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• Sadvipras and the Transformation of Human Society

  • When
    10 Jul 2025
  •  
    8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    On Zoom

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  Sadvipras and the Transformation of Human Society

  with Dr Ray Wood

  Content: Sadvipra is the term that PR Sarkar, the founder of Prout, uses for highly evolved individuals who will play a pivotal role in transforming human society into a more evolved state. Sarkar envisions the Sadvipra as a spiritual revolutionary, constantly working for the collective welfare of all living beings. The Sadvipra is grounded in a profound sense of moral responsibility and spiritual awareness. By their very nature, Sadvipras fight ceaselessly against all forms of corruption and immorality. They do not rest until exploitation is eradicated and a new, more vibrant and healthy society has been achieved. In this presentation, Dr Wood invites you to explore P.R. Sarkar’s totally unique method of how to achieve a revolutionary transformation of society under Sadvipra leadership.

  Dr Ray Wood has been an advocate for social transformation and racial justice ever since he was born into the segregated South section of the United States during the Martin Luther King Jr. sit-in days. His “transformation,” he says, happened when an Episcopal priest took him, as a 14-year-old boy, to an integrated summer youth camp where he spent one week eating with, praying with, and sleeping in the same dorm room with, both black and white kids. After he returned home, he remembers saying to his family “People have not been telling me the truth. These kids were all just like me, no difference, black or white – just the same as me.” Later, as a lay minister himself, he was able to return the favor by taking kids from his church in rural Alabama to an integrated camp in Georgia and seeing their own “transformation” after they returned.

  For the last 25 years, until his retirement last year, Dr Wood worked in the field of Employment and Training at Portland Community College, in partnership with the Department of Human Services, assisting families on public assistance (welfare) achieve economic independence. In his work, Ray helped parents – and sometimes their older children – find jobs, explore new careers, or return to school to develop more skills that would lead to higher paying jobs.

  As one example, Ray cites Paul, a bright young man, who was unable to have an employer even take a look at him because of his multiple felonies, which had all happened while he was mired in his drug and alcohol addictions. This brother was seriously depressed due to his inability to take care of his family. But Paul had cleaned himself up by the time he met with Ray for the first time. He kept all of his meetings with Ray, was always on time, and always followed directions. After five weeks, Ray called an employer who, on Ray’s recommendation, was willing to give Paul a chance on a six-month, state sponsored internship as a tow truck dispatcher. Paul completed the internship with stellar reviews, and at the end of the internship he was hired on as a regular employee. He was promoted twice and eventually got another job as the dispatch manager of the largest tow truck company in Portland making a truly living wage. Another transformation!

  
  

  When you register for this event - you will receive the Zoom link in the Registration Confirmation Email and in the reminder announcements in the week prior to the presentation.
  

  Announcements for other scheduled 2025 events will be coming soon.

  Feel free to invite your friends to come to this event. They can register at proutalliance.wildapricot.org/events or Events Page - Proutalliance.org/events. Please don't share the Zoom link.

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• Economic Democracy Training - Transform yourself & Transform the World

  • Start
    6 Aug 2025
  •  
    2:30 PM
  • End
    10 Aug 2025
  •  
    12:30 PM
  • Location
    Prout Research Institute in Marshall, North Carolina

  Register

  
  

  Embark on a transformative journey at the Economic Democracy Training Program, a 5-day immersive experience hosted by the Prout Research Institute in Asheville, North Carolina. Through engaging workshops on cooperative development, leadership, and permaculture, attendees will delve into the principles and practices of economic decentralization and the pivotal role of cooperatives in fostering resilient, equitable, and sustainable communities.

  Scholarships  are available on a rolling basis, based on donations.
  

  We look forwards to working with you towards a more resilient, cooperative, and sustainable future!

