10 years WORKING for peace, justice and environmental sustainability
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Ethan Genauer
EMAIL: ethangenauer (at) gmail.com ~ PHONE: (856) 535-8547
Objective
A position educating, communicating, advocating + organizing for social justice and/or environmental sustainability issues in the that utilizes my diverse skills and experience in community and events organizing, writing and media production, strategic campaign management, social action leadership, environmental advocacy, communications and website development.
Education
• BA Degree with Majors in History, Political Science and Middle East Studies from Rutgers College (Graduated 2004, GPA 3.6/4) New Brunswick, NJ
~ Diploma ; Senior Research Thesis
• Study Abroad: Tel Aviv University Overseas School Honors Program (Fall 1999) and Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (AIES) (Spring 2000) Israel
Sustainable Food Systems, Environmental, Social Justice and Peace Activism
(Professional, Non-Profit, Community, Campus and Volunteer Organizing)
Current, Co-Coordinator, DC to NYC Walk for Nuclear Disarmament, Proposition One Campaign, Washington, DC
• Co-coordinating logistics, outreach, fundraising, media production, and petitions for 250-mile "Peace Walk" in April 2010 to mobilize grassroots U.S. support for global nuclear disarmament and international agreement to a stronger Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in May 2010 at the United Nations NPT Review Conference in New York City. Coordinating website development and social networking.
Spring => Summer 2009, Special Assistant, Abundance in Balance, Bay Area, CA
• Designed and installed edible "food forest" and permaculture landscapes at homes, organizations and schools. Helped implement map designs, plant trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs and vegetables, place irrigation systems, work with volunteers, conduct outreach, and mobilize community participation in "Grow Food" special events and work days.
Spring => Fall 2008, Assistant Farmer, La Placita Gardens, Albuquerque, NM
• Assisted over a dozen community, interfaith and youth groups with partnership growing produce on 4 acres at historic County Open Space site in low-income Latino neighborhood. Helped till, plant, weed, cultivate, harvest and market crops, recruit and lead volunteers, and support classroom service learning outings. Organized events including "silent auction" benefit event for Gardens at 2008 New Mexico Environmental Educators conference and “Community Gardens CYCLEbration,” a free bicycle tour of Albuquerque community gardens and farms. Initiated New Mexico Young Farmers wikipage.
Summer and Fall 2008, Campaign Assistant, New Mexico Youth Organized, Albuquerque
• Conducted education and outreach to city residents to raise awareness about environmental impacts of oil and gas drilling on Albuquerque’s West Mesa, collected petition signatures, and encouraged democratic participation in local, state and national electoral processes.
Winter => Summer 2007, Apprentice, Erda Gardens and Learning Center, Albuquerque
• Farmed five plots (8 acres) using biodynamic methods. Responsible for tilling, planting, transplanting, irrigation, composting and fertilizing, weeding, harvesting, supervising volunteers, distributing shares to CSA members, selling produce at farmers markets, and organizing special events such as seasonal festivals and community gardens bicycle tour.
Winter 2007, Lead Organizer, United Mountain Defense, International Coal Convergence, Miami, FL
• Coordinated grassroots events opposing “mountaintop removal” coal mining in Appalachia and Latin America, and construction of new coal plants in Florida, at international coal industry convention. Achieved front page Miami newspaper coverage of rally outside convention, plus highly successful creative and peaceful educational action directly targeting hundreds of coal industry delegates inside their event. Organized logistics, local and regional outreach, and media.
Winter 2006 => 2007, Founding Member and Core Organizer, Rising Tide North America
• Lead participant in formation and development of continental grassroots climate justice network targeting root causes of global warming. Coordinated events including RTNA's first global day of action, "Climate Justice People's Summit" and actions in Washington, DC and "Alternative Climate Justice Convergence" in Mexico City, local fundraising events, and delegation to Native American coal-impacted community in northern AZ. Designed and managed bi-lingual website and on-line discussion forums.
Winter and Spring 2006, Field Coordinator, Culture Change, National “Peak Oil and Post-Petroleum Sustainable Living” Conference, Washington, DC
• Directed registration process, logistical planning (venue arrangements, speakers travel, audio and video recording), volunteer recruitment and coordination, media communications, local and national outreach, design and printing of conference literature and grassroots publicity materials. Recruited leading sustainability experts to speak about fulfilling human needs without fossil fuel dependence, and coordinated community service engagement for conference participants during the event.
Winter => Summer 2005, Lead Field Organizer, BioDemocracy Mobilization, Institute for Social Ecology (ISE) Biotechnology Project, Philadelphia, PA ´
• Led development of $15,000 “BioDemocracy Conference and Mobilization” advocating strong environmental regulation and democratic oversight over genetically engineered agriculture, pharmaceutical and weaponry sectors of corporate biotechnology. Administered website and Internet communications networks, facilitated coalition meetings, recruited and supervised volunteers, enlisted sponsor and participant organizational allies, designed and distributed outreach literature (color postcards and posters, dozens of flyers and e-mail alerts, 8-page newsletter, and research-based article published in national environmental journal), drafted grant proposals, organized fund-raising events, negotiated event venues, and crafted week-long schedule of over 30 BioDemocracy events, including 3-day Conference, “Longest Day of Action” attended by over 1,000 people on the Summer Solstice, “Reclaim the Commons” festival, “Farmers Speak-Out” opposing GMOs in agriculture, and feature presentation of film “The Future of Food.”
