An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent
Transition Culture has moved
I no longer blog on this site. You can now find me, my general blogs, and the work I am doing researching my forthcoming book on imagination, on my new blog.
Here's what happens at a Brazilian Unleashing ..they do the hokey-cokey and they turn around... (sorry, this joke probably only means anything to English readers....)
We start this month’s update of Transition inspiration, activity and celebration with wonderful news from Rio de Janeiro and the launch of Transition Santa Teresa, which was attended by 200 people from the neighbourhood association, the local chamber of commerce, local NGOs and residents from Santa Teresa and the neighbouring slum. So we send huge congratulations to T Santa Teresa! Here is a film about some Transition goings-on in Brazil, including a Transition rap in Portugese… fantastic…
The number of pieces of quality research being conducted about Transition continues to grow. Here is a new one by Danielle K. M. Cohen at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, as part of her dissertation for her MSc in Human Ecology. Entitled “Reaching out for resilience: Exploring approaches to inclusion and diversity in the Transition movement” it is a very useful study about inclusion and diversity. Here’s a sample quote from the conclusion: “people in Transition – in this study at least – often talk about inclusion with a view to bringing different people into the movement. I have argued that this view of inclusion can imply and perpetuate hierarchical power relationships underpinned by assumptions of assimilation and integration. As one co-operative inquiry participant put it, Transition should perhaps not be seeking to include others but should be seeking to be included by them”. You can download the full thesis here: my thanks to Danielle for allowing me to post this.
I have just been looking at the online version (which is pretty restrictive, but you get the general idea) of Liam Leonard’s new book ‘The Environmental Movement in Ireland’. It offers a very well researched overview of the evolution of the green movement politically in Ireland, the rise of protest culture through campaigns such as The Glen of the Downs roads protest, the Rossport 5 and the various anti-incineration and anti-nuclear campaigns. As such, it is a very detailed and comprehensive look at those aspects of the green presence in Ireland, but it strikes me that one key part of that story is missing. So far as I could tell, there is nothing that documents the movement that was developing in parallel which focused on solutions, on practically modelling solutions, often at great personal and financial cost. This morning then, I want to take a stab at what that chapter might have included.
Many people’s experience of engaging with local Councils is an intensely frustrating one. Yet in your book you argue that not only should Transitioners engage, but should also put themselves forward for office. Why?
Yes, it can be endlessly frustrating. I often use the analogy of trying to turn a tanker. Or the Titanic! But a local authority can make a huge difference. When I think how much we managed to change in Camden during 2006-10 and how much good practice I’ve seen at councils around the country and abroad – frankly it’s amazing. So frustrating yes but worth it if you persevere.
Hot on the heels of the talk by Tim Jackson that I posted here yesterday, here is a film of a recent event that was run in Totnes, which featured Tim, as well as Ed Mayo and TTT’s Naresh Giangrande. My thanks to the good people at nuproject for doing this…
How might our response to peak oil and climate change look more like a party than a protest march? This site explores the emerging transition model in its many manifestations
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The number of pieces of quality research being conducted about Transition continues to grow. Here is a new one by Danielle K. M. Cohen at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, as part of her dissertation for her MSc in Human Ecology. Entitled “Reaching out for resilience: Exploring approaches to inclusion and diversity in the Transition movement” it is a very useful study about inclusion and diversity. Here’s a sample quote from the conclusion: “people in Transition – in this study at least – often talk about inclusion with a view to bringing different people into the movement. I have argued that this view of inclusion can imply and perpetuate hierarchical power relationships underpinned by assumptions of assimilation and integration. As one co-operative inquiry participant put it, Transition should perhaps not be seeking to include others but should be seeking to be included by them”. You can download the full thesis 
I have just been looking at the online version (which is pretty restrictive, but you get the general idea) of Liam Leonard’s new book
To celebrate the launch of Alexis Rowell’s book
