Bioneer, Civilization has reached a crossroads between destruction and rebirth. Society must reconcile the complex problems that have disrupted our relationship with the Earth and each other. But where does that process start? The Bioneers community is a vibrant, creative hub of people uplifting each other’s solutions for a better world. The landscape of social and environmental issues is vast and always fertile for new ideas, and Bioneers are sowing the seeds. This week, we offer a diverse collection of our newest stories, featuring innovative perspectives on ecological medicine, engaged arts, education and more. |
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Hitting Pause on ‘the Violent Act of Looking Away’Rupa Marya, MD, an Associate Professor of Medicine at UCSF, is an internal medicine specialist whose focus is the care of seriously ill patients. She has done extensive research on social factors in illness and is Faculty Director of the Do No Harm Coalition, a group of more than 450 UCSF health workers and students dedicated to ending racism and state violence. Rupa, a Bioneers alumna, conducted this interview with the remarkable activist, Tiny Garcia (aka Lisa Gray-Garcia), a formerly un-housed, formerly incarcerated “poverty scholar,” revolutionary journalist, lecturer, poet, visionary, teacher and co–founder of a unique publication: POOR Magazine/Prensa POBRE/PoorNewsNetwork. Here is an edited version of their conversation. Read more here. |
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Making the Revolution IrresistibleSarah Crowell has a decorated background as a touring dancer, performer, choreographer and educator. As the Artistic Director Emeritus at Destiny Arts Center, she’s spent 27 years leading the Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company — a troupe for teens to co-create original movement/theater productions based on their own experiences. Destiny’s youth company has performed at the Bioneers Conference annually for many years and is always one of the event’s artistic and energetic high points. In this interview, Crowell reflects on her experiences leading Destiny’s youth company, how the pandemic has affected their work, and what comes next. Read more here. |
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Intercultural Conversations: Empowering Youth with Community and ConnectionThis article provides the first public glimpse into the Bioneers Intercultural Conversations program. This immersive experience connects youth participants through virtual discussions and in-person meetings at a Navajo Reservation cultural exchange and the Bioneers Conference. Students walk away from this transformative journey with deeper personal development, cross-cultural understanding, and a profound expansion of their worldview. Not only has this initiative developed scalable discussion guides and curricula for Native American Studies, but it also lays the framework for maximizing the impact of these materials by engaging students through a personal lens. This could revolutionize diversity, equity and inclusion in education everywhere. Read more here. |
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James Nestor: How Breathing Exercises Can Change Your LifeThis is an excerpt from journalist James Nestor’s recently released, New York Times bestselling book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. Humans have forgotten how to breathe correctly, so Nestor traveled the world to find out where we went wrong — exploring ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, the smoggy streets of São Paulo and beyond, to learn the hidden science behind ancient breathing exercises. In Breath, Nestor expounds on conventional wisdom and years of research to draw new, revolutionary conclusions about the healing power of breath. Read more here. |
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The Legal Battle Against Roundup and Other BiocidesIn a recent historic legal settlement, Bayer has agreed to pay $10 billion to settle thousands of claims that their herbicide Roundup causes cancer. Andrew Kimbrell is a public attorney, author, and founder of the Center for Food Safety (CFS). In this interview with Kimbrell, he explores how CFS has made successful legal challenges against some of the world’s most flagrant polluters — such as Monsanto and Dow Chemical — as well as their enabler, the Environmental Protection Agency. While CFS is working against the problem, they’re also uplifting the solution: an organic, regenerative food system. Read more here. |
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We Are Not A Mascot: A Big Win in the Fight Against Anti-Native RacismSuzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne & Hodulgee Muscogee) is a leading advocate for American Indian rights. As a writer, lecturer and policy advocate, she has worked with other activists to raise awareness of issues that affect Indigenous communities — including racist mascots. This “no-mascot movement” achieved a big win earlier this month, when the Washington NFL team decided to change its name and mascot. In this Facebook post, shared with permission, Suzan celebrates the decision and reflects on the long road to get here. Read more here. |
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Interview with Merlin Sheldrake, Author of Entangled LifeMerlin Sheldrake is a young biologist and author of Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures. In this interview, he shares the wisdom he’s learned from studying fungi, a diverse kingdom of organisms that serve as the cosmic connectors of our world. Plus, check out the story for a video of Merlin literally eating his words, as he harvests and eats oyster mushrooms sprouting from a copy of his book! Read more here. |
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