The Center for a New American Dream

New Dream works with individuals, institutions, businesses, and communities to conserve natural resources, counter the commercialization of our culture, support community engagement, and promote positive changes in the way goods are produced and consumed. New Dream seeks to change social norms around consumption and consumerism and to support the local movement of individuals and communities pursuing lifestyle and community action. The objectives of the Center for a New American Dream are: - To cultivate a new American dream—one that emphasizes community, ecological sustainability, and a celebration of non-material values, while upholding the spirit of the traditional American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. - To help Americans reduce and shift their consumption to improve quality of life, protect the environment, and promote social justice; - To raise awareness of the negative impact of a hyper-consumer culture by focusing on the connections between consumption, quality of life, and the environment. - To work with individuals, institutions, businesses, and communities to conserve natural resources, counter the commercialization of American culture, support community engagement, and promote positive changes in the way goods are produced and consumed. - To change social norms around consumption and consumerism and to support the local movement of individuals and communities pursuing lifestyle and community action. - To promote a society that pursues not just “more,” - more of what matters—and less of what doesn't. The three main activities of the Center for a New American Dream are: - The Redefining the Dream program seeks to re-imagine the American dream with a focus on more of what really matters: creating a meaningful life, contributing to community and society, valuing nature, and spending time with family and friends. - The Beyond Consumerism program strives to create a vision of life beyond overconsumption, disposable lifestyles, and perpetual marketing, and to provide the tools to help families, citizens, educators, and activists rein in consumerism in their lives and in broader society. - The Collaborative Communities program strives to inspire, connect, support, and equip community members to create local initiatives that build community capacity and social ties, increase ecological sustainability, and foster greater liveability and economic vitality. Since its founding in 1997, New Dream has raised awareness of the negative impact of a hyper-consumer culture. Their focus on the connections between consumption, quality of life, and the environment has made New Dream unique among environmental and progressive groups. Some of the key results of the New Dream are: - The Center for a New American Dream's 2014 national survey, which polled 1,821 U.S. citizens aged 18 and over, illustrates the shift in public consciousness around the topic of the American Dream and sheds new light on the topics of advertising, the environment, consumption, and the sharing economy. - Development of resources pages/information on The American Dream, Living the Dream, Rethinking Growth, and A Plenitude Economy and the video, "America the Possible. - Development of the "alternative" gift registry, SoKind, provide ways for Americans to rethink their relationship with "stuff," create a better balance work and life, explore ways to avoid advertising, and protect kids from marketing. - Development of the Get2gether platform where people can meet fellow New Dreamers who live near them, join local New Dream Teams, and work together to organize real projects. - Tools and how-to guides in the New Dream Community Action Kit, and solutions-oriented webinars. For more information, please consult the following: Website: http://www.newdream.org/. Email: newdream@newdream.org. Tel: 1 3018913683 Mailing address: 455 Second Street SE, Suite 101, Charlottesville, VA 22902, United States. Wendy Philleo, Executive Director, can be reached via email at wendy@newdream.org.