The impact of
November 2018 November 2019
RECONNECTING WITH THE LIVING PLANET The Resurgence Trust What is The Resurgence Trust?
James Sainsbury, chair of The Resurgence Trust writes: It is so important now for and spiritual underpinning for Resurgence to seize the moment. all the changes of mind, of heart We all know that we have a very and of action that are needed; short window in which to save by being a positive, optimistic, the world from the most extreme encouraging voice; by repeating and catastrophic climate change, that we can base our actions on injustice, biodiversity loss and love for Nature rather than fear pollution. of doom; by providing added Resurgence was well ahead of its impetus and also a platform, a time for many years. Now it is just hub and a clearing house for one small part of a huge and fast- good ideas; by spreading Satish’s growing movement, led principally unique inspiring voice and great by the youngest generations. wisdom; and by helping to build It still has a very important the strongest possible community contribution to make, however, of like-minded people all around by providing a rich philosophical the world.
Satish Kumar, editor emeritus, Resurgence & Ecologist writes: We are reaching a tipping point. and needed today than ever Many people are realising the before. When one supports The Resurgence Trust is a UK-based educational charity that promotes ecological urgency of the climate crisis. But Resurgence one is helping a wide- sustainability, social justice and ethical living. It was created to further the The Resurgence Trust, through ranging environmental and social educational work of Resurgence magazine, which was founded in 1966. The its many activities, is reminding movement for regeneration and Resurgence Trust aims to find positive solutions to the global challenges of today. the world that in order to address renewal. Moreover, Resurgence The charity was established in 2006 with the key objective of advancing the climate crisis we need to reminds people that the environ education and learning in the areas of conservation, protection and improvement change our attitude towards mental movement should not be of the natural environment, arts, culture, spirituality and human values. Nature. Nature is not merely a driven by fear. We must act for The aim of The Resurgence Trust is to foster a greater connection to Nature in resource for the economy: Nature the wellbeing of people and the order to enhance personal wellbeing, support resilient communities and inform is the source of life. Such ground- planet Earth out of our love for social change towards regenerative societies breaking ideas represented by life. The power of love is stronger that enrich rather than deplete our natural environment. Resurgence are more relevant than the force of fear. The Resurgence Trust has a vision for a world where individuals feel ease and connection between mind and body, between self and community, and between society and Nature. Society will have at its heart a love of Nature and respect for the Earth. We will appreciate fully that humans are part of Nature and that being Trustees connected to Nature is part of being human. The Resurgence Trust has a committed group of active trustees: Through implementing the Trust’s charitable objectives, we aim to raise James Sainsbury (chair), Josephine Amankwah, Dick Baker, Sandy Brown, Herbert Girardet, awareness of the need and the opportunities for positive change, inspire action James P. Graham, Rowan Mataram, Christabel Reed and Ruby Reed and facilitate dialogue and debate.
Cover artwork © Olivia Fraser c/o Grosvenor Gallery
2 THE RESURGENCE TRUST RECONNECTING WITH THE LIVING PLANET 3 What Does The Resurgence Trust Do?
beautiful” theories continue to be a mainstay To mark Extinction Rebellion’s April actions of our philosophy. we featured an article by Mothiur Rahman, a The bi-monthly magazine adopted its member of the movement’s political strategy present title after Resurgence merged with The team in the UK. He wrote that the struggle for Ecologist in 2012. The magazine exemplifies a better future can bring us closer together. By our concerns for the issues of environment, locking arms with others and risking arrest for social justice, ethical living and the arts. the lives of strangers, we disrupt patterns of During the last year, the magazine has selfishness set by neoliberalism. To mark the included a number of interviews with general strike called for by Greta Thunberg high-profile people, including, in the May/ and the Fridays For Future movement, we ran June issue, naturalist and broadcaster two articles in our September/October issue, Chris Packham, who talked to Resurgence & one by writer and climate activist Jonathan Ecologist editor Marianne Brown about how Neale, who gives advice for people who wish the purpose of his People’s Manifesto for to join the strike, and one by 19-year-old Wildlife is to “shake a fist” at the conservation Mahmudul Hassan, one of the organisers of movement and prompt change. We also Fridays For Future Bangladesh. featured a conversation with barrister and Membership activist Polly Higgins, who died shortly before Members of The Resurgence Trust receive we went to print. six copies of the magazine each year. The The Resurgence Trust publishes Resurgence Resurgence & Ecologist magazine In the July/August issue we ran an interview Resurgence Trust has over 6,200 members, & Ecologist magazine six times a year, runs Launched over 50 years ago as Resurgence with former Irish president Mary Robinson, and our intention is to grow the membership The Ecologist website as a free service, by John Papworth, a radical Anglican who praised the depth of feeling and energy over the coming years. and hosts regular national and local campaigner on peace and civil rights issues, fuelling the school strikes. “We need to listen events. It founded and is now based at the magazine enjoyed the support of a small and learn from the passion of our young Resurgence archives the Resurgence Centre for environmental but influential group of writers, artists and people,” she said, “and show them that there Our members have free online access to 54 education in Hartland, north Devon, which thinkers, including the economists Leopold is indeed a way for our political and economic years of timeless articles from Resurgence – opened in May this year. Kohr and E.F. Schumacher, whose “small is systems to meet their cries for action.” now Resurgence & Ecologist – magazine.