  
  

  Best wishes, 

  The Prout Research Institute and Prout Alliance Team

  View the Bios and Pictures of the Trainers & Organizers

  Details:

  Workshops, Field Trips, Daily Living

  

  Cooperative Development

  In this introductory workshop, participants will learn the historical context of cooperatives within the US economy, the cooperative development process of forming a collective enterprise with democratic governance, and various avenues for involvement in the cooperative movement. We will travel to local co-ops and hear from co-op developers best practices and their experiences in building cooperative ecosystems. Lastly, we will cover additional resources, financial tools, and community needs assessments as ways to begin your own journey as a co-op developer or organizer. 

  Alternative Economic Models  

  In this workshop we will explore how cooperatives are advancing economic democracy, and how the alternative model of the Progressive Utilization Theory functions today. We will cover key principles of Prout, Prout’s three tiered economy, strategies for implementing cooperatives and economic democracy, and challenges and opportunities in transitioning to a new economy based on environmental and community needs. 

  Permaculture 

  How can local food be an agent of change in our communities? Here we will explore localized food systems through the lens of permaculture (creating permanent cultures through dynamic and integrated systems). We will tour a local ecovillage, a community garden initiative and cover the specifics of beginning a garden and orchard with a hands on build. 

  Leadership

  To achieve what we want to attain in our lives, and help others do the same, requires leadership qualities. Throughout this training program, we will be introducing and practicing leadership skills which will give us greater control over our lives and have a deeper impact on the society we live in.  We will be developing leadership at different levels. First we will start with our selves, clarifying our inner assets, understanding our values, and working to strengthen our minds and hearts. Then, we will learn what true collaborative leadership is, how to work collectively, build teams, and overcome the divisions which divide us. Finally, we will explore what it means to use our leadership skills to inspire and help others achieve personal and social transformation.

  The Prout Research Institute in the Hills of Marshall NC near Asheville NC.

  
  

  Daily Living

  Hosted in partnership with a land based community, the day to day includes opportunities for yoga and meditation classes, walks with a local trail system, and shared meals with around a dozen local community members. In the neighborhood is a yoga and meditation retreat center (Prama Institute), a college for leadership development (Neohumanism College of Asheville), a preschool (Mountain Breeze Preschool), and a small farm with dairy, vegetable, and berry production.

  About Us

  Organized by the Prout Research Institute, we are a collective of activists, co-op developers and systems change thinkers who are working to promote alternative economic models aligned with meeting the basic needs of everyone. We host educational trainings and seminars around the Progressive Utilization Theory, and develop practical policies and projects to help achieve a high quality of life for everyone. 

  Co-sponsored by Prout Alliance, our sister organization dedicated to networking and solution based journalism.

  

  
  

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• In the Spirit of the River: Neohumanist Education for Children

  • When
    14 Aug 2025
  •  
    8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    On Zoom

  Register

  

  

  In the Spirit of the River: Neohumanist Education for Children

  with Mirra Price

  
  

  Description: In the Spirit of the River, a collection of children’s stories, written by Nancy Gannon, Sid Jordan , Mirra Price  and Christine Westfeldt, is  our venture to teach children about neo-humanism. Set in the French Broad River watershed, the book includes stories based on a Cherokee tale, a council of animals, two children’s spiritual journey, early settlers in the area, and a story in which the river itself speaks to us. After each chapter are educational materials and exercises to engage children. See the book on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-River-Magical-Stories) or on the Neohumanist College website (https://www.nhca-gurukul.org/product-page/in-the-spirit-of-the-river-magical-stories-of-the-french-broad-river).

  Mirra Price is a retired English teacher, is a writer, editor, copyeditor, and social justice activist. She co-authored Tools to Change the World in 2019, based on Prout (Progressive Utilization Theory).  Her latest book, In the Spirit of the River, a children’s book focused on Neohumanism, urges taking care of the Earth as if all living things matter.

  
  

  When you register for this event - you will receive the Zoom link in the Registration Confirmation Email and in the reminder announcements in the week prior to the presentation.
  

  Announcements for other scheduled 2025 events will be coming soon.

  Feel free to invite your friends to come to this event. They can register at proutalliance.wildapricot.org/events or Events Page - Proutalliance.org/events. Please don't share the Zoom link.

  Show details