transition

The New Economics Foundation by Andy Wimbush

“A map of the world that does not include Utopia,” wrote Oscar Wilde, “is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing. And when Humanity lands there, it looks out, and, seeing a better country, sets sail. Progress is the realisation of Utopias.”

“Progress is the realisation of Utopias.” Can you imagine Peter Mandelson saying that to the CBI? Would Gordon Brown produce such a quip at the World Economic Forum? Even Barack Obama might have problems with this level of political lyricism. Progress might be the realisation of ambition, enterprise, or even dreams, but not utopias.

Local and Healthy Shelter by the Community for the Community

These fotos were produced by Craig Mackintosh of the Permaculture Research Institute. You can see his work here.

The work is now underway in el manzano, with the foundations being put in in the last few days using available and affordable local materials and innovative simple construction techniques.

A Catalytic Learning Experience (Español)

As the autumn sun gets lower in Chile, the cold sets in, and thousands of Chileans are still without a home, living in tents, awaiting government housing. Permaculture in Chile cuts to the chase and asks people what they really need and want.

Those who are willing must choose transition now (Español)

Liora and Andy will make a live appearance to El Manzano via skype conference. Students of the Permaculture Design Course will have the opportunity to think and listen together with two of the plantes finest ecosocial regenerationists, and to explore the role of higher education and action learning in mobilising our people to engage in action for sustainability.

A First Meeting for Bioregional Coordination (Español)

By Carlos Lopez Odgers. On Saturday, Jan 23 2010, a large group gathered in the beautiful natural environment, that gives us the Laguna Grande in the district of San Pedro de la Paz in the city of Concepción, Biobio, Chile.

Forming the circle on the grass, some in bare feet, we met, heard and talked of our projects, all had one thing in common, progress should be together, without losing the richness of individuality, but with clear objectives.

The first is to maintain contact, organize and generate a platform that allows networking and information sharing. The second step is to meet again in March this year and to share proposals (for each group) to generate consensus on the way forward. What do we want for this new collaboration?

Those who endorsed this call were;

Getting Started in Permaculture (Español)

As we develop the Chilean branch of the Permaculture Research Institute, assiting people and communities to self organise for sustainability, we find ourselves working more and more in intensive design conversations. We are learning clearly that dreaming together is the first step, that by standing beside colleagues in conspiracy to design, we make sense together. Our consciousness is raised, and we can move on with a higher level of intention. What follows is a story from Enrique, participant in the a new community project Milenrama in the 5th region of Chile.

From Oil Dependance to Local Resilience

Helping the First World Reduce its Ecological Footprint

While Vandana Shiva was in Berlin recently promoting her book ‘Soil Not Oil’, Andreas Teuchert and Thomas Finger of Transition Berlin, who were filming the event, spontaneously asked her for her thoughts on what the Transition Towns movement could do that is of real use for people in the global south.

She said that “the most important pressure the people in the south face is the grabbing of their resources to feed a consumer machinery in the north.” She points out that while there are a number of products that the north can’t provide such as spices, coffee and cotton, fresh vegetables are the reason that poor peasants are losing their land.

´´...I heard the word Transition...´´

Here you will find a link to Youtube and the complete version in English of the new Transition movie. The Instituto Chileno de Permacultura is currently translating this and adding subtitles. 

ACCELERATED LEARNING PATHWAYS

Accelerated learning pathways, enabling people and communities to gather the values, knowledge and skills to make the great transition.

BIENVENIDO AL WIKI DEL MOVIMIENTO DE TRANSICIÓN

La Transición es la evolución de nuestra Sociedad desde un presente que depende de los combustibles fósiles, el consumo desaforado, la destrucción del Planeta y las desigualdades entre los pueblos, a otra realidad deseable basada en la localización de la producción, el uso de la energía y los bienes que se pueden obtener de manera sostenible de nuestro Planeta, la preeminencia de la colectividad,  la recuperación de las habilidades para la vida y la armonía con el resto de la Naturaleza.

It has been said that we are the most useless generation that ever walked the earth (Hopkins, 2008). Our cosy western lifestyles have led us to reliance on the supermarket, and food transported thousands of kilometres around the planet. As we have chased economic growth at all costs, we have rejected a lifestyle where we had to take care of our own needs, and many of the basic skills that go along with resilient simple living. We forgot once common knowledge, common sense, like how to cook and preserve, to grow our own food, build our own homes, how to fix things when they break, how to live in community.

A NEW INITIATIVE IN PUCÓN CHILE

By Jose Castro student of the Applied Permaculture Diploma

Únete a nosotros el 15 y 16 de agosto en Ashland, Oregon, para la primera versión de nuestro nuevo taller, “Entrenamiento para la Transición”. Con el fin de apoyar el importante trabajo de los asociados de la Universidad Gaia y otros en crear soluciones para los desafíos de la crisis energética, cambio climático, crisis económica y sobre-población, el Thrivability Institute de Ashland, Oregon, USA, ofrecerá este taller de dos días, como un curso accesible al público, justo antes de impartir el Programa de Orientación de la Universidad Gaia.  

Entrenamiento para la Transición será incluido además en los otros dos eventos mencionados en esta edición – Cumbre de Finanzas en Permacultura y el Congreso Bio-regional Continental.