John Perkins--economist, founder of Dream Change and the Pachamama Alliance, and author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

Following is an entry submitted by James Dong to recap and comment on a workshop he attended at the Net Impact Conference in Itahca, NY this November.

I loved his discussion about dream change and the idea of a shift in consciousness. John gave a great example of how, upon walking on a trail, two Native American guides noticed that a plant was no longer healthy. After a tribal meeting, they concluded that the trail was overused and
therefore, must be closed immediately.

The Native Americans believe that anything that could even potentially harm the future of our children in any way should not be done. In the example, it's the fact that permitting excessive use of the trail would decrease its future usability. This idea, in modern times, is perhaps best captured by the Precautionary Principle...or by the tagline of Seventh Generation (taken from Native American law).

But why are we still ignoring this ancient wisdom, and why is it so hard to get people to care? With regards to the former, perhaps its the idea that in this modern, advanced world, anything from the past should be viewed as outdated. This is far from truth; if anything, science is beginning to recognize the ingenuity of ancient cultures, and struggling to bring them back.

On the other hand, it's hard to get people to care. Why? Because people are disconnected. If someone told a young adult not to pollute for the sake of their children's health...well, that message would get ignored. America's capitalistic, individualistic society promotes a unique social structure far removed from that prescribed by evolution. People living under this structure find it difficult to comprehend and empathize with their peers, let alone a whole (as of yet nonexistent) generation.

Or, they do care, and they rationalize it away with a high interest rate and some other economic calculations. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_discount_rate). But the problem is that these numbers only further cloud the human element. If the question were framed as: do you want to burn down local communities and kill thousands of people, would any executive answer yes? And yet, by their actions, they do, and do not understand.

In this case, the mission of environmental organizations should be to reconnect people with the consequences of their actions. The difficult part is finding a meaningful way to do so, because I don't think campaigns and non-profits have been very successful thus far. People have short
attention spans, don't follow lectures, and don't all participate in Peace Corps.

So how else can we make this bridge between an individual and his/her actions concrete--enough so that we can walk across, see the calamity, and shudder?

Moreover, how can YOU do this as an individual, everyday? I challenge you
to find an answer.

Microfinance Series!

Net Impact, Berkeley presents the opportunity for undergraduates to enjoy ...

Microfinance Series: Class by Professor Sean Foote
Mondays 4-6 pm
C 135
Live audit (you can ask questions)
Speaker & Forum
It will be like sitting in a graduate class!

Note: Open to everyone

Helping Developing Communities Connect to the World

Many members of Net Impact Berkeley recently volunteered for a fund-raiser in San Francisco in support of the non-profit Room to Read. This organization works with communities in developing countries around the world to provide better educational resources, in both their native languages and English, to help those communities free themselves from the cycle of poverty. We are excited this week to hear that Room to Read has been working with the communications corporation Qualcomm to create several broadband-enabled computer labs in rural Nepal and Vietnam. These computer labs will not only help students connect to the rest of the world, but also help them learn computer skills and access educational materials for subjects like math, science, and English. This is just one example of how those committed to creating a positive impact in the world can influence corporate practices to be more socially responsible.

You can read about the details of this project here.

Green Musings #1: Green Honor Roll

In the spirit of the Campus Greening Event that Net Impact is hosting on Thursday, blog entries for this week will focus on "going green."
While I searched for UC Berkeley environmental and sustainability facts I found a list of the sustainability awards that Cal has won. One in particular stood out to me, a place on Princeton Review's "Green Honor Roll," so I have decided to pick from the Roll, a few of the innovative means that campuses used to go green. ( The full article can be found at http://princetonreview.com/green-honor-roll.aspx.)

• Special parking privileges for carpools
• Sending extra food to food banks or pig farmers
• Heat via renewable wood pallets
• Fryer oil used for campus vehicles

New initiatives that increase sustainability and improve the environment of college campuses are key as the population of students attending college grows and as budget cuts both increase and decrease favorability towards the green movement.

-Stacey (NI Marketing Team)

This week everyone in Net Impact is excited for the Campus Greening Event we are hosting. The event, which will be this Thursday, Oct 22nd at 7 p.m. at Cheit 250, is an opportunity for attendees to participate in the ongoing discussion about Campus Greening that will ensure that the UC Berkeley campus continues to increase environmental and sustainability standards and goals. Josh Cleveland, the featured guest speaker has a strong background in green initiatives and social entrepreneurship.