4 THE RESURGENCE TRUST RECONNECTING WITH THE LIVING PLANET 5 Events and Outreach
The Ecologist website The Resurgence Centre for Education, the Environment and Arts (www.theecologist.org) The new Resurgence The Ecologist magazine was founded by Centre in Hartland, Devon, Edward Goldsmith in 1970. Its successor, was opened in May by The Ecologist website, is managed by environmentalist, food The Resurgence Trust. The Ecologist campaigner and chef Hugh supports and enhances the educational Fearnley-Whittingstall. The remit of the charity by providing up- Centre, with its carbon-negative to-date, independent information on rating, eco-refurbishment environmental issues. It enables us to and forest garden, reflects our reach a wider and more international commitment to living well public audience and has dramatically within a regenerative economy. increased our online presence. We have transformed the Updated with articles daily, the chapel at the former Small website provides news and analysis on School into an education, key environmental issues, including environmental and arts climate change, farming, energy, food, centre. The Resurgence health and ethical living. Through Centre will be a focal point for raising awareness of these issues, The learning and activities about Ecologist plays a vital role in building the environment – raising a movement for change and is an Elizabeth Wainwright, contributing awareness of ecological important bridge back to the work of editor of The Ecologist, curated a Nature issues and promoting The Resurgence Trust. writing workshop, chaired a meeting of sustainability locally, In the last 12 months The Ecologist young activists, and gave a presentation regionally and nationally. has had 2.5 million page views, a about trees and networks. Each was The Resurgence Trust 50% increase on the previous year. It attended by about 200 people. The is creating a centre of has 138,000 followers on Twitter and feedback was that the talks provided excellence within the North 255,000 likes on Facebook. a welcome ‘cerebral’ element to the Devon UNESCO Biosphere The Ecologist has been extending its festival, and that people really liked the Reserve that will serve as a outreach through a presence at events. For emphasis on audience participation. Five forum for sharing innovative example, in July, together with Resurgence hundred copies of Resurgence & Ecologist ideas with a global impact. & Ecologist it was well represented and were distributed. These were very well received an extremely warm reception received, with positive comments about at the Timber festival, where Brendan both design and content, and people were Montague, the editor, gave a talk on Nature reading them across the festival site. stories – discussing human evolution, economics and the different value sets The Ecologist archives of scarcity/competition and abundance/ All the articles from The Ecologist are cooperation – on the main events stage. available in an online archive. This Brendan also chaired two well-attended provides a tremendously important ‘What the papers say’ sessions and a resource for study and information for session on rewilding. the present and future generations.
