A November Round-up of What’s Happening out in the World of Transition
Everyone is talking about money, so this month we start in Cornwall where the suggestion that Cornwall should set up its own currency made the national news; Prince Charles went shopping with Brixton Pounds!; Transition Town Cheltenham held a Transition festival to celebrate their first year of community, environmental and creative activities in town; In Monteveglio in Bologna they have revived an old tradition of planting a new tree for every child born in the town that year; In a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, an open evening invited people to “create the community we want to live in”. These are just a small taster of the many Transition activities - read more here:
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/30/a-november-round-up-of-what%E2%80%99s-happening-out-in-the-world-of-transition-2/
US Edition Round-up
Some highlights of what's keeping Transition Initiatives busy across the US.
http://transitionus.org/stories/november-round-whats-happening-world-transition-us-edition-2011
The Introduction to ‘The Transition Companion’
This book seeks to answer the question: “What would it look like if the best responses to peak oil and climate change came not from committees and Acts of Parliament, but from you and me and the people around us?” It’s a big question, which is why it requires this relatively big book to address it. Read the rest of the Introduction to the book here:
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/14/the-introduction-to-the-transition-companion/
SOCIAL REPORTING
A round up of some social reporting articles from November, from the big picture to the small print, with everything you wanted to read about transition and more!
Food and Health
The Seeds of HealingThe easy part of Transition is all that attractive busy-ness about food and energy, local currency and sustainable business.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/caroline-jackson/2011-11/seeds-healing
Inner Transition
Culture for a Healthy WorldCulture both expresses something of who we are and also shapes us – tells us what’s expected in order to belong.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/culture-healthy-world
Under the Rocks and Stones
To quote the post-punk classic Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads, ‘You may ask yourself: “Well, how did I get here?”’
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/catriona-ross/2011-11/under-rocks-and-stones
Cenedl heb iaith yw cenedl heb galon*
You cannot live in Wales for any length of time and not be aware of the deep cultural wounds this country has suffered under the occupation of the English. [*A nation without a language is a nation without a heart.]
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/ann-owen/2011-11/cenedl-heb-iaith-yw-cenedl-heb-galon
Economics
OccupyTransition, or ‘this Halloween I dressed as the economy’
Most of those I have met at OccupyLondon hadn’t previously heard of Transition, and that got me thinking about the parallels and differences between the two movements…
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/occupytransition-or-halloween-i-dressed-economy
Our Money Our Future - Money for the 99% by the 99%
Helping to create the Bristol Pound is in part because I love Bristol.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/ciaran-mundy/2011-11/our-money-our-future-money-99-99
Time to Get to Work
“it’s the economy, stupid” could join “let them eat cake” in the double irony Hall of Fame.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jay-tompt/2011-11/time-get-work
Navigating Community Chaos
Navigating Change Evolution or mutation? From 'hungry caterpillar' to 'beautiful butterfly'?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/navigating-change
All Hands on Deck - from Control to Relationship
What does chaos look like? an inability to respond in the face of an overwhelm of stimulus?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/mark-watson/2011-11/all-hands-deck-control-relationship
People Get Ready, There's a Crisis Coming!
Communities with active Transition initiatives will fare undoubtedly better than those without because already there will be a committed group of people who is used to meet and work together
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/ann-owen/2011-11/people-get-ready-theres-crisis-coming
People and Connections
People and Connections - David Fleming
The legacy of the many life changing and life enhancing conversations that occurred there, and ideas that found form under its eaves.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/people-and-connections-david-fleming
The Fire Stealers - a love story
Some of us can see in the dark, and we know what's coming if we don't pass on the fire.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/charlotte-du-cann/2011-11/fire-stealers-love-story
Consensus
There's something a bit childish about the traditional adversarial style of making decisions.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jo-homan/2011-12/consensus
More Social Reporting here:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories
THINKING ALOUD
The Seven Ages of TransitionSometimes it is suggested that Transition only appeals to older people, whereas Occupy, for example, tends to attract more younger people. But is that the case?
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/25/the-seven-ages-of-transition/
Community resilience, Transition, and why government thinking needs both
The latest “national statement for how individual and community resilience can work”, published by the Cabinet Office in March of this year refers explicitly to the Transition movement, and as such deserves a post reflecting on it.
