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*The Climate Change Despair & Empowerment Roadshow*
In its first phase, December 2006 through to November 2007 (Australian Federal elections), the Climate Change Despair & Empowerment Roadshow travelled from town to town in Australia and North America with the aim to catalyse, invigorate and support grassroots climate action groups.

In its second phase, beginning January 2008, the Roadshow broadens its scope to address* Living in the Age of Global Warming*. We now face the unknowns of climate change and the challenges of leading low carbon lifestyles. The Climate Change Roadshow continues to provide a/ Despair
& Empowerment/ perspective based on the work developed by Joanna Macy to contextualise the fears and hopelessness that many people feel at times and highlights the potential for transformation into empowerment and effective action.

The Roadshow also offers an opportunity to discuss the issues from a personal perspective, ie. what sort of changes are we making in our own lives, what challenges and gifts arise from making a transition to Sustainable Living. There will be an opportunity to hear stories of the changes that are taking place both in our personal lives and worldwide.

We will also look at our Ecological Identity through a short deep ecology exercise and then go on to re-member who we really are within the context of the 13 billion year Story of the Universe within the context of the work of Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry.

After we acknowledge that what is required is vast political and social chance, ie. it is not enough that individuals change the lightbulbs they are using, we will network with each other about how participants might get involved on a regional, national and global level through GetUp, local climate action groups etc.

The 2 hour sessions will include brief video clips and poetry to help stimulate discussion and bring a creative framework into the room.

Time will be spent in small group discussions, short sound bites from the presenter and large group dialogue as well.

The presenter is Ruth Rosenhek, Director of the Rainforest Information Centre (Lismore, NSW). Ruth has been offering deep ecology workshops and presentations for over 10 years now and is an environmental justice activist. See http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/ruth_photos.html

The project is developed by and supported by the Rainforest Information Centre, an all volunteer non-political environmental organisation. For more information, see www.climate.net.au and www.rainforestinfo.org.au