Thinkers Lodge Retreat – Documentary

“We know there are no more chances. It is not going away, and today is the time to get it right in dealing with the climate crisis. Our world will live with it for the rest of our history, just as we have lived with the twentieth century legacy of nuclear war. Our shared duty now, as one people, is to protect and repair our Earth, even as we prepare ourselves for its future unknowns.”

Pugwash, Nova Scotia

Climate Change & the Human Prospect: A Thinkers Retreat

A two and one-half day intensive discussion with global and local thinkers to define a path to restore and revitalize local communities in the face of climate change

Sixty years after the original Pugwash Retreat on nuclear proliferation, humankind faces the legacy of an industrialized world, Climate Change. It is the defining crisis of our times, and as citizens of this Earth, we recognize and acknowledge it is a tragedy of our own making.

Inspired by this original gathering and armed with a conviction that local action is not only possible, but the path forward, 24 global and regional Thinkers, representing all aspects of community life, gathered for two and a half days of intense, intentional conversation focused on actionable, locally-focused and forward-motion Climate Change plans.

We believe this retreat can be a significant part of fostering a Climate Change Movement in Atlantic Canada. 

This retreat was a beginning, a first step toward what we hope will be an ongoing and positive movement generating new ideas and innovations to help our communities survive and thrive in the midst of changes to come.

Group Screenings

The Centre for Local Prosperity wishes to make this documentary film available to the public as much as possible. Due to the nature of the film, we recommend that it be shown in a group or public audience context, followed immediately by a discussion about climate change. The discussion can include what can be done within the viewing audience’s community and abilities. Community discussions can be a turning point for addressing climate change issues.  For these reasons, we have elected not be make the film available on Vimeo, Youtube or other public access points for casual private viewing.

We have developed a short Discussion Guide which will be provided prior to your screening event. The Guide provides some background, useful facilitation suggestions and potential questions to use for sparking the discussion after the film.

The documentary film has a 40 minute running time. You will be mailed a DVD or a MP4 file on a flash drive.  More information is contained in this Screening Policy.

Please inquire: info@centreforlocalprosperity.ca

A Climate Change Discussion Guide is available with suggestions for facilitating a group conversation after the screening of the film.

Thinkers Retreat – Outcomes Roadmap

TL Retreat Outcomes Final Document

Acknowledgment

Twenty-four women and men, many strangers to one another, gathered together for two and a half days to reflect and dialogue on the impossible. During their conversations they were asked to “remember their humanity and forget the rest.”  We would like to acknowledge these individuals for their generosity of spirit, their many insights and learnings, and their bravery.

We would also like to acknowledge the generous support of the Municipality of the County of Cumberland, the Cyrus Eaton Foundation and Basic Spirit Pewter.

This initiative was made possible by the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th, a collaboration between the Nova Scotia Rural Communities Foundation, the Government of Canada, and extraordinary leaders from coast to coast to coast.