Living Future unConference 2017 May 17 – 19, 2017, Seattle, WA Call for Proposals The International Living Future Institute is excited to announce the call for proposals for our upcoming 11 annual Living Future unConference 2017 at the Westin Seattle in Seattle, WA.
th
Deadline to Submit: Monday, August 15, 2016 by 11:59 pm (PST) The Living Future unConference brings together leading deep green thinkers and practitioners who will share their insights around building socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative communities. This annual event brings more than 1,000 attendees from around the world who collectively build the vision of a Living Future and collaboratively seek solutions to the most daunting global issues of our time. This is called the unConference for a reason. Creating a Living Future requires imagination, inspiration, creativity, and innovation of ideas, strategies, and techniques AND in how we learn and share ideas. We are seeking novel session topics and formats. We want your unique concepts on inventive design strategies and cutting-edge technical information to inspire our audience to rise to the challenges before us. Living Future unConference attendees are a seasoned and impressive group of innovators and thoughtleaders.
Timeline June 30, 2016 (Thurs) August 15, 2016 (Mon) August – September 2016 September – October 2016 December 16, 2016 (Fri) May 17 – 19, 2016
Call for Proposals is released Deadline for proposals (by 11:59 pm (PST) Proposal Review Process Acceptance notifications are sent Speaker Registration Deadline* (Full registration required) Living Future 2017 unConference – Theme: “Genius & Courage”
*In appreciation for your contribution to the success of the conference, accepted speakers are eligible to register at the discounted speaker rate of $700 for Living Future 2017 Conference Pass. This Conference Pass is required for all accepted speakers, and discount codes will be provided.
International Living Future Institute – An International Vision for Community Driven Transformation
Conference Theme: Genius & Courage “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” -- E.F. Schumacher, "Small is Beautiful" an essay, in The Radical Humanist, Vol. 37, No. 5 (August 1973), p. 22 At the 11th Annual Living Future unConference, we invite you to explore the GENIUS inherent in every person, place, culture, and community and to summon your COURAGE to act upon the truth that emerges. GENIUS When we hear the word genius, images of Mozart or Einstein may come to mind. One definition of the word genius is indeed “exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability” or “a person who is exceptionally intelligent or creative, either generally or in some particular respect.” But genius in its origin and meaning goes much deeper than this. The word “genius” is Latin in origin and was first used to refer to a spirit that accompanied each person through life as a protector. Genius in its deepest meaning is an identifying characteristic or spirit of a person, place or culture. To create a Living Future, will take a “touch of genius.” It will take each of us to hone our intelligence and creativity and tap into and understand the spirit within us and our communities, and the places we inhabit and create. COURAGE • the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous • the power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear, pain, etc. • strength in the face of pain or grief The work ahead of us is inspiring and it is dangerous. The challenges to creating a Living Future for all are very real. It will take courage to act in accordance with one's beliefs, to point out the elephants in the room, and to change the way we think and behave.
“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” -- Albert Einstein To think differently takes courage. To act on the new ideas that come from paying attention and truly listening to the genius of self, community and place takes courage.
Session Format Our events offer innovative learning environments that foster peer-to-peer learning, collaboration and innovation. Forty percent of our audience returns year after year, and they come to be inspired and recharged by their colleagues working at the leading edge of the sustainability movement. Sixty percent are new to the event and looking for concrete steps they can take to develop living buildings and communities. You are encouraged to submit interactive, creative, and/or experiential session formats that inspire and generate opportunities for action with a goal of truly understanding how to solve problems. Attendees are leaders in the green building movement, past presenters or project team members. We feel that the strength of this unConference lies in the sharing of knowledge and experience—not just by you, but also the attendees. We encourage you to submit sessions that incorporate interactive group exercises that address problems and foster dialogue between yourself and attendees. NEW! There are four ways to get involved with the unConference: lecture/panel sessions, master sessions, pitches, and interactive unConference workshops. You can choose the topic and timeframe that you feel is most appropriate to your material. In some cases we may ask you to refine or expand your proposal based on space and time configurations.
