The theme of the 2007 conference is "From Literacy To Leadership: Education Empowering Women Worldwide."

• Distinguished women leaders in higher education including our very own Mary Marcy
• Two presentations by Simon's Rock students Katharina Kempf and Usman Jalloh
• Special performances by the Simon's Rock Theater Department and Youth Alive! African American girls STEP dance troupe.

All events will be held in the Daniel Arts Center at Simon's Rock College on March 24th from 9-5. The registration fee of $40 includes a continental breakfast and buffet luncheon. Some scholarships are available. For more information and to register please call 413-528-7394 or e-mail iwd@simons-rock.edu.

Lindstrom was attending art school in New York City at the time of his encounter, and after returning to his studio he decided to do a Google search for "local currency." To his surprise, the E.F Schumacher Society in Egremont, Mass (just 5 miles from Simon's Rock) was one of the first sites to appear. Lindstrom kept Schumacher in mind and in 2003 during a trip back to Great Barrington; he paid a visit to executive director Susan Witt. This visit immediately renewed his interest and curiosity. He soon relocated back to the Berkshires and in 2004 organized a conference that gathered more then 300 theorists, scholars, and activists from 17 countries to share ideas on the subject of alternative currencies.

After the conference, Lindstrom stayed on at the Schumacher Society and began working alongside Witt and others to reintroduce the idea of "Berkshares" into the Southern Berkshire community. The concept is simple: Berkshares are a form of complimentary currency that is used in exchange for local goods and services. Berkshares come in 1,5,10,20 and 50 denominations, feature local heroes and artisans and are 90% backed by federal dollars. Patrons can exchange $90 for 100 Berkshares and spend them at participating businesses the same way they would for any cash transaction. The use of Berkshares increases support for local businesses and contributes to a sustainable economy.

In 2005 Lindstrom met Peter Tiso '03 through their mutual association with the Sustainability Guild and encouraged him to become involved in what was happening at the Schumacher Society. Shortly after graduating from Simon's Rock with his B.A. in environmental studies in 2006, Tiso joined the staff as office administrator and publications and web manager.

The first step in presenting the idea of Berkshares to the local community was gaining the support of local banks and the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce. Both of these organizations understood the initiative whose mission was to keep money circulating in the local economy as long as possible and gave their full support.

Soon after this support was granted, Lindstrom, Tiso and other Schumacher staff and volunteers began signing up local businesses to participate in the Berkshares program. "The most compelling aspect of working on Berkshares thus far is getting to know the local business community and the owners participating," says Tiso. "I have gained a real sense of the local economy and how community dynamics function as a whole".

By the time Berkshares was launched in late September of 2006, 180 local businesses had signed on. As master of the informational hub of Berkshares, Tiso has watched that number increase considerably over the four months that Berkshares has been in operation.

"For many of these businesses the incentive is not in the profitability of Berkshares but in the value of local solidarity" says Lindstrom. "All of the business and individuals participating in the Berkshares program have really committed to something greater then the notion of profit—they have committed to the vision and full realization of a healthy and sustainable community"

According to Lindstrom, the true value of Berkshares is strongly based in the community that has embraced it and how the program is transforming the way in which people think. "Berkshares are helping to expand peoples awareness surrounding money and building a commitment to buying locally."

At present, more than 500,000 Berkshares have entered the Southern Berkshire economy. Four banks and 230 local businesses accept them as tender. Berkshares has recently gained additional support from communities in the Northern Berkshire region. The unique nature of the program and its affect on the community has been recognized extensively in national and regional press, most notably in a feature stories within The New York Times and on ABC World News.

Of course Berkshares is not entirely free from challenges. Some obstacles according to Tiso and Lindstrom include the prohibitive nature of a cash-only system and the ways in which this limits business-to-business transactions. However, even despite these barriers, the program continues to grow and positive feedback from the community remains strong.

When asked about the future of Berkshares Lindstrom smiles knowingly, "We have a lot of ideas for improvements and building the system but right now we are focusing on making the first year a success."

For more information about Berkshares, please visit www.berkshares.org.