Culture of Unity and Repair in Ashland/The Americas
Online Summit
March 30-31
9am-4:30pm
Tickets for CURA recordings available for purchase below.
A yearly catalyst and a safe(r) space for visionary leaders to express the visions we are needing to hear collectively to create change in the world with our practices around land use, housing, resources and engagement with others cultivating a culture of repair.
Join us for talks, discussions, and active conversations with experts in the fields of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Gather with community to be in challenging conversations around topics that matter, such as:
• Housing
• Multi-system collapse
• Food security
• Safety for Black and Brown bodied people
• Land back movements
2024 Presenters
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Talk: Constellating Capacity
Description: Connecting across hurts and differences requires capacity - capacity to hold our experience as we navigate building the bridge of togetherness. The challenge is that moments of pain chronically depletes our capacity, which in turn prevents us from accessing the resource of connection we so deeply desire. This session will guide participants through a somatic healing activity to explore untapped resources of self-connection and capacity in order to build bridges you desire with the people in your life who matter.
Bio: Meenadchi is a somatic healing practitioner, TEDx speaker, and communications expert whose work centers social change and embodied transformation. Using a blend of Family Constellation Therapy and Non-Violent Communication, Meenadchi supports individuals and changemakers in reconnecting with the intuitive wisdom of our bodies so that we can co-create intergenerational healing by changing the way we speak to ourselves, each other, and the universe. Meenadchi holds a clinical license in occupational therapy and has historically served communities impacted by gender-based violence, complex trauma, and serious mental illness. She is the author of Decolonizing Non-Violent Communication (2019).
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Bio: Geneva Craig, PhD, RN, is a seasoned healthcare professional with a diverse background spanning over three decades. She has served in various roles, including Director of Case Management at Providence Health System Alaska and Nurse Analyst at Johns Hopkins Healthcare. Dr. Craig later became the Clinical Program Coordinator at Asante Health System’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Center in Oregon.
Aside from her healthcare career, Dr. Craig is a distinguished civil rights activist, notably participating in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in Selma, Alabama. She was actively involved in peaceful marches, including the infamous "Bloody Sunday" event on March 7, 1965. Her remarkable journey is documented in the Library of Congress as part of the "Voices of Civil Rights – Ordinary People. Extraordinary Stories" collection.
Dr. Craig is also an accomplished educator and community leader. She has dedicated over a decade to volunteering with AARP Oregon, serving on the Executive Council and receiving Emeritus status in 2023. Her contributions to various non-profit organizations and board memberships have been recognized by numerous community awards, including the Woman of Distinction honor from Soroptimist International Anchorage in 1994 and the Andrus Award from AARP Oregon in 2019.
In recognition of her impact and dedication, Dr. Craig was honored by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and "For You" in 2022 with a special event celebrating her love for Christmas and her contributions to others' lives.
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Bio: Jesús Sepúlveda is the author of seventeen books, including his green anarchist manifesto The Garden
of Peculiarities (2002), collections of his selected poems, Poemas de un bárbaro (2013) and Poço de seda
(2022), a critical study of Latin American poetry, Poets on the Edge (2016), and the essay Poetic Reason in
the Age of Digital Control (2023). Espejo de los detalles/Mirror of Details (2020) and Pax Americana (2023)
are his most recent collections of poetry. His third collection Hotel Marconi (1998) was made into a
film in Chile in 2009. The e-book É um Rio que Perdeu a sua Luz (2020) is a selection of his poetry in
Portuguese. Sepúlveda’s work has been translated from Spanish into twelve languages and published
in more than twenty countries, leading him to participate in many poetry festivals and readings
throughout the world. His writing also includes articles and interviews in different formats and
media, which interconnects a wide range of topics such as ecology, politics, shamanism, philosophy,
and literature. Jesús Sepúlveda was born and raised in Chile and moved to Oregon in 1995. He lives
in Eugene, where he teaches at the University of Oregon. His work can be read at
www.poetajesussepulveda.com.
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Former LaClinica Board Member, past President of Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon.
Vanessa is a freelance writer and author. Vanessa facilitates the Friday Peace Meal, a free meal program in Ashland.