International Living Future Institute – An International Vision for Community Driven Transformation
Page 2 of 6
Think outside the box. Be creative. Submit proposals that tap into the genius of all learning styles. • • •
•
LECTURE/PANEL SESSION (60, 90, or 120 minutes): Minimum of two, maximum of four speakers total (Presenters + Moderators combined). At a minimum, it must be 1/3 interactive. MASTER SESSION (60 or 90 minutes): Maximum of one speaker. Interactive content is encouraged, and at a minimum a Q+A session should be included. unCONFERENCE WORKSHOP (60, 90, or 120 minutes): Maximum of four speakers total (Presenters + Moderators combined). Eg. walking tour, charrette, installation, hands on / materials building workshop. PITCHES (4 minutes): Maximum of one speaker. Pitch is in front of a juried panel, with feedback, judge interaction, and selection of winning pitch. Pitch an idea for a solution to one of four issues – it can take any form! A new or reformulated material, new manufacturing process, policy, incentive program, education idea, design process, construction process, design solution, engagement strategy, technology system, etc: o Reconciling people’s relationship to the natural world; o Protecting health in underserved communities; o Creating a fossil fuel free economy; o Ensuring access to water in a changing climate
Selection Criteria All session proposals will be reviewed using the following criteria: • Demonstrates qualified and engaging presenters with topic-relevant experience, as demonstrated by presenter bios and speaking experience. • Facilitation or presentation pedagogy that is innovative, transformative and fresh. • Offers a deep understanding of timely and significant content. • Demonstrates how to solve problems rather than shift them. • The learning objectives are clear, relevant, and challenging for a deep-green audience. • Session is designed to engage attendees and foster communication and conversation and ACTION.
Submission Outline Requirements *Note, not all of the below applies to the 4-minute “Pitches”. Only pieces needed for those submissions are title, pitch category, abstract, and speaker information. TITLE: (15 words max) This is the first point of contact with an attendee and often the basis of their selection of which session to attend during any given time slot. Be sure to create a distilled title in 15 or less words (for mobile and print use) that builds excitement for and accurately describes your session content. ABSTRACT: (100 words max) Session abstracts or descriptions should express the goal of the session, the target audience level, any prerequisite knowledge, and how the speaker will design the interactive session. This description appears in the conference programs. LEARNING LEVEL: 100 – Awareness: Provides general information and understanding of the topic. Sessions at this level transfer new knowledge without substantial action outcomes for the learner. Objectives may be to understand, describe, define, or recognize new information. Our conferences are an advanced educational opportunity, unless a session introduces a novel concept - 100 levels will not be considered. 200 – Understanding/Comprehension: Offers more in-depth material or explanation by the instructor and the opportunity for the participant to interact with the material and be engaged in using the information in practice applications. Objectives may be to analyze, assess, select, or compare / contrast new information. 300 – Application/Implementation: The session allows the opportunity for attendees to gain new knowledge, practice its application, and be able to apply the information on their own. Objectives may be to implement, design, produce, or create a tangible product or action. International Living Future Institute – An International Vision for Community Driven Transformation
Page 3 of 6
400 – Mastery: Intended for learners with prior knowledge or experience with the course topic. Sessions at this level include training on specific technical topics. Objectives may be to apprise, construct, calculate, develop or validate. Mastery submissions strongly encouraged. TOPIC AREA: All proposals must integrate some aspect of the unConference theme “Genius & Courage.” Explore ways to connect with your own genius – your own innate character and spirit. Find ways to cultivate genius and learn from it to create transformation in yourself, your work, and your community. Learn ways to find the courage to do what it takes to transform ourselves and our work. Although your session may cross many disciplines and topics areas, please choose the below topic that best fits your session. This list does not necessarily correlate to the unConference tracks, as the Institute will make the final decision on track placement. BIOMIMICRY + BIOPHILIA: Biomimicry and Biophilia are powerful strategies transforming how we design products and buildings. Explore how innovative practitioners are using these tools to reshape industries in order to align with natural systems. CASE STUDIES: Celebrating success and learning from failures. Sharing stories of the processes, techniques, strategies, and impacts of living buildings. CULTURAL RICHNESS: Creating buildings and communities that respect, embrace, and showcase culture – art, music, poetry, food, dance, story, costume, language, etc. ENGAGING YOUTH: The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. What kind of world will they inherit from us? Explore ways to engage youth in meaningful ways in creating a living future. Hear youth voices speaking their truth, sharing their perspectives, and leading the way with their visions and solutions. EQUITY + COMMUNITY: Transform developments to foster a true, inclusive sense of community that is just and equitable regardless of an individual’s background, age, class, race, gender or sexual orientation. ESSENCE OF PLACE: Restore our healthy interrelationships with nature by reconnecting our human built environment to the unique Genius of its surrounding community. How do we encourage the creation of buildings and communities that are based on the pedestrian, the local food web, and our ecological habitats? FOOD: A source of sustenance and joy. A basis for life. A foundation of community. Nourishing our relationship with place, community, culture, health, economy, and the environment through food. HEALTH + VITALITY: Create environments that optimize physical and psychological health and wellbeing, rather than focusing on all of the potential ways that an interior environment could be compromised. HEALTHY MATERIALS FOR PLACES AND PEOPLE: Create a materials economy that is non-toxic, ecologically regenerative, transparent and socially equitable. How do we transform adverse industrial practices and eliminate waste? NET POSITIVE ENERGY: Rely solely on renewable forms of energy while operating year-round in a safe, pollution-free manner. Prioritize reductions and building efficiencies before turning to technological solutions. NET POSITIVE WATER: Create developments that operate within the water balance of a given place and climate. How do we harvest sufficient water to meet the needs of a given population while respecting the natural hydrology of the land, the water needs of the ecosystem the site inhabits, and those of its neighbors?
