April 2016 – Transition Network Newsletter
By Mike Grenville 31st March 2016
We have a new film set in Paris, our theme of ‘international begins looking at UK Devolution, Brexit or Bremain and the translations project. The importance of dreaming and imagination, plus trips to Ireland, Paris and Leicester plus healthy conflict, the joy of training and the new REconomy newsletter.
Watch Our New Film: 8 days @ COP21
Travelling to Paris with Rob Hopkins during COP21, the film is the work of filmmaker Emilio Mula, who invested huge amounts of time into making this beautiful film. We would like to use this film to try a new way of being able to resource filmmakers like Emilio to make future wonderful films about Transition. So we would like to invite you to make a donation once you’ve seen it, to give what you felt the film was worth to you.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/new-film-8-days-cop21
INTRODUCING OUR THEME: ‘International’
Our theme for the next 2 months is ‘International’. With the Transition movement now being active in over 50 countries, it feels like a good time to pause and reflect on how that is working, what it looks like, and the many wonderful things, and the challenges, that arise from that.
Brexit OR Bremain?
Rob Hopkins offers some reflections on the UK’s forthcoming referendum on whether to stay within, or to leave, the European Union, and invites you to share your thoughts.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/introducing-international-and-some-reflections-brexitbremain
The Deficits of the English Devolution Process
You’d think the idea of devolving power closer to the local level would be very akin to what Transition is working to achieve, but as Professor Bob Hudson, public policy specialist at Durham University says in this interview “there are some very worrying questions being raised by all of this”.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/bob-hudson-devolution-there-are-some-very-worrying-questions-being-raised-
Dreaming in Tongues – a multi-lingual adventure begins.
A team of three people has taken on the job of supporting transitioners near and far in improving local, national and International capacity for translation. Sara, Pedro and Deborah, the new Transitionese team introduce themselves and the tools they will be using. And ask for support through a survey.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/dreaming-tongues-multi-lingual-adventure-begins
THINKING ALOUD
Budget 2016: What we are facing isn’t a financial crisis, but a crisis of the imagination.
George Osborne just delivered his budget In the same week that the Mauna Loa Observatory released data showing that the rise in CO2 concentrations in 2015 was the largest year-to-year increase during 56 years of research, up to a level not seen in 15 million years. Yet, in spite of being a signatory to COP21, such thinking barely figures in Osborne’s Budget.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/budget-2016-what-we-are-facing-isnt-financial-crisis-crisis-imagination
On Having a Great Vision, and Not ‘Blowing An Uncertain Trumpet’.
A dream is a fantasy, an aspiration that has yet to touch the ground. A vision has power to it. For Rob Hopkins it is “a vision is something you feel.”
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/having-great-vision-and-not-blowing-uncertain-trumpet#comment-18377
OUT AND ABOUT
A Snapshot of Transition in … Ireland
Theresa O’Donohoe of Transition Ireland & Northern Ireland reports that the time seemed right for a national conversation and people are now waking up to our energy challenges.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/snapshot-transition-ireland
Transition Galway’s ‘2030 Vision’ report
Transition Galway in Ireland just published ‘A Vision for Galway 2030’, their Energy Descent Action Plan (EDAP). As well as teh 100 page document, they produced eight short films, one for each topic, outlining the solutions in each chapter. We talk to Bernard McGlinchy, Mary Greene and Caoimhín Ó Maolallaigh about it. “There’s no limit to what we could do” they tell us.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/transition-galways-2030-vision-report-theres-no-limit-what-we-could-do
An Evening at La Recyclerie
At the invitation of UpCafe, an organisation that runs a series of talks about social innovation and sustainability, Rob Hopkins took a trip to Paris to speak at an amazing demonstration of permaculture/Transition/recycling in the heart of Paris called La Recyclerie.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/evening-la-recyclerie
Transition Leicester introduce ‘Footpaths’.
Running for over 5 years, the Footpaths project is a way for people to meet and support each other to reduce their personal carbon footprints through a series of meetings facilitated by members and a useful handbook.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/transition-leicester-introduce-footpaths
INNER TRANSITION
A Healthy Culture of Conflict from the Favellas of Brazil
Originating in Rio de Janeiro, the “Restorative Circles” approach developed by Dominic Barter, rebuilding communities by creating a bottom-up system of justice, is now used in over 30 countries around the world. Sophie Docker reports on her insights from a workshop Dominic ran recently in Frome.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/sophy-banks/2016-03/healthy-culture-conflict-favellas-brazil
TRAINING
One Year in Transition: becoming an international community of practice
Since ‘One Year in Transition’ (1YT) has been running in the UK for four years, Isabel Carlisle: Transition Network Education Coordinator reflects on how it has grown now that sister programmes in Portugal and Sweden are launching their own versions.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/one-year-transition-becoming-international-community-practice
The joys of international Transition Training
Naresh Giangrande celebrates a wonderful tool for training that has inspired Transitioners around the globe virtually, Launch Online.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/naresh-giangrande-launch-online
SUPPORT
How to Get and Keep People Involved in Transition
In many places there are lots of people who are interested in helping out with Transition – and if this is true for you, well done! How to harness their enthusiasm into taking the project forward can be challenging, so this guide shares learning from many groups on this question.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2016-03/activity-fortnight-how-get-and-keep-people-involved-transition
REconomy
Some of our readers this week may have received the inaugural Newsletter from the REconomy Project. This new initiative from REconomy will be published every two months and will focus on issues relating to REconomy based projects and events around the UK. You can read it here.