Confronting Inequality: Alternative Economies, Resilient Communities – A Symposium

The Rothko Chapel presents Confronting Inequality: Alternative Economies, Resilient Communities, a four-day symposium exploring economic inequality and ways communities can improve and sustain local economies March 31-April 3.

Has the American Dream disappeared? Income inequality affects almost all Americans and threatens the fabric of our democracy. Inequality raises considerable ethical questions about our interconnectedness and obligation to one another.

In response to this crisis, innovative alternative economies are emerging locally, nationally, and globally. These have the potential to create a more economically, politically, environmentally, and socially sustainable and resilient world.

This symposium explores emerging models in depth, incorporating voices from the arts, spirituality, and human rights sectors.  What they share are creative, effective responses to challenging inequality and creating a more just world.

Do not miss this opportunity to engage with and contribute to creating change- in our community and beyond.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS/SPEAKERS:

Keynote featuring Terry Tempest Williams (pictured)
Thursday, March 31, 7pm,

The symposium begins on March 31st with keynote address from Terry Tempest Williams. Tempest Williams is an author, conservationist, and activist.

A Faithful and Moral Response: Spirituality, Community, and Justice
Panel discussion
Friday, April 1, 7pm,

Rev. Sally Bingham is the President of The Regeneration Project and the Interfaith Power and Light campaign, as well as the canon for the environment for the Episcopal Diocese of California. Rev. Fred Small is a Unitarian Universalist minister on the Leadership Team of the Massachusetts Interfaith Coalition for Climate Action. Kristin Barker is a co-founder of One Earth Sangha, exploring what it means to practice a Buddhist response to environmental and social injustice. Rudy Rasmus is a pastor, author, and global humanitarian with a passion for outreach to the world’s poorest citizens.

Moderator Zahra Jamal, Ph.D. is the Associate Director for Community Engagement at Rice University’s Boniuk Institute.

The Rise of the Green Economy: Environmental Sustainablity, Development, and Equity
Panel Discussion
Saturday, April 2, 4pm,

Margaret Swedish is a writer, speaker, advocate for ecological wholeness, a culture worker, and spiritual seeker. Janet Redman is the director of the Climate Policy Program at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, where she provides analysis of the international financial institutions’ energy investment and carbon finance activities. Jim Blackburn is a practicing environmental lawyer and Professor of the Practice in Environmental Law in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Rice University where he serves as the Director of the Undergraduate Minor in Energy and Water Sustainability. Makani Themba is the executive director of The Praxis Project, a nonprofit organization helping communities use media and policy advocacy to advance health justice.

Moderator Tom Ricker is the Director of Communications at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.

More than Half: Gender in Alternative Economies
Panel Discussion
Saturday, April 2, 7pm,

Monica White, Ph.D. is an Assistant professor of Environmental Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Anne McClintock, Ph.D. is a professor in Gender and Sexuality Studies at Princeton University. Gita Sen is an adjunct professor of global health and population at Harvard University and co-founder of the Executive Committee of DAWN (Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era). Gloria Lowe is the founder and CEO of We Want Green, Too! Moderator Elizabeth Gregory, Ph.D. is the Director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Houston.

The Power of the Collective: From Community to the Boardroom
Panel Discussion
Sunday, April 3, 4pm,

Rogelio Garcia Contreras, Ph.D. is the Director of University of St. Thomas’s Social Entrepreneurship program. Frank Joyce is a lifelong Detroit labor and political activist and writer. Carl Gibson is the co-founder of US Uncut, a creative movement that mobilized thousands against corporate tax dodging and budget cuts in over 100 cities. Pam McMichael is the Director of the Highlander Center.

Moderator David Benson is a Rothko Chapel Board Member.

The Art of Equity: A Creative Response
Panel Discussion
Sunday, April 3, 7pm,

M. NourbeSe Philip is writer known for experimentation with literary form and for her commitment to social justice. Rick Lowe is an artist, founder of Project Row House, and MacArthur Award recipient. Mel Chin is a conceptual visual artist. Motivated largely by political, cultural, and social circumstances, Chin works in a variety of art media to calculate meaning in modern life.

Moderator Carrie Schneider is a Houston-based artist and co-founder of the Charge Practicum.