Comments on: Joanne Poyourow on Solidarity http://transitionculture.org/2010/02/22/solidarity-by-joanne-poyourow/ An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:10:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Peter Bralesford http://transitionculture.org/2010/02/22/solidarity-by-joanne-poyourow/comment-page-1/#comment-66752 Peter Bralesford Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:20:58 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3330#comment-66752 Trugs, I can't say I have. I wasn't able to find any figures for Melbourne and the surrounding district, but if I can get gold of them then I'll have a look into it. (I've been having some trouble with my e-mail account, so I've only just found out about the gustings on the 25th. If I can make it, then I'll be there.) Trugs, I can’t say I have. I wasn’t able to find any figures for Melbourne and the surrounding district, but if I can get gold of them then I’ll have a look into it.

(I’ve been having some trouble with my e-mail account, so I’ve only just found out about the gustings on the 25th. If I can make it, then I’ll be there.)

]]> By: Trugs http://transitionculture.org/2010/02/22/solidarity-by-joanne-poyourow/comment-page-1/#comment-66747 Trugs Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:16:28 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3330#comment-66747 The concept of "solidarity" can sit a little uneasily with that of "diversity". Common purpose is more easily achieved, the more the same beliefs are shared by participants in any group or organisation. The easiest way to achieve "solidarity", as religious fundamentalists (of all sorts), Nazis, communists, and other extremist groups have found, is to throw out notions of diversity/inclusivity opoen-mindedness and enquiry to focus instead on a small number of simple propositions, usually appealing to the basest of human instincts. Perhaps "solidarity" is like most things in life - there's definitely a good side to the concept but also aspects to be wary of... Peter, have you done that calculation for your home town ? See you at the hustings on Thursday ? The concept of “solidarity” can sit a little uneasily with that of “diversity”. Common purpose is more easily achieved, the more the same beliefs are shared by participants in any group or organisation. The easiest way to achieve “solidarity”, as religious fundamentalists (of all sorts), Nazis, communists, and other extremist groups have found, is to throw out notions of diversity/inclusivity opoen-mindedness and enquiry to focus instead on a small number of simple propositions, usually appealing to the basest of human instincts. Perhaps “solidarity” is like most things in life – there’s definitely a good side to the concept but also aspects to be wary of…
Peter, have you done that calculation for your home town ? See you at the hustings on Thursday ?

]]> By: Peter Bralesford http://transitionculture.org/2010/02/22/solidarity-by-joanne-poyourow/comment-page-1/#comment-66745 Peter Bralesford Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:24:14 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3330#comment-66745 Sorry, just an error with my last post. I put in the wrong e-mail address, and the post hasn't appeared. I reproduce it here: If I may, I would like to build on the above post. A lot of people that I have spoken to agree that climate change and peak oil are both major issues, but the overwhelming response is: ‘what can we do? I can’t make a difference.’ What they seem to forget is that if the collective wealth of a community is all pooled and a small amount saved, then in a short space of time you can end up having a huge amount of wealth at the community’s collective command. We are potentially talking in the realms of hundreds of thousands, millions even. The average houshold income in Devon is around £26,450, with Totnes a little above that. Now there are currently about 7,500 residents in Totnes, and say that 750 of them contribute 2.5% of their annual income to the community piggy bank… that would give the Totnes community the best part of half a million pounds every year to spend. That is by no means small change! Just something worth thinking about. Sorry, just an error with my last post. I put in the wrong e-mail address, and the post hasn’t appeared. I reproduce it here:

If I may, I would like to build on the above post. A lot of people that I have spoken to agree that climate change and peak oil are both major issues, but the overwhelming response is: ‘what can we do? I can’t make a difference.’

What they seem to forget is that if the collective wealth of a community is all pooled and a small amount saved, then in a short space of time you can end up having a huge amount of wealth at the community’s collective command.

We are potentially talking in the realms of hundreds of thousands, millions even. The average houshold income in Devon is around £26,450, with Totnes a little above that. Now there are currently about 7,500 residents in Totnes, and say that 750 of them contribute 2.5% of their annual income to the community piggy bank… that would give the Totnes community the best part of half a million pounds every year to spend. That is by no means small change!

