This Time Last Year - Interdependent Project Radio

By this time last year we were well into the launching of the Interdependent Project Radio on Modavox's new Green Talk Network.  So why did radio programming cease?

The whole internet radio program developed the summer of 2008 when we contacted an internet talk radio platform and requested that they add a new category called 'sustainability' for interview shows we wanted to do that featured the best of the best pioneers, educators, and leaders within the sustainability movement.

Those of you who have been with us since back then probably remember the excited emails we sent out explaining that we had been offered our own 24/7 channel on their platform after sharing with them our program ideas - verbally that is.  After we spent months lining up guests, the representative who had made the offer dropped the bomb on us and told us that the agreement he had made earlier was now null and void.

We are intentionally leaving out some sordid details not to save them from any bad press but to save you the time in having to read it.  First big lesson on this learning spiral - "get it in writing" (sad but true when dealing with entities that missed the course on win/win realities).....

So we contacted Modavox and they appeared to be an upgrade - next lesson - "don't be fooled by appearances" - and we then went into a - get this - 'non-cancelable' contract (as if such a thing really exists) with a promise of millions of listeners and movable audio widgets.  After one month of broadcasting and a less than desirable Google Analytics report we decided to cancel the deal for more reasons than we can even share openly here.

It was then that we decided it would be best to simply get our own licenses and launch our own radio network.  We set a goal to resume broadcasting after the release of Volume I of the Seeds of Sustainability Education Series...another lesson - "if you want something done right do it yourself." 


We lamented the fact that these old proverbial sayings proved to be true in our learning spiral and we are confident that many more will hold up as we progress down the path of inspired idealistic folly.  We imagine we will somewhere in here cross the dreaded path that 'they' have all warned us about - the place where you simply realize your efforts have all been in vain and that you cannot stray outside of the box and refuse to adhere to rules without having to..uhumm..compromise your principles "like we all had to - you know - 'bite the bullet' or 'wake up and smell the coffee' or even god forbid 'grow up' right?  

We'll see...until we get there though we can only say that as long as we are having fun - which we are - it matters not one iota how others judge and measure our successes or failures.  


So on that note - we are stoked to be going into the next stage of planning for the Interdependent Project Radio.  We hope you have appreciated this behind the scenes and candid sharing.  If you enjoyed any of the launch radio shows you can look forward to more coming this spring/summer...if you have not even listened to any of them you can check them out in the archives here.  

On our next 2009 revisited post we will share with you what happened around the original brand and why we changed it...

In Sustainable Solidarity
Darlene Green

Interdependent Project Celebrates Core Team Members

Everyone knows how hard it is to birth an excellent team and the Interdependent Project has been blessed to have attracted core team members who are aligned with it's mission.  In the beginning we had some team members who fully supported the project during its launch phase and contributed energy in ways that fueled the rockets to get lift off and their contributions were invaluable.  But just as the solid rocket boosters must fall away as orbit is made these team members had other commitments to fulfill and directions they were heading.  The Interdependent Project is celebrating its one year since launch and we want to celebrate the team members who have made this past year a deep success as well as introduce new team members who will be helping to set coordinates as we navigate through the global transition to a sustainable future.

SUSAN FRANK

Beginning in May 2009 team member Susan Frank who is the executive administrator of the Interdependent Community Sphere began a 6 month 'Communities and Sustainable 'green' Events Tour' that took her across the United States to visit developing/existing sustainable communities and attend/volunteer at events/festivals that were focused on 'green' and sustainable living themes.  As the Interdependent Project Media Ambassador Susan conducted interviews and produced videos throughout her journey and blogged her travels as she immersed herself in many different worlds that share a common vision of a sustainable future.  We are featuring her videos and posting links to her stories on the main site.  Most of her travels and experiences were incredibly positive and enriching but she also shares her own perspective of some of the shortcomings and disappointments that she encountered as well.

Susan was a student as Prescott University during her travels and much of her work was also course related for her degree which she successfully earned in December 09`.  Her reports to the Interdependent Project during her travels also contributed to changes and re-shaping of the IP strategies and alliances.  Susan has set a standard for the project of the high quality commitment and dedication we are striving for with our core team and her contributions are impeccable.  Thank you Susan!

MEET EVAN SPURRELL

Evan T. Spurrell joins the Interdependent Project core team from ground zero of the project's second year since launch.  He is the founder of the Permaculture Production Crew which is a campus club at Sierra College.  Evan leads students into the realm of Earth Stewardship/regenerative projects and inspires students to learn permaculture practices within urban and rural environments.  We met Evan at the Seeds of Sustainability DVD release party and were instantly impressed with his authentic and sincere dedication to world-bridging solutions to those who have limited access to the solutions that exist and perhaps have been living in a state of hopelessness around the global problems.  Evan will be participating in the production of Volume 2 of the Seeds of Sustainability Education Series and working with the team to further the goals of the Interdependent Project.  We are stoked to have you aboard Evan!

We also want to give a special thanks to Vladimir Frolov, Josh Green aka 'Electrolysis', Robin Marche, Jason Deptula and Alayne Chauncey for the rocket fuel they continually have provided to keep this ship in orbit.

We invite you now to check out the updated 'Sustain Yourself" page and the info about 'Raw Food' which includes some great links to the G-Living Network  site!

In Sustainable Solidarity

Darlene Green

Happy New Decade!

1 - 10 - 10...we thought we would wait a bit before we posted about the turning of the first decade of the new millennium...and what a turning it has been! The Interdependent Project is celebrating it's 1 year anniversary for the rest of the month of January and we have updated the main website with new content and cleaned the site up a bit....

2009 was an epic year for us and we were actually pretty amazed at how much our team accomplished and learned.  We have often used the terms 'running sideways' and 'learning spirals' in many of our posts and emails because the truth of the matter was when we began we had nothing but our unbending intent to 'Dream It-Do It' - Youth Venture slogan...

Many along the way scoffed at our idealistic grandiose goals and we have had our fair share of shocking obstacles and hurdles to jump over.  Humor was our savior during the worst parts and as we learned we made sure to take note of the lessons in ways that allowed us to further develop the 'standards' we would be sure to go by in the future.  

The launching of this project began in 2008 when we received a small seed grant from Youth Venture with the intent to launch a private online networking hub for EcoVillages and sustainable communities.  That was when the project was named and the first mission statement was developed.  The universe decided to give us an opportunity - that turned out to be a lesson and then another opportunity - that turned into lesson - again and again in relationship to this project.  So are we more knowledgeable now?

We believe in the Golden Dragon Rule:

“Life's secret lies in Comprehension rather than only in Knowledge."

The Tree of Sustainability page on the main site finally has an article written on it and we invite you to check it out and let us know if it is 'comprehensible'....

This month we will be blogging about goals for 2010 (and the next decade), posting about the new content and recapitulating the past in order to share and process our journey thus far into the Sustainability Matrix!

In Sustainable Solidarity

Darlene Green