HEATHWOOD INSTITUTE,
HEATHWOOD PRESS, HEATHWOOD NETWORK & THE GLOBAL VOICE PROJECT
Hello everyone,
We have just launched our new website and are sending out
several batches of newsletters to update our readers, friends, and colleagues about
what has been going on over the last three months and what to expect from the
organisation moving forward.
Launch of New Beta
Site
- Our ambition as a group has always been to break down the
barriers separating critical theoretical discourse and ‘the everyday practise
of social and individual life’. In attempting to achieve this we have engaged
with readers and have been working with several leading theories of alternative
media and web application, to develop new ways in which a range of media projects
can assist the organisation to bridge the theory-practise divide.
- One of the new features on our website includes the
organisation’s Global Voice project, which acts as centralised hub or platform
for the publication of non-profit research and reports.
The non-profit sector of society is notorious for its
ability to encourage ethical and critical practise across many different social
spheres. Drawing close links to some of the leading non-profit organisations,
locally and globally, Heathwood can directly assist and support the ongoing
research and practise of NPO’s in a number of fundamental ways: 1) to pull-in
non-profit media, report, commentary and critique from around the world and
disseminate that information in one centralised place; 2) to normatively engage
with independent non-profits so as to support their efforts on a grassroots
level with a highly engaged critical theory; 3) to listen to NPO’s across the
globe and the struggles and conflicts they report in order to further our own understanding
about social agency and structure; and
4) to integrate non-profit research and data, which is heavily rooted in
praxis, with Heathwood’s post-Frankfurt school critical theory.
- Another exciting feature that we’ve been working on for
some time consists around the democratisation of media and how to make
Heathwood’s site more representative of a truly social, participatory media
centre.
To achieve this we have launched a new on-site comments
system that allows for real-time discussion between members of the public as
well as between readers/public and members of Heathwood. The aim of this new
feature is to encourage over time the development of a fertile digital ground
for discussion and the sharing of ideas.
Heathwood Network
We have also recently launched a new public forum called the
Heathwood Network, which will further support and encourage direct discussion
and engagement on a range of subjects. The forum can be accessed via the menu
on our new site.
- We’ve also been developing a series of critical theory
eGuides, ranging in subject from alternative education and epistemology to
alternative economics and ideology critique. No launch date has been set for
this programme.
-Lastly, we have been working on publishing a range of infographics,
interactive media, videos and datablogs to further support our present research
activity and public engagement campaigns.
New Members
We’ve welcomed a new member in past few months, Robert King,
whose work in systems will be a great addition to the organisation.
We’ve also had the opportunity to work with some great
people from around Europe and North America,
including Glenn Rikowski, Chris Cutrone, Richard Wolff, Peter Thompson, Daniel
Little, Geert Dhondt, Jeanne Willette, and others.
Moving Forward
There’s a lot planned for the upcoming year, including
several new book publications and further expansion to our digital media
projects.
If anyone has any questions or would like to discuss more
about Heathwood and where it is headed, please feel free to contact Robert C.
Smith at robert.smith@heathwoodpress.com
Alternatively, follow the organisation on twitter for daily
publication updates.
Thanks for your support.
Signed,
-The members of Heathwood
P.S. Feel free to forward this email to
friends, colleagues or whomever you may think appropriate.
Robert C. Smith
Director and Researcher at Heathwood Institute and Press
Website: http://www.heathwoodpress.com
Email: robert.smith@heathwoodpress.com
Phone: +44 (0) 07919252541
Holt, Norfolk, United Kingdom
******END******
Posted here by Glenn
Rikowski