Just something worth thinking about.

]]> By: Peter Bralesford http://transitionculture.org/2010/02/22/solidarity-by-joanne-poyourow/comment-page-1/#comment-66744 Peter Bralesford Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:21:32 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3330#comment-66744 If I may, I would like to build on the above post. A lot of people that I have spoken to agree that climate change and peak oil are both major issues, but the overwhelming response is: 'what can we do? I can't make a difference.' What they seem to forget is that if the collective wealth of a community is all pooled and a small amount saved, then in a short space of time you can end up having a huge amount of wealth at the community's collective command. We are potentially talking in the realms of hundreds of thousands, millions even. The average houshold income in Devon is around £26,450, with Totnes a little above that. Now there are currently about 7,500 residents in Totnes, and say that 750 of them contribute 2.5% of their annual income to the community piggy bank... that would give the Totnes community the best part of half a million pounds every year to spend. That is by no means small change! Just something worth thinking about. If I may, I would like to build on the above post. A lot of people that I have spoken to agree that climate change and peak oil are both major issues, but the overwhelming response is: ‘what can we do? I can’t make a difference.’

What they seem to forget is that if the collective wealth of a community is all pooled and a small amount saved, then in a short space of time you can end up having a huge amount of wealth at the community’s collective command.

We are potentially talking in the realms of hundreds of thousands, millions even. The average houshold income in Devon is around £26,450, with Totnes a little above that. Now there are currently about 7,500 residents in Totnes, and say that 750 of them contribute 2.5% of their annual income to the community piggy bank… that would give the Totnes community the best part of half a million pounds every year to spend. That is by no means small change!

Just something worth thinking about.

]]> By: Marian Van Eyk McCain http://transitionculture.org/2010/02/22/solidarity-by-joanne-poyourow/comment-page-1/#comment-66736 Marian Van Eyk McCain Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:20:27 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3330#comment-66736 'Solidarity' was the foundation stone of the trade union movement -a stone now badly eroded by the relentless battering it's had from corporate power in the last fifty years. But it seems to me that the rise of corporate power, the weakening of community ties and the rise of a rather selfish-looking individualism have all been the negative - but perhaps inevitable - side effects of something bigger, which is the evolutionary expansion of human consciousness. Evolution has two drivers: competition and co-operation.Both are built into us. The former has been developed and encouraged. Now it is time to work on the latter and I think that is exactly what we are seeing. That's the stage we are moving into - the one that's been referred to as 'The Ecozoic Era.' That means recognizing the need for co-operation -for solidarity, if you like - not just with our fellow humans but with all other inhabitants of the planet, for we are all interconnected and interdependent. A leaf on a tree is an individual, for sure, but it is also part of something bigger. It is that sort of consciousness we need to develop. We need to heed not merely an injunction to share our cookies but a reminder that the world, as Thomas Berry said, is "...not just a collection of objects but a communion of subjects." We are all leaves on the planetary tree and if the tree dies, so do we. ‘Solidarity’ was the foundation stone of the trade union movement -a stone now badly eroded by the relentless battering it’s had from corporate power in the last fifty years.
But it seems to me that the rise of corporate power, the weakening of community ties and the rise of a rather selfish-looking individualism have all been the negative – but perhaps inevitable – side effects of something bigger, which is the evolutionary expansion of human consciousness.
Evolution has two drivers: competition and co-operation.Both are built into us. The former has been developed and encouraged. Now it is time to work on the latter and I think that is exactly what we are seeing. That’s the stage we are moving into – the one that’s been referred to as ‘The Ecozoic Era.’
That means recognizing the need for co-operation -for solidarity, if you like – not just with our fellow humans but with all other inhabitants of the planet, for we are all interconnected and interdependent. A leaf on a tree is an individual, for sure, but it is also part of something bigger. It is that sort of consciousness we need to develop. We need to heed not merely an injunction to share our cookies but a reminder that the world, as Thomas Berry said, is “…not just a collection of objects but a communion of subjects.” We are all leaves on the planetary tree and if the tree dies, so do we.

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