Dear Transitioners worldwide,
Transitioners have more than 15 years of experience in community-led change. At times, it was joyful and fun, at times it was hard going. It was always an opportunity to learn and grow.
To celebrate and amplify this wealth of knowledge and experience, we are thrilled to announce the Day of Transition Practice on April 27, 2024. This is a chance to connect with the international community, hear from inspiring Transition groups, share how you are doing, and learn how the international movement support system can better support you.
What: Day of Transition Practice
When: April 27, 2024
How: Join us for a single or multiple online sessions, spread across timezones and in various languages.
This event is a unique opportunity to unite and celebrate the journey and accomplishments of Transition initiatives globally and to learn together. Let’s identify what’s working, see how we can support each other, and illuminate paths towards a more regenerative and resilient future.
Mark your calendars, spread the word, and let’s make April 27, 2024, a day to remember in the history of the Transition Movement.
Stay tuned for more details and ways to get involved!
]]>Estou aqui a pensar como os ‘ciclos’ pautam a minha existência – toda, tanto pessoal como profissional. E se eu sinto em mim ciclos claros, curtos, como os das estações do ano do lugar do mundo onde eu cresci e como os ciclos anuais, há outros mais difíceis de reconhecer: são ciclos tão largos que só se permitem ver se o observador mantiver uma presença consciente e constante, seguindo um enfiamento temático.
Um ano terminou e outro começa e, neste período entre terminar e começar, eu limpo e arrumo a ‘casa’ – essa é a intenção. Este é um momento importante para mim e para a minha saúde mental – viro-me para dentro, reflito, tento fechar os ciclos que estão concluídos, detecto padrões que adivinham ciclos em curso e crio espaço para outros se iniciarem. É também um exercício que temo: tenho medo do processo que me obriga a sentir ao tentar encontrar sentido neste nosso mundo carregado de incoerências, trauma e dor – temo desequilibrar-me e deixar de estar em controlo do meu exercício de esperança activa. Enfim, como ainda sinto a tal esperança, concluo que o meu processo interno desta época correu bem
O tema da inclusão e da ‘narrativa’ de transição tem sido um dos mais recorrentes entre ativistas do Movimento de Transição. O Movimento de Transição é muitas vezes descrito como uma rede de aprendizagem e nunca me canso de fazer lembrar que é importante aprender com as experiências no terreno, nas iniciativas locais. Para isso, os canais entre os espaços de experimentação e os vários níveis do movimento têm que estar funcionais e abertos. Passei algum tempo a reflectir neste tema durante este meu processo de fim/começo de ano, enquanto observava um outro ciclo – um ciclo lindo de uma amizade e colaboração de Transição, que é disto que é feito um movimento – ligações humanas:
O Benoît (Benoît Thevard) é um amigo querido de muitos anos (tantos anos quantos eu tenho de Transição) por quem eu tenho uma grande admiração – activista de Transição; co-fundador membro de umas das mais antigas iniciativas de Transição de França – Chateauneuf-sur-Loire en Transition – e representante do Hub de Transição do ‘Loiret’, em França; autor de publicações sob o tema da transição (aqui). É daqueles amigos que, estando muito tempo distantes, reaparecem em ciclos largos – no nosso caso, para colaborarmos em momentos-chave do trabalho de um ou do outro – este foi um desses momentos, certamente.
O Benoît co-organizou o evento ‘Transição nos Bairros prioritários a partir da abordagem narrativa’ ao concluir um projecto europeu que se inspirou numa experiência muito inspiradora de transição sistémica na cidade de Loos-en-Gohelle, a partir da qual se desenvolveu uma metodologia baseada na abordagem narrativa pela mão da Fabrique des Transitions – 8 de Dezembro, em Tours, França. Eu estive presente.
Este evento inspirou-me muito pelo que foi dito, pela forma, e pela participação inclusiva. Há muito que revisitar, reflectir, explorar e trazer à luz para que a polinização cruzada com outros projectos similares se faça, mas por agora, deixo um áudio de uma primeira conversa com o Benoît, em francês, ainda muito cansados, depois do evento e ao fecharmos o ciclo do nosso re-encontro – logo veremos como se abrirão os tais canais e os novos ciclos!
Para garantir que a partilha acontece, e se o francês não for uma língua que se encontre na vossa caixa de ferramentas, fiz uma transcrição da conversa com o Benoît, tomando alguma liberdade na edição, quando pensei que fosse necessário clarificar o que estava a ser dito:
Filipa: Benoit,…
Benoît: Oui, Filipa!
Filipa: Então, estamos aqui sentados, no dia seguinte a um evento, em Tours (França). Conta-nos: qual era o título desse evento? Falámos de quê, nesse evento?
Benoît: Este foi um evento de disseminação, que marcou o fim de um projecto europeu Erasmus+ baseada na utilização da ‘abordagem narrativa’’ (mise en récits) a fim de favorecer a transição ecológica nos bairros ditos ‘prioritários’ [i.e vulneráveis, muito desvalorizados].
Filipa: Ok. E eu estive presente. Tu convidaste-me a vir a Tours, relembra-me porquê – que papel viste que eu teria, ao estar presente?
Benoît: Tu estiveste presente porque a Transition Network apoiou o projecto desde o seu início. A Transition Network assinou uma carta de endosso no momento da apresentação da candidatura ao Programa Erasmus+, tu e a Transition Network consideraram que este projecto era pertinente, quer dizer – trabalhar a questão da transição dos bairros prioritários. Por isso, vocês foram uma parte interessada e activa da história, logo no início do processo. Além do mais, como este é um projecto europeu, foi-nos pedido para apresentar uma lista de parceiros europeus (de fora de França) e foi assim que te convidámos – porque pensámos que seria bom e natural que estivesses connosco neste dia.
Filipa: Então, este evento foi como um fechar de ciclo, certo?
