Bioneers (biological pioneers) is an annual conference, a movement and a way of life! National BIONEERS is in its 26th years and Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit (GLBD) in its 11thyear! The conference is taking place at Marygrove College, 8425 West McNichols Rd, Detroit MI 48221. Click here to see the conference program (PDF).
BIONEERS’ tagline, revolution from the heart of Nature, and GLBD’s mission to promote sustainable community that fosters life-giving relationships, nurtures connections, and celebrates solutions for restoring and healing Earth’s communities inspire us to continue to claim that the social justice movement and the environmental movement are ONE MOVEMENT.
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Youth Day – Friday, October 23
From 8:00am to 2:25pm youth grades 7 through 12 have a program as part of the GLBD Conference. Students, chaperones, and teachers please click the Youth Day Registration found below.
| Youth Day Registration |
We Are One
The theme for this year’s conference: We are One – Opened to Spirit, Hearts Engaged, Grounded in Earth and Acting for Life. Our intention is to provide a community learning environment that invites:
- Moving from head to heart, from knowing to feeling, loving and compassion
- Deepening our interconnectedness with all life
- Awakening to who we are as humans in this 21st century
As in years past conference participants will have many opportunities:
- Eight pre-recorded plenary speakers from the national conference held a week earlier in San Rafael, California.
- Post conference Re-connecting events featuring additional plenaries (see insert).
- Tours and learnshops from over forty local presenters sharing expertise, passion and vision;
- The presence of 150 Young Bioneers: 7th to 12th graders bringing their energy, skills and curiosity to the conference;
- Networking opportunities with presenters, seniors, activists, young adults, sponsors, artists, exhibitors, vendors and volunteers;
- Savoring delicious locally-grown food prepared by local chefs;
- Art exhibits at the Marygrove and Beyond Words galleries;
- Music, poetry and ritual.
When people come together as a learning community to discover new sustainable ways of being and when they share transformative ideas for the sake of the Commons everyone benefits. When students and teachers attending the conference bring back what they learned to their schools, education can flourish. When everyone is welcome and affirmed we move toward wholeness.
Cities Of Peace Detroit – Learnshops
B.1 Experiencing Group Coherence/Your Role in Building the Beloved Community in Detroit
Saturday from 2:10-3:20
Presenters: Cass Charrette is founder of Cities of Peace Detroit and a minister of the Beloved Community…The Seminary of Spiritual Peacemaking. She sees the Beloved Community in Detroit as a model for building the new culture/new earth in communities around the world. Stephen Boyle is a community activist, photographer, designer, web and social media developer. Additional presenters may be added.
If you have ever asked yourself how you can connect and contribute beyond the conference, this learnshop is for you. It will take a shift from the head to the heart, though, and a deepening experience of group coherence. Through various activities the learnshop will lead you to a deeper consciousness of your passion, purpose and interconnectedness.
C.1 Returning to Sacred Wholeness
Sunday from 10:25-11:35am
Presenters: Cass Charrette is founder of Cities of Peace Detroit and a minister of the Beloved Community…The Seminary of Spiritual Peacemaking. She sees the Beloved Community in Detroit as a model for building the new culture/new earth in communities around the world. Carrie Landrum is a peacebuilder dedicated to growth and transformation. She is a professional facilitator and educator at the University of Michigan. Her dream is to co-create Detroit as a global center of peace and healing.
An essential step for bringing forth a sustainable world is a commitment toward personal and collective healing. Explore the Four Quadrants of Wounding/Healing Mapping: personal, collective cultural, traumatic events, and wounds in the psyche. How will you choose to be an interrupter of these patterns within these four quadrants?