Local Futures works to renew ecological, social, and spiritual
well-being by promoting a systemic shift towards economic localization.
It all started in 1978 when Helena Norberg-Hodge and John Page founded ‘The Ladakh Project’ in India, which was in essence the start of Local Futures (formerly called ISEC). The Ladakh Project provided residents of the Ladakh region of northern India with information about the impact of conventional development on other parts of the world, while exploring more sustainable patterns of development in Ladakh itself, based on the use of local knowledge and resources. Local Futures continues to promote economic resilience and ecological stability in Ladakh along with a constellation of local partner organizations.
The scope of Local Futures’ work has become increasingly international. We currently produce books, films, and other ‘education for action’ tools, as well as organizing activist-oriented conferences and workshops worldwide. Our award-winning film The Economics of Happiness, launched in 2011, highlights the importance of localization as a way to repair our fractured world – our ecosystems, our societies and our selves. We also host numerous Economics of Happiness conferences around the world, to kick-start broad critical debate about the global corporate economy, and on exploring alternatives that benefit society as well as the environment.
These programs are helping to catalyze a global movement for systemic change. Recognition of the importance of local economies is at an all-time high. Through our events and resources, we promote a holistic view of what it will take to heal the damage caused by the corporate-run economy and build structures that foster human and ecological wellbeing.
Click here to visit Local Futures website.