Benoit: Foi um fechar de ciclo, sim. Melhor, ao mesmo tempo, uma jornada de clausura e uma jornada de lançamento – foi, de facto, um dia pautado em 2 tempos: de manhã, um momento mais institucional com a presença de membros eleitos e representantes de entidades públicas vários os níveis (locais, regionais, nacionais), membros de associações e de organizações locais diversas e de bairros de outras cidades e, na parte da tarde, oficinas (workshops) e sobretudo dedicado à compreensão do que é a ‘abordagem narrativa’ e sobretudo permitir que outros actores do bairro compreendam e tomem parte activa nesta aventura e que seja o princípio de qualquer coisa também no bairro de Sanitas em Tours. Em conclusão, de manhã fechou-se o ciclo e, à tarde, abriu-se um novo ciclo, justamente no Bairro de Sanitas, em particular.
Filipa: ‘Sanitas’ – que tipo de bairro é Sanitas?
Benoit: Sanitas é um dos bairros populares mais pobres de França, com uma grande densidade populacional – tem mais de 8.000 habitantes, numa superfície pequena, e a particularidade é que é um bairro situado no centro da cidade de Tours, mesmo ao lado da estação de comboios – em geral, este tipo de bairros, muito grandes, encontram-se na parte exterior das cidades, ao que chamamos ‘subúrbios’. E aqui, este bairro está no centro da cidade e, sendo um bairro extremamente pobre lado-a-lado com bairros extremamente ricos. Neste bairro eu penso que são faladas mais uma centena de línguas, e é de uma diversidade cultural imensa e muitas acções, de actores sociais implicados. Enfim, por um lado, um bairro extremamente rico, em tantas perspectivas, mas onde há também alguma violência, prostituição, droga, etc, tantas vezes associadas a este tipo de bairros, em que há uma condição de vulnerabilidade e precaridade importante.
Filipa: E à parte de tudo a que temos acesso, porque há um documento [e outros recursos] que vou partilhar na nossa rede, [onde podemos ler sobre o projecto, metodologia e o que se concluiu], tenho uma última questão para ti: se tivesses que escolher contar-nos uma coisa que descobriste (ou que aprendeste) ao longo deste projecto, que te marcou, o que seria?
Benoit: Este projecto mudou a minha abordagem da ‘Transição’. Eu tinha uma perspectiva da ‘transição’. Eu tinha uma maneira de abordar o assunto com que me rodeava, ou com os outros, que era particular – eu participava em muitas conferências como orador sobre a transição energética para falar de resiliência, para falar sobre ‘cidades em transição’, com a expectativa de fazer compreender os desafios e seduzir o público usando os elementos do ‘Manual de Transição’ – da dependência ao petróleo e da resiliência local – e ao trabalhar com os membros deste bairro, dei-me conta que não podemos falar destes temas desta maneira e que, de facto, esse nem sequer é o assunto relevante: muita gente nem sequer tem automóvel, não têm um salário assegurado com a continuidade de um mês após outro, muitas vezes não têm como pagar a conta para aquecer a casa. Por isso, falar de transição ecológica [no contexto de redução da pegada ecológica], não tem sentido nenhum porque são pessoas que já estão num nível de vida que é extremamente baixo e que o seu impacto no nosso planeta, na nossa biosfera, é reduzido.
A coisa mais importante que eu retenho deste trabalho, é o facto de que hoje, nestas culturas, nestas populações, as condições são ‘ecológicas’ de base. Quero dizer: não é uma ecologia demonstrativa – é muitas vezes uma ecologia associada à vergonha, em que se fazem coisas por necessidade, muitas vezes uma ecologia cultural porque as pessoas trazem consigo uma cultura profunda de partilha, de ser solidário, de reciclar, de recuperar recursos, etc. Uma grande lição que tivemos é que a Transição, neste contexto, é realçar essas coisas que hoje chamamos de ‘gestos ecologistas’ e fazer o que é necessário que deixem de estar associados a uma coisa vergonhosa, que seja associada a uma identidade como objecto de orgulho, que se torne inspirador para outros e que, progressivamente, seja o novo modelo a seguir, o novo modelo dominante.
Filipa: Obrigada
Deixo-vos ainda, caso queiram saber sobre o projecto e sobre o tema:
___________
This post is part of Filipa Pimentel’s regular reflections about life in the Transition Movement. Filipa connects personal experiences and reflections to the wider work the movement is doing in the world. Her roles as Co-Lead Link of Transition Network and many years as Hubs coordinator inform her perspectives and reflections; so does the work Filipa does at local and regional levels in various places. These reflections are published in Filipa’s first language: Portuguese.
“I feel that the connection between transitioners is magical: there is this feeling that we belong to the same family, even if we are coming from such different parts of the world, backgrounds, cultures, experiences, languages, contexts. The openness to learn and the capacity to listen actively, the compassion and the creativity are just some of the rare qualities I see around me while working in this field.”
I’m thinking about how ‘cycles’ guide my existence – all of it, both personal and professional. And while I can feel clear, short cycles in me, like the seasons in the part of the world where I grew up and the annual cycles, there are others that are more difficult to recognise: they are such long cycles that they can only be seen if the viewer maintains a conscious and constant presence, following a thematic thread..
One year has ended and another begins and, in this period between ending and beginning, I clean and tidy the ‘house’ – that’s the intention. This is an important time for me and for my mental health – I turn inwards, reflect, try to close the cycles that are finished, detect patterns that hint at ongoing cycles and create space for others to begin. It’s also an exercise I dread: I’m afraid of the process I’m forced to feel when trying to find meaning in this world of ours full of inconsistencies, trauma and pain – I’m afraid of getting off balance and no longer being in control of my exercise of active hope. Anyway, as I still feel that hope, I conclude that my internal process this season has gone well
The theme of inclusion and the ‘narrative’ of transition has been one of the most recurrent among Transition Movement activists. The Transition Movement is often described as a learning network and I never tire of reminding people that it’s important to learn from experiences on the ground, from local initiatives. For this to happen, the channels between the experimentation spaces and the various levels of the movement have to be functional and open. I spent some time reflecting on this theme during my end of year/beginning of year process, while observing another cycle – a beautiful cycle of Transition friendship and collaboration, which is what a movement is made of – human connections:
Benoît (Benoît Thevard) is a dear friend of many years (as many years as I have in Transition) for whom I have great admiration – Transition activist; co-founder member of one of the oldest Transition initiatives in France – Chateauneuf-sur-Loire en Transition – and representative of the ‘Loiret’ Transition Hub in France; author of publications on the subject of transition (here). He’s one of those friends who, having been away for a long time, reappear in long cycles – in our case, to collaborate at key moments in each other’s work – and this was certainly one of those moments.
