For the last 15 years, I've been committed to playing a significant role in re-achieving sustainability - harmony with the Earth's capacity to renew, cleanse and heal. The fundamental questions for me have been, 'What makes a living system a living system?' and 'What consciousness is inherent in all life?'. This was my focus in my studies in the 'Whole System Design' program at Antioch University, and an 'Appreciative Inquiry' certification from Case Western Reserve.

My key learning was that the theory that underlies sustainability is Living Systems Theory, and when it is understood, the ethics necessary to achieve sustainability emerge.

Nature, which is self organizing and perfectly ordered (zero waste), is the model and mentor.

I was encouraged to write a book that was titled, 'The Appreciation Field: Co-Creating Our Sustainability Ethic' that is 'published' as a website, http://www.appreciativesustainability.com/

The work with the site leads me to exploring several questions related to self organization that I hope will be discussed at the workshop --

- Who are the cultures that understand self organizing in the depths of their being? - What is their relationship with Earth and all of life? - How does their epistemology differ from our own? - How do they blend task, relationship and process? - What are the organizing principles of life? - Have the massive paradigm shifts confronting us masked elegant, relatively simple, solutions? - What approaches might we take to overcome institutional inertia?

I look forward to meeting new colleagues and moving forward with this critical work. Please go to my site and contact me if you'd like to be in conversation.