Sustainable Clifton Committee

Sustainable Clifton was established as a pilot collaboration for the Sustainability Education projects of the Open Living and Learning Network and Sustainable Neighborhoods collaborations such as Beargrass Neighbors.

Worldview Creation Spirituality Class

Meister Eckhart said, "Every creature is a word of God and a book about God," capturing the essence of what contemporary theologian Matthew Fox has termed, "Creation Spirituality”.

Beginning Wednesday September 17, 2008, Sustainable Clifton and partner community organizations will offer a free five week course exploring the Creation Spirituality tradition and its fourfold path. The class will be facilitated each Wednesday evening, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, by Rev. Todd F. Eklof, the minister at Clifton Universalist Unitarian Church. Rev. Eklof studied three years under Matthew Fox at the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, CA, is the Worldview chair on the Sustainable Clifton Committee, and a local environmental activist.

The class is free and open to anyone in the Louisville area, but its size may become limited, so if you're interested in attending, please contact Rev. Eklof at 895-3189 or office@cliftonuu.org to register. The class will take place at Clifton UU Church, located at 2231 Payne Street. It's recommended, though not necessary, that you read "Original Blessing" and/or "Creation Spirituality" by Matthew Fox before the course begins.

Community Sustainability & Ecovillage Design Education credits are available. If you are interested in receiving Community Sustainability credit towards the UN Sustainable Settlements Design Certificate, please take a look at the Program in Community Sustainability page of the Adena Center at Webster University.

Please contact adena.center AT gmail.com or ask Rev Eklof for more information.

Ecovillage Design and Social Dimension Books Available for the Neighborhood

One of the main ways that the Sustainable Clifton Neighborhood  Ecovillage in Louisville, KY, USA is getting organized is through the Ecovillage Design Education (EDE) curriculum.  You can now download the basic EDE curriculum from this online group at  http://sustainabilityeducation.googlegroups.com/web/EDE_V3.pdf  The EDE curriculum is an accessible overview of what it takes to move  as a community towards sustainability. EDE was developed by leading  ecovillage educators based in the lived experience of existing  sustainable communities world -  wide.  In May, the first class of North American students graduated from the associated year long training program of the Albequerque based Ecovillage Design Southwest program in association with the University of New Mexico.  In Louisville, community members and local and international students can study and take action for a more sustainable community through the Sustainable Clifton initiative ( www.sustainableclifton.blogspot.com )  and the Sustainability Studies program of the Adena Center at Webster University.  (www.adenacenter.blogspot.com ) along with  the associated community based Sustainability Living and Learning network ( www.sustainabilityeducation.blogspot.com ).  To download the basic EDE curriculum, go to:  http://sustainabilityeducation.googlegroups.com/web/EDE_V3.pdf

Social Clifton   There are also more in-depth readings for any one of the aspects (social, economic, worldview, ecological) we're working on. The readings in the hefty Social book are actually several short essays talking about everything from integrating age groups to having more  fulfilling meetings, and nearly all of it comes from people's firsthand experiences in ecovillages. I've been going through them, and anyone interested in reading/studying them together can e-mail  socialclifton AT gmail.com It's really helpful, insightful stuff we can use in our neighborhood now and in the future.  Download the Gaia Education 4 Keys book on Social Design- Beyond You and Me- Inspiration and Wisdom for Building Community