Benoît co-organised the event ‘Transition in Priority Neighbourhoods from the narrative approach’ at the end of a European project that was inspired by a very inspiring experience of systemic transition in the city of Loos-en-Gohelle, from which a methodology based on the narrative approach was developed by Fabrique des Transitions – 8 December in Tours, France. I was there.
This event really inspired me because of what was said, the form and the inclusive participation. There’s a lot to revisit, reflect on, explore and bring to light so that cross-pollination with other similar projects can take place, but for now, I’ll leave you with an audio of a first conversation with Benoît, in French, still very tired, after the event and as we close the cycle of our reunion – we’ll see how these channels and new cycles open up!
To make sure the sharing happens, and if French isn’t a language you have in your toolbox, I’ve transcribed the conversation with Benoît, taking some liberties with the editing when I thought it was necessary to clarify what was being said:
Filipa: Benoit,…
Benoît: Oui, Filipa!
Filipa: So, we’re sitting here the day after an event in Tours (France). Tell us: what was the title of that event? What did we talk about at the event?
Benoît: This was a dissemination event, which marked the end of a European Erasmus+ project based on the use of the ‘narrative approach’ (mise en récits) in order to favour ecological transition in so-called ‘priority’ [i.e. vulnerable, very undervalued] neighbourhoods.
Filipa: OK. And I was there. You invited me to Tours, remind me why – what role did you see me playing by being there?
Benoît: You were there because Transition Network supported the project from the start. Transition Network signed a letter of endorsement at the time of submitting the application to the Erasmus+ Programme, and you and Transition Network felt that this project was relevant, that is – to work on the issue of the transition of priority neighbourhoods. So you were an interested and active part of the story right from the start. What’s more, as this is a European project, we were asked to present a list of European partners (from outside France) and that’s how we invited you – because we thought it would be good and natural for you to be with us on the day.
Filipa: So this event was like a closing of the loop, right?
Benoit: It was a closing of the loop, yes. It was better, at the same time, a day of closure and a day of launch – it was, in fact, a two-day event: In the morning, a more institutional moment with the presence of elected members and representatives of public bodies at various levels (local, regional, national), members of associations and various local organisations and from neighbourhoods in other cities and, in the afternoon, workshops and above all dedicated to understanding what the ‘narrative approach’ is and above all allowing other actors in the neighbourhood to understand and take an active part in this adventure and for it to be the start of something in the Sanitas neighbourhood in Tours too. In conclusion, in the morning the cycle closed and in the afternoon a new cycle opened, precisely in the Sanitas neighbourhood in particular.
Filipa: ‘Sanitas’ – what kind of neighbourhood is Sanitas?
Benoit: Sanitas is one of the poorest working class neighbourhoods in France, with a high population density – it has more than 8,000 inhabitants, on a small surface area, and the particularity is that it is a neighbourhood located in the centre of the city of Tours, right next to the train station – in general, these types of neighbourhoods, which are very large, are found on the outside of cities, what we call ‘suburbs’. And here, this neighbourhood is in the centre of the city and, being an extremely poor neighbourhood, side-by-side with extremely rich neighbourhoods. In this neighbourhood, I think more than a hundred languages are spoken, and there is an immense cultural diversity and many actions, social actors involved. On the one hand, it’s an extremely wealthy neighbourhood, from so many perspectives, but there is also some violence, prostitution, drugs, etc., so often associated with this type of neighbourhood, in which there is a condition of vulnerability and precariousness.
Filipa: And apart from everything we have access to, because there’s a document [and other resources] that I’m going to share on our network, [where we can read about the project, methodology and what was achieved], I have one last question for you: if you had to choose to tell us one thing you discovered (or learnt) during this project, that made a difference to you, what would it be?
Benoit: This project changed my approach to ‘Transition’. I had a perspective on ‘transition’. I had a particular way of approaching it – I used to go to a lot of conferences as a speaker on the energy transition to talk about resilience, to talk about ‘cities in transition’, with the expectation of making the challenges understood and seducing the audience using the elements of the ‘Transition Handbook’ – oil dependency and local resilience – and working with the members of this neighbourhood, I realised that we can’t talk about these issues in this way and that, in fact, it’s not even the relevant issue: Many people don’t even have a car, they don’t have a guaranteed salary from one month to the next, they often can’t afford to pay the heating bill. So talking about ecological transition [in the context of reducing the ecological footprint] makes no sense at all because these are people who are already living at an extremely low standard and their impact on our planet, on our biosphere, is reduced.
The most important thing I take away from this work is the fact that today, in these cultures, in these populations, the conditions are basic ‘ecological’. I mean: it’s not a demonstrative ecology – it’s often an ecology associated with shame, where people do things out of necessity, often a cultural ecology because people bring with them a deep culture of sharing, of solidarity, of recycling, of recovering resources, etc. A great lesson we’ve learnt is that the Transition, in this context, is to highlight those things that today we call ‘ecological gestures’ and to do what is necessary so that they are no longer associated with something shameful, that it is associated with an identity as an object of pride, that it becomes inspiring for others and that, progressively, it is the new model to follow, the new dominant model.
Filipa: Thank you
If you want to know more about the project and the theme, I’ll leave you with some information:
Bruxelas, 10 de Dezembro 2023
É fim de domingo – lá fora, está um lusco-fusco frio e chuvoso. Sentei-me para me preparar para o dia de amanhã – uma segunda-feira corrida, recheada de trabalho intenso e complexo. Agora aqui sentada, a olhar para o ecrã do computador, dou-me conta que a preparação que sinto que tenho que fazer, tem muito mais de trabalho interior, de coração, do que trabalho operacional ou intelectual.
Amanhã, simbolicamente, um ciclo importante da minha vida no Movimento de Transição vai fechar-se, e um novo ciclo se abrirá – para mim, e para todos os outros que terão um papel mais ou menos ativo neste ecossistema da rede internacional dos Hubs de Transição.
