Transition Network Conference: Diversity Highlights
By Catrina Pickering 26th July 2011
The recent annual Transition Network conference held in Liverpool gave us all much to think about, explore and expand on in relation to diversity. Here’s a snapshot of some of the workshops, discussions and people that really stood out.
There was a diversity theme group which questioned whether the Transition model needed to be broader and more embracing of where people are starting from – it asked “is the label of Transition helpful or do we need to do away with it”?
There was an “enquiry” in to “why create a socially just Transition” in which 15-20 people heard views from Transition projects working in diverse communities in the UK as well as from an indigenous speaker and a UK based campaigner on the Alberta Tar Sands. The enquiry evolved into a discussion of how we can support vulnerable people in our own local communities as well as how our work is relevant to the challenges of indigenous and global south communities thousands of miles away. The conclusion was that we need to act globally by starting locally and that in doing this, we can maintain solidarity with communities in other countries.
Another highlight of the conference was the return of representatives involved in Transition initiatives in Brazil. They updated us on their activities working in a favella (slum) and in a rich, high consuming neighbourhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Listen to the podcast here.
And finally, very memorably, there was a trip out to the Granby Triangle in Liverpool, an area which has had its community quite literally torn to pieces for the last 15 years through a process of demolition. But the residents are fighting back – see this excellent blog post written by Stella Schackel. Thanks to Hal from Transition Totnes who bought his reflections on the trip to the closing session of the conference.