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November 10, 2014

Resource Guide From 2014 OCSL Conference

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Over the weekend of October 24–24, Omega held the 2014 OCSL Conference, Where We Go From Here: Building the Collaborative Commons. Together, we began to build a foundation for ongoing dialog on emerging solutions to protect and steward the commons in the Hudson Valley region, and beyond. Here’s a recap of the relevant people, organizations, projects, books, and ideas from the conference that can help to inform next steps.


Robert "Skip" Backus, Omega CEO and Founder of the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL)
Laura Weiland, Assistant Director, Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL)
Bios: Robert “Skip” BackusLaura Weiland
Website: Omega Center for Sustainable Living
Facebook: Omega Center for Sustainable Living
Twitter: @Omega_Institute@SkipBackus, @Leweiland32

Introduction to the OCSL video
"What's even greener than LEED? The Omega Center" 
"Holistic at Heart: A new building on the campus of the Omega Institute performs a very practical function, but also serves the organization's loftier, pedagogical goals" 
"World's greenest buildings' get seal of approval" 
Flow: The Making of the Omega Center for Sustainable Living
Become a member of the Hudson Valley Smart Energy Coalition

Bob Berkebile
Bio: Bob Berkebile
Website: BNIM
Facebook: BNIM
Twitter: @BerkebileBob

"High School Students Build Car Fueled By Twitter, Facebook and Other Social Media (Video)"
"Urban Acupuncture"
"2014 Hanley Award and $50,000 Prize go to Bob Berkebile of BNIM" 

David Bollier
Bio: David Bollier
Website: David Bollier
Facebook: David Bollier
Twitter: @DavidBollier

Commons Projects
Commoners
David Bollier’s books

Leslie Booker
Bio: Leslie Booker
Website: Lineage Project
Facebook: Booker Leslie

Urban Sangha Project

Devita Davison
Bio: Devita Davison
Website: Detroit Kitchen Connect
Facebook: Detroit Kitchen Connect

"Detroiter’s Kitchen Initiative Connects With Oprah"
"Toyota Standing O-Vation Honoring Kitchen Connect" (Video) 

Michael Gayk
Bio: Michael Gayk
Website: Metal/Digital Design and Fabrication, SUNY New Paltz
Twitter: @PluralStudios

3D Printing Initiative at New Paltz 

Carla Goldstein
Bio: Carla Goldstein
Website: Omega Women's Leadership Center (OWLC)
Facebook: Omega Women's Leadership Center
Twitter: @Carla_Goldstein, @Omega_Women

"The Hudson Valley Learning Center That's Training Women Who Want to Change the World" 

Groundwork Hudson Valley
Website: Groundwork Hudson Valley
Facebook: Groundwork Hudson Valley
Twitter: @GroundworkHV

The Science Barge
Neighborhood Greening
Community Gardens

David Hasbury
Bio: David Hasbury
Website: Neighbours International
Facebook: Neighbours International
Twitter: @NeighboursIntl (Dave's drawings from the conference are posted on his Twitter feed.)

Van Jones
Bio: Van Jones
Website: Van Jones
Facebook: Van Jones
Twitter: @VanJones68

"Prison System Is Failing America"
#YesWeCode
Cut50
Van Jones Keynote: Design by Nature 2012
The Green Collar Economy 

Kosmos Journal
Website: Kosmos Journal
Facebook: Kosmos Journal
Twitter: @KosmosJournal

Planetary Boundaries and Human Opportunities: The Commons Unleashed
Greenkeeping Governance: Toward a Law of the Ecological Commons 
The Commons | Kosmos Journal 

Winona LaDuke
Bio: Winona LaDuke
Website: Honor the Earth
Facebook: Honor the Earth
Twitter: @HonorTheEarth

Stop the Sandpiper Pipeline
Honor the Earth: Stop the Pipelines

Osprey Orielle Lake
Bio: Osprey Orielle Lake
Website: Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network, International
Facebook: Women's Earth & Climate Caucus
Twitter: @WECAN_INTL

Women's Climate Action Agenda 
Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture With Nature
Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Bio: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Website: Earth Guardians
Facebook: Earth Guardians
Twitter: @EarthGuardianz

Ban on Fracking in Colorado
Youth Sue U.S. Government Over Climate Inaction 

Bill McKibben
Bio: Bill McKibben
Website: Bill McKibben, 350.org
Facebook: 350.org
Twitter: @billmckibben@350

Fossil Free
Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math
"Bill McKibben on Divesting From Fossil Fuels"
People’s Climate March
Pacific Climate Warriors
The End of Nature
Full list of Bill McKibben's books 

New York Harbor School
Website: New York Harbor School
Facebook: New York Harbor School
Twitter: @HarborSchool

Billion Oyster Project

David W. Orr
Bio: David W. Orr
Website: The Oberlin Project
Facebook: Oberlin Project
Twitter: @Oberlin Project

Suggested "Homework" Assignment: "Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System" 

Jeremy Rifkin
Bio: Jeremy Rifkin
Website: The Foundation on Economic Trends
Facebook: Jeremy Rifkin
Twitter: @JeremyRifkin

The Zero Marginal Cost Society 
The Third Industrial Revolution

The Empathic Civilization 
The End of Work
Full list of books by Jeremy Rifkin 

Vandana Shiva
Bio: Vandana Shiva
Website: Navdanya
Facebook: Vandana Shiva
Twitter: @DrVandanaShiva

Bija Vidyapeeth
Declaration on Seed Freedom
"The Neem Tree - A Case History of Biopiracy"
"Monsanto Bio-Pirating Indian Wheat"
"Genetically Engineered Bt Brinjal and the Implications for Plant Biodiversity"
Full list of books by Vandana Shiva 

Ethan Roland Solaviev
Bio: Ethan Roland Solaviev
Website: Appleseed Permaculture
Facebook: Ethan Roland
Twitter: @EthanAppleseed

8 Forms of Capital
Regenerative Enterprise
Carbon Farming: Workshops in Regenerative Agriculture 

Jason Stern
Bio: Jason Stern
Website: Chronogram
Facebook: Chronogram
Twitter: @Jason_Stern / @Chrongram

Esteemed Reader

Press about Where We Go From Here: Building the Collaborative Commons
Al Jazeera America: "The Commons Are Making a Comeback: Environmental Activists Are Reviving an Old Concept to Rethink Economics & Society" by Nathan Schneider
Bollier.org (faculty blog): "Omega Institute Holds First Major North American Conference of Commons Activists" by David Bollier
TreeHugger.com: "Between Hope and Heartbreak: Message From the Frontlines" by Manon Verchot
SeedLibrary.org: "Declaration on Seed Freedom" by Ken Greene
Poughkeepsie Journal: "Groundwork Hudson Valley Wins Omega Award"
EcoWatch: "Omega Institute's 'Where We Go From Here' Conference" 

© Omega Center for Holistic Studies