Gostava de vos contar todas as histórias que carrego, as imagens, as emoções, as ligações profundas, e tudo o que aprendi nestes últimos 12 anos, mas sinto uma vertigem de tal forma forte que me sinto incapacitada para ordenar o carreirinho de palavras em frases que sintetizem o significado todo que lhes dou. Isso fica para depois. Agora quero falar-vos do momento preciso do fechar e abrir de ciclos.
Dia 11 de Julho de 2011 fui nomeada Coordenadora dos Hubs de Transição, durante a Conferência da Transition Network, em Liverpool, Reino Unido. Este foi um papel complexo mas que me deu uma posição privilegiada no acompanhamento do desenvolvimento internacional do Movimento de Transição, ao longo destes anos todos. O processo de transformação deste papel no sistema tem sido feito lentamente, já de há um par de anos até aqui: de um coordenador, foi formado um círculo, e as responsabilidades e poder desse papel foram distribuídos pelos membros desse círculo – o círculo coração dos Hubs.
Agora, chegou o momento do término deste ciclo: vejo-me agora num espaço com uma outra pessoa, de mãos dadas, num processo de transformação e de transferência: preparamos uma passagem de testemunho consciente – eu aprendo uma vez mais a lição sobre desapego e reforço a minha postura de estar ao ‘serviço’, na medida conveniente, medida que ainda não conheço bem. Este processo tem sido lindo, e agradeço ao Daniel esta oportunidade e esta aprendizagem, num espaço de total confiança.
Amanhã, o Daniel Rudolph vai participar na primeira reunião no seu novo papel de Coordenador Operacional do Círculo Coração dos Hubs de Transição. Eu vou estar presente num papel de apoio por mais uns meses e depois continuarei as minhas funções num outro espaço do ecossistema da Transição.
Reconheço no Daniel tantas qualidades, mas talvez seja o equilíbrio entre a consciência da importância dos processos interiores (e a sua postura de integridade) e a iniciativa e eficiência nos processos operacionais que eu vejo nele que mais me impressiona.
Espero que haja muitas oportunidades e momentos espaçosos para se fazer conhecer mas, entretanto, fica assim apresentado o Daniel! Espero que o celebrem como ele merece!
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This post is part of Filipa Pimentel’s regular reflections about life in the Transition Movement. Filipa connects personal experiences and reflections to the wider work the movement is doing in the world. Her roles as Co-Lead Link of Transition Network and many years as Hubs coordinator inform her perspectives and reflections; so does the work Filipa does at local and regional levels in various places. These reflections are published in Filipa’s first language: Portuguese.
“I feel that the connection between transitioners is magical: there is this feeling that we belong to the same family, even if we are coming from such different parts of the world, backgrounds, cultures, experiences, languages, contexts. The openness to learn and the capacity to listen actively, the compassion and the creativity are just some of the rare qualities I see around me while working in this field.”
Brussels, 10th of December 2023
It’s late Sunday – outside, it’s dusk, cold and rainy. I sat down to prepare for tomorrow – a busy Monday, full of intense and complex work. Sitting here now, staring at the computer screen, I realise that the preparation I feel I have to do is much more about inner work, heart work, than operational or intellectual work.
Tomorrow, symbolically, an important cycle of my life in the Transition Movement will close, and a new one will open – for me, and for all the others who will have a more or less active role in this ecosystem of the international Transition Hubs network.
I’d love to tell you all the stories I’m carrying, the images, the emotions, the deep connections, and everything I’ve learnt over the last 12 years, but I’m feeling so dizzy that I’m unable to order the long list of words into sentences that synthesise all the meaning I give them. That’s for later. Now I want to tell you about the precise moment when cycles close and open.
On 11 July 2011 I was appointed Transition Hub Coordinator at the Transition Network Conference in Liverpool, UK. This was a complex role, but it gave me a privileged position to accompany the international development of the Transition Movement over all these years. The process of transforming this role in the system has been going on slowly for a couple of years now: from a coordinator, a circle has been formed, and the responsibilities and power of that role have been distributed among the members of that circle – the Hubs Heart Circle.
Now, the time has come for this cycle to come to an end: I now see myself in a space with another person, holding hands, in a process of transformation and transference: we’re preparing a conscious passing of the baton – I’m learning the lesson of detachment once again and reinforcing my stance of being of ‘service’, to the extent that it’s appropriate, an extent that I don’t yet know very well. This process has been beautiful, and I thank Daniel for this opportunity and this learning, in a space of total trust.
Tomorrow, Daniel Rudolph will take part in the first meeting in his new role as Operational Coordinator of the Heart Circle of Transition Hubs. I’ll be there in a supporting role for a few more months and then I’ll continue my duties in another space in the Transition ecosystem.
I recognise so many qualities in Daniel, but perhaps it’s the balance between his awareness of the importance of inner processes (and his stance of integrity) and the initiative and efficiency in operational processes that I see in him that impresses me the most.
I hope there will be plenty of opportunities and moments to make himself known, but in the meantime, this is Daniel! I hope you celebrate him as he deserves!
]]>Hi! This is Esther, facilitator and communications operational lead of the Inner Transition Circle (ITC).
We’re so excited to share with all the Transition movement community that we’ve just launched our Inner website!
The main purpose of the ITC is to catalyse a cultural transformation towards embodied consciousness, compassion and collaboration, aware of the systemic interdependence of all Life on Earth.
To do so, and with the conviction that transformation happens in ripples, we create, gather and share Inner Transition diverse resources, and host spaces to safely share and practise, building personal and community resilience. And here’s where the new website plays a role in service of the Transition movement and our shared core values.
It’s been some weeks and months of work and we’re so grateful to all of you who’ve contributed in many different ways, from the more techy aspects, to your presence in gatherings, and diverse constructive feedback provided. It is a first step in a work-in-progress and we’re looking forward to hearing more from you!
This is a starting point to keep building together. Translations are imperfect, but we are moving forward and any feedback is super welcome.
Also, if you’d like to see some specific resource or event added to the page, please contact us!
We are sending out two free e-newsletters.
Weekly Inner Transition gems: weekly content to stay tuned with Inner: relevant articles, podcasts, guided meditations, practical resources to implement in your daily life…
Monthly Inner Newsletter: Don’t miss events invitations or featured resources from the community!
