Alliance for a Viable Future

The Wellbeing Economy Alliance believes that humanity should determine economics, not the other way around. In this episode, Jimmy Paul, Director at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance in Scotland - speaks of their work with partners to drive change by co-creating, testing & lobbying for alternative policies, practices & models, and will look to identify the cross-sectoral opportunities for fundamental systems change. Jimmy has worked in a range of leadership roles across health & social care for nearly ten years. He is particularly passionate about a ‘nothing about us without us’ approach to participation and the creative, meaningful involvement of communities who would benefit most from change.”

Do you feel an urgency to step up and face the climate crisis? At no other time in human history has our human species needed to wake up to the harrowing fact that our planet’s natural systems may not be able to support human life— within the coming generation—by 2050. Climate Leadership is a pathway forward that integrates personal & professional development work, for emerging and established leaders who feel compelled to face the reality and take a stand for the future of all life on our planet.

“It’s better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it,'' says Jon Lee Rucker, founder of Wild Beauty Farm (wildbeautyfarm.com), PermaJam (permajam.com), and a dear friend of mine. This empowering conversation will bring awareness to the uneasy feeling about the instability all around us - conflict in the Ukraine, market and supply chain issues, and the environmental turbulence. We discuss our personal experience of how taking action generates a sense of confidence and courage. By facing it, you can turn the anxiety into positive action, instead of ignoring it. It’s better to face the harsh reality sooner than later. By being prepared, and taking action, step by step, the harsh reality becomes less harsh.

It is clear that the climate crisis is not going to go away. How can individuals and families best prepare themselves to meet the health challenges that are inevitable? One of the keys is that “we need to harness the power of focus,” says Dr. Stephanie Mines, the author of five books that reflect over three decades of research as a neuroscientist. She has investigated shock and trauma as a survivor, a professional, a clinical
researcher, and healthcare provider. Her nonprofit The TARA Approach is instrumental in the
systemic change she promotes as a Sustainable Health paradigm. Dr. Mines also developed Climate Change & Consciousness, which serves an international and intergenerational community of visionary activists, to facilitate inner transformation for grounded climate action.

What do you say at your Thanksgiving dinner table to honor our Native American relatives? In this episode, host and Executive Director of Alliance for a Viable Future, Lev Natan, shares stories of the Haudenasaunee Confederacy, The PeaceMaker, the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohicans, and The Seven Generations teaching. Lev’s wish is that his words spark your ideas for what to say around the dinner table. Also, Lev gives an update about the Climate Leadership Initiative that AVF is launching in 2022. Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you!

What’s the purpose of Indigenous People’s Day? Where did it come from? Why does it matter?


The purpose of this panel, “Listening Deeply: Indigenous Voices Panel Discussion,” was to educate our community in preparation for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It happened on Friday, October 1st from 6:00-8:00pm at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire in Housatonic. Our panelists were Shawn Stevens, Jake Singer, Bonney Hartley, from the Mohican Cultural Affairs Office, and Carol Dana, a Penobscot Language MastWe also heard deep reflections from Lev Natan, founding director of Alliance for a Viable Future, and special honored guest, Gwendolyn VanSant, Chief Executive Officer and Founding Director of MultiCultural Bridge.

How can you integrate spiritual wisdom, social justice, reconciliation and deep personal growth? Rabbi David Jaffe’s teaching, organizing, writing and consulting explore the intersection of moral-spiritual development and ethical action in the world. In our interview, he draws from his book, Changing the World from the Inside Out, where he speaks to the needs of change makers and spiritual leaders throughout the country.

“Indian girl use all your heart, or they’ll eat it raw, while singing la la la la”” Janel Munoa is a Native American Musician, who grew up on her Luiseño tribe’s reservation in Southern California. She moved to the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, where she has cultivated her professional musical career, while becoming active in in community organizing efforts for social and environmental issues. In our interview, she speaks eloquently about striking the balance between “leading and following” in both group dynamics, creative expression, racial justice, solidarity and land reparations for native communities. You can learn more about her work at www.janelmunoa.com.

Women are designed to sustain life. When supported to grow from healing into leadership, they naturally bring forth life-sustaining values such as love, compassion, joy and gratitude. In this interview, Catherine Ayotte shares her intimate experience of shifting from the ''victim'' to the ''leader'', using integrity, community and dignity as anchors in the process. She shares about her initiatory journey of stepping into women’s facilitation work. To learn more about her work, visit: www.thesacredpathofthepriestess.com.

“We had to ask ourselves, if people are cutting down trees to cook their meals, then how can we help them reduce the amount of wood needed every time they cook.” These words from the co-founders point to their mission: to address the underlying causes of deforestation. For over twenty years, Trees, Water & People has been a leader in not only reforestation, but also in the design and distribution of clean cookstoves and other clean energy products which greatly reduce the use of natural resources for energy creation. The team is guided by two core beliefs: that natural resources are best protected when local people play an active role in their care and management and that preserving local ecosystems is essential for the ongoing social, economic, and environmental health of communities everywhere. After over a decade of service with Trees, Water & People, Sebastian Africano is proud to have been selected to lead the organization as Executive Director. He has worked first-hand in almost every aspect of TWP's programs, and brings deep perspective and dedication to advancing the struggles and aspirations of the communities TWP serves. While Sebastian travels less these days than he did during his first ten years with the organization, he is excited to raise his two young kids among the extended TWP family, and to continue building bridges to connect our unique global community. Sebastian holds an MBA from Colorado State University. Learn more at www.treeswaterpeople.org.