Help us to evaluate the Transition movement

(Update: You can now access the full survey here – https://transitionnetwork.org/news-and-blog/evaluation-survey/)

What impacts are the Transition movement having in different parts of the world?  Where do we see energy and potential and where are we struggling?  How is our movement responding to the current context of rapidly deepening and accelerating ecological and social crises?  And how might the Transition movement evolve and adapt, so that we can get even better at supporting resilience and regeneration in the times that are coming?

These are questions that we are hearing from across our global network.  In the coming months, we will support a structured and creative collective exploration of these subjects.  We hope you will participate!

Transition Network, the charity that supports the Transition movement is working on this evaluation project with the Transition Hubs Group.  Our intention is to help Transition groups, Hubs and trainers better understand the impact, relevance and potential of their work and find out more about how their particular piece of the puzzle fits within the wider picture.  We want to celebrate, reflect together and share the learning from experiences across the movement.  We believe this will help each individual and group identify where they want to put their energy and attention.  And we will share outputs freely to support all those who want to design, secure funding for and implement future activities.

During the design process for the evaluation work, we realised that if we are to assess the impact, relevance and potential of the Transition movement, we need some shared understanding of what unites us and what we are trying to achieve.  There is no single central document that captures this, because the Transition movement has spread geographically and evolved organically over the past 12 years, adapting to what’s needed and what’s possible in different places and at different times.

Bringing together many sources, including the Transition principles and essential ingredients, the Transition Network team compiled the following list of characteristics of the Transition movement.  We do not suggest that all these characteristics are equally present in every Transition Group and Transition Hub, but this is an attempt to describe the areas where the Transition movement collectively is seeking to have impact.

People in the Transition movement come together to:

• Raise awareness – support people to engage with the interconnected challenges of our times (climate change, loss of biodiversity, social injustice and other impacts of the global growth economy);
• Create positive narratives  –  create and share positive, motivating visions and narratives of a healthy, resilient and equitable future;
• Support inner transformation  –  build psychological resilience and wellbeing through connection with ourselves, others and the natural world and explore how mindsets, attitudes, emotions and worldviews can contribute to or block social change;
• Take practical action  –  design and implement practical projects which reduce carbon emissions and increase local resilience e.g. in areas such as food, energy, waste, transport, shelter, mutual aid, disaster relief;
• Connect and care for each other  –  practice and celebrate creativity, mutual support, fun and friendship, bridging divides and decreasing polarisation to create caring and equitable communities and cultures;
• Contribute to a wellbeing economy  –  innovate and collaborate to create economic models and opportunities focused on wellbeing and inclusion e.g. new social enterprises, currencies, livelihoods;
• Broaden & deepen participation  –  model and promote approaches to participation and decision making which value and accommodate multiple perspectives and life experiences;
• Bring people together  –  convene and energise broad alliances which agree and work towards a common purpose;
• Address injustice  –  increase awareness of social justice issues within and beyond our movement and find ways to decolonise, heal and make reparations for historic and current injustices, becoming good allies to those who have been doing this work for many years.

During this evaluation process, we will be testing and listening to feedback about these characteristics of the Transition movement.

Does this list feel good enough as a description of the parameters of Transition?  Do you feel that a core characteristic or critical area of focus is missing?  You may want to add a comment below or send an email to evaluation@transitionnetwork.org.

Very soon we will be sharing a survey to ask for your thoughts and experiences about the impact, relevance and potential of Transition.  This will be an important stage in the evaluation process and we are hoping that as many people as possible from very different places around the world will take time to share their views.

We are working with the Transition Hubs Group to get the survey translated into as many languages as possible – please email evaluation@transitionnetwork.org if you might be able to help with this.

Feature image: Balcony Concerts created by Catherine Cordasco and submitted for United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives – help stop the spread of COVID-19.