You can choose one or both by clicking the button “Subscribe” at the homepage.
Besides the Inner Transition Community of Presence and Practice, we are experimenting with Social Media in our wish to connect with more Beings.
Connect with us and help us spread Inner around via
And of course, feel free to share all this information with friends, colleagues, your community… and the world.
Questions or comments? Happy to start a conversation!
In gratitude,
Esther, on behalf of the Inner Transition Circle
]]>The latest iteration of this group was seated in July 2023 and has recently signed on for another six months after an initial six-month test run. Here are some words from current members describing why they joined the Training Support Circle, along with links to more information about them.
Josué Desoulier (Belgium): I joined the Training Support Circle to help strengthen Transition Training practices around the world. I bring with me my curiosity, my creativity, and my desire to learn and pass on what I’ve learned. I also bring with me the experience of the many Transition Training courses I’ve created and run since 2010.
Monica Picavêa (Brasil): I joined the Training Support Circle, because I believe it is a very good way to help the whole community of Trainers to get stronger. I have been part of this circle in the past and it is always a place of sharing, self-development, and a great opportunity to serve the Transition Movement with my skills. It is also full of really interesting people.
Shunro Yoshida (Japan): I have been Training since we started Transition in Japan in 2008. Since then I have learned many things from Transition Training. I want to learn more from other countries that have established Training programs and contribute to the international Training Community. It is such a pleasure and honour to work with Transitioners around the world.
Elizabeta Z Jovanovska (Portugal): I enjoy being part of the Training Support Circle as this work aligns with my passion for learning, exploring, changing paradigms, connecting, sharing insights, and celebrating personal and collective growth. I love working with Trainers, in every stage of their Transition journeys, where together we uncover a broader perspective and embark on a shared voyage towards a more conscious and regenerative way of life.
Don Hall (USA): As Transition Network’s Training Coordinator, I’m glad to have the support of these four skilled and experienced Trainers from around the world to develop policies and set priorities for the international Training Community. I hope that members of the wider Training Community don’t hesitate to reach out to us anytime with ideas, suggestions, questions, and feedback. We need everybody’s input and engagement to effectively do our job.
Hoje comecei o dia a trocar mensagens com o meu irmão, ainda durante aquela primeiríssima hora do fim-de-semana que, por me abrir o espaço no tempo do crepúsculo, é frequentemente um momento que me oferece acesso a perspectivas pouco visitadas e quando começo processos de reflexão que se instalam por vários dias.
O meu irmão interessa-se por composição musical e dei comigo a tentar descrever-lhe o que seria para mim uma música que representasse ‘Transição’: imagino uma melodia que nos eleve, nos inspire, com ritmos que nos evocam a natureza; que exprima simplicidade mas também que nos surpreenda – que tenha um certo viés, que saia dos caminhos trilhados por hábito; sobretudo, que não seja um exemplo de ‘perfeição’. Isso! Foi por me ter demorado a pensar no conceito de ‘imperfeição’ (e do desconforto que a imperfeição nos pode trazer) que me lembrei de um par de histórias que me surgiram um destes dias.
O meu colega Philipp integrou a equipa da Transition Network há cerca de um ano. No processo de encontrar o seu papel na equipa e a postura que convém a esse papel, o Philipp faz listas de perguntas que vai distribuindo, usando os vários canais que nos servem na comunicação. Um dia, já não sei em que canal, encontrei uma pergunta que me era destinada que me desconcertou: “Tens a certeza que nós ainda somos assim?”
A pergunta vinha emparelhada com um VÍDEO (ver acima) que eu conheço bem: um vídeo gravado pelo Rob Hopkins, durante um encontro dos Hubs de Transição, em 2014, em Copenhaga, Dinamarca – entrevistados pelo Rob, fomos aparecendo felizes e emocionados, mencionando a resiliência e criatividade como sendo uma característica comum de quem é ativista de Transição. Este grupo de pessoas vindas dos 4 cantos do mundo para um encontro internacional, na própria manhã do evento, encontrámo-nos à porta de um espaço que não reunia as condições mínimas nos receber. No espaço de uma hora, ocupámos um parque de estacionamento, ali numa rua ao lado; todo o grupo se ativou, montámos toda a estrutura necessária a uma conferência internacional de Hubs de Transição e lançámos o encontro de forma tão focada e inspirada como nos anos anteriores, com menos de 30 minutos de atraso.
Grande parte das imagens foram capturadas na nossa sala de reunião: o parque de estacionamento, e foi esse desvio do plano que perdurou como símbolo da resiliência dos activistas de transição durante muito tempo, para este grupo, e foi uma história contada muitas vezes, muito para além dele.
Lembrei-me de tantas outras histórias de imperfeições, desvios de plano e das reações inspiradas de activistas de transição mas última história que vivi, ainda hoje me faz sorrir: durante o 3º Encontro pelas Florestas – edição Ibérica (8-9 Setembro, 2023, Fafe, Portugal), organizado pela Reflorestar Portugal, eu aceitei facilitar uma discussão depois da exibição do fantástico e inspirador documentário ALTER NATIVAS, de Agustí Corominas y Juan del Río (Rede de Transição Espanha). Nesse dia, houve atrasos e seriam talvez 22:30h quando finalmente se lançou a exibição do documentário (que tem mais de duas horas); durante esses dias choveu como se de um dilúvio se tratasse e a tenda que nos albergava vertia. Convencida que o atraso e as condições climatéricas desencorajariam a intenção do público de ficar para uma discussão, quase à 1:00 da manhã, vinha já de saída (às escuras porque, com a tempestade, não se podia mexer na electricidade) quando me chamaram. Não me passou pela cabeça dizer que não. Lá fui eu às apalpadelas, guiada pelas vozes do público que enchia a tenda, encontrei o centro, e facilitei uma discussão acesa, respondi às perguntas dos participantes inspirados, no breu total. Não faço ideia quantas pessoas estavam à minha volta e quem participou nessa conversa comigo, mas pareceu-me ser eu a única pessoa que terá duvidado que o debate fosse acontecer. E provavelmente a única pessoa que solta uma gargalhada ainda hoje, quando revivo a situação.
