Notes taken by John Bristow
Where we'd like TBH to be at end of 08: Organised under 12 Steps Framework
These ideas come from post-its (24, some with more than one idea on them) from 30 Jan workshop and ideas from 3 Jan Hub meeting.
This is a collection of ideas which hopefully will inspire us – not a “ to do” list! We can review this at subsequent General Meetings, in Transition Interest Groups (TIGs) and in the Hub and select our priorities and how we want to use our time and energy, given the number of us who can and want to be actively involved. As we attract others who want to be active participants we can do more.
The key aspirations we are acting on:
1. Training workshops on Transition: shared understanding of aims and process amongst ourselves and others
2. Awareness Raising: Talks, DVD showings, Speaker Programme, Events: Wider awareness of the issues and Transition Towns
3. Known by and Collaborating with Other Parts of the Community: Community groups, Business, Universities and Council. Consulted, respected, asked to speak.
4. Visible Signs and Projects: clear answer to question - what are you doing? Small scale projects that involve others, and demonstrate what we are about
5. Unleashing Event: attracting a wide and diverse range of people
6. Transition Interest Groups: clear purpose and goals, projects, contribution to our energy descent and action plans
7. Neighbourhood groups under way: talks, awareness raising and workshops at street and neighbourhood level.
8. Vision and Energy Descent Plan: Project team working with other groups – current state, aims, vision, indicators and measures drafted. Open Space event.
1. Training Workshops for us and others in the City: Greater Shared Understanding of our Aims and Method
Transition Training: Heart and Soul of change, and then EDAP process for all in the network and public workshops in the City
Anyone engaged has gone through personal reflection and visioning and comparing this with how and where contemporary society is taking them.
Develop, pilot and deliver workshop on energy and resource use, ideally within neighbourhoods to develop local, street solutions. Use and adapt existing tools from NEF, Green Streets etc. Partner with other community/environment groups.
Use of Open Space, and learning how to run it.
Skills/Kn sharing amongst ourselves e.g. Gaian Democracy – offers so far: Lo Gov, Publicity, Public Speaking
Also Facilitation short input sessions very useful (e.g. for TIGs)
2. Awareness Raising
Big, successful, wide-reaching and vibrant education and awareness programme for an awakened and empowered city
People to have heard of TT and TBH outside our existing network
Everybody will understand what Transition Towns are.
Simple language – less jargon
Successful Speaker Programme – good reputation from it, and ideas for our vision and plan, support from Council and Lo Gov, and co-operation with other envt and community groups (BPEC, BHFP, Friends of Earth etc). Being set up.
DVD showings and discussion – both city-wide and home groups (underway)
Attracting more people – awareness raising and fun
Events and stalls that target a wide demographic
Well known around and about Brighton. Awareness raising puts us on the map.
Participation activity in public events
Guardian article on TBH - Bebe Banderzee (Chris)
Media profile: constant reference in Argus and free papers/magazines (Rocks etc)
TBH embedded in the curriculum in schools; teacher and pupil networks. Fitting in a moral perspective to subjects (geography, science). PSHE activities (clothing).
Awareness stands in chill-out rooms in clubs.
3. Connection and Relationships with Key parts of Community
Joint event and festivals with other community and environment groups (already 8 June proposed)
Connected to and working with other groups: BHFP, BPEC , FoE, Brighton Climate Change, CRAG, Green Women, BH CVSF, Neighbourhood Action Groups, Residents Associations, Cycling groups, Buddhists/Churches/Mosques, Allotment groups, Oxfam, WDM, Peace groups, Trade Unions, Youth groups, Mum and Toddler groups.
Recognised by majority of public and groups.
Brighton businesses linked to us – sticker supporting us and us supporting them. Relationship with Economic Partnership and Business Forum more developed.
Council engagement – Effective stakeholders for Sustainable Community Plan and strategy, as well as consulted for LSP and Climate Change strategy, and by Sustainability Commission. Represented in all SD committees and well respected
More inter-connected: throughout Brighton and the country as a whole
(Don’t forget to look at transition network website to see the Newsletter. It is a fast growing organisation and we are challenged in getting the funds, resources and organisation structures to avoid burn out or a national office bottleneck.
20 to 35 official transition towns in 4 months since August 07. and 400 others interested and mulling it over.
Internationally – interest in setting up a transition network in Australia, New Zealand, US as well as Scotland and Ireland.
Rob Hopkins Book launch (“Small is inervitable”?)
4. Visible Signs
Clear projects – in answer to question “What are you doing?”
Publicise success – keep a log of what concrete tangible things have been achieved and use this to gain publicity and promote awareness.
Aim for a small number of concrete tangible achievements rather than a large number of overly ambitious unrealistic goals.
Some physical manifestations of change
Demonstration projects (e.g. house and flat refurbishment, local food growing, etc) or stories of transition (published) from different perspectives (kaleidoscope of views and popsitions). Some being planned already.
Transition allotment project
Something very visible in Brighton that would show everybody that Brighton is now a Transition City, e.g.. "Thank you for using the train instead of a car. Signed: The Earth."
Undertaking some project specifically to increase the resilience of Brighton people in the face of an energy crisis – including vulnerability studies and/or recommendations for specific organizations, like Totnes has done.
Incinerator not going ahead
Brighton and Lewes marketed as a place for renewables sector.
5. Unleashing
Unleashing event during the year – such that whole city knows
A great unleashing, birthing event – huge, wide-reaching and fun. Attracting a diverse crowd to energise the wider community around the idea of collectively designing our future.
6. Transition Interest Groups
TIGs have vision and clear purpose and goals, and “design criteria” for solutions.
TIGs done a first picture of Brighton and contributed to our EDRAP, and each got a project
Heart and Soul of Change/Personal Life Style workshops run
“Action Experiments” with local residents, businesses, etc to explore ways of addressing Climate Change and Peak Oil. An informed action-orientation combined with learning before, during and after action.
MSc projects in summer term in co-operation with Sussex and Brighton Universities that help us understand the current state in the City, others’ aims and aspirations, and what blocks and enable transition. (Transport and Energy projects currently being discussed)
7. Neighbourhood groups under way
Follow up to invitations to talk to residential/community associations – DVD showings, Transition Workshop, Resource/Energy/Waste workshop
Transition Training workshops encouraging people to form “home groups” to support each other in carrying on the learning and change in everyday life.
8. Reskilling
Start this with various skill sets (e.g. textiles, food growing etc)
People learning new skills
Anyone engaged in TBH has gained a new skill.
9. Respect the Elders
Bringing people together from different age or income groups, backgrounds etc. e.g food growing and cooking – young people in schools brought together with “elders” and learning from and with each other.
10. Letting go and Keeping Focus
People able to move in and out of Hub as required
Many people and groups exercise leadership.
Getting balance right between initiative and self-organising on the one hand and alignment and co-ordination on the other. Keeping an eye on how our ways of organising work or don’t work and getting feedback from network to hub and back.
11. Vision and Energy Descent Action Plan
Beginnings of a shared vision in our network.
Paper version of EDAP together with an annual review process.
Involve art and education groups in a vision exercise with a visual result.
Have some idea of how we would measure change
Ensure that TBH has SMART goals and objectives so that they are clear, workable and more likely to be met rather than causing frustration and disillusionment: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time bound
Other Areas
Website
Continue making it more user friendly
Notes from TBH general meeting – Wed 30 January
