The Gaia Foundation are very pleased to invite you to two Special Events with Alastair McIntosh.

1) “Hell and High Water: Climate Change as a Spiritual Challenge.” An evening talk with Alastair McIntosh – Friday 27th March 2009

Alastair McIntosh’s recent book, “Hell and High Water: Climate Change, Hope and the Human Condition” has been described on Radio 4′s Open Book programme as one of the best on climate change “because of its rage and optimism.” But Alastair’s “optimism” is not of a conventional type that relies on political, technical and economic solutions. His book is about hope, and how our response must also be psychological and spiritual. During the course of this evening, Alastair will introduce the book exploring why he thinks climate change is as much about our inner lives as outer realities, and discuss here this leaves us as campaigners for change.

Time: 6.30pm drinks & light buffet at Gaia House, (18 Well Walk, Hampstead, NW3 1LD)
7.30pm Talk & discussion at Burgh House (Diagonally opposite 18 Well Walk, New End Square, Hampstead, NW3 1LT)

2) “Climate Change, Consumerism and the Decolonisation of the Soul.”
One day workshop – Saturday 28th March 2009

Alastair will build on his presentation from the previous evening, focussing in particular on the role that consumerism plays as the driving force of climate change. He will unpack the history of consumerism and demonstrate how it has “colonised the soul” in an addictive manner, that needs to be responded to in a manner akin to other addictions. This will bring us back to the need, discussed the previous evening, to understand climate change as a call to deepen our inner lives, as well as come up with outer solutions. Many of these solutions will touch on the need for “Rekindling Community” – the title of his other recent book (a Schumacher Briefing) which he will introduce in the latter part of the workshop.

Time: 9.30am – 4.00pm at the Gaia Learning Centre (18 Well Walk, Hampstead, NW3 1LD)

Alastair McIntosh is a writer, broadcaster and campaigning academic best known for his work on land reform on Eigg, in helping to stop the Harris super quarry; also for pioneering human ecology as an applied academic discipline in Scotland. He is a Fellow of Scotland’s Centre for Human Ecology, a Visiting Fellow of the Academy of Irish Cultural Heritages at the University of Ulster, and in 2006 was appointed to an honorary position in Strathclyde University as Scotland’s first Visiting Professor of Human Ecology. He is the author of many books, including the critically acclaimed “Soil and Soul: People versus corporate power”.  Alastair lives with his wife, Vérène Nicolas, in the Greater Govan area of Glasgow, where he is a founding director of the GalGael Trust working with local people in hard-pressed circumstances.

Booking for either the Talk, Workshop, or both is essential.  Evening talk £10 / One-day workshop £45.  There are concessionary prices available – please contact Sarah for further details and availability of places: sarahn@gaianet.org  or 020 7428 0055.

Reserve your place online at: www.gaiafoundation.org/learning/online.php
Or send a cheque made payable to The Gaia Foundation to 18 Well Walk, London, NW3 1LD