Para mim, os desconcertos que certas perguntas me trazem são tão férteis como os desvios do que pensei controlar. São desconfortos da mesma natureza, daqueles que me incendeiam a imaginação e a criatividade, tal como a minha querida Isabela Menezes da Transição Brasil dizia, no vídeo do encontro dos Hubs. Sei também que o Philipp intui que eu preciso deste tipo de perguntas para encontrar a essência da resposta que lhes possa dar.
Vou responder ao Philipp que histórias de resiliência, criatividade e inspiração face aos desafios que surgem, neste nosso movimento e para além dele, há milhares. Tenho a certeza. Só temos que as ouvir e contar em voz alta.
Também sei que a pergunta desconcertante do Philipp traz uma mensagem importante, especificamente dirigida às nossas equipas de apoio internacionais – interpreto-a como um apelo para que a nossa energia continue sempre a alimentar a experimentação num espaço novo, desconhecido, bem fora da nossa zona de conforto, e que fujamos da estagnação e da manutenção do status quo. Como eu concordo totalmente, eu diria que só temos que organizar mais encontros, lançarmo-nos em projectos que desconhecemos, sem esperar que tudo seja perfeito, e acolher momentos de tensão – os desastres acontecerão e as histórias também – afinal, somos todos ‘Transição’
‘Sem desconforto não há transição!’ (Susana do projecto ‘Origens’, Viseu, Portugal)
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This post is part of Filipa Pimentel’s regular reflections about life in the Transition Movement. Filipa connects personal experiences and reflections to the wider work the movement is doing in the world. Her roles as Co-Lead Link of Transition Network and many years as Hubs coordinator inform her perspectives and reflections; so does the work Filipa does at local and regional levels in various places. These reflections are published in Filipa’s first language: Portuguese.
“I feel that the connection between transitioners is magical: there is this feeling that we belong to the same family, even if we are coming from such different parts of the world, backgrounds, cultures, experiences, languages, contexts. The openness to learn and the capacity to listen actively, the compassion and the creativity are just some of the rare qualities I see around me while working in this field.”
Today I started the day exchanging messages with my brother, still during that very first hour of the weekend which, because it opens up space for me in the twilight hours, is often a moment that offers me access to little-visited perspectives and when I begin processes of reflection that last for several days.
My brother is interested in musical composition and I found myself trying to describe to him what a piece of music that represents ‘Transition’ would be like for me: I imagine a melody that uplifts us, inspires us, with rhythms that evoke nature; that expresses simplicity but also surprises us – that has a certain bias, that goes off the beaten track; above all, that is not an example of ‘perfection’. It was because I was thinking about the concept of ‘imperfection’ (and the discomfort that imperfection can bring us) that I remembered a couple of stories that came to me the other day.
My colleague Philipp joined the Transition Network team about a year ago. In the process of finding his role in the team and the posture that suits that role, Philipp makes lists of questions that he distributes, using the various channels that serve us in communication. One day, I don’t know in which channel, I came across a question that was meant for me and which disconcerted me: “Are you sure we’re still like this?”
The question was paired with a VIDEO (see above) that I know well: a video recorded by Rob Hopkins during a Transition Hubs meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2014 – interviewed by Rob, we appeared happy and emotional, mentioning resilience and creativity as a common characteristic of Transition activists. This group of people had come from all four corners of the world for an international meeting, and on the morning of the event we found ourselves outside a space that didn’t have the minimum conditions to welcome us. In the space of an hour, we occupied a car park in the next street; the whole group was activated, we set up all the necessary structure for an international conference of Transition Hubs and we launched the meeting as focused and inspired as in previous years, less than 30 minutes late.
Most of the images were captured in our meeting room: the car park, and it was this deviation from the plan that has endured as a symbol of transition activists’ resilience for a long time, for this group, and has been a story told many times, far beyond it.
I remembered so many other stories of imperfections, deviations from the plan and the inspired reactions of transition activists, but the last story I experienced still makes me smile today: during the 3rd Meeting for Forests – Iberian edition (8-9 September 2023, Fafe, Portugal), organised by Reflorestar Portugal, I agreed to facilitate a discussion after the screening of the fantastic and inspiring documentary ALTER NATIVAS, by Agustí Corominas and Juan del Río (Transition Network Spain). On that day, there were delays and it was perhaps 10.30pm when the documentary (which is over two hours long) was finally shown; during those days it rained like a deluge and the tent that housed us was leaking. Convinced that the delay and the weather conditions would discourage the audience from staying for a discussion, at almost 1am I was leaving (in the dark because, with the storm, the electricity couldn’t be touched) when I was called. It did not cross my mind to say no. I groped my way out, guided by the voices of the audience that filled the tent, found the centre of the room and facilitated a heated discussion, answering the questions of the inspired participants in total darkness. I have no idea how many people were around me and who took part in this conversation with me, but I seemed to be the only person who doubted that the debate would take place. And probably the only person who bursts into laughter even today when I relive the situation.
For me, the disconcertions that certain questions bring me are as fertile as the deviations from what I thought I could control. They are discomforts of the same nature, the kind that ignite my imagination and creativity, as my dear Isabela Menezes from Transição Brasil said in the video of the Hubs meeting. I also know that Philipp realises that I need these kinds of questions to find the essence of the answer I can give him.
I’m going to tell Philipp that there are thousands of stories of resilience, creativity and inspiration in the face of the challenges that arise in our movement and beyond. I’m sure of it. We just have to hear them and tell them out loud.
I also know that Philipp’s disconcerting question carries an important message, specifically addressed to our international support teams – I interpret it as a call for our energy to always keep fuelling experimentation in a new, unknown space, well outside our comfort zone, and to flee stagnation and the status quo. As I totally agree, I would say that we just have to organise more meetings, launch ourselves into projects we don’t know about, without expecting everything to be perfect, and welcome moments of tension – disasters will happen and so will stories – after all, we are all ‘Transition’
‘Without discomfort there is no transition!’ (Susana from the ‘Origens’ project, Viseu, Portugal)
]]>Eu devia ‘era’ sair destas redes sociais! – digo eu, tantas vezes, de manhã, quando me sento à frente do ecrã. Ainda que me sirvam como instrumento de trabalho e de conexão pessoal, tenho este hábito de me virar contra as redes sociais quando me sinto pouco inspirada, ou quando sinto o meu espaço mental encolhido.
