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Below are the most popular keynote and workshop themes on which Duane presents. Each can be adapted to meet the needs of specific audiences and circumstances:
Green Business and New Consumer Values in a World of Rapid Change: This talk explores the big picture of change for business. First, powerful driving trends—ranging from global warming to running out of cheap oil—are fundamentally changing the global economy and pushing the rise of green business. Second, consumer values are also undergoing deep changes and this is seen in the rise of green consumers concerned with more sustainable ways of living. Third, these trends present a new level of opportunity for green businesses as consumers seek to increase their security, sustainability, and sense of community in a dramatically changing world.
The World At The Tipping Point -- A Hopeful View of Our Future: This talk and facilitated audience conversation explores themes ranging from the life stage of the human family to how unprecedented “adversity trends” (such as climate change) are meeting equally unprecedented “opportunity trends” (such as the communications revolution), and how this, in turn, is producing a pivotal time in human history. Duane further considers what we can do in our personal, professional, and civic lives to build a more promising future. Grounded in more than 35 years of work, the “tipping point talk” provides a big picture perspective for understanding the enormous waves of change that are sweeping the world.
Moving Toward Simplicity, Sustainability, and Community:This keynote and/or workshop explores “cool lifestyles for our hot world.” Duane also looks at changing values as well as new forms of community that are emerging in response to climate change, energy shortages, and more. He presents a promising view of a future of simplicity and community.
We Live In a Living Universe: A stunning view of the universe and our evolutionary journey within it is emerging from the combined wisdom of science and spirituality. In this talk, Duane explores these two threads and how they are converging with profound implications for humanity’s sense of identity, life-purpose, and understanding for the nature of the universe that is our home.
Media Accountability & Citizen Empowerment: Citizens and communities face the “perfect storm” of a world systems crisis due to climate change, shortages of oil, and more. The conversation of democracy needs to match the seriousness of the challenges we confront. In a grass-roots, trans-partisan movement, citizens can create a new level of conversation for democracy and communicate our way into a more sustainable and meaningful future.
For inquiries about speaking or workshops, please use the contact form. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 October 2007 )
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Duane Elgin is an internationally recognized author and speaker who looks beneath the surface turbulence of our times to explore the deeper trends that are transforming our world. For more than thirty years Duane has been speaking and writing in four major areas: 1) the big picture of humanity’s evolutionary journey at this pivotal time in history, 2) more sustainable and satisfying ways of living, 3) media accountability for an empowered citizenry and society, and 4) the convergence of science with the world’s wisdom traditions and their shared views of a living universe.
Duane has given more than 250 keynotes and workshops with audiences ranging from business executives and civic groups to spiritual communities and college students. He likes to bring an engaging, conversational approach to his talks. Say reviewers: Duane is "absolutely captivating" and "inspired our deepest thinking." For video examples of Duane speaking, go to the video portion of this website.
Duane is the author of three major books: Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity's Future (2000), Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich (1993 and 1981), and Awakening Earth: Exploring the Evolution of Human Culture and Consciousness (1993). With Joseph Campbell and others he co-authored the book Changing Images of Man (1982). He has worked as a senior social scientist with the think-tank, SRI International where he coauthored numerous studies on the long-range future for government agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the President's Science Advisor. He has also worked as a senior staff member of a joint Presidential-Congressional Commission on the American Future.
As a media activist, over the past twenty-five years Duane has co-founded three, non-profit, trans-partisan organizations concerned with media accountability; see: www.ourmediavoice.org.
He has an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA in economic history from the University of Pennsylvania, and an honorary Doctor of Philosophy for work in "ecological and spiritual transformation" from the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA. Duane was honored in 2006 with the International “Goi Peace Award” in recognition of his contribution to a global “vision, consciousness, and lifestyle” that fosters a “more sustainable and spiritual culture.” |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 October 2007 )
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"Duane Elgin totally engaged more than 2,000 green building professionals in a spirited dialog about the future, and in the process began conversations between individuals that spilled over into the conference halls. Duane's strength is 'speaking with,' instead of 'talking to.' Participants were empowered to be part of an ongoing dialog about our mutual future. As chair of the world's largest green building conference, I can say that Duane's impact was immediate, profound and likely to be lasting on our industry."
--Jerry Yudelson, MBA, Chair, 2005 US Greenbuild Conference
"Duane gave an absolutely captivating presentation to a very bright and savvy group of business leaders in our Executives Leading Sustainable Change program. He provoked our deepest thinking and inspired urgent action! Hiring Duane is one of the best investments we have ever made!"
-- Rayona Sharpnack, President of the Institute for Women Leadership, Redwood City, California
"Duane's presentation was enlivening and generative. He helped us to examine our work in light of the world that is becoming, engaged us in a dialogue that challenged the way we see higher education, and led us to find innovative and liberating possibilities. Duane also inspired us as a model of values-based, life-long learning."
