The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups - Softcover

Starhawk, Starhawk

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0865716978 ISBN 13: 9780865716971

Publisher: New Society Publishers, 2011

Synopsis

A Transition Town group involved in preparations for peak oil and climate change; an intentional community, founded with the highest ideals; a nonprofit dedicated to social change—millions of such voluntary groups exist around the world. These collaborative organizations have the unique potential to harness their members' ideals, passions, skills, and knowledge—if they can succeed in getting along together.

The Empowerment Manual is a comprehensive manual for groups seeking to organize with shared power and bottom-up leadership to foster vision, trust, accountability, and responsibility. This desperately needed toolkit provides keys to:

• Understanding group dynamics
• Facilitating communication and collective decision-making
• Dealing effectively with difficult people.

Drawing on four decades of experience, Starhawk shows how collaborative groups can generate the cooperation, efficacy, and commitment critical to success. Her extensive exploration of group process is woven together with the story of RootBound—a fictional ecovillage mired in conflict—and rounded out with a series of real-life case studies. The included exercises and facilitator toolbox show how to establish the necessary structures, ground rules, and healthy norms. The Empowerment Manual is required reading for anyone who wants to help their group avoid disagreement and disillusionment and become a wellspring of creativity and innovation.

Starhawk is the author of eleven previous books including the award-winning Webs of Power . A highly influential voice for global justice and the environment, she is deeply committed to bringing the creative power of spirituality to political activism.

About this title

About the Author

Starhawk is the author or co-author of twelve books on spirituality, Goddess religion, and activism, including The Fifth Sacred Thing (soon to be a major motion picture). A highly influential voice for global justice and the environment, Starhawk is deeply committed to bringing the creative power of spirituality to political activism. She also teaches Earth Activist Trainings, intensive seminars that combine permaculture design, political organizing, and earth-based spirituality.

From the Back Cover

The popularity of natural building has grown by leaps and bounds, spurred by a grassroots desire for housing that is healthy, affordable and environmentally responsible. While there are many books available on specific methods such as straw bale construction, cob or timber framing, few other resources introduce the reader to the entire scope of this burgeoning field.

Fully revised and updated, The Art of Natural Building is the complete and user-friendly introduction to natural building for everyone from do-it-yourselfers to architects and designers. This collection of articles from over 50 leaders in the field is now stunningly illustrated with over 200 full-color photos of natural buildings from around the world. Learn about:

• The case for building with natural materials, from the perspectives of sustainability, lifestyle and health
• What you need to know to plan and design your own beautiful and efficient natural home
• Explanations of thirty versatile materials and techniques, with resources on where to go for further information on each
• How these techniques are being used to address housing crises around the world.

Clearly written, logically organized and beautifully illustrated The Art of Natural Building is the encyclopedia of natural building.

Joseph F. Kennedy is a designer, builder, writer, artist and educator and cofounder of Builders Without Borders . Michael G. Smith is a respected workshop instructor, consultant, and co-author of the best-selling book The Hand-Sculpted House . Catherine Wanek is a cofounder of Builders Without Borders and author/photographer of The Hybrid House and The New Straw Bale Home .

Edition details

• Publisher: New Society Publishers
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0865716978
• ISBN 13: 9780865716971
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304