Hoje, não foi isso que aconteceu. Eu, que passo grande parte do tempo a sentir-me inspirada por visões de futuros possíveis, tenho dificuldade em manter lembranças de momentos importantes classificadas por data, numa cadência rigorosa que me traga acesso à consciência da minha própria história (e da história de outras pessoas, importantes para mim). Esta manhã, foi uma destas redes que me devolveu à memória imagens publicadas exatamente há um ano – dia 2 de Outubro 2022: um conjunto de fotografias com imagens várias de sorrisos e de emoção profunda, todas elas sob um pano de fundo em tons de verde intenso, e de montanhas tão altas que o céu quase ficou sem representação.
Às vezes acontece-me viver determinados eventos como ‘convergências’ – como se aquele lugar e momento fosse o ponto onde naturalmente certos processos desembocam, ciclos se fecham e outros se abrem, onde pessoas com um propósito comum se encontram ou reencontram – num ritual cheio de significado e de emoções partilhadas, criando um marco no tempo. Este foi um destes eventos – a primeira Assembleia Geral da Université du Nous (UdN), nas montanhas de Belledonne na Savóia, França, no Domaine d’Avallon.
A história dos meus processos e dos meus ciclos, neste contexto, começou em 2015. Em 2015 a minha equipa da Transition Network iniciou um processo de reflexão sobre a nossa governança interna, questionando os nossos padrões de comportamento, conscientes ou inconscientes, em relação ao ‘poder’. No contexto de quem vem culturalmente de um mundo que funciona numa lógica da ”dominação’, se estamos convictos que esta lógica está na raiz da crise sistémica do paradigma em que vivemos, temos uma obrigação moral de olhar para os elementos do sistema mais próximos de nós – nós mesmos!
Em 2018 fizemos a alteração oficial da nossa governança – redesenhámos as nossas estruturas internas e adotámos novos processos de tomada de decisões – com a formação e acompanhamento da Université du Nous – com base num modelo híbrido de Sociocracia e Holacracia, personalizado. Para além de explorar e a adotar a mudança que queremos ajudar a trazer ao mundo, exploramos também como trabalhar de forma mais eficiente e resiliente face a emergência e complexidade, em inteligência colectiva, distribuindo poder, recursos, fazendo-o de forma transparente. Fazemos isso experimentando, inovando, sempre, partilhando o que aprendemos.
A verdade é que vivi uma epifania. Este trabalho foi de tal forma transformador, que me lancei numa jornada de aprendizagem de vários modelos de governança partilhada (UdN, Sociocracy for All, Holacracia, Democracia Profunda) e de dedicação a contribuir a esta exploração em vários papéis, dentro da minha organização e fora.
Dia 2 de Outubro de 2022 foi o último dia da primeira Assembleia Geral da UdN. Eu, como muitas outras pessoas queridas que convergiram para aquelas montanhas, fechando uns ciclos e abrindo outros, tornei-me membro cooperante da UdN e integrei um grupo de trabalho intitulado ‘Escuta do Mundo’. Hoje, vejo estas fotografias e revivo a emoção que sinto por fazer parte de uma comunidade, de estar ligada, estreitamente, a pessoas que acreditam numa mudança societal justa, explorando, colaborando e partilhando o que aprendem, sempre em integridade.
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This post is part of Filipa Pimentel’s regular reflections about life in the Transition Movement. Filipa connects personal experiences and reflections to the wider work the movement is doing in the world. Her roles as Lead Link of Transition Network and many years as Hubs coordinator inform her perspectives and reflections; so does the work Filipa does at local and regional levels in various places. These reflections are published in Filipa’s first language: Portuguese.
“I feel that the connection between transitioners is magical: there is this feeling that we belong to the same family, even if we are coming from such different parts of the world, backgrounds, cultures, experiences, languages, contexts. The openness to learn and the capacity to listen actively, the compassion and the creativity are just some of the rare qualities I see around me while working in this field.”
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
I should get off these social networks! – I say so many times in the morning when I sit down in front of the screen. Even though they serve as a tool for work and personal connection, I have this habit of turning to social media when I feel uninspired or when I feel my mental space shrinking.
Today, that’s not what happened. I, who spend much of my time feeling inspired by visions of possible futures, find it difficult to keep memories of important moments categorised by date, in a strict cadence that brings me access to awareness of my own history (and the history of other people who are important to me). This morning, it was one of these networks that brought back to mind images published exactly one year ago – on 2 October 2022: a set of photographs with various images of smiles and deep emotion, all of them against a backdrop of deep green tones and mountains so high that the sky was almost left unrepresented.
Sometimes I experience certain events as ‘convergences’ – as if that place and moment were the point where certain processes naturally end, cycles close and others open, where people with a common purpose meet or meet again – in a ritual full of meaning and shared emotions, creating a milestone in time. This was one such event – the first General Assembly of the Université du Nous (UdN), in the mountains of Belledonne in Savoy, France, at the Domaine d’Avallon.
The story of my processes and my cycles in this context began in 2015. In 2015 my Transition Network team began a process of reflection on our internal governance, questioning our patterns of behaviour, conscious or unconscious, in relation to ‘power’. In the context of those of us who come culturally from a world that operates on a logic of ‘domination’, if we are convinced that this logic is at the root of the systemic crisis of the paradigm in which we live, we have a moral obligation to look at the elements of the system closest to us – ourselves!
In 2018 we made the official change to our governance – we redesigned our internal structures and adopted new decision-making processes – with the training and accompaniment of Université du Nous – based on a personalised hybrid model of Sociocracy and Holacracy. As well as exploring and embracing the change we want to help bring to the world, we also explore how to work more efficiently and resiliently in the face of emergence and complexity, in collective intelligence, distributing power, resources and doing so transparently. We do this by experimenting, innovating, always sharing what we have learnt.
The truth is that I experienced an epiphany. This work was so transformative that I embarked on a journey of learning about various models of shared governance (UdN, Sociocracy for All, Holacracy, Deep Democracy) and dedicating myself to contributing to this exploration in various roles, within my organisation and beyond.
