The Transition FAMILY Connections Game
By Filipa Pimentel 1st August 2014
This is the blog we are using to follow the Transition FAMILY Connections Game – sending presents to Copenhagen using the Six Degrees of Separation concept.
The idea is that people that cannot be present at the meeting of the Hubs of the Transition Movement, can be represented in a symbolic way.
If you got one of these connecting packages (yeaaaaah!) let us know about you!
This is the letter and instructions we sent out there, starting the thread:
From September 9 to 12, the National Hubs of the Transition Movement will meet in Copenhagen. Your country will not be physically represented there. We, as the Family Working Group, want to invite you to connect with those of us who can be present in a symbolic way through a little game: we propose that you send some kind of object that represents the place from which it was sent to Bjarne Gantzel, who is one of the hosts of the meeting, as part of the Transition Movement (and National Hub) in Denmark. It would be great if you tell us something about what it means to you to be part of the transition family. What makes you feel connected? How can the connection be strengthened?
In our curiosity to explore connections, we propose to use the “small world/six degrees of separation” principles to reach Bjarne. By choosing somebody you personally know that you think is closer to Bjarne than you are, the package will reach him in several moves. Every person on the way to Bjarne will have an opportunity to leave a personal mark and add to your message.
All the packages that were sent that arrive on time in Copenhagen, will be used to honour our connection with you, presenting the stories of the packages. The objects will find a place in the meeting venue and we will do our best to integrate the messages that come with them in relevant sessions.
Here is our proposed method of operation:
1. We invite all countries that have (a) transition initiative(s) (not necessarily gathered in a hub) that cannot be present in Copenhagen to volunteer as starting points in the game. From each country, one volunteer may participate.
2. If you are the person that feels inspired to start, you buy or make some smallish object suitable for sending by post, such as a small book, decorated cloth, picture or drawing, a jar full of surprises, or whatever you wish. It is suggested that there can be some way that recipients along the way can customise this object, if they wish to.
3. You choose a friend that in your view belongs to the “transition family”. This is not necessarily a member of a transition initiative; many people in the world are aiming at the same goals. Try to choose someone that you think is closer to Bjarne Gantzel in Copenhagen than you, aiming at finding the shortest connection between him and you.
4. Send the package to your friend, including a covering letter such as the one below, which asks him/her to send it on to someone else, who might know Bjarne, or might know someone who does.
5. Inform Filipa Pimentel, who is the National Hubs coordinator (filipapimentel@transitionnetwork.org), about your participation, so we know we can expect your package to arrive in Copenhagen.
6. Each recipient will open the package and add a little mark of their presence (or something more elaborate, telling who they are and how they know the person they choose to send the package to). And, optionally, may add something (a quote, drawing, remark, etc). We also ask for an e-mail or home address.
7. In case the package is delayed (you got this package by 2 September and it is still far from Bjarne), you can send it directly to him AND inform Filipa Pimentel (filipapimentel@transitionnetwork.org)
8. When the package is opened by Bjarne, in Copenhagen, it will tell a story of connections. We will be able to see the path the packages took and their surprising content.
Bjarne’s address:
Med venlig hilsen
Bjarne Gantzel Pedersen
Mobil: 40 96 89 79
Thomas Laubs Gade 9, 3.tv.
2100 København Ø
Draft letter (which all participants can adapt to their own tastes):
Dear [name], [Personal Introduction as appropriate]
I am inviting you to participate in a little game that members of the Transition Movement, National Hubs group have devised for fun, and also to explore and strengthen our connections with each other and with like-minded people around the world.
The enclosed [describe object] is a gift I am sending to you temporarily, with the hope that you will enjoy it, perhaps customise it in some way, or even change it with something you feel is equally as good and as personal, and then send it on to someone else. We are using ‘six degrees of separation’ principles to try to get it, ultimately, to [name of person and something about them]. That is, you should send it to someone who might know this person, and if they don’t, they will in turn send it to someone who might. We are hoping that within a few hops, the present will reach its planned recipient.
You should send it on with your own version of this letter. If you don’t want to participate, please send the gift back to me.
It would be great if you could tell something about yourself and your relations with the person you choose to send it to on this blog
I hope you will agree to be part of this game.
With best regards,
[your name]