Education and Awareness Raising Programme

Summary of the ideas from all our meetings about how to raise awareness about Transition Brighton and Hove (updated 17 October 2007)

Principles and Criteria

Doom for Awareness and Urgency and Solutions for Hope and Action
(See ratings of DVDs in TT Primer)
Simple, clear, accessible messages. Care over vocabulary.
Based on reliable scientific knowledge – credible sources.
Clear consensus on key points that we agree
Honesty and openness about our agenda
Everyone in the TB&H network participates as they can and wish – any Education and Awareness Function group supports and advises. Presenters seek feedback from those present on a presentation (quality control)?
Focus on key areas of the way we live and meet our basic needs, using Transition Towns generic function groups (and local additions).
Educate ourselves first (with others in our city) and agree our core messages
Work with others locally who already have knowledge and experience in these areas
Move towards a vision shared within the city, to be revised over time, that addresses these issues within the current context of Brighton and Hove.
Monitor awareness (using social research students)
Use of Open Space for self-organised discussion and problem solving in groups.

What to communicate

Issues: Climate Change (CC) and Peak Oil (PO)
Implications for economy and security, as well as green house gases (ghg).
Impact of (CC) and on (PO) our life style in key areas such as Food, Transport, Energy, Buildings etc (Focus on what is less known).
Extent to which we use oil for a range of materials and products too.
Clarifying problems: what is the real problem
Debunking myths / supplying concrete facts.
Other issues can to some extent be indirectly addressed through tackling CC and PO: Energy/Resource Use (One Planet Living) – considering Population & Consumption.
Biodiversity and Ecosystems (Pollution, Protection, Regeneration) – implications for Land Use.

Data
Specific data and implications for B&H: how it impinges on us, where are we at now (e.g. energy consumption and sources, carbon and ghg emissions, ecofootprint, etc
Facts and figures on key function areas (food, energy, transport etc)

Data on resources, skills or opportunities (river mouth tides, local and regional food production, thermal waste conversion etc).

Benefits
Show benefits to society (e.g. Power of Community) in addressing climate change and peak oil issues.
Can improve the quality of our life in all aspects – environment, society, health, economy.

Solutions
Practical solutions and examples of personal and community responses – also in each core function area (energy, food etc).
Use of Role Models and Examples of Solutions, “How did it” Stories
Core Actions or Solutions: personal and community

Implications for local economy, agriculture, technology, urban design and life style. (Need to decide what to make explicit and what to remain implicit) e.g:
Reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon sinks
Reduce energy and material consumption.
Strengthen local resilience in the face of energy reduction needs and possible catastrophes – more re-localisation. (“Small is Inevitable”?)
Restore and maintain health of soil, rivers and seas, air, and ecosystems Define what a healthy, fair, stable economy is with measures that reflect the ecological, social and economic enabling conditions. Inquire into what kinds of “growth” deliver overall value and prosperity in their broader meaning.

Transition Towns
“Provide education, inspiration, encouragement and support to mobilise community and personal responses to climate change and energy scarcity”
What can be done as a Transition Town
Transition is about not waiting for government to do things for us; it empowers ourselves
Practical solutions as shown by other Transition Towns: what we can do.
Best Practice elsewhere in our network and beyond
Implications both globally and locally

Vision
Use all this to build a vision shared with local community, other groups, businesses, local Council, and communicate and update this as we go.
What aspects of today’s way of life we seek to keep or change?
Progress towards a vision and long and short term plans.

How and Where

ACTION GROUPS
(The numbers above in parentheses are the numbers of people showing interest in taking this forward in September. * means under way).