-- Dean Elias, Dean of the School of Education, Saint Mary's College of California
"Among the nationally distinguished presenters in our Technology and Society Series at Santa Clara University, Duane Elgin was one of the finest. His talk and ensuing discussion on alternative futures and ecological lifestyles was rated by students and community participants as one of the most engaging and entertaining presentations of the series. I give Duane Elgin my highest recommendation."
-- Mitch Saunders, Director of Programs, California Leadership
"Your presentation [to our annual gathering of international executives] was coherent and provocative, in the best sense of the word. You were thoughtful, constructively challenging, and very human in your responses. You have a strong yet gentle style that I find very compelling."
-- Robert Johansen, President, Institute for the Future, Menlo Park, California
"I have heard Duane Elgin speak at a number of conferences over the past decade. He is an exceptionally thoughtful, well-informed speaker, on the cutting edge of social issues and ideas. He speaks with clarity, elegance and passion on the major issues of our time."
-- Roger Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., professor, and author of Staying Alive: The Psychology of Human Survival, and other books
"Duane Elgin does his homework and has a feeling for who he is speaking to. Response from listeners on Man to Man were immediate and extremely positive. Duane is welcome as a return guest anytime."
-- Jerry Johnson, host/creator, "Man to Man," KCBS radio, San Francisco
“We emerged from the workshop with better understandings of our individual and collective places in the world, clearer visions of purpose, renewed commitments, and restored hope…This powerful experience changed lives.”
--Carol Goland, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies, Denison University, Ohio
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 June 2007 )
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Business & Government - State of the World Forum, San Francisco, California
- Harvard Center on Society and Social Change, Boston
- SRI International, Menlo Park, California
- Social Venture Network, San Jose, California
- Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), California
- Foundation for the Future, Seattle, Washington
- Institute for the Future, Menlo Park, California
- Amana-Key, Executive Training Center, Sao Paolo Brazil
Colleges & Universities - Oxford University, England
- Union Theological Seminary, New York
- Denison University, Granville, Ohio
- San Francisco State University
- Association of Washington Community Colleges, Washington
- Boise State University, Idaho, Earth Day Conference
- Sonoma State University, Sonoma, California
- Knox College, Ohio • Saint Mary's College of California, Moraga, California
- California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco
Community, Non-Profit & Spiritual Organizations - City Club, Seattle, Washington
- City Club, Portland, Oregon
- Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Future Generations Alliance Foundation, Kyoto Japan
- National Civic League, Denver, Colorado
- Marin Environmental Forum, Marin County, California
- Foundation for Global Community, Palo Alto, California
- nstitute of Noetic Sciences, National Conference
- United Church of Religious Science, Chicago, Illinois
- Science and Consciousness Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, San Jose, California
Television & Radio - Television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS)
- PBS: "Thinking Allowed" series, San Francisco, California
- National Public Radio
- New Dimensions Radio, San Francisco, California
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 June 2007 )
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PROMISE AHEAD: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity's Future
Promise Ahead is a book for the twenty-first century with a clear message: a sustainable planet is not an unreachable goal. Elgin articulates an operating manual of possibility and hope.
-- Elizabeth Dowdeswell, former director, United Nations Environment Program
Promise Ahead is a powerful message for our time, a seminal contribution to the new story, and essential reading for those dedicated to creating a world that works for all.
-- David Korten, author of When Corporations Rule the World and The Post Corporate World
VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY: Toward a Way of Life that is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich
A copy of this book in every American household could change the course of history . . . Voluntary Simplicity shows that what this nation needs is not so much a change of policy as a change of mind, and that individual citizens, acting on their own, can do more to solve our crises than can any national administration.
-- George Leonard, The Transformation, The Ultimate Athlete, Mastery, and others
A passionate and wide-ranging book that demonstrates the elegance of simplicity . . . It is a manifesto for the only kind of future that promises sanity and the possibility of contentment. Bread and wine for the spirit.
-- Sam Keen, Fire in the Belly, Hymns to an Unknown God, and others.
AWAKENING EARTH: Exploring the Evolution of Human Culture and Consciousness
Challenging, thoughtful, original, well-documented, and plausibly hopeful. One of the best long-term futures books in many years!
-- Mike Marien, Editor of Future Survey
A brilliant vision of human destiny that illuminates the past and inspires hope for the future. An extraordinary book -- a rare combination of clear vision, deep wisdom, and heartfelt compassion.
-- Frances Vaughan, Shadows of the Sacred, Awakening Intuition, The Inward Arc
Awakening Earth is a landmark book that provides vitally important perspectives on humanity's evolutionary journey. This is a book of remarkable breadth and depth that joins practical and spiritual insights into a comprehensive picture of humanity's origins and possible future. Awakening Earth has elements of genius.
-- Michael Murphy, co-founder of the Esalen Institute, author of The Future of the Body, Golf in the Kingdom and other books
For inquiries about speaking or workshops, please use the contact form. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 June 2007 )
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