6 THE RESURGENCE TRUST RECONNECTING WITH THE LIVING PLANET 7 An important part of the work Resurgence Talks Resurgence Festival of Wellbeing Summer Camp of The Resurgence Trust is its Taking place in London on the last Now in its 9th year, Resurgence’s day-long Resurgence’s annual summer camp is a thriving programme of events, Wednesday of each month, Resurgence event in London brings together experts weekend of inspiring talks, workshops, music, which take place throughout the Talks are held in partnership with 42 Acres in their fields to explore wellbeing in its storytelling, poetry and craft that brings the year. Members of The Resurgence Shoreditch. Speakers in the last year have widest sense. Speakers have included Monty ideas and ethos of Resurgence & Ecologist to life Trust are invited to all these included Siân Berry, co-leader of the Green Don, Caroline Lucas, Ben Okri, Ruth Padel, in the beautiful Worcestershire countryside. events, which are open to all. Party, Sarah Corbett, founding director of Vandana Shiva and Rowan Williams. The camps have been running for over 20 the global Craftivist Collective, Tim Smit, Last year’s sold-out event took place at years, and more than 2,000 people have enjoyed co-founder of the Eden Project, and Rowan Rudolf Steiner House. It featured, amongst the unique and inspirational atmosphere. Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury. others, Louise Chester of Mindfulness This year’s event took place from 12 to 14 Since the talks began in March 2017, over at Work, performance poet Mr Gee, July and was attended by over 100 people. 1,000 like-minded people have attended William Sieghart‘s Poetry Pharmacy, and Speakers and performers included author and them, creating a London community to neuroscientist Hannah Critchlow. campaigner Natalie Fee, cultural ecologist explore the ideas of The Resurgence Trust. Herbie Girardet, and multimedia artist Sika.
8 THE RESURGENCE TRUST RECONNECTING WITH THE LIVING PLANET 9 Outreach Support the Resurgence Trust
organisational partner of the monthly Resurgence Talks. “I have been deeply connected with Informal partners include Action for Happiness, the Museum of Happiness, Resurgence & Ecologist over the years. LUSH, Oxfam and Rudolf Steiner House. There is no other magazine that covers the The Resurgence Trust is an active member issues of our times, with truth and beauty, of the Plastic Free North Devon consortium and a partner organisation of the North with courage and creativity. Resurgence Devon Biosphere Reserve, as well as working & Ecologist is sowing the seeds of hope, closely with Devon Wildlife Trust. of freedom, of the joy of living.” Volunteers – Vandana Shiva, author and activist The Resurgence Trust is a very small charity that depends on the goodwill and support of many individuals. These include volunteers Photograph © James P. Graham who support the charity at its various events, including Summer Camp, the Festival of Wellbeing and the annual Fundraising Dinner. The future Satish Kumar’s Ambassador We are immensely grateful to these The Resurgence Trust is excited about the future. It is intent programme volunteers and delighted that they continue on continuing what it does best and to educate, inform, to be part of the Resurgence family. engage and inspire future generations about the environment, Satish Kumar is the global ambassador of activism, social justice, arts and ethical living. Resurgence Trust. He constantly promotes, If you would like to volunteer at any of the articulates and illuminates the vision and charity’s London events, please email Sharon values of the charity, which include global Garfinkel: [email protected] How can you support The Resurgence Trust? sustainability, spirituality and social harmony. If you would like to volunteer at any other By making a one-off donation His new book Elegant Simplicity represents ☞☞ Resurgence event, please email Angie Burke: the philosophy of Resurgence. He continues By making an annual donation [email protected] ☞☞ to lecture at Schumacher College as well ☞☞ By leaving a legacy as to national and international audiences. The work of the Trust During the past year, with the support of The By becoming a member or giving a gift membership The Resurgence Trust continues to ☞☞ Resurgence Trust, he has travelled to Hong develop its programme of environmental Kong, India, Thailand, Spain, France, Belgium educational activities while maintaining a For further details of how you can support The Resurgence Trust, visit and Bhutan spreading the Resurgence solid financial base. www.resurgence.org/support message. His holistic vision, described in his The magazine and websites are widely book, is formulated in the trinity of Soil, Soul For fundraising information, please contact Sharon Garfinkel: read for their independence and quality of and Society. [email protected] or tel. 07435 781842 information. Partnerships The events held by The Resurgence Trust For membership enquiries, please contact Jeanette Gill: The number of partners of The Resurgence continue to be successful, with over 1,000 [email protected] or tel. 01208 841824 Trust continues to grow. These include attendees participating each year. the Network of Wellbeing, which actively The Resurgence Trust is a much-needed supports the charity’s annual Festival voice in these challenging times. of Wellbeing, and 42 Acres, which is an
10 THE RESURGENCE TRUST RECONNECTING WITH THE LIVING PLANET 11 JOIN RESURGENCE
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BECOME A MEMBER OR GIVE A GIFT MEMBERSHIP To order or see other membership rates: www.resurgence.org/membership or call us on: +44 (01208) 841824 The Resurgence Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales. Charity no: 1120414 Registered address: The Resurgence Centre, Fore Street, Hartland, Bideford, Devon, EX39 6AB