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Talk: Inviting Connection in Challenging Conversations
Bio: I have been in the training and coaching field for more than 30 years. My focus now is on offering transformative Support, Resources and Practices to people bravely facing human-caused collapse of both Earth and Human Systems. Specifically, my offerings include, conflict transformation, basic and advanced Self and Co-Regulation, Heartful and Integrative Shadow Work, and facilitation of group-oriented Grief Rituals and Learning Groups.
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Bio: Gina was born and raised in Los Angeles California and moved to Ashland 17 years ago. She works at Neuman Hotel Group, founded and president of SOPride and is an Ashland City Councilor. She is a mom, grandmother and wife, and the first openly Queer Black woman to be an elected official in Southern Oregon.
Talk: We Are Every Day People
A Conversation
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Bio: Having lived in a variety of communities, countries, and demographics, Matthew has thoroughly honed his communication skills and paired them with an innate generosity toward the perspectives of others. With over 15 years as a teacher in secondary education, he’s passionate about disseminating knowledge. A focus on the performing arts has tuned his ability to reach minds and change hearts through multiple avenues of learning and processing.
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Talk: Local Food Resilience & Seed Culture
Description: We will discuss how efforts in S. Oregon to recruit dozens of local growers have helped the community increase access to rare heritage grain seeds, which have proven themselves in increasing soil health and local food production, without need for irrigation water despite historic drought and record-breaking heat.
Bio: Chris has sought a new direction for agricultural since he began farming over 20 years ago. In 2014, he founded Hardy Seeds to continue the work his grandfather inspired in him, and oversees a diversity of heritage grains, herbs, and vegetable seeds. His extensive travels abroad have kept his passion high for cultural diversity, regenerative farming and community engagement.
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Bio: Sol brings an unconventional perspective shaped by his storied, divergent life paths. His talks unlock deep wisdom earned through diverse experiences. Audiences are drawn in by his charisma, courage, empathy, and authenticity as he explores topics of human nature, spirituality, adversity, and the hero's journey. He captivates with riveting stories from his own unexpected life voyage, inspiring others to face twists and turns with purpose, intention, and an open heart. Sol challenges perspectives, fosters understanding, and ignites action. He dives into The Science of Spirituality, sharing the knowledge and tools that transformed his life. If you seek a speaker who draws from unfiltered experience few can match, Sol inspires audiences with his courageous life stories and insights on spirituality and overcoming hardship.
Talk: What’s In A Name?
Names, labels and categories. Are we really empowering people by categorizing them?
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Talk:
Description: Jonathan Goldman, Principal Teacher at the institute, has been practicing acupuncture, energy medicine, and spiritual healing since 1976. His spiritual healership was awakened through his experiences in the mountains and jungles of Brasil. He was led to develop the multi-leveled energy medicine work of Transformational Energy Healing and the Chakra Map, a unique, accessible, and applicable way of viewing the Human Energy Vehicle (HEV).He is the author of Gift of The Body, which he describes as, “A textbook for the adventure school of your life.” Jonathan has been leading self-transformational workshops since 1994 and co-founded the Essential Light Institute in 2008. He is passionate about helping people experientially realize the reality and the potential of Universal Light for their healing, awakening, and work on earth. He does this through his commitment to his own ongoing healing and through walking his talk. He is a compassionate, kind, and entertaining teacher, calling people to their hearts through truth, courage, and laughter.
-Taken From About — Essential Light Institute
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My name is Karla Narcesse and I’m originally from Southern California and moved to Nevada in 1992 where my late husband and I raised our son. I went to UNLV where I received my certificate in Nonprofit Management and Media Relations.
I was Executive Director for two programs working with pregnant and parenting teenagers of color for over five years assisting them remove barriers to finishing high school.
From there, I worked for the University of Reno, Nevada and taught students at local schools and community centers healthy eating and snacking habits.
I am also training in Maternal Health and Nutrition as well as a Breastfeeding Specialist.
I moved to Southern Oregon in 2014 where I worked with OSU Extension Services again, teaching healthy eating with Elementary and Middle school students.
I now work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities find gainful employment in the community.
Line Up
Tickets
Select from the ticket option below. Tickets provide for full access to all recordings. Thank you for your generosity and for being a part of these important conversations.
