Recent Events
Local Futures & Relocalise Northern Rivers Presents
Thriving in Uncertain Times
Experts demystify the global economy while seeding fresh ideas for local solutions
Speakers: Helena Norberg-Hodge, Founder/ Director of Local Futures and filmmaker. Damon Gameau, Co-Founder Regenerators and filmmaker. Plus a host of other community change-makers.
Time: 2:30-5pm
When: Saturday 26 April 2025
Where: Marvell Hall, 37 Marvell St, Byron Bay
How is it that we're seeing obscene excesses of wealth for a few while most people are struggling to pay the rent or mortgage? Why is there an epidemic of depression, war and ever more environmental destruction?
We can point the finger at capitalism, oligarchs and tyrants, mining companies and war-mongering governments. However, transcending all this – and influencing our lives - is an out-of-control global economy.
It is easy to feel impotent, unable to make any kind of positive impact. Yet, there is an antidote to globalisation, and it’s available to all of us.
Join us on Saturday 26 April when we will take a different look at the world through the lens of “big picture activism”. View two recently released short animations by Local Futures, Trade Gone Mad and They Call it Progress, which set the scene for our main event.
Join in a vital, informative conversation between Helena Norberg-Hodge and Damon Gameau tailored for the future-economy curious!
You’ll also have a chance to discover how local community projects are focusing on activities that reconnect us with friends, community, nature - all of which increase wellbeing, while reducing demand for materials sourced from long distances.
Choir leader Melia Naughton will then invite us to embrace community wellbeing and action through song.
Thank you for joining us!
What an afternoon packed with inspiration and fun we had at Thriving in Uncertain Times! Sincerest thanks to all involved, especially Helena and Damon, but also Henry Coleman for moderating the Q&A, and our speakers from community initiatives around the region.
You can follow up with any of them here:
- Susan Wanmer, Co-founder of Relocalise Northern Rivers and Curriculum Co-ordinator for Byron Bay Business College
- Jason Lasky, Co-founder of Relocalise Northern Rivers and advocate for cohesive local communities, co-ordinator of free weekly peer coaching circles
- Carmen Stewart from Imagine Northern Rivers
- Graham Truswell from Electrify 2479-2483
- Endre and Jimmy from Afterlee Ecovillage (lots from $145K still available)
- Paul and Erica Crebar from Luminous Youth
And special thanks to Caroline Cowley for stepping in at such short notice and wrapping up the afternoon so perfectly with "Roots" (by Shimshai).
This was the first time we have hosted an event at Marvell Hall, but we loved it there! Great facilities and management there - we recommend it!
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