The International Society For Ecology And Culture

Causes: Coronavirus Relief Food Banks, Economic Development, Environment, Food, International, International Economic Development, Microfinance, Unknown

Mission: ISEC''s mission is to promote biological as well as cultural diversity by strengthening communities and local economies worldwide. When founded in 1975, ISEC focused on bringing information to balance the idealized images of the consumer culture suddenly rushing into Ladakh, or "Little Tibet", which had just been opened to tourism and development. Over the years the focus of the organization has increasingly shifted from Ladakh to the world at large.

Programs: Our major programs include: Local Food, which seeks to support local food economies while simultaneously tackling the destructive policies that sustain the global industrial food system. Global-to-Local Education, which disseminates a broad critique of the global economy, while laying out the benefits of and practical steps towards economic localization, cultural diversity, and smaller scale. This program includes lectures, seminars, articles and book chapters, as well as the production and distribution of ISEC's books, videos and other publications. Roots of Change, a community-based study, discussion and action program, with a curriculum revealing the root causes of today's social, economic, and enviromental crises, along with systemic solutions. The Ladakh Project, our 30-year effort to counter the impact of conventional development in this Himalayan region, while exploring more sustainable patterns of development based on local resources, indigenous knowledge, and appropriate technologies.