Blog Category

Have we lost the way of hope? When I say “we”, I mean we “modern, affluent, developed, able, self-actualized” folk. When I say “way”, I mean a real, rooted, dirt under the fingernails, not merely ethereal or the sort of stuff simply for a Sunday-School discussion.

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Two years ago, during one of our first forays into urban homesteading, my Father’s Day present from Aimee was permission to install our first rain-barrel. It was a romantic thought to me. “Let’s not waste the water-from-heaven gift (even though we receive it some 300 plus days a year), let’s harvest it.”

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Truth be told (and this is embarrassing), I am much better at talking about “neighborhood” then I am at simply being a neighbor. I have a hard time getting to know the middle-aged single recluse next door. I have to ask Aimee to remind me the name of Donna’s husband across the street. I struggle to make it to more than an occasional neighborhood-association meeting. My hypocrisy is so insipid that, reading the Overlook Neighborhood monthly newsletter is the pinnacle of my dedication. Shameful.

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Here’s the deal, despite all the sentiment out there about “all the money we will save” through homesteading practices, the reality is that it just doesn’t pencil out. I hate to bust the myth.

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Our communities are not resilient. Americans are mad at big banks. There is a relation and something we can do about it…

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What enables us, ourselves, our families, our communities, to weather storms and disruptions in our lives? When we are honest with ourselves, we are much less “resilient” than we’d care to acknowledge.

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So you decided to make the switch and start banking according to your values but procrastination has set in. If you are like many of our clients, you have probably stalled out with one of the following questions or “costs” of switching:

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Hey all, it’s about that time of year again, school is just around the corner.

In typical Equity Design fashion we like to approach things through a broader lens. We are wondering what school taught you, good and bad, and what it didn’t teach you. To get your juices going we reprint John Taylor Gatto’s recent article in YES! Magazine. Feel free to email us your thoughts, or better, comment below.

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What makes a community resilient? Is your community resilient?

In thinking about your community, do you feel uncertain in these changing times? Do you want to learn new ways to respond to economic uncertainty and its effects on you and your community? Do you want to make new friends and develop a deeper community with like-minded others? If so, read on!

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Think Globally, Act Virtually.

Back in the fall, Jared and I were working on several campaigns related to Human Trafficking. It was an eye-opening and often heart-breaking time for both of us and we know it was as well for many of you. Here’s an update that came out of these campaigns. Read on for more…

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It seems the playbook of our mainstream politicians and economists is to reinflate the old economy, to achieve a “recovery” and to somehow also avoid future economic disruptions or a collapse. Is this possible? Is it what we want?

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Do you feel looted with the recent and ongoing bailouts? Are you skeptical of the scapegoating that has blamed the poor (subprime), or one party or another, or regulation or deregulation? Do you wonder why the circle of Wall Street advisors around our president continue to push to resurrect a cancerous financial system? Does you feel like you’ve witnessed a game of fantasy finance?

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Join us for a two part series where we will explore the roots of the current economic crisis and ways to respond by building real wealth in our communities. We will use David Korten’s new book Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth as the starting point for our discussion.

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What Do You Think?
Is Portland the 4th best housing market?
Each person to respond will be entered to win a Passport Unlimited Dining Card
Read on for more details

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Over the next few weeks we will be exploring banking. In particular, we are asking the question: “how does where we bank affect our community?”

We invite you to join the discussion

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Out of our book study last month we started a resource list, framing educational materials and action groups along the agenda items that Korten proposes. Check out this resource list, find a way to get involved where you passions align, and let us know how we can continue to improve this resource!

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If you have ever wanted to rip up that lawn and put it to productive use, if you have ever wanted to serve seniors in your neighborhood or make a difference in the lives of the working poor in our community, then this is for you. Come learn how you can make a difference in your community. (Read more…)

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Can energy be produced locally? Can our communities become energy independent? Can you envision neighborhood heat and hot water powered from its own resources? Would you invest in renewable energy technology if you were assured it would pay you quickly? If energy independence was truly in your hands, would you act on it? Join Equity Design and partners as we explore these and other energy questions.

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Today’s economic crisis, being the worst since the Great Depression, is giving us an incredible opportunity to change our Economic Story. David Korten presents a new Economic story showing that by changing our economic priorities, measures of success, marketplace rules, power structures, sources of financing, and even the very way we create money, we can build a healthy, humane and vibrant economy.a new economy that generates real wealth instead of phantom wealth. Join us as I co-teach this book study. (Read more…)

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While almost $2.5 trillion of our money was squandered on easy term loans to banks and investment houses, we lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008! One million jobs were lost just between Nov. 1st and Dec. 31st of 2008. With a good deal more suffering likely, we are in the most difficult economic times since the Great Depression.

