International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC)

Programs of the International Society for Ecology and Culture

Global to Local Outreach
ISEC's wide-ranging Global to Local educational and advocacy program focuses on increasing awareness of the need to shift direction away from further globalization of the economy, towards diversified and decentralized economic structures tailored to the cultural and ecological particularities of place. This includes international conferences, lectures, film screenings, and workshops. We also produce books, articles, pamphlets and films. In total our books and films have been translated into more than 50 different languages.

The Economics of Happiness
The Economics of Happiness project encompasses a film, community screenings, a series of international conferences, and educational outreach. The Economics of Happiness film offers a big-picture analysis of globalization and a powerful message of hope. It acts as a “mobile conference”, bringing thinkers and activists from every continent to each screening. They argue that a systemic shift away from globalizing economic activity and towards the local is a powerful solution multiplier, enabling us to reduce our ecological footprint while increasing our well-being. http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org

The Ladakh Project
For more than thirty years, ISEC has worked in Ladakh or “Little Tibet”, a remote region in the Himalayas that until the early 1970s was mostly untouched by outside economic forces. We have provided the Ladakhis with information about the impact of conventional development in other parts of the world, and explored more sustainable patterns of development in Ladakh itself, based on the use of local knowledge and resources.

Roots of Change
Roots of Change is a guided study circle program. ISEC helps people organize small groups in their own communities (usually six to twelve members) and provides a series of readings to generate discussion. The curriculum is comprised of writings from leading political, economic and ecological thinkers from around the world, lays out both how we've arrived at our present predicament and what we can do about it.

Local Food
ISEC has been promoting local food economies for more than three decades, and we have catalysed local food initiatives on four continents. Our Local Food Program aims to raise public awareness about the impacts of the globalization of food and farming, while highlighting the benefits of re-localizing food systems. We have organized meetings - from local workshops to international conferences - and have written extensively on local food. We were instrumental in setting up the first farmers market in the UK, spearheading the movement long before local food became the catch phrase it is today. Our publications include Bringing the Food Economy Home, which provides hard facts and figures to back up the arguments for local food and the groundbreaking report, Ripe for Change: Rethinking California's Food Economy. Through the Local Food Roadshow and toolkit, ISEC has brought the local food message directly to the public in a variety of venues.
 

For more information, free downloads and publications: www.localfutures.org