Each year, on the last Saturday in August Village Earth celebrates the legacy and birthday of one of its founders, the late Dr. Maurice Albertson by honoring a person who exemplifies Maury’s lifelong dedication to sustainability and social justice. This year, Village Earth’s Board of Directors awarded the honor to Judith Kimerling, for her defense of the Amazon rainforest and the human communities that depend on it for their culture and survival. Kimerling received the medal in front of an audience of Village Earth supporters, CSU administration and faculty, local businesses and a host of people from across the region interested in sustainable development. Entertainment included local African dance troupe “Fale” and a live auction featuring items from various locations around the world where Village Earth works. The dinner, prepared by Colorado State University catering service, featured delicious grassfed and field harvested buffalo ribeye steaks sourced from the Lakota Buffalo Caretakers Cooperative on the Pine Ridge Reservation, a grassroots affiliate of Village Earth. The highlight of the evening was slide show presentation given by Kimerling, tracing her 30 years of work in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the pressing issues that still remain to be addressed. All proceeds from the event will go to support Village Earth as it expands its Global Affiliate Program – a support network for grassroots organizations working on some of the most critical issues around the globe.
Spring II Session
GSLL 1517 – Community-Based Organizing
Taking a practical “hands-on” perspective, this course will explore the theories, tools, styles and challenges of community-based organizing. It will discuss practical strategies for developing community leadership and working with marginalized communities, exploring the ideas and examples from Evo Morales, Paulo Freire, Saul Alinsky, Sub-Comandante Marcos, the Bridge Immigrant Rights experiment and Martin Heidegger.
