Orion Society

(Great Barrington, MA) www.oriononline.org	Total Award: $37,500 over 3 months
Artful Advocacy: Building a New Movement for Responsible U.S. Global Engagement	Program Contribution Environment Program, $20,000 Arts and Culture Program, $5,000 Jewish Life and Values/Contemplative Practice, $5,000 Interprogram Initiatives for Social and Economic Justice, $7,500

Presidential Authority Grant To support a conference entitled “Artful Advocacy: Building a New Movement for Responsible U.S. Global Engagement,” that will bring together a who’s who of contemporary nature writers with other influential thinkers and writers from the political, religious, philanthropic, grassroots, arts, and media sectors. The conference, to be co-hosted by NCF, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Orion, will be held at the Pocantico Conference Center on November 7 – 9, 2003 and will seek to A) deepen and extend a joint inquiry into issues of interdependence and American leadership; B) explore a concept of freedom and ecological responsibility that grows from and is infused by the recognition of a common spiritual heritage among all peoples; and C) promote broad cultural dialogue and change in these areas. NCF support will assist Orion to prepare for the conference, communicate with participants, and cover travel and associated expenses.

This grant also satisfies:

Environment Program: Objective I, Strategy 2, and Objective II, Strategies 1 & 2 Arts and Culture Program: Objective I, Strategy 4
Interprogram Initiatives for Social and Economic Justice: Objectives I & II
Jewish Life and Values/Contemplative Practice: Goal I, Objective 2