Current events turn my attention to the timeliness of Transition Asheville’s efforts. Once again we learn of trouble in the Middle East and see oil prices rise suddenly as uncertainty invades the markets. I see this as (yet) another wake up call to the desirability of local resilience, of a Plan B in WNC. With uprisings in Islamic capitals, and in US capitals where long-established worker rights are under attack, I see people self-organizing around mutual interests and self-preservation. I also see people with the power to suddenly shift attention to new collective and inclusive solutions.
So much is now being written and debated nationally and internationally about these current events, it makes my head spin. Even as I follow this historic unfolding, I always turn to consider ways I and my neighbors, friends and family might prepare for any of the most likely ways current events could impact how we’d like to live our lives. And this was the very spirit of the 4 sets of questions pondered in the afternoon session of the World Café at the end of January:
- What might be the consequences in our lives here in WNC if gas prices suddenly spiked (even to $8/gal.) and supplies here began to dwindle? What beneficial consequences or opportunities this crisis might bring for our community?
- To be proactive instead of reactive, what ideas and/or projects might soften or eliminate the negative consequences in this scenario? Which ideas &/or project might best take priority to move the community beyond oil dependence?
- What would we need to learn &/or acquire to support this preparedness (or resilience) planning? Who would be our local allies and partners in the work to build community resilience?
- What results/changes would indicate that we are moving in the right direction for powerdown planning by next year and 5 years from now? What are some “next steps” your group (or individuals in your group) will pursue to move this community energy descent planning into action?
Most critical to the kind of sustained change we all envision are the tasks of continuing these conversations with a widening circle of others and keeping existing action groups viable and growing in number over the long haul. I encourage you to network with some friends, colleagues, and/or associates and challenge yourselves to imagine and initiate some change that turns toward greater resilience through local alternatives and sourcing. Ultimately, there will be as many action groups in every interest area -- energy, healthcare, transportation, education housing, etc. -- as there are different situations where change can be manifested. Some groups will be large and create coordinated efforts with a focus on the long-term; other groups will be smaller and more short-term, focusing on one or two very specific projects or campaigns within a neighborhood, business setting, faith community, or civic group. Much can be done when many hands take a part. The time for the Great Work as we move to the Great Turning is here, now. How will you get and stay involved?
Elsewhere in this blogspot, you can see where the World Café questions led and to leave your comments or ideas. You can also find contact people for the various Action Groups that have begun our community's process of Transition. And however you are involved, remember to share whatever you and others are together doing with the Transition Asheville newsletter (debibrewer@aol.com) so we all can see the uprising we are making for a more balanced life and a more resilient community.
Finally, the actions across the Middle East remind us that all people desire dignity, peace, and a safer world for the next generation - and that change can happen on a scale and at a speed that was not even possible just a few years ago. I hope to see the day (soon!) when populations EVERYWHERE will flood the streets demanding an end to corporate globalism and the attack on our Earth/home it increasingly represents as we move past peak oil. Today would be a good day for all of us to rise up, to demonstrate responsive and responsible actions EVERYWHERE in the hopes that our children and grandchildren will not grow up on an Earth dangerously unlike the one that gave us birth and in communities we no longer recognize.
In Transition, In Solidarity,Chas
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