Amazing speakers at Prout Conference in Caracas July 7-9 2011

"Building a Solidarity Economy based on Ethics and Ecology"

Confirmed speakers:
Nora Castañeda, president of Banmujer, the Women's Bank
Claudio Nascimento,(Brazil) Historian, activist, popular educator, author of several essays on self-management and the Solidarity Economy. Cabinet member of President Lula da Silva, member of the National Secretariat for Solidarity Economy of President Dilma Rousseff: "The Solidarity Economy and Self-Management: Principle of People's Power."
Luis Delgado Bello, former National Superintendent of Cooperatives and former project director of UNDP and ILO: “Diagnosis and Perspectives of the Social and Solidarity Economy of Venezuela: Where are we and where are we going?”
Frank Bracho, former Ambassador of Venezuela in India, ecologist and author: "Environment, Health and Happiness."
Prof. Carlos Molina Camacho, former National Superintendent of Cooperatives and Savings Banks, professor of cooperative law at UCV: "Simón Bolívar and Cooperativism."
Camila Piñeiro Harnecker: (Chile-Cuba) researcher and professor at the Center of Studies on the Cuban Economy, University of Havana: "Potentials and Risks of Cooperatives in Socialist Construction."
Lizeth Vargas and Dario Gonzalez, CECOSESOLA - Lara State Central Cooperative: “Building Here and Now the World that We Want.”
Dr. Benito Diaz, Editor of CAYAPA (Venezuelan Journal of Social Economy), Venezuela Board of CIRIEC, Professor at the Universidad de Los Andes - Trujillo: "Innovation in Organizations of the Social Economy."
Leopoldo Cook, former telecommunications chief of PDVSA, author and columnist: "The Awakening of Consciousness: Prout and Socialism, Face-to-face."
Adalberto Barreto, (Brazil) psychiatrist, anthropologist, theologian: "Community Therapy: Social Solidarity Networks for Life."
Jody Wright (Acharya Devanistha) (USA), Prout activist for 35 years, studied under P.R. Sarkar: "Sadvipra: Prout's vision of enlightened leaders."
Víctor "Vyasa" Landa, (Peru) founder of the School of Life, Shanti Yoga Center for Harmony in Bethesda, Maryland, USA: "Aparigraha: A New Economic Paradigm for a Culture of Peace."
Chelo Nogueira, architect, founder of the Turtle Foundation: “Objective Earth.”
Juan Sarmiento, psychologist, lecturer, business consultant, founder of the Will of Excellence Foundation: "The Importance of Ethics in Social Transformation."
Manuel Barroso, author of 10 books, business consultant in planning and strategic management and transformation of organizational cultures and change processes.
Simón Rondón, Coordinator of the ecological movement "Bolívar en Martí": “The Struggle Against Pesticides and the Construction of the Experimental Ecovillage Augusto Cesar Sandino.”
Dada Jinanananda, (Congo-Brazil) Yoga monk: "Spirituality and Social Change."
Didi Ananda Sadhana, (Netherlands-Venezuela) Director, Centro Madre, Barlovento, Venezuela: “The Importance of Cultural Identity to Empower People: The Example of Barlovento.”
Belkys Urbina, Ecologist, Masters in Tecnology Management and Risk Control, and Masters in Industrial Maintenance: “The Planet and Consciousness.”
Sandra Castillo Castro Delegada UCV to the Organization of American States, and member of the Economic Advisory Committee of AnimaNaturalis Internacional, and Luís Verdú Brito president of the Student Center of Economic Faculty of UCV: “Economic Tendencies Towards the Ethical Treatment of Animals.”
Roy Madron, (UK-Brazil) Resarcher, business consultant, Coauthor of Gaian Democracies: Redefining Globalisation and People-Power: “Can Latin America Save the World?”
Maya Shita, General Coordinator of the Warao Tribe, leader of the El Moriche indigenous community: "Living Together in One Single World."

Bringing Prout to the people in Venezuela

Something very different is planned for the Global Prout Convention in Venezuela this July. Baba indicated that our duty is to inform the world about Prout, so that is the goal of this program.

First we are organizing a free public conference July 7, 8 and 9 in a major auditorium in the center of Caracas that seats 650 people. The title is "Building a Solidarity Economy based on Ethics and Ecology," so the focus will be cooperative enterprises, environmental protection and moral leadership. Each morning we host panels with prominent speakers on these different themes. Simultaneous workshops will take place each afternoon with music and theater performances. Approximately 20 speakers are confirmed, and though several are very sympathetic to our cause, we still need a few more good speakers to explain different aspects of Prout.

Unfortunately Venezuela is polarized between supporters and opponents of President Hugo Chávez, and the lack of dialog between the two groups is a tragic loss in the public debate. The opposition generally refuses to accept the positive social achievements of the Bolivarian Revolution, while chavistas generally refuse to admit the seriousness of problems such as corruption and crime. Our conference is not about this political argument, rather it aims to be constructive and positive, so we include speakers of both persuasions.

In the lead-up to the conference, we are also doing a publicity campaign throughout Caracas and some other cities. Prout posters, leaflets, bumper stickers, shopping bags and T-shirts are designed to raise awareness among the public. Interviews with conference speakers that will appear on radio, TV and in newspapers are designed to build momentum and share ideas about Prout.

The day after the public conference, Sunday July 10, is a free day for sightseeing and collective meditation in the botanical garden that Baba visited in 1979.

Then on July 11, 12 and 13 we host an intensive Prout seminar in the Prout Research Institute office for approximately 100 Proutists from Venezuela and overseas. The focus is how to create organizational networks, design appropriate Prout materials and do publicity campaigns in each city and country so that our support base grows. Our aim is practical capacity building and sharing to bring Prout's message to the world.

On July 14 we will visit the successful Master Unit, Centro Madre, and on July 15 the most successful cooperative network in the country.

When Baba visited Venezuela, he said “Prout will be accepted like hotcakes in Latin America.” We are trying to make that happen. We hope you can come.

For further information about the conference, visit: www.priven.org. For those willing to help as volunteers during the conference, we offer a big discount in the price.