"The largest climate action gathering ever to take place in Western Maine."
The Center for an Ecology-Based Economy launched in 2013 to help build local community sustainability, health, and resilience in response to the emerging climate crisis. With a powerful climate movement now sweeping the globe, the time for action is now.
Our conference “CEBE 2020 Vision: Finding Hope in Climate Action" in Norway, Maine consisted of two and a half days of intense movement building. It began Thursday evening March 5th, with an exciting line-up of speakers including 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben and Anna Siegel of Maine Strikes. Friday, March 6th we focused on training, support, action, and celebration for climate activists, both new and seasoned. Saturday, March 7th we invited everyone to come and find hope through action with workshops, speakers and activities designed to broaden and deepen Maine’s climate movement.
Through the dedication, knowledge, time and generosity of so many people, we were able to convene 47 different workshops in four venues over the course of two and a half days, resulting in countless connections made, conversations started, and new ideas taking root for community-based solutions to the global climate emergency! We sang, made art, spoke from the heart, and ate delicious local food as we worked to build a deep and broad movement to face the challenges ahead.
THE '75 SCOTTYS
Local musical duo, Lauren Scott on Fiddle and Chris Borden on Guitar/bodhran opened the evening, playing a mix of traditional tunes from far away magical lands including Ireland and Quebec.
JESSICA COOPER
Jessica Cooper is a writer, performer, steward of the land, and community organizer. She never turns down the opportunity to join in progress towards positive change. Jess was raised on a small farm in Western Maine to a family of apple farmers and a father who farmed and maintained a homestead throughout her life. To this day she regards him to be her greatest source of love for the land, mountains, growing food, and respect for the Earth. Especially as a young mother, she is determined to create a hopeful future for herself and her daughter with reinvigorated knowledge and values passed down from her father and generations of farmers before her, incorporating art as the instrument for change.
ANNA SEIGEL
Anna Siegel is a 13-year-old youth climate activist, currently at the Friends School of Portland. She is the Chapter lead for ME Strikes, the Maine Chapter of US Youth Climate Strikes (USYCS). With the ME Strikes team, she organized the September 20th climate strikes across Maine, which had over 2,000 youth in attendance at the Portland rally. Right now, she is preparing for Earth Day actions. Along with activism, she is deeply passionate about wildlife and birds.
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EMILIA DAHLIN
Wielding a voice that defies the size of her body along with strong storytelling sensibilities, Emilia Dahlin has carved out her name as a unique songstress. Garnering great joy from collaborating and co-creating, Emilia believes that music and storytelling are some of the most powerful tools to foster connection between people and create positive social change. A teaching artist, who facilitates songwriting as a means for personal expression, creative collaboration, and language exploration, Dahlin’s also a fellow of Noel "Paul" Stookey's (Peter, Paul & Mary) organization, Music To Life, which supports and amplifies the work of musician-activists.
BILL MCKIBBEN
Bill McKibben is an author, environmentalist, and activist. In 1988 he wrote The End of Nature, the first book for a common audience about global warming. He is a co-founder and Senior Advisor at 350.org, an international climate campaign that works in 188 countries around the world.
LISA MOORE
Lisa Moore is local poet from Harrison and a founding member of the Mountain Poets Society, a fixture in the arts culture of Western Maine that meets monthly in Norway to share original poetry.
FRIDAY MARCH 6th
SKILLS FOR ACTION
"A day of training, support, action and celebration for organizers, young and old, new and seasoned."
This day was full of workshops, presentations and activities geared towards building skills for activists and change makers! There was a special focus on youth, starting with "Breakfast with Bill" (pictured below) and later a panel during lunch, made up of these students and youth activists from around the state of Maine – sharing their stories, questions, and concerns.
SATURDAY MARCH 7th
FINDING YOUR PLACE, BUILDING A MOVEMENT
"We found hope through action with workshops, speakers and activities designed to broaden and deepen Maine’s climate movement."
Our climate convergence was born out of the desire to find a sense of place in the growing global climate movement – as individuals, local communities and one global community alike. Now more than ever we need action, and to recognize our collective responsibility in solving the climate problem. This day was full of workshops, presentations and activities geared towards learning about existing climate work, envisioning future climate solutions, and taking action with a local and global perspective in mind. This day began with a special keynote from COA student and youth climate activist, Felipe Andres Fontecilla Gutierrez, sharing their story and personal journey through climate action and social activism.
FELIPE ANDRES FONTECILLA GUTIERREZ
Felipe Andres Fontecilla Gutierrez (they/them) is a youth activist from Chile currently studying at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor. Felipe was born and raised in Chile, a country that has gone through a few social revolts in the last decades. Felipe grew a passion for justice and an interest in non-violent social movements and civil disobedience as an avenue to achieve substantial systemic changes. In 2008 and 2011 they participated in the fight for free and quality education in the country's student revolutions. Felipe graduated in 2014 from UWC South East Asia in Singapore, where they began to deepen their interest and work in Peace Education. In 2016 they joined COA where they have continued learning about global peace education, social change, and climate justice. Their latest projects include the facilitation of the UWC Short Course Bridging Cultures in Bosnia & Herzegovina; their participation at the UNFCCC Climate Conference in Germany, and subsequent participation at the People's Summit and the Civil Society Summit for Climate Action in Santiago de Chile.
THANKS to our SPONSORS!
"We're all in this together, and we couldn't have made it without you!"
Thank you to everyone involved in making this event a success. We are so thankful to have had more than 350 participants, musicians, poets and speakers, 25 volunteers who donated over 100 hours during the event, 23 sponsors, and the numerous hosts and food providers who made our 2020 Vision Climate Convergence possible –– we appreciate you!
While organized by CEBE staff and volunteers, this event is co-sponsored by numerous local businesses and statewide organizations including Sustaining All Life Maine, Maine Climate Action NOW!, 350Maine, GarboKane Integrated Solar Builders, Sierra Club Maine, Revision Energy, Insource Renewables, Pleasant Hill Property Services, Natural Resource Council of Maine, Café Nomad, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, NextGen Maine, Midcoast Conservancy, Alliance for Economic Democracy, The Union of Concerned Scientists, Efficiency Maine, Oxbow Beer Garden, Lake and Watershed Resource Management Associates, Black Dog Timberworks, Maine Passive House, the Tribune Bookstore, and Fare Share Cooperative Market.