International Living Future Institute – An International Vision for Community Driven Transformation
Page 4 of 6
SESSION FORMAT/DESCRIPTION: (500-700 words) Describe how you will engage your audience and facilitate learning through activity and engagement. • • •
A brief introductory element (read “lecture”) may be necessary, but your interactive session could include a simple explanation followed by a guided exercise. Include strategies that you will use to make this session interactive. Digital handouts and/or slides that provide employable solutions for practictioners are strongly encouraged. Include agendas; if multiple speakers are involved, include the sub-topics. Provide discreet goals for individual/group discussion or activity. How and when you will moderate or lecture and how participants will engage with others in the room.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Identify a minimum of four (4) active learning objectives or takeaways. Participants should leave these sessions with new tools and perspectives that will provide them with a clear understanding of how to use what they have learned. SPEAKERS: • Role (i.e., presenter, moderator or facilitator). • First and last name, job title, contact information (including city, state; email address and phone number), company/organization; • Biography (100 words max, appears on conference program), head shot (if available); • Minimum of three speaking experiences and/or past presentation links for each individual.
How to Submit Deadline for proposals is Monday, August 15, 2016 by 11:59 pm (PST).
Submit your proposal at: https://livingfuture.typeform.com/to/SyjeVs Emailed, faxed or mailed proposals will not be accepted. The entire proposal must be submitted electronically and completed in one sitting (you cannot save and return to your online form), so please be prepared with the outlined requirements listed. Due to the overwhelming number of proposals, unfortunately, mailed, faxed or mailed proposals will not be considered. Please note that electronic submissions cannot be retroactively edited. All questions regarding format should be submitted in writing to
[email protected].
Program Policies All proposals must be complete, comprehensive, and deemed timely to the audience. The Institute may request modification to a presentation, request an increase and/or reduce the number of presenters, select alternate presenters from among those proposed, and/or combine the submitted presentation with other proposed presentations, to create a more effective program. All participants will be contacted independently to confirm their acceptance of submission(s). • • •
Our goal to have at least 51% female representation among our speakers and presenters. Our goal is to support ethnic and racial diversity and inclusiveness in our program. Submissions must include speakers who have agreed and accepted the requirements stated in the Call for Submissions. Proposed speakers must acknowledge their avaialbility to present at the unConference over all dates and times between May 17-19, 2017 prior to the submission of their proposal. Speakers who are not available over all conference dates and times will not be considered.
International Living Future Institute – An International Vision for Community Driven Transformation
Page 5 of 6
•
•
• • • •
•
Speakers who subsequently are unable to attend the conference must notify the Institute's staff in writing as soon as possible to
[email protected]. Replacements must be approved by the Institute who reserves the right to modify or cancel any session based on a change in presenters / moderators / facilitators. If a presenter's / moderator's / facilitator's professional affiliation changes, the Institute's staff must be notified immediately. The Institute reserves the right to change or remove presenters / moderators / facilitators based on change of professional affiliation. The Institute may modify any submitted session by adding or removing speakers or requesting content changes or additions. No sessions based upon an advertisement or product will be accepted into the program. In an effort to be a paperless conference, the distribution of handouts during the session is discouraged, but practical, work-enhancing digital handouts are strongly encouraged. In appreciation for their contribution to the success of the conference, accepted speakers will be eligible to register for a Conference Pass at the discounted speaker rate of $700. Registration is required for all speakers, and discount codes will be provided upon acceptance. Exceptions to these policies may be made at the discretion of the Institute. Please contact events director
[email protected] with questions around policies.
During the electronic submittal process, all presenters / moderators / facilitators will be asked to affirm that they understand and will abide by these policies. Submissions that do not adhere to the guideline policies will not be considered.
Submit your proposal at: https://livingfuture.typeform.com/to/SyjeVs Emailed, faxed or mailed proposals will not be accepted. QUESTIONS? Contact us at
[email protected] The International Living Future Institute™ is an environmental NGO committed to catalyzing a global transformation toward a restorative civilization. Its mission is to lead and support the transformation toward communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. The Institute is a hub for visionary programs and NGOs, including the Living Building Challenge™, Cascadia Green Building Council™ and Declare®.
International Living Future Institute – An International Vision for Community Driven Transformation
Page 6 of 6
