Historical Background
(1969 - Current)
During the later years of the 1960’s, teaching teams from the Ecumenical Institute (EI) in Chicago began offering seminars in North Carolina dedicated to the commitment that every human being has the capacity to responsibly shape their personal future and the destiny of the communities of which they are a part. The task of expanding on the diverse aspects of this commitment and of developing the practical ways to embody this possibility in everyday situations has been the work of countless individuals and numerous organizations for 50 years. Emerging Ecology's Historical Background documentation project, Care Across the Carolinas, will give substance to this story.
Current Information
Care Across the Carolinas -- Project overview (updated 8/13/2019).
In preparation for sustaining people working on the Enlivening Neighborhoods Project, Emerging Ecology recovered a journal used for reflections. This has been copied to rather large .pdf files in two parts -- Part 1 and Part 2.
Documented History
An initial overview of the past 50 years entitled "Short Versions of Long Threads" provides an introduction to the key individuals whose lives have intertwined to shape current activities in the Carolinas.
Nelson Stover has prepared three papers which provide unique perspectives on the history of the Ecumenical Institute and the Institute of Cultural Affairs as their work informs the current efforts of Emerging Ecology.
Navigating Corners (Updated: March 4, 2020), a research study of organizational change based on the international experiences of the Institute of Cultural Affairs using analogies from the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in a Universe-referent context was prepared by F. Nelson Stover. This sets some of the larger context in which Emerging Ecology functions in the 21st Century.
Maliwada's Grandchildren (Updated: October 16, 2019) traces the Institutes' work in grassroots community development over nearly five decades. Emerging Ecology is drawing on these experiences in building its Enlivening Neighborhoods Project.
A Financial History of the Institutes (Updated: August 31, 2020) looks at the principles and practices of the Institutes since their inception. Some of these practices continue to inform current operations of Emerging Ecology and the Institutes.
Care Across The Carolinas
Please indicate the associations you have had with organizations like EI, ICA, ToP Methods and Emerging Ecology.