Saving Walden’s World Screening + Q&A – Oct. 2, 2026 – Hoboken NJ
Dear Friends,
Very proud to be a part of this incredible film & initiative & STRONGLY urge those able to consider attending. Details Below
Love Brad
What kind of world are we leaving for the next generation? In a time of mounting climate anxiety and geopolitical uncertainty, it is easy to feel that the system is failing. But while the headlines focus on extraction and conflict, communities in the places you’d least expect are engineering a Plan B, and a Maine filmmaker went looking for it.
As part of NJ Climate Week, we invite you to join us on Friday, October 2, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in Hoboken for a special community screening of Saving Walden’s World, hosted by CREATS International and the Stevens Center for Sustainability.
This film follows Jim Merkel’s personal journey from military engineer to father raising his son, Walden, on an off-grid homestead in Maine. Jim traveled to Kerala, Cuba, and Slovenia to investigate how communities there have achieved genuine stability by prioritizing women’s literacy, healthcare, and reproductive freedom, and what that means for the rest of us.
Saving Walden’s World captures one of the world’s largest women’s micro-finance projects with 4-million members in Kerala, India. Economic empowerment is critical for women, and this film highlights organic farms, plant nurseries, local garment centers, soap making, and more, that enable circular economies to recycle wealth within communities.
Why attend? This isn’t just a movie. It is a blueprint for a livable future. Recently accepted for national distribution on PBS via NETA, this Hoboken screening is part of the 100 Rooms. 1 Story. campaign, a North America screening tour bringing the film directly to local communities, with the goal of hosting 100 screenings over the next twelve months.
After the screening, stick around for a live Q&A with Willis Ochieng, Thushara E Tom and director Jim Merkel (joining virtually).
Hosts
Dr. Willis Ochieng is an international development researcher and the Executive Director of Creats International, who recently co-hosted a UN High-Level Political Forum side event alongside Saving Walden’s World to champion the economic transformation and leadership of rural women.
CREATS International (Center for Rural Empowerment and Agricultural Transformation for Sustainability) began in 2015 as a community-based organization in Homa Bay County, Kenya. It works to remove the social, cultural, and economic barriers facing marginalized communities, especially women and youth, through sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, education, and women-led entrepreneurship.
https://events.humanitix.com/saving-walden-s-world-to-screen-in-hoboken-nj