Describe where you live and work, and what is it you do.
Is your work part of what defines you as a person? If so, why?
Does your work allow you to feel a connection to life and its sustainability, not just through the product you provide but by how you acquire it and work with that product?
I live in Santa Monica, California, with beautiful, sunny weather most of the year. I am the co-Director/founder for the Earth Rights Institute, a non-profit organisation that builds communities in developing countries through sustainable agriculture and eco-villages. My office is a bike ride from home, in Venice.
Annie Goeke,
Earth Rights Institute, Santa Monica, CA
Yes, totally. Understanding that there is an undeniable connection between human and environmental rights, I have been active in the Green Party and the Worldwide Peace Movement for over 20 years.
This has made me who and what I am today.
I fundamentally believe that we must address world-wide poverty and environmental degradation through an approach to development through the eyes of an “eco-justice” perspective.
I have learnt from the success of other cultures that feed themselves and their vibrant community through sustainable methods. This I strive to do in my life and in how we implement this as part of Earth Rights’ agenda.
Yes, I feel a deep connection between how we live and how we must do so sustainably. I see myself as a vehicle for change. Through the Earth Rights Institute I show how assisted communities can build a just, sustainable and co-operative economy at a local level. The change I strive to bring is one of empowerment of people, reinforcement of trust and engendered hope.
What makes you happy and content? How do you spend your moments of leisure if there are any? What do you give thanks for?
Many things make me happy. My own family and spending time with my daughter and her new baby are highlights. I enjoy being healthy, yoga and hiking as well as buying and eating fresh farm produce and, generally, finding ways to live an optimal life.
VISIT ANNIE AT:
Earth Rights Institute
PO Box 5404, Santa Monica, CA 90409
Office +1 310 881-7265
Fax +1 310 401-3056
