Guidelines for participating in The Big ONE FREE Two-Day Convergence

We ask that the organizations and individuals to participate in THREE ways ...

1) People go online to www.beautifulcommunities.org and join one of the “Engagement Neighborhoods." Collaboration happens on line with the other registered organizations and individuals and the neighborhood coordinators.

Areas of Engagement

•School Yard & Community Gardens: organic garden education for sustainability*

•Food Justice: Slow Movement, CSA’s, Urban Farmers…*

•Sustainability & Permaculture: Climate Change, Resource Depletion, Urban Planning, Food  & Water Security, Rethinking "Sewage Systems"*

•Peak Oil: Geo politics, economic, alternative fuels, impacts, transportation…*

•Youth Engagement: leadership, education, eco-literacy… *

•Economy: Green Jobs Training and Development, Cooperative Purchasing, Collective Asset Management…*

•Social: culture, spirit, justice…*

•Health: nutrition, care, housing…*

* Please do not feel limited by the descriptions of these areas of engagement, we encourage you to define it for yourself…add your themes and definitions

2) Once you are registered with one of the Solution Neighborhoods, then the collaboration begins! Your Solution Neighborhood works collaboratively with the other registered members in your neighborhood to determine what will be represented and presented in and around your open-air tent. Let’s say, for example, your organization registers with the “Sustainability Neighborhood” and is most interested in “Climate Change.” You will work collaboratively with other groups that are also registered with the Sustainability Neighborhood but identify (for example) with “water catchment” or “gray water systems”. As a neighborhood member you will collectively decide what you want in your Sustainability Neighborhood Tent. Your neighborhood will decide if you want speakers, entertainment, classes, hands-on demonstrations, interactive displays. We encourage you to creatively represent the many issues we face as a community when we talk about “Sustainability, Youth Engagement, Economy, Social, Health, Food Justice, Greening Our Cities and Schoolyards.” We also encourage you to set aside scheduled time for collaborative brainstorming on how organizations and community can support one another. Organizations and individuals are driving the dialogue and content that will be shared with the community during the two-day convergence.

3) Organizations participating in the two-day convergence should be oriented toward engagement and focus on interacting with the other participating organizations and the community who will be attending.

We provide the space…you fill it with your dreams.