Motivated by a commitment to peace and social justice, I have devoted most of my life to economic reform and the strengthening of small communities. Specifically, my work has been in land reform (trusteeship, not ownership, of land); monetary reform (interest- and inflation-free money and local currencies); and cooperative ownership (worker management and ownership of the means of production). I am encouraged to see growing interest in and application of these concepts around the world.

I would like to thank my colleagues at the E. F. Schumacher Society, its board and advisory board, and its generous members for supporting me in this work. Throughout these years of association with the Schumacher Society I have had the privilege of meeting and talking to a new generation of activists—a generation excited about the possibilities of local economic empowerment and eager to learn all they can about its theory and practice. I see how these young people struggle to apply what they have learned by shaping new programs appropriate for their own communities. I recognize their frustrations and despair; I delight in their innovations and triumphs.

All of this has made me ever more appreciative of the value of the E. F. Schumacher Library, which serves as a resource for scholars and students. The library holds the books, papers, and records of the foremost writers and activists in community economics. Each generation has added to the history and stories with its own experimentation. The staff of the Schumacher Society collects and records these stories, building a broader and richer base of knowledge for those who come after.

It is a pleasure for me to spend these senior years of my life helping to ensure a solid foundation, physically and financially, for the E. F. Schumacher Library. I see the library as the appropriate legacy of my own years of work to create a future built on peace, justice, and economic dignity for all.