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/22/community-resilience-transition-and-why-government-thinking-needs-both/
Transitioners debate how to engage Occupy movement
Not all Transitioners agree that Occupy is a good angle for local groups devoted to making their communities more resilient.
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/11/transitioners-debate-how-to-engage-occupy-movement/
Rob Hopkins Reflections at OccupyLSX St Paul’s Cathedral
What Occupy is doing that matters so much is that it is holding a space.
http://transitionculture.org/2011/11/10/some-reflections-on-a-day-at-occupy-lsx-at-st-pauls-cathedral/
The October Transition podcast
Local currencies, Transition Councils and Declarations of Food Independence
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2011-11-08/local-currencies-transition-councils-and-declarations-food-independence
Life after the end of economic growth
A continually rising GDP is not necessarily possible – or even desirable. So why do policymakers obsess over it?
Richard Heinberg comments in the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/30/end-of-growth
RESOURCES
The Low Carbon Cookbook
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/one-planet-community-kitchen-low-carbon-cookbook
PROJECTS
Himalayan Permaculture Centre, NepalNepal's first "Transition Project" entitled "Building Household and Community Resilience" began in April.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/himalayan-permaculture-centre-nepal
Church 10 kW solar PV system
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/church-10-kw-solar-pv-system
Cornish Diet
A campaign to source 85% of food from Cornwall.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/cornish-diet
More projects here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects
TO DO
New funding opportunity for Transition initiatives (UK)The ‘Communities Living Sustainably’ is framed as being about supporting communities in England to live and work in a more sustainable way. Grants of up to £1 million are being distributed between 10 successful projects.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-11-29/new-funding-opportunity-transition-initiatives-uk
Publishing Opps for Transitioners
Two Ravens Press: The Outer Hebrides, a working croft, a publishing house and a new magazine
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-editor/2011-11/transitioning-ethical-eco-publishing-and-birth-new-magazine
REVIEW
Shut Down: A Story of Economic Collapse and HopeCollapse could happen, literally, overnight! I didn’t imagine that the most powerful and complex civilization in world history could collapse in 24-72 hours. That is, until I read this book.
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/11/collapse-could-happen-literally-overnight/
COMING UP
Transition in PracticeJanuary 3 – 13, Schumacher College
This two week course, taught by pioneers and leaders of the Transition movement looks at what it is about Transition that has created such widespread engagement around changing how we live. The course has a special focus on the emerging economic innovations being pioneered in Totnes. The ambitious aim of this course is to bring together models and practices from many different fields to create a synthesised working map of the transition to a healthy, sustainable, thriving way of life. Based on direct experience of community change from the Transition movement we will explore understandings of how change happens from economics and permaculture as well as social movements, psychology and spiritual traditions. And we will visit and learn from people who are putting these understandings into practice as businesses and community projects.
http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/transition-in-practice
Fundraising for Environmental Projects
25-26th Jan, Chester
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2012-01-25/fundraising-environmental-projects
More events here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Love is the felt experience of connection to another being.
An economist says ‘more for you is less for me.’
But the lover knows that more of you is more for me too."CHARLES EISENSTEIN
Sacred Economics: Money, Gift, and Society in the Age of Transition
http://occupylove.org/occupy-wall-st-the-revolution-is-love/
Follow Transition Network on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/transitiontowns
Be a Friend on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/transitionnetwork
Find previous editions of the newsletter here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/transition-network-newsletter
Read this newsletter online
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2011-12-01/december-2011-transition-network-newsletter
I’m going to be running an Eco event (Spring Green Festival 2012) on April 21st at Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln.
ReplyDeleteThere will be music from award-winning environmental musician, Talis Kimberley, talks, workshops, a green fayre, a skills-share event, an “human library” and a number of other collaborative projects for people to join in with. I’m kind of hoping that it might be appealing to some of the Transition folks from other areas – I’m working very closely with Kate and Andrew from Transition Lincoln to make it happen.
Would you happen to know of any green traders who might like to take a stall (£10 or free if you are happy to give a talk or workshop) to sell stuff, or might it be possible to promote it to any interested groups and people in your area if I sent you some posters?
Any help would be gratefully received, as if this one is a success, I am hoping to be able to make it an annual event, getting bigger, better and greener as we go...
Many thanks for listening to me waffling on!