2 October 2022 was the last day of the first UdN General Assembly. I, like many other dear people who converged on those mountains, closing some cycles and opening others, became a co-operating member of the UdN and joined a working group called ‘Listening to the World’. Today, I look at these photographs and relive the emotion I feel of being part of a community, of being closely linked to people who believe in fair societal change, exploring, collaborating and sharing what they learn, always in integrity.
]]>The Transition Movement is looking for a Hubs Heart Circle Operational Coordinator. This role is a very important part of our international support ecosystem. It is an opportunity to be involved in a wide range of activities, from international strategising and visioning to delivering value to the movement via coordinating delivery of key projects.
Find more detailed information about the role and the Transition Movement here (application pack).
We welcome applications from everyone. At the international level, we are particularly keen to increase the representation of peoples from the global south, BIPOC, working class communities, and disabled people. We are committed to actively exploring how we can make our organisation a place where people from a wide variety of backgrounds, lived experiences and with varied needs can thrive.
We will host a Q&A session on 12th October – 12.00 – 13.00 UTC. Participation is optional. The video will be embedded here/on this page after the event.
If you cannot attend the session, you may submit questions in advance by email. The session will be recorded to watch later. If you would like more information about this session please contact us at hhc-recruitment@transitionnetwork.org.
To apply, please fill in the application form by 00.00/midnight (GMT/UTC) on 22nd October 2023.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview. Interviews will be conducted in the first half of November.
If this application process is a barrier to you applying then please get in touch via the above email to discuss potential alternatives. Similarly if you have any questions or issues you’d like to explore before applying, please contact hhc-recruitment@transitionnetwork.org.
We look forward to receiving your application.
]]>As community activists we know how hard it can be to envision a better future. We may have some good ideas that we are able to share but sharing those and bringing them into a coherent and shared vision for our community is a challenge. Yet, we also know that it is a critical practice if we want to build a more equitable world that functions within planetary boundaries.
Luckily, we can draw on experiences and processes from the Transition Movement. One such gem of the Transition Movement is the ‘Town Anywhere’ process. ‘Town Anywhere’ invites us to imagine and design a better future for all of us to thrive in. We (Philipp on behalf of Transition Network) have spoken to Ruth Ben-Tovim and Tim Taylor.
Ruth is one of the members of the artist team that created the Town Anywhere process about 10 years ago – Ruth specialises in designing and delivering tailor made participatory arts projects and processes in community, environmental, education and regeneration contexts. Tim Taylor from Korimako leads the Thriving Communities initiative, which is helping communities to create radical enough change to thrive in the 21st century, especially in SE Europe currently.
Tim and Ruth are working together to bring Town Anywhere to central Europe this September, with a session leading into Placemaking Week Europe.
Ruth: Town Anywhere is a hands-on creative visioning process that brings potential community futures to life.
Using immersive future scenarios, large scale model-making and timed challenges the Town Anywhere process helps participants to play and practice community visioning, ideation and storytelling in a virtual, but tangible, environment.
Town anywhere is designed to help us to rebuild our civic imagination capacities, which we need for better shaping the thriving futures we are striving for.
Ruth: The First Town anywhere took place at the annual International Transition Network conference in London at Battersea Arts Centre ten years ago with over 300 people from all over the world taking part. Transition Network commissioned me to work with a small art, design and facilitation team including Sophy Banks, Chrissy Godfrey, Jo Hardy, Rob Hopkins, Shane Hughes and Lucy Neal to dream up a large-scale visioning process for the heart of the conference.
Town Anywhere is an extraordinary exercise. It invites us to step into the future, to reimagine and rebuild the world, and to then inhabit it. One of the most magical things I’ve ever been part of.
Rob Hopkins, Transition Network
Tim: A civic imagination crisis is blocking many of us from envisioning the future we want to strive for. At a community level we need to rebuild our collective imagination capacity, so that we can imagine a better future and design for it together. We were inspired by Rob Hopkins and Transition Network to try Town Anywhere as a process to help with this much-needed Civic Imagination Regeneration. Ruth is passionate about the power of collective and embodied creative participation to catalyse new ways of being and doing.
Tim: If we can’t imagine the future we want, then we can’t set a course to achieve it. Without a vision the tools we can bring to bear on helping radical change processes are useless – if there is no collective story or picture of what we are striving towards we will never get there.
Ruth:Town Anywhere brings people together to imagine, build and then inhabit a positive vision of how thriving communities could be in 2030 – places where all beings can genuinely live and thrive within planetary boundaries.
By the end of the workshop, the new residents of Town Anywhere 2030s have created a physical representation of the sort of thriving town that they long to live in. Collectively shaping and inhabiting this potential future strengthens our enthusiasm and resolve to go on and make it real.
Ruth: I am keen to see a lot more communities using this process. I think people need to experience it first. Tim and I have talked about a training programme to help more people to go on and use the process with their communities.
Tim: I’d love to see a lot of communities using this process to help them get better at shaping those futures stories. I would really like to try a blending of a citizens assembly approach to ensure equitable participation/representation from a community, and a Town Anywhere process to help that group shape future stories for their community that then become a key part of the community’s development strategies.
Thank you Ruth and Tim for sharing with us about the Town Anywhere process and Thriving Communities.
If you like to find out more about Town Anywhere please follow the links above.
Right now there is a chance to experience the process as part of the Placemaking Week Europe 2023! The event will take place in Strasbourg on the 26th of September 2023.
]]>We are excited to announce that the first iteration of the Transition Facilitators Training is ready to launch.
Transition Facilitators Training is a free, guided online course designed for existing and aspiring Transition Trainers. It will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to facilitate transformational learning journeys based on the unique approach to change-making developed by the international Transition Towns Movement.
By the end you will be in a position to offer Trainsition Training in your location. This will strenghten your local movements, lead to greater impact, and enable you to make Transition a more integral part of your professional life. It is also an essential foundation for further offerings that are making in future.
Each of the eight sessions will feature a 30-45 minute presentation recorded by a leading practitioner in the field, 1-2 hours of homework that will deepen your understanding of that week’s topic, and a 90-minute live Zoom meeting for you to ask questions of instructors, practice delivering training content, and receive feedback from your peers.
This course is free of charge. We suggest that you: