Synergy

Synergy The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. (From Greek sunergia: cooperation and from sunergos: working together.)

The Synergy Conference is a local event with a global message. The mission is simple; the integrations of diverse aspects of life into a sustainable model for our societies future. The event was introduced because the founding groups and individuals believed in combining issues of culture, design, ecology, agriculture and social justice and critically analyze their interconnectedness. The goal of the events is to create a collective vision and model of sustainability.

Synergy occurs in the late winter at Evergreen. It is for the most part a free four-day conference that is funded by the students through their activities fees when registering as well as by donations. Many academic programs and community organizations also show support for the event. Originally created by a diverse coalition of students and student collaborative in a collective effort to envision a model for a sustainable planet and society.

The Sustainable Living Conference organizing coalition is made up of members from the following groups: Students at Evergreen for Ecological Design (SEED), Greener Futures, Developing Ecological Agriculture Practices (DEAP), Evergreen Political Information Center (EPIC), Environmental Resource Center (ERC), The Evergreen Bike Shop, MEChA (Chicano Student Movement), Students Educating Students About the Middle East (SESAME), Prison Action Committee, Evergreen Animal Rights Network (EARN), Native Student Alliance (NSA).

In 2004 the sustainable living conference changed its name from the Sustainable Living Conference to Synergy.

On the web: http://www.evergreen.edu/events/synergy

:: Conference History ::

2004 3rd Annual Synergy Conference
February 18-21, 2004
The conference began on Wednesday, Feb 18th, 2004 with an opening ceremony and two keynote lectures; author Dan Imhoff lecturing on farming with the wild, and Paul Stamets from Fungi Perfecti giving his successes with mushrooms and their power to heal not only people but environmental issues as well. On Thursday lectures were presented on city repair projects, sustainable landscape design, raw food, nutrition and sustainability, biodiesel, intentional communities and eco-villages, native plant salvage and an examination of political views on the world today. The keynote lectures of the day were by Joseph Kennedy, "The Art of Natural Building" and Rosalinde Guillen's, "The Apple Initiative". Thursday night also offered a grower's dinner featuring local farmers.
Friday continued the conference with a permaculutre lecture, a Middle East forum, a film showing by the Indigenous People's Council on Biocolonialism entitled, "The Leech and the Earthworm", lectures on solar energy, Puget Sound conservation, restorative forestry, and campus sustainability. The keynote presentations were by Kevin Danaher on Global Exchange and a special event entitled "A Political Revival Under the Bigtop at Evergreen", which featured Jim Hightower with Laura "Piece" Kelly.
Saturday drew the festivities to a close with an event-filled day consisting of lectures such as Joan Dunayer's, "Animal Rights: Life-Sustaining Respect for All Beings", eco-playground builder Rusty Keeler's, "Creating Outdoor Playscapes for the Soul: Transforming Lives and Landscape Through Holistic Design", and "Gaia's Garden: Permaculture in Practice" among others. John de Graaf presented an examination of environmental stewardship with his presentation called, "Haste Makes Waste" and UW professor Richard Gammon led a discussion on climate change. Ted White, documentary film-maker, presented ideas about bike culture. Speakers also included author Derrick Jensen as well as author John Zerzan. Saturday also hosted a panel on farming in the urban landscape and straw bale construction in the Northwest; two very real ideas that are starting to gain hold in the Northwest communities. The Keynote lectures were given by Decajewaeiah, a major figure in the American Indian Movement and editor of Communities magazine, Diana Leafe Christian's, "Creating A Life Together."

2005 4th Annual Synergy Conference
February 9-12, 2005

The 4th Annual Synergy Conference began on February 9th with spoken word, music and dance. There was a fire ritual on Red Square in a festive opening celebration. Thursday offered a diverse view on sustainability through lectures and presentation which covered a broad spectrum of interests. Lectures such as local alternative therapist, Julia Brayshaw's "Ecological Medicine", poet Michael Palmer's "On the Sustaining of Culture in Dark Times", and Paul Stamets' "Medicinal Mushrooms: Allies for Healing People and Planet". There were student presentations and gallery openings occurring throughout the day for people's enjoyment.
On Friday, many topics were covered in the days lectures. Lectures such as "Deconstructing Gender: Women in Design and Building", focused on the sustainability of social issues and views on a sexist society. Evergreen graduate Marisha Auerbach's, "Designing for Permaculture", Chuks Okeke and Dan Corum's "Planting Communal Seeds in the Heart of the City" and Tom Bender's "The Sacred Roots of Sustainable Communities" focused on integration of community and ecologically-sound living which is a key aspect of the conferences message.
Saturday was the final day of the event and it hosted a great deal of speakers covering topics such as permaculture, sustainabilty, edible wild plants, sustainable agriculture, transportation issues, biotechnology, women's rights and political change. Marisha Auerbach followed up her permaculutre lectures and John Kallas lead an edible plant walk. Lectures included "Partnerships in Ecological Sustainability: The Eco-Artist", "Farming for the Future: Agro-Eco System", "Alternative Transportation: Clean Cars and Hot Bikes", Herbal Alchemy's "Dialogues with Soma", author and activist Brian Tokar's, "Gene Traders: Biotechnology, Globalization, and Resistance", and the "Radical Women for Change" showcase closing event featured Argentinean human rights activist, Graciela Monteagudo and executive producer Amy Goodman from Democracy Now!.

2006 5th Annual Synergy Conference
March 1-4, 2006
The 5th Annual Synergy Conference took place the first weekend of March, 2006. It began at TESC Longhouse on Wednesday, March 1st. Wednesday was dedicated to art and expression as it featured a dance ritual for planetary medicine with the group Gypsie Nation. In the recital hall Imna Arroyo held an artist reception and talk. The night was closed with an exciting two hour performance and lecture by the Massive Monkees, Seattle's own World Champion break dancing squad who showcased some fantastic moves that had the Longhouse crowd awed.
Thursday began with an early morning yoga session with Maya Adjani. Habitat for Humanity lectured on building green for low-income families, an idea that is not out of reach for the average citizen. Other lectures included diverse topics such as wild food adventures, green business by Olympia's own Fertile Ground Eco-Guesthouse, sustainability and health care reform, and a keynote presentation by Seattle architect Steven Badanes.
Friday was an event-filled day starting off early with a Tai Chi movement exercise workshop which led to lectures and presentations on a wide area of subjects such as global warming, bio-regionalism, community-action hunger prevention, disaster relief and rebuilding a sustainable New Orleans, wild plants, and mycorestoration among other issues. Paul Stamets, mushroom expert and Evergreen graduate, gave a fantastic keynote presentation on how mushrooms could heal the world and what he is doing to make the government realize the potential to heal our problems. His ideas like many other speakers at this conference are extremely progressive and offer us a great model for change.
The events final day was Saturday and began with a soul rhythms dance with Maya Adjani. Marisha Auerback from Queen Bee Essences conducted a workshop entitled "Creating Perma-nent Culture" which introduced the audience to the aspects of permaculture and inspired some radical thinking. Intercity Transit offered insight on biodiesel fuel systems and how it can ease our reliance on petroleum fuel. There was a fascinating eco-village slideshow that introduced some far out ideas in green housing. The slideshow was presented by an Evergreen graduate who explored Europe and documented green-living. Another interesting presentation was about Dignity Village/City Repair Project occurring in Portland, OR, which introduced a whole new way of looking at solving homelessness. The green housing camps built on a low budgets are a great inspiration story and progressive idea which could change our culture. Michael Pilarski from Friends of the Trees Society lectured on organic gardening in urban settings and gave a great example of how your yard could produce a good amount of food. The night and event was closed by a collaborative lecture entitled "Radical Women for Change" led by Elain Grinnel, Jamestown S'Klallam tribal story teller and author Starhawk who told tribal, spiritual and political stories encouraging persistence for change.