Winter 2004 => Spring and Autumn 2005, Intern, The Shalom Center (TSC) and Summer-Autumn 2005, and Project Assistant, Philly Beyond Oil Philadelphia, PA
• Interned in office of Jewish peace activist group: Assisted website maintenance, database management, editing e-mail communications to members, event planning, campaign research, graphic design and coalition-building. Represented TSC at public events, including speaking engagements and interfaith peace network meetings. Helped organize 2nd Annual Philadelphia Interfaith Peace Walk for Peace and Reconciliation. Led campus and assisted city outreach, facilitated media relations, and implemented grassroots publicity for Philly Beyond Oil's inaugural conference. Helped build PBO’s diverse coalition of local interfaith, environmentalist and peace organizations. Assisted PBO’s initial stage of research, design and outreach while interning with TSC, which initiated the project.
2000 => present, Volunteer, Community Food Justice and Anti-Hunger Activities, multiple cities
• From the East Coast to the Southwest and California, frequent work assisting weekly local soup kitchen, food distribution and "Food Not Bombs" groups cooking and serving free healthy vegetarian meals with homeless and hungry people in public locations. Procure, cook and transport food, and clean after meals. Helped organize national gathering and create gardens for food production.
2000 => 2002, Campus Activist, Rutgers University, New Brunswick and Newark, NJ
• Published column “From the Roots Up” [sample] on progressive issues for Rutgers student newspaper The Daily Targum. Co-founded student groups Rutgers Mobilization for Global Justice and New Jersey Solidarity. Organized events including benefit concert for indigenous people in Colombia, trainings in non-violent direct action, discussion forum with Canadian fair trade activists. Employed for 2 months by New Jersey Public Interest Research Group to coordinate student referendum on Rutgers and NJIT campuses in Newark.
1998 => 2001, 2004 (seven semesters), Writing Tutor, Rutgers Writing Centers, Rutgers University Writing Centers, New Brunswick and Piscataway, NJ
• Trained by Rutgers University Writing Department in techniques of effective tutoring. Instructed hundreds of undergraduate students in strategies of successful English-language expository research and writing. Tutored classes ranging from basic composition to advanced research and thematic writing. Documented weekly progress of students and consulted with professors about areas of needed improvement.
Fall 1999, Internships, International Center for Peace in the Middle East and Green Action Israel, Tel Aviv, Israel
• Worked with Israeli peace and environmental activist groups to edit English language campaign materials, help organize peace meetings and environmental actions, and witness peace and environmental activism on the ground in Palestinian communities in the Occupied Territories and Arab communities inside Israel.
Publications, Awards, Events (selected)
2009 – Wrote essay on youth leadership in sustainable food movement / Journalistic reporting on Ecological Farming Conference in Pacific Grove, “Strengthening the Roots” Student Convergence in Santa Cruz, CA, National “Slow Money” Gathering in Santa Fe, NM, and Community Food Security Coalition national conference in Des Moines, IA / Scholarship to attend national Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative gathering in Milwaukee, WI / Assisted installation of permaculture food forests at Food First! office in Oakland, CA and "Foundational Roots Garden" at UCSC campus in Santa Cruz, CA / Wrote travel essay describing visit to Essene Garden of Peace in rural Oregon / Produced 15-minute film describing current reality of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and solutions for peace with Bay Area group Just Peace Mid East / Participated in 200-mile Buddhist-led spiritual pilgrimage in California, Oregon and Washington with the "Trinity to Trident Interfaith Walk for a Nuclear-Free Future"
2008 – Attended W.K. Kellogg Foundation "Food and Society Gathering for Good Food" in Phoenix, AZ as delegate with national student group Real Food Challenge / Participated in full week of "Youth Food Movement" discussions, workshops, and advocacy at “Slow Food Nation” Gathering in San Francisco, CA / Campaigned in 3 states with White House Organic Farm Project cross-country bus tour gathering petition signatures for next President to plant organic food crops on White House lawn / Organized youth scholarships and facilitated workshop led by young farmers at NM Organic Farming Conference in Albuquerque / Presented workshop on sustainable agriculture and climate change at Sierra Student Coalition “Student Environmental Leadership Training” in Abiquiu, NM / Published "Open Letter on Food Justice" to the New Jewish Food Movement / Joined the annual Black Mesa Indigenous Support supply caravan and work party to support indigenous elders in remote, off-grid, environmentally and culturally endangered areas of Native American reservation. Organized donations of supplies and organic food in Arizona cities. Spent one month assisting elders on the land by cooking food, chopping wood, repairing buildings, herding sheep and goats
2007 – Received scholarships to attend Holistic Management International and Quivira Coalition conferences in Albuquerque, and Food and Seed Sovereignty Symposium in Tesuque Pueblo / Organized and facilitated youth-led panel discussion on “Youth and the Future of Sustainable Agriculture in New Mexico” at Bioneers Conference in Santa Fe / Wrote essay on climate change, water and sustainable agriculture in New Mexico for Edible Santa Fe / Completed in-depth course of study in Fundamentals of Sustainable Herbal Medicine in the Southwest
2006 – Awarded grant by Elizabeth Ann Bogert Memorial Fund to study relationship of ecological agriculture with Christian mysticism / Published “Peak Oil and Community Food Sustainability” in Communities: Journal of Cooperative Living and “Peak Opportunity! Earth Activism and the Oil Endgame” in Earth First! Journal / Completed certified permaculture course with "Earth Activist Training" in rural Missouri ecovillage
