Transition Network Diversity Newsletter May 2011
By Ed Mitchell 25th May 2011
Transition Network Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter May 2011
WELCOME to the Transition Network’s Diversity and Inclusion newsletter. This newsletter is compiled by Catrina Pickering, Diversity Coordinator, Transition Network. I aim to get this newsletter out to you approximately every two months.
Transition Network Diversity and Inclusion News
LEYTONSTONE: Report from Winter Faiths Festival
Report on a faith inspired weekend celebration of sustainable living, with food, hospitality and entertainment held by Transition Leytonstone (East London) in partnership with Sacred Roots, a Muslim-led organisation promoting interfaith dialogue through arts and culture. Aiming to make the events programme socially inclusive, culturally varied and engaging, we strove together to deliver a mixture of environmental information and entertainment.
Read more on the Transition Network site
The Draught-Busting Phenomena: Saving money, saving carbon and staying warm
16% of UK households are in fuel poverty which means that they spend more than 10% of their income on energy in the home. Transition projects that help people to save money by boosting home energy efficiency meet a fundamental need of staying warm in winter while also lowering carbon emissions. Draught-busting teaches people the skills needed to fit cheap draught proofing products that insulate against cold draughts in their homes. Since 2009, Transition Belsize in London have held more than 20 workshops that have bought local people together to have fun, learn skills, reduce carbon and combat fuel poverty.
Read more on the Transition Network site
Transition Network Conference, Liverpool, 8-10th July
The Transition Network conference 2011 will take place from 8-11th July in Liverpool and is now open for bookings. This year’s conference theme is living well in uncertain times. Through workshops, discussions and skill-sharing, there will be lots of opportunities to explore themes around diversity and social justice. For example, how can we all live well in changing times? What is the role of power in Transition? How can all people in a community contribute and have their needs met while transitioning to a low carbon, post oil world? How do we create inclusive social enterprises?
We’re also working hard to maximise accessibility through:
- Ensuring that we have a venue that is physically accessible to all. Read the conference page for information on access needs
- Concessions for those who would otherwise not be able to attend as well as a concessions fund for those who wish to donate to help someone else with the cost of their ticket.
- A family friendly kids’ conference that will run alongside and mesh together with the main conference.
Hope to see you there!
Transition Movie the second: In Transition 2.0
The Transition movie 1.0 was a roaring success. The Transition movie 2.0 is now in production and we’re looking for your stories and videos. We want to make a movie that yes, looks at how communities are building resilience against climate change and peak oil. We also want to make a movie that shows how communities are doing this through a lens of social justice that enables everyone in a community to live well in changing times. If you are doing activities around this then we’d love to hear from you and have your project included in the forthcoming film. Please get in touch by emailing Catrina.
Launch of Transition Network Diversity Sub-Site
The diversity sub-site brings together all the news, projects, people and blogs related to diversity and inclusion in one page on the Transition Network site. So whether you want to find inspiration for diversity projects or find people in Transition that are working on social justice, this is the place to find it.
See the Diversity sub-site on the Transition Network site
BRIXTON: Celebrating Heroes with the Brixton Pound
Transition Brixton in South London is based in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural community, with history and achievements to be proud of. They’re working to engage members of their very diverse local community, to make their stories heard, and to involve them in the design of the second issue of the Brixton Pound notes. They’re competing for a £5,000 Co-op grant. If successful, they will collect people’s stories about local unsung heroes and their thoughts about Brixton. With the Brixton Heroes project, they seek to counteract negative stereotypes, and to give Brixton’s local people and communities a stronger voice to talk about their experiences and what matters to them.
Read more on the Transition Network site
Read more about the project on the Brixton Pound site, and vote for them to win the Coop Join the Revolution award.
DURHAM: Action Research on Diversity and Inclusion
Transition Durham is undertaking action research on the topic of diversity and inclusion within the initiative. Firstly, they will be reflecting back over our history and our current activities to identify any unintentional barriers they may have created. Secondly, they will begin investigating new avenues to becoming more involved in and building or extending links in the community. The research is being managed by Louise Senior from Durham University as part of her MSc Development Anthropology dissertation and should be completed by September 2011.
If you’re interested in the research and want to know more, or think you have something to offer to this research, please email her or comment on the Forum on the Transition Network site.
News, events and resources from elsewhere
Workshop on Rank, Power and Conflict Facilitation, 15-17th July, Totnes
Process Oriented Psychology, founded by Dr. Arnold Mindell, offers powerful tools for making group life flow more smoothly in connection with an earth based approach to life. It recognises that anyone can help facilitate a group, whether you are a participant facilitator or an official leader. This seminar is for anyone interested in improving their understanding of groups and in gaining methods to use as facilitators, participants, therapists or in organisational development.
Cost £180 (£160 if £50 deposit received by 1st June 2011). Some concessions/ scholarships available for those active in Transition. Registration & info email Sue Milner or call 01364 643108.
See the workshop on the Transition Network site
Quaker and Transition conference: 24 – 26th June, Birmingham
A weekend for Quakers involved in Transition Initiatives. If you are a Quaker already engaged, or just starting to get involved, in Transition activity (or other similar low-carbon communities), this weekend is for you. Come as an individual, or come representing your meeting’s involvement. We aim to share and learn from each other’s experiences, and look at what Quakers can both contribute to, and learn from, collaborative work in our local communities. Is there something unique that Quakers can bring, from our processes and testimonies?
See the workshop on the Transition Network site
Over to you…
If you’ve got news items, events or something you’re proud of that you’d like to include in the next Diversity Newsletter edition, please let us know by emailing Catrina Pickering.