11.13.2007 - 01:00pm ET

(CSRwire) BERKELEY, CA - November 13, 2007 - In response to the urgent need for community collaboration and action to rebuild from the recent California fires in San Diego and oil spill in San Francisco Bay, EASE Initiative (Environmental Accountability for a Sustainable Earth) invites open participation in its sustainability conference Nov. 16-18 at Ft. Mason in San Francisco.

At no charge to attendees, but a pre-registration requirement at www.easeinitiative.com, EASE07 offers its Fort Mason venue Friday, Saturday and Sunday November 16-18, 8:30AM to 4:00 PM, to discuss how we rebuild from natural and man-made disasters. Energy EASE07 is a collaboration-themed 'un-conference' focused in 2007 on designing a New Energy marketplace and then addressing sustainability markets for food, water and air in each of the coming three years. EASE Initiative, an on-going sustainability education project, is a collaboration partner to Gaiasoft and Gaiaspace whose products enable on-line global collaborative community-building, project tracking and benchmarking.

'Resilient California' is now added as an additional EASE07 dialog topic to bring all voices and perspectives into the work of community-sensitive and environmentally-sound disaster recovery. EASE07’s recovery-interested participants may use this setting to discuss and consider how communities provide input to and track the rebuilding process of any affected area.

Joining these dialogs are members of Gaiasoft, which is part of the European Union-funded 'MIDIR' (multidimensional risk and resilience-www.midir.eu) study. Applying the Gaiasoft project management software, MIDIR has created a resilience approach suitable for large, complex systems like the European Union. Information regarding Gaiasoft’s experience and on-line community building and software tools will be available to consider. The EASE07 conversations may form the basis of a similar on-line community building, planning and tracking template useful for California disaster recovery and other events anywhere in the world. EASE Initiative strives to help all impacted people including local, regional and state citizens and government agencies work together as true collaboration partners.

For 'Resilient California' conversations, EASE07 offers its in-person meeting space and facilitation services and its post-conference on-line collaboration environment EASE Gaiaspace at no charge to individuals, companies, activist groups, government agencies and others to share ideas and build community-focused disaster recovery programs. EASE's objective is to build inclusive, environmentally sound and life-enriching processes and programs as people rebuild their towns, infrastructure and natural wildlife areas. Collaboratively designed approaches allow public officials to understand (rather than guess) and be easily accountable to the interests of their communities while enabling citizens to observe progress and provide input to rebuilding as they follow and understand the larger context of the overarching endeavor.

According to EASE Initiative founder Susan Mills, "For all our sakes, today and in the future, now is the time to work together in understanding, compassion and commitment to create a healthy and flourishing world for all. Our recent disasters open opportunities for us to move swiftly towards environmental care and to experience the wisdom, richness and joy that comes with heartfelt collaboration towards a mutually-held vision of abundance for all.

"EASE Initiative hopes that as we develop approaches and solutions to California's recent problems, we might also simultaneously demonstrate new ways of collaborative, self-empowered emergency action and community engagement for any life and environment-threatening crisis. In working for ourselves, we may also become part of solutions and opportunities for others, creating a truly global community of cooperation. You are invited to join us at EASE and participate in our shared future."

In addition to its many dialog venues for networking, planning and the development of business relationships, Energy EASE07 also features inspirational speakers, workshops, project demonstrations and a newly-developed tribute to John McConnell, founder of Earth Day, now 92 and with wise guidance for today’s opportunities. Spotlight Speakers include Hunter Lovins, Elisabet Sahtouris, FireHawk, Gil Friend and many others. Pre-registration is strongly requested for all attendees.

EASE Ventures LLC and its affiliated EASE Foundation 501c3 were formed in May 2007. The EASE Initiative is a collaboration that invites all interested people, companies and projects to work together in shaping the market exchange and oversight processes of the new sustainability market. EASE Initiative focuses on energy (2007), food (2008), water (2009) and air (2010). Earnings from EASE Ventures support the EASE Foundation and the people, projects and purposes driving a sustainable world. www.easeinitiative.com

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