May 4, 2017
For my friends:
Many people uplift econ4peace! The story of the Institute began in early December 2008 soon after President Obama’s election. Well, it began long before that, but that is for another story.
So, I was working in on environmental dispute resolution initiative to bridge energy, economic and environmental interests with a focus on renewable energy and development on the Colorado Plateau. This was the heartland of early “neo” hydraulic fracturing and uranium mining across tribal, state and federal jurisdictions. In this case and others, I’d observed a net lack of good information about local people and the scarcity of non-professional locals at formal public meetings. Although meetings are advertised in newspapers, local people seldom participate en masse unless riled. In writing my reports, I had regurgitated statistical data in mountains of planning reports with very little real estate for in-depth sociocultural assessments of quality of life for local people. I hadn’t realized until then, how little we have to go on in making good public decisions.
With this in mind, I reflected on how to improve the situation. I dreamed up Economics for Peace Institute. The Institute is a vehicle for systematically transforming the way we do government so that we get deep community involvement in co-creating a sustainable future. I started talking to a few savvy friends and off we went to create an organization set to deliver on a promise: there must be a better way!
I am so very grateful to so many since that time! Amazing folks! And, I sense you share a similar gratitude for each other!
Your collective contribution could not have been dreamed up! It could only simply be what is. I write this now with the dawn streaming and birds singing on this early rainforest morning. Utter gratitude.
Still, we are not there yet. It will take many more to get this ball really rolling! Please tell others about real local input, uniting ourselves with better information and the economics of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship. And, contribute anew to show your financial support. Technology has come a long way and with a little boost now, I’m ready to make it happen. The time is right.
In awe and appreciation,
