By Joan Mieritz
Special to The PREVIEW
Thursday, Oct. 7, and Friday, Oct. 8, will be an incredible opportunity for all people who want to make a difference in this world.
Yes Magazine is presenting what is called a Yes Fest entitled “A Better World Rising,” originating in Seattle, Wash., and presented free online for two days. All speakers will be recorded with copies available for free to those who register for free for Yes Fest 2021.
There will be lively discussions about the solutions and ideas that go into building a more equitable and sustainable world. There will be many ideas presented on how you can help. You may need to take some time to adjust your thinking because some ideas will be new and different and that is called “personal growth.”
If you can register and view at home, that is the easiest way, but also on Thursday, Oct. 7, there will be an opportunity to gather in the Ruby Sisson Library large meeting room from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to view this world-changing program together. (A light lunch will be available.)
On day one, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be an important panel discussion titled, “How Far We’ve Come and Where We Go From Here.” It will be moderated by Vandana Shiva, a scholar and activist and will include Sarah Van Gelder and David Korten, co-founders of Yes Magazine.
If the name Korten sounds familiar, Drs. David and Fran Korten were the inspirations for the Pagosa Earth Community (which has not been meeting because of COVID-19.)
The Pagosa Earth Community started in 2015 after a successful march against Monsanto and studying David Korten’s two books. If you are interested in the history, mission statements and some of its activities, you can check out the website at: pagosaearthcommunity.org. Fran Korten has also spoken at our library in Pagosa in 2016, 2017 and 2019. She will be back in Pagosa when COVID sufficiently subsides.
Other speakers for “Yes Fest” include Alicia Garcia, Adrienne Maree Brown, Fania Davis, Dallas Goldtooth, the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Amanda Alenander and Mariah Parker.
On Friday, Oct. 8, the main topic will be transformative justice and it will be online from 1 to 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (2-6 p.m. MST). On Friday, we will not gather unless we decide to and secure a location, since the library is already booked.