* What are the root causes of the economic crisis?
* What should we fight for? What is a “recovery?”
* How do the millions of people who voted for change help make it happen?
(Read more…)

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Have you ever wondered where money comes from? Are you curious what runs our monetary system? Do you ever have the sense that those digits the banks and wall street report may not represent real wealth? Have you wondered if our financial system is sustainable? If so, this is your film. (Read more…)

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I was at a dinner party last night and we were talking about our hopes for 2009. As we went around the table talking the consistent theme was that this next year is going to be a significant one. One person talked about family relationships, another about living an “uncluttered life” and another about personal balance. In the end one friend piped up and said, “Everyone I have talked to seems to believe 2009 will be a time healing.” (read more…)

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Ok, so you’ve likely read more about economics these last few months than in all those college econ classes you took way back when. As if it weren’t enough, we decided to throw our own little spin on things and put together a forum to try to unpack some of the components that aren’t getting much air time (but should) AND give you some practical steps to help make our community better. (read more…)

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You frustrated with the injustices happening with the current financial bailout? You curious to know more? Do you remember those WTO days where you may have first heard that large corporations wield a bit of power and don’t always have others’ interests in mind (read: community, environment, laborers, etc). Here’s an event that promises to do similar type of education on the financial industry with the intent to do something about it. (read more…)

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We are rounding the fall corner and coming to “that time of year again”- the time that brings back childhood memories of being the first to the stores for the big sales. Adulthood has brought a different relationship to consumption and The Story of Stuff has introduced me to the concepts of “planned obsolescence” and “perceived obsolescence”. Here’s a little teaser for this simple 20 minute narrative cause you to wonder about all the people and things that go into the products we buy. Enjoy!

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An evening with author and economic activist Stacy Mitchell! She will discuss the growing movement around the country to rebuild and strengthen local economies, placing what’s happening in Portland into this larger, encouraging context as well as examining why local economies are so critical to meeting the challenge of global warming to ensure our economic and community well-being in the near future. She will also be offering key policies and strategies to help realize this vision. Be sure to come early at 6pm for a celebration of our local economy with information, refreshments and representatives from various local community businesses and organizations.

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Join us Monday the 17th for our November Community Commons as we partner with the Real Wealth of Portland and explore local food through an economic justice lens.

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As part of the Call+Response film that we have helped promote, Matisyahu covers Bob Marley’s Redemption song. It is worth watching, if not for its economic justice use, then for it’s sheer beauty.

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Monday was the first of a series of Community Commons forums that we are a part of. October’s theme was Human Rights and there was a great array of community organizations that came and presented what they are up to and how people can get involved. We wanted to share that information with you! Check out these organizations

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There is one big issue that comes up over and over within our Equity Design Community: What is the next Priority in my financial Plan?
We have written an article to answer that very question.

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Is human slavery more prevalent now than ever?
Are there ways to promote worker and human rights?

The Real Wealth of Portland encourages you to watch the film Call and Response this weekend, then come to our forum on October 20 to learn more and take action.
Feel free to download the event flier and distribute or post!

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Two great community events coming up! Check out the film Sick Around the World and/or attend a forum on the local effects of international trade agreements.

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Hope in the midst of large and overwhelming global issues. That is my conclusion as I learn of so many individuals and groups choosing to take action based on the unrest see or they themselves feel.

First it was Paul Hawken’s description of “the largest movement in the world.” …

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My wife and I recently went to New Mexico on vacation. Sadly, my knowledge of this close corner of the world is lacking, so when she made reservations to stay in an Earth Ship I began to wonder what we were getting into. To my surprise, our few nights in the Earth Ship happened to be the nicest of any accommodations as well as the least expensive. My surprises didn’t stop there.

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Many of our clients ask about protecting themselves in what is felt as a litigious society. They may own their own small company or may want to own real estate but fear the “what-ifs” out there. When legal questions arise we turn to Dallas Thomsen, a local attorney who has amazed us with expertise as well as character and desire to truly serve clients’ needs. Download the article

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CALL+RESPONSE is a first of its kind feature documentary film that reveals the world’s 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history.

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The other night I attended the Restorative Listening Project’s event around the film “Northeast Passage”. The event was hosted by John Canda, among others, and gave the diverse audience of inner Northeast Portland residents a chance to explore and dialogue about gentrification.

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We live in tricky times. There is no denying that our current economic environment offers hurdles (and opportunities). The combination of the slowed housing market (Portland has flatlined and in some areas homes have lost value) coupled with the credit crunch, has infused fear into the American population.

Insecurity and fear are often cured by self-examination and intentional living.

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Barbara Ehrenreich and Chuck Collins are visiting us Wed. July 16th to talk about economic inequality.

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Outside of Mangua, Nicaragua there is a society of 700 families who live off and in the garbage of the city. There home is quite literally a dump. I always thought that the greatest tragedy in such a place was the lack of food. In truth the real horrors are sexual abuse, drugs and […]

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Something magical and other worldly happened yesterday. If you didn’t know the
context you would think that I was living in a Disney movie or some psychedelic documentary on the seventies.

My family spent much of the day on our front porch, in our front yard or peering out our front picture window. What did we […]

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July 4-July 11 is Eat Local Week

How would our lives and community be different if we shifted our purchases to local businesses? Does that locally produced organic hopworks beer taste better?  How about buying from local growers through People’s Food Coop? Does it taste better? Does it cost less? How does shopping local build our […]

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We recently completed the second installment of our Wealth Building Seminar Series. It is an 8 hour workshop exploring the categories and challenges of financial planning from a holistic perspective, all within the warm and comfortable environment of the Kennedy School.
The first challenge in a series such as this is to critique and reframe […]

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Do you know where you want to go, financially speaking? Do you know if your choices are congruent with the path to get there?

We are living in an age where

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