Training for Transition ~ Bloomington, Indiana

Four Key Assumptions of the Transition Initiative Process: ? That life with dramatically lower energy consumption is inevitable, and that its better to plan for it than be taken by surprise. ? That our communities presently lack the resilience to enable them to weather the severe energy shocks that will accompany peak oil. ? That we have to act collectively, and we have to act now. ? That by unleashing the collective genius of those around us to creatively and proactively design our energy future, we can build ways of living that are more connected, more enriching and that recognize the biological limits of our planet. Basically the primary aim is to train people to generate the will and cooperative process to make Bloomington (or any other city / town) an official Transition Town. Then, a suitably motivated local group, and / or groups, can take on the specific challenges to actually manifest the goals of Transition which are to reduce the carbon footprint 90%, become petroleum independent and climate change resilient. This means relocalizing the economy and the culture in advance of major social unrest (This is really about 10 years (or more) late, but better late than never). In a nutshell, it's leadership training to help make Bloomington ready for the Transition that is coming at us like a speeding train and to prevent (or at least effectively respond to) a disastrous train wreck (e.g. food and energy shortages, social upheaval, crime, rioting, martial law, etc.) Huge agencies of State are too slow and provide too little too late and we are foolish to depend entirely upon them. Individuals, working in isolation, often feel powerless to generate change. By working together we can make a difference. Please help and join