February 2013 – Transition Network Newsletter
Published on January 30, 2013 by Mike Grenvillein
TRANSITION NETWORK NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2013
CONTENTS
- Transition Free Press launched
- Network News & round up
- Social Reporters
- Upcoming Training Courses
- Filom review & offer: Chasing Ice
TRANSITION FREE PRESS IS OUT!
Transition Free Press (TFP) Issue 1 is published today 1st February 2013. 11,000 copies of our brand-new 24 page newspaper has now been printed and bundles have been distributed throughout the UK.
News from the Depot -it’s all Stacking Up
http://transitionfreepress.org
You can read Transition Free Press Issue 1 online here
http://issuu.com/transitionfreepress
Do have a look at our on-line version and, if you enjoy what you read, please become a Friend of TFP and help the TFP crew continue with Issue 2 that will hopefully be out in May. Our crowd-funding campaign ends on Feburary 14 and would welcome a boost. If you prefer offline donations, please contact Jay Tompt jay@transitionfreepress.org.uk
Many thanks!
https://www.buzzbnk.org/ProjectDetails.aspx?projectId=103
Why Transition Free Press Needs Your support
http://transitionculture.org/2013/01/15/why-the-transition-free-press-needs-your-support-no-1-jay-tompt/
NEWS OF THE NETWORK AND NETWORK NEWS
January Round-up of What’s Happening out in the World of Transition
Like most things in the garden, Transition initiatives tend to be more reflective and dormant in January, as is reflected in this month’s roundup. We’ll start this month’s Round-up with 3 articles from the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, created by their Paris office about Transition.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2013-01-29/january-round-what-s-happening-out-world-transition
Naresh Giangrande reports from the EU corridors of power
Its official, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) loves Transition towns. What does that mean? We don’t know!
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2013-01-30/naresh-giangrande-reports-eu-corridors-power
Reconomy News
This month has seen a flurry of activity in the REconomy team with a surge of new year energy. We have just started a new Economic Evaluation project with Transition Town Brixton,
We’re developing an ‘event in a box’ that can be used to design and deliver your own event, with our support if needed
http://www.reconomy.org/reconomy-project-update-january-2013/
Seeking Drupal developers
Calling all drupal-friendly developers – front and backenders – you know who you are!
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/ed-mitchell/2013-01/seeking-drupal-developers
SOCIAL REPORTERS
Resilience Week
What is this Resilience, anyway?
In Transition, when we talk about resilience, we usually think of it on the level of communities.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/ann-owen/2013-01/what-resilience-anyway
Emotional Resilience?
In July 2010 I was facilitating a 2-Day “Training for Transition” course in London with my wise and wonderful colleague Teen Ross. I hadn’t been sleeping well for months and by the end of this particular course had barely slept for 3 days.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2013-01/emotional-resilience
Going it alone
For the last seven months I have been a Transitioners without an initiative, I have been going it alone. I have had the support of my lovely friends and family, but I haven’t been able to contribute to local community resilience building.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/kerry-lane/2013-01/going-it-alone
Wet feet, cold baths and lukewarm soup – resilience in Lancaster?
There’s something about resilience that makes me think of cold baths, wet feet and the distant prospect of lukewarm vegetable soup. And the word, defined first in the dictionary as « the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation, » only adds to the depression.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/caroline-jackson/2013-01/wet-feet-cold-baths-and-lukewarm-soup-resilience-lancaster
Local Economic Resilience
One the key insights of Transition is that our local communities are vulnerable to the shocks that will certainly come from extreme weather, volatile energy prices and supply disruption, and global financial meltdown. http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jay-tompt/2013-01/local-economic-resilience
East Anglia Network Week
Some Winter Dispatches from East Anglia in Transition
It’s early January and I’m sitting in the Green Dragon pub at Sustainable Bungay’s first event of the year, a Green Drinks session on the theme of Well-Being and the Community.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/mark-watson/2013-01/some-winter-dispatches-east-anglia-transition
The Transition Ipswich 30-Mile Food Challenge, September 2012
Like most Transition projects, it started with a ‘Why don’t we … ?’ conversation.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2013-01/transition-ipswich-30-mile-food-challenge-september-2012
Cambridge Considerations
Transition Cambridge celebrates its 5th birthday this year so what better time to assess and appreciate its achievements? Perhaps this is best done against some sort of framework and I have one readily to hand.http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2013-01/cambridge-considerations
Downham and Villages in Transition? One Woman’s Winter Musings.
