August 2013 – Transition Network Newsletter
By Mike Grenville 31st July 2013
Often the impetus in Transition is to do stuff. However our theme on the website for August is the power of not doing stuff. Sophy Banks, one of the key developers of the Inner Transition approach and co-creator of the Transition Training, reflects on how it’s just as important to not do stuff.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2013-07/sophy-banks-power-not-doing-stuff
But don’t just take our word for the value of idling. Neuroscientists are trying to work out why the brain does so much when it seems to be doing nothing at all. And the answer is: quite a lot. http://www.nature.com/news/neuroscience-idle-minds-1.11440
Philosophers have also promoted the benefits of idling as in this piece In Praise of Idleness By Bertrand Russell. Written in 1932, he proposes a four hour working day, saying that a great deal of harm is being done in the modern world by belief in the virtuousness of work, and that the road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organized diminution of work.
http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html
July’s reportage
July has been busy and we’ve had a very productive month on the Transition Network website, exploring our theme of ‘doing stuff’ from a number of different angles. We heard from CSA market gardener Jenny Gellatly about the power of just growing stuff, Rob Hopkins reflected on one of my life’s key ‘Doing Stuff Moments‘, seeing a talk by Bill Mollison, we heard from Mike Small about the very real power of when lots of people do stuff together, Rob shared a talk he gave to promote The Power of Just Doing Stuff at the Ways with Words festival, Molly Fletcher wrote about the power of creating an edible high road in Kilburn in London and Caroline Jackson asked an important question – “are we doing the right stuff?”
We have reports about Transition Thursday events in Sheffield and Downham Market/Swaffham, Worthing, Louth and Horncastle and Marsden and Slaithwaite including videos of Transitioners reflecting on what Transition is and why they do it, Rob Hopkins talked to food writer Joanna Blythman about the power that lies within our creating a new parallel food system, plus we heard from Nick Sherwood about the Herefordshire Economic Evaluation, and what it looks like when Transition Streets moves from rural Totnes to inner city Newcastle in Australia, and we introduced our wonderful new Infographic for you to read over the summer holidays.
News
A July Round-up of What’s Happening out in the World of Transition
News from around the world including Australia, Germany, Greece, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, England and USA.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2013-07-30/july-round-what-s-happening-out-world-transition
One Year in Transition:
One Year in Transition is a groundbreaking, new low-cost programme from Transition Network for young adults. If you want to create and lead projects for personal and community wellbeing, get the skills you need and establish a livelihood aligned with your core values, check this out:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/support/education/one-year-transition
Applications before the end of August for September 2013 entry
Competition for Free Training Places:
We’ve got 3 places on the Transition Training of your choice to give away in Transition Network’s fantastic summer competition!
Entry deadline 1st September
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2013-07-18/win-transition-training-our-new-competition
Reconomy Project Update:
The final part of the Economic Evaluation/Blueprint trilogy is published plus thoughts on the failure of the panel Q&A format from speaking at Bristol’s Big Green Week.
http://www.reconomy.org/reconomy-project-update-july-2013/
The Power of “lots and lots of little projects”:
Food author Joanna Blythman rejects the arguments that food produced in New Zealand and exported to the UK could have a lower carbon footprint than food produced here. “One of the key strategies for me is always local first” she says in this interview with Rob Hopkins.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2013-07/joanna-blythman-power-lots-and-lots-little-projects
Bulk Book Discount: The Power of Doing Stuff:
Green Books are offering a special discount to Transition Initiatives for bulk orders to their Transition related books. 30% off orders over £50 and 40% for orders of 100+ copies, until 30 Sep 2013. Full details here:
http://uit.co.uk/files/tn-disc.pdf
Transition Free Press News:
The third issue of Transition Free Press is into production: ‘Will the news fit? What is the best story for the front page? Where is that missing picture credit?’ Published on 1st September, here are some top tips for distributors for the 50+ initiatives signed up for bundles. Subscribe now to receive your own copy.
http://transitionfreepress.org/2013/08/01/august-update-autumn-issue-in-production-and-top-tips-for-distributors/
Is Transition the Trojan Horse for Permaculture?
Writing in Permaculture magazine, Rozie Apps asks if transition could be the key to sharing to a wider audience and really changing the world.
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/transition-trojan-horse-permaculture
Training
Launch Goes Online
We are running our Transition fundamentals course online for the first time as eight weekly webinars starting 1st October 2013. This is an opportunity to attend a Launch training from anywhere in the world, joining an online community of people like yourself who are passionate about Transition.
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/training/courses/launch-online
Transition Launch – for people new to Transition
Devon, 14-15 September
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2013-09-14/transition-launch-training-people-new-transition
Resilient Food Systems
Essex, 13-14 September
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2013-09-13/resilient-food-systems
Inner Transition introduction
London, 21-22 September
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events/2013-09-21/inner-transition
Train the Trainers
Interested in becoming a Transition Trainer? A course is taking place in Sint-Truiden, Belgium, October 29th-November 3rd. To register your interest please email training@transitionnetwork.org and we will keep you informed. More details: http://www.transitionnetwork.org/training/courses/train-trainers
Learn Bread Baking Online
Learn to bake real, slow fermented artisan bread during the holidays – a skill that will stay with you for life! Founders of The Handmade Bakery and School of Slow, Dan and Johanna McTiernan, are offering the opportunity to get productive this summer with a special offer on their ‘Online Artisan Bread Basics course’! Until the end of September 2013 there is a third of the usual £20 for the course – an exclusive offer for subscribers to Permaculture and Transition Network bulletins. To register on the course use voucher code: ct752jj3e
http://www.schoolofslow.org/courses/online
Happy Baking!
Coming up
6th annual Transition Camp
4-6 October 2013. Sussex
The theme for the camp is ‘open hearted connections’. A weekend of workshops for all the family, with time to chat round the fire, enjoy delicious food and be inspired.
Early bird adult only £35 (including food) until 31st August
http://there.is/transitioncamp/
More Transition related events here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/events
Quote(s) of the month
“Fracking can take place in ‘desolate’ north-east England.”
Lord Howell, Conservative energy adviser
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/30/fracking-north-east-england-tory-peer
“We’ve built our life around having energy available on demand. But the rest of the world has dealt with a world where you use energy only when it’s there. When do you make hay? When the sun shines. “
John Michael Greer
http://transitionvoice.com/2011/11/day-3-live-blogging-from-aspo/
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Find previous editions of the newsletter here
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/tags/transition-network-newsletter
Read this newsletter online
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/news/2013-07-31/august-2013-transition-network-newsletter
Subscribe to Transition newsletter:
http://tinyurl.com/transitionregister
This newsletter is published on the first Friday of each month.
Newsletter Editor: Mike Grenville,
from Transition Forest Row for the Transition Network
Contact: mgrenville@gmail.com