This speech, titled "The Hidden Promise of Our Dark Age," was delivered by Joanna Macy at the 2009 National Bioneers Conference and posted on August 22, 2018. Macy, a renowned activist and

This speech, titled "The Hidden Promise of Our Dark Age," was delivered by Joanna Macy at the 2009 National Bioneers Conference and posted on August 22, 2018. Macy, a renowned activist and spiritual teacher (1929-2025), offers a hopeful message: by freeing ourselves from the "industrial growth society's" delusions, we can discover our inherent creativity and solidarity amidst crisis, avoiding panic.

Introduced by Bioneers Co-Founder Nina Simons, the organization has served as a vital hub for social and scientific innovators since 1990, providing practical solutions for pressing environmental and social challenges. Support Bioneers today: www.bioneers.org/donate

Joanna Macy, a scholar, activist, and Buddhist thinker, profoundly shaped global movements. A documentary highlights her impact on activism, nuclear guardianship, and personal transformation.

Joanna Macy, a scholar, activist, and Buddhist thinker, profoundly shaped global movements. A documentary highlights her impact on activism, nuclear guardianship, and personal transformation. Naropa University's Joanna Macy Center advances her vision, inspiring hope and responsibility for future generations.

The Center empowers individuals to build a resilient world by fostering deep connections with self, others, and nature, inspiring collaborative action. As Dr. Macy taught, this interconnectedness is key to healing.

Naropa University hosts "Reconnecting for a Just and Regenerative Future," a three-day conference celebrating 50 years of Macy's "The Work that Reconnects." It unites leaders from diverse fields to address social and ecological crises, reimagining possibilities.

Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist, professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, is the acclaimed author of *Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the

Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist, professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, is the acclaimed author of *Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants*. She serves as a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology and founded the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.

Kimmerer's significant contributions have earned her the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing and a MacArthur "genius" grant. Her research focuses on restoring ecological communities and our relationship with the land. She lives on an old farm in upstate New York, tending both cultivated and wild gardens.

Doug Cohen addresses natural leadership, inter-generational community building, and lifelong learning in his work with students and youth. In a video, he discusses personal needs, life balance,

Doug Cohen addresses natural leadership, inter-generational community building, and lifelong learning in his work with students and youth. In a video, he discusses personal needs, life balance, and defines a leader as a shaper of the future.

This interview, conducted by Barry Heidt, occurred at the SEED Graduate Institute's "Wisdom from the Origins" conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from September 13-17, 2012. Cohen also co-led the conference's Youth Leadership and Scholarship Program.

The video excerpt was edited by Ruth Ann Barrett for Earthsayers.tv, a platform for voices of sustainability.