Contents:
The Metaphor Project teaches and promotes more effective ways for everyone to communicate with mainstream Americans about becoming a sustainable society.
Through our website, online newsletter, and brainstorming workshop models, people can easily learn a systematic method for creating positive and exciting new language -- slogans, catch phrases, and neologisms -- which play on core American images, themes, and stories. We also publicize our best workshop and research results, if participants agree to it, as well as examples of powerful new language from other sources, including submissions from our readers, website visitors, and friends.
In addition, we critique those common sustainability metaphors in use today that actually cause communication failure and suggest better choices. Custom workshop design and free individual consultation on proposed metaphors and the stories they imply are also available. For details, see the Appendix of this online brochure.
WHAT THE METAPHOR PROJECT OFFERS ONLINE
at www.metaphorproject.org
1.Easy Directions for Creating New Social Metaphors (exercises and workshop models suitable small groups, trainings, conferences and college or school classes)
2.Key Tools: American Metaphor Sources, American Story Elements, Current and Emerging Metaphors List, Tweaks and Metaphor Criteria List
3.Results To Date and Free Feedback on your proposed metaphors and the stories they imply.
NOTICE OF SITE UPDATES, PUBLIC WORKSHOP
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ONLINE NEWSLETTER:
To receive the online Metaphor News and other Project announcements
(infrequent, don't worry), send an email message to <metaphorproject@earthlink.net>
with the words "metlist" in the subject line.
AN INVITATION
If you are interested in receiving more information, getting feedback on your metaphors, sponsoring a workshop we lead for you (see Appendix below), or in working with us on outreach, please contact The Metaphor Project at <metaphorproject@earthlink.net>.
If you would like to send us comments, ideas, submissions or examples, that would be very welcome as well. We also like to hear about other books, projects, articles or people doing similar work.
See Appendix below for:
www.metaphorproject.org
tel.925-254-7198, fax 925-254-3304
Post Office Box 892, Orinda, CA 94563
e-mail:metaphorproject@earthlink.net
Susan C. Strong, Ph.D., founder
Basic metaphor project workshop
Learn an easy method for making up lively new earth-friendly phrases or slogans with mainstream appeal. Did you know we talk in metaphors all time? Find out how to make this work for you, for your favorite issue, or for classes you teach. Get an introduction to how story kernels work.
Issue-focused version of the Basic workshop
Visioning version of the Basic workshop
Please see descriptions of these Basic workshop variations on the website at <www.metaphorproject.org>. Write sstrong@metaphorproject.org or call 925-254- 7198 for more information or to schedule for your group.
Story kernel workshop
Using the American Story Elements List, the American Metaphor Sources list and other tools, we experiment with creating new story kernels and complexes that can carry an Earth-friendly message into the mainstream. Led by Project members only at this time.
The Metaphor Project is a non-profit activity whose mission is to facilitate
interest in and skillful experimentation with new metaphors for sustainable
initiatives and for sustainability as a new national consensus goal. Metaphor
Project Committee members include Tom Atlee, Ed Bernbaum, Christina Bertea,
Bridget Connelly, Ann Hancock, Lois Jones, Ken Lebensold, Sandra Lewis, and
founder Susan C. Strong. The Project operates as an unincorporated public benefit
volunteer association; all donations are used to fund workshop supplies, equipment,
and room rental, web domain name and forwarding service fees, copying and other
dissemination and public relations costs. Tax deductible contributions over
$50.00 may be made via LEAP, with memo line reading "for Metaphor Project."
Special thanks are due webhost and webmaster Tom Atlee.
SHORT FOUNDER BIOGRAPHY
SUSAN C. STRONG has worked
as a public educator and writer for the last twenty years on issues
of peace, environment, and sustainability, as well as on alternative
economics. She is a co-founder of The
Who's Counting? Project, former Senior Research Associate
at the Center for Economic
Conversion, and a former Peace
Action National Board member, representing California. She
holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and taught literature,
communication, and contemporary issues at U.C. Berkeley's Rhetoric
Department and the Communications Department of St. Mary's College
prior to beginning work with the progressive non-profit sector.
She is also a published poet.
HISTORY OF THE
PROJECT
The Metaphor Project was inspired by a Natural
Step "Open Space"
Conference in Berkeley, CA, where the first workshop was held
in the fall of 1997. An online description of the Project and
invitation to participate or give feedback was sent out in early
1998, and an updated version in mid-1999. Many more workshops
have been held since 1997, for writers, editors, organizers, public
education or communication specialists, study groups and college
classes. The website went up in the spring of 2000, and the first
Metaphor News was sent out in the summer of 2000.
THE METAPHOR PROJECT'S
LOGO, THE BUTTERFLY stands
both for the metamorphosis we hope and work for to a sustainable
society and economy and for the now famous "butterfly effect"
of scientific Chaos theory -- a good catalytic metaphor being
like the butterfly's power to change far away weather.