DVDs and Talks or Meetings
(10) One off showings of a variety of related Transition films + discussion + panel of experts
*FM - Ralli Hall showing rolling films in side hall with discussion - Kat
(3) Invite documentaries to be made – Jonny, Doly
*In neighbourhood groups
(4) DVD club – preferable with sharing and support from others; viewings for small gatherings in people’s homes within a neighbourhood - Charley

Free Schooling Jo, Alice
*(4) Free schooling days

Own DVD Simon G, Alex
*(5) Trailer advertising TB&H and/or 5mins on Peak Oil or B&H carbon emissions shown by Duke ofYork cinema before each film

Internet: YouTube linked to our website, Podcasts
AV recordings of Key Speakers in local events
Publicise our network and events:
Use our website and links with others’ websites (our events etc)

*VideoBlogs Beth
(2) Also with Street parties

*Monitor Awareness: Gaps and Progress: Gerry, Lara, Emily
(5) Survey what people really know and get onto South Today, repeated a year later

Events and Festivals: Charley
*(10) Unleashing as part of Brighton Festival Fringe. Open House - eco house
Link to Earthship (Misha, Lara)
(4) Theatre events, Arts 'installation' and exhibitions.- Lily
(7) Publicity stunts – Lily
Hove Lawns educational event
(4) Farmers' market - stalls. Basic awareness raising with leaflets for upcoming events. – Simon P
Participate other people’s events that model life style changes or focus on one key area (e.g. food, buildings, transport), or attract publicity (e.g. street theatre, food swaps etc)

*Core Message and Multimedia Pack Ted, Mick, John, Vicky
(6) Multimedia pack. Including a basic handout Available in Libraries
Workshop games and materials for use in Schools and illustrated children’s book
Teaching aids – e.g. card games for allocating resources.
Develop core message with our national network in different media: video/DVD, Powerpoint presentation, Pamphlet (20pp), linked to our website.
As vision develops: map or picture of a sustainable Brighton

*Leaflets, Stickers and Flyers Kat, Chloe, Ann, Vicky, Linda
(4) Stickers in shop windows (and also one to wear) "I'm supporting TB&H"
(7) Flyers to be left in shops. Posters and Displays in clubs, cafes, libraries etc
Awareness raising outside supermarkets.

Adverts
(3) TT in property magazines Gerry
(0) Radio adverts

Internet
(1) Video blogs
U-Tube video from and for 11+ yr olds

*Publications and Media Doly, Simon B
(4) More articles in magazines
(8) Regular column in Rocks magazine (and Argus)
Articles or adverts

*Funding Jo, Maureen

Who with

Educate ourselves together with others in the community
Be a network that links other groups and organisations together for shared purpose and vision. Spread the message through their networks.
Create an index of who knows what and who is doing what (Ted Power started)

Meet with, work and fit in with other local groups and organisations esp environmental and community groups and local Council, and at local level with Community, Neighbourhood or Residents associations (e.g. through TB&H Neighbourhood groups)

Schools – Persephone, Ted, Mick, John, Dave
Eco clubs in schools (and their own U-Tube message), and national/local teacher’s network. “Green Education Plan” – including Adult education. U-tube presentations by schools.

Companies – Jonny, John
Colleges and business/management training
Together with energy companies, builders/architects, economists (incl New Economics Foundation)

Supply Chains, e.g. Food: farmers, distributors, hotels and restaurants (key in our city)

Form relationships with individuals in local media: Feature journalists, S Counties radio, Reverb – Doly, John

Build agreement and credibility with statements based on sound science that people or organisations can sign up to

Use action learning (Margaret Geharty, and others) with others in our function and neighbourhood groups and our projects with others.

How Organise

Co-ordinated, decentralised and local as well as city-wide, and linked to national media and events.
Develop core message with TT nationally and their core group of trainers.
Share DVDs (home made as well) and use U-Tune linked to website
Neighbourhood groups work locally, calling on Function group info and knowledge..

Plan and Targets

Time Lines:
1. General Awareness: DVDs with Peer Support and “Experts”
2. Core Function Group Inputs on Impact of Life Style and Solutions
3. Our Core Message: Different Media “Products” (with national network)
4. Shared Vision with others
5. Monitor Awareness and Action