In mid-October a small group of TFP staff and youth traveled the 2005 Bioneers Conference. Sarah is one of the youth that attended.

Brian paused, searching for the right words. “It’s a little out there,” he said. “Some might call them hippies.”

I knew then that I would enjoy the conference, and I did.

It wasn’t as “out there” as I expected. I saw many people who appeared to be talking to themselves but were really using hands-free cell phones. The conference was broadcast to several other sites via satellite. It all took place right by a highway.

At first I wondered how raw idealism could fit neatly next to these technologies. As I participated in the weekend’s conference, I started to understand, and to appreciate something very unique about Bioneers.

It occurred to me when Rha Goddess was speaking at the plenary of empowering women. The audience whooped and cheered. And that’s when I realized that anyone who was doing anything to make the world a better place would be embraced at Bioneers. The conference reached people from so many different backgrounds, with a variety of focuses: social and political action, indigenous knowledge, anti-oppression, performances and media, the science of healing the earth…and it all came together seamlessly.

The panels were particularly inspiring, and it was exciting to see Wil Bullock, one of our own, demonstrating our place in the movement. I also enjoyed Michael Ableman’s slides of farmers from around the country, and Omar Freilla’s explanation of how he brought “green-collar” jobs to the South Bronx.

I ached when I went to the workshop First Peoples: Protecting and Restoring Indigenous Cultures. Native Hawaiians lived on land for generations only to lose access and see the land turned into golf courses and multil-million dollar houses. The speakers were working to bring indigenous customs back to the young people in Hawaii.

Bioneers was an amazing experience because it didn’t showcase politicians, writers, and speakers talking about how things should be. It united community organizers who were truly making things happen.

As I return to the fall of my senior year of high school, to tests and college applications and GPA’s, I think often of how I will make my mark on the world. What will I have to share years from now when I return to the Bioneers conference?