We’ll be featuring two leading lights in the movement to leverage open-source technology for community empowerment. Citizen science is so powerful that three states have outlawed it.

• Shannon Dosemagen, co-founder and President of the Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science, supports a burgeoning citizen science movement based on low-cost meets high-tech tools – think helium balloons equipped with remotely operated cameras for toxic discharge monitoring.
• Joining us from New Zealand, Ben Knight helped found Loomio, an innovative collaborative decision-making platform now used by thousands of community groups across the globe, including Spain’s Podemos movement.

Of course there’s much more—explore the full schedule and register for Bioneers 2015 today »