Downham and Villages in Transition is currently represented by folk living in the villages surrounding Downham Market, a small market town to the east of the Great Ouse and its adjacent cut-off channel. This area of west Norfolk was known for its orchards and vegetable growing. Nowadays, cereals and sugar beet dominate. http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2013-01/downham-and-villages-transition-one-womans-winter-musings
From Little Acorns Grow Big Oaks
Nayland is a quintessentially English village in Suffolk. Set in the heart of Constable country within an Area of Natural Outstanding Beauty, the village contains over 100 listed buildings, many of them timber framed, with parts of the village that remain relatively unchanged since the 16th century.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2013-01/little-acorns-grow-big-oaks
Talking Economic Literacy
Economics is the “dismal science” and the boringest topic on the face of the earth.http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/jay-tompt/2013-01/talking-economic-literacy
Re-enchanting Economics
Economics as we know it today is broken. Unable to explain, to predict or to protect, it is need of root-and-branch replacement. Or, to borrow from Alan Greenspan, it is fundamentally ‘flawed’. http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2013-01/re-enchanting-economics
Do you see the cat?
“Seeing the cat” has served as a metaphor for achieving an understanding the teachings of Henry George since he set them out in his bestselling economic treatise “Progress and Poverty” in 1879.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/guest-blogger/2013-01/do-you-see-cat
PLAYING FOR TIME – NEW TRANSITION ARTS HANDBOOK
This new handbook about the collaborative arts and Transition will begin its first chapter at Lumb Bank in the Calder Valley in early March. 12 artists, 2 tutors, 2 guest speakers. 1 author, 1 editor will converge to share their stories and practices in a ground-breaking co-operative work.
Transition Arts Handbook Finds its Roots in the Calder Valley
What is our story? How do we make stories and how do they make us? What are the myths of progress we live by and and what new ones can we forge that will sustain us and life on earth?
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/stories/charlotte-du-cann/2013-01/news-transition-arts-handbook-finds-its-literary-roots-calder
Slow Train to Hebden Bridge
The book questions deeply what the use and function of art is in times of planetary shift and social change.
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/slow-train-to-hebden-bridge.html
MORE TRANSITION STORIES
Snow Report
There is something very intense and creative about this weather that brings you closer to people and life.
Charlotte Du Cann goes off the rails in the snow
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/snow-report.html
30 Miles for 30 Days – The Story of an East Anglian Diet
Last September Transition Ipswich and Woodbridge launched a challenge to themselves and local groups – could they source everything we eat locally?
Lucy Drake writes about their experiences on a seriously low-carbon diet:
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/30-miles-for-30-days-story-of-east.html
Funding Change
Simeon Jackson asks ‘Why funding for social and environmental change can be a problem and how our culture has influenced how money moves about, both negatively and positively.’
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/funding-change.html
Most of it We Don’t See
Mark Watson in heroic mode, splitting the wood.
http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/most-of-it-we-dont-see.html
UPCOMING TRAININGS
Transition THRIVE course – last days to book!
When: weekend of 9-10 February 2013 (9:30am-6:00pm on both days)
Where: Totnes
Trainers: Mandy Dean and Ann Owen
Costs: £105 for both days (Please contact us for bursaries!).
Click here to book:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4720967541#
Contact: If you’d like to book a place, have any questions or bursary enquiries contacttraining@transitionnetwork.org
Want to know more about “Transition THRIVE” and if it is you? Click here for more info:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/training/courses/thrive
Transition LAUNCH in Totnes
This is our original training with lots of practical ideas on how to set up, run and grow a Transition Initiative. It is also useful for people who have recently become involved in Transition and want to develop the essential skills and insights to help their initiative become a success. Click here for more info.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2013-03-16/transition-launch-training
When: weekend of 16-17 March 2013 (9:30am-6:00pm on both days)
Where: Transition Network
Trainers: Hal Gillmore and Sophy Banks
Costs & Booking: £105 for both days (Please contact us for bursaries!).
Contact: If you have any questions or bursary enquiries, please contact: training@transitionnetwork.org
Click here to book:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4736760779#
Inner Transition course
A practical exploration of the Heart & Soul dimension of Transition
20-21 April 2013 – Islington Ecology Centre, London
This two day workshop is for anyone interested in the inner aspect of the Transition process who wants to deepen their understanding of this area, connect and share experience with others, and be inspired to take the next steps for themselves or their group. The territory of “Inner Transition” is broad, powerful, fascinating and sometimes challenging to define, to explain or to organise.
Full details on the course and booking information:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2013-04-20/inner-transition-two-day-practical-exploration-heart-soul-dimension-transition
FILM
Chasing Ice
« Chasing Ice is perhaps the most beautiful film I have ever seen » says Rob Hopkins reviewing the film, adding « I can’t recommend it enough. »
http://transitionculture.org/2013/01/16/film-review-chasing-ice/
The film’s UK distributor Dogwoof have told us that they have already had a lot of interest from Transition initiatives, and have set up a special offer for a licence to show ‘Chasing Ice’ at a community screening which means it will be half-price (£100).
http://popupcinema.net/films/chasing_ice
More events
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events
Open Forum
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/forum/recent
Follow Transition Network on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/transitiontowns
Be a Friend on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/transitionnetwork
Find previous editions of the newsletter here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/transition-network-newsletter
Read this newsletter online
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2013-01-30/february-2013-transition-network-newsletter