This is a request for your quick personal reflections. I'm
planning a panel discussion at the 1994 Rural Life Conference
for the Churches Center for Land and People in Wisconsin (an
ecumenical organization that champions sustainability and the
connection between spirituality and rural life and work). The
panel topic is: how we can work within--and around--
educational, governmental, and other large institutions to
create a vision (and praxis) of a sustainable relationship
between people and the land.
I have my own thoughts on this, but, because I value the voices
in the SANET virtual community, I'd like to hear your thoughts
on one or more of these questions as they relate to sustainable
agriculture:
1. Is it possible to make meaningful change happen by working
within educational, governmental, and other institutions? Or
is institutional inertia too great?
2. Why work within institutions rather than other places?
3. Can individuals embedded in institutions work around them to
be effective agents of change?
4. What can we say to citizen-constituents who are suspicious
of institutions and of all people involved in them? Do we need
their trust to act in service to them within institutions?
At one level, these questions strike me as abstract. At
another level--like my day to day work--they are as in-the-
mud as earthworms and twice as squirmy.
I'd appreciate any thoughts you'd like to share! Thanks.
Peace--
Michele
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Michele Gale-Sinex
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems
Agricultural Technology and Family Farm Institute
UW-Madison--Voice: (608) 262-8018 FAX: (608) 265-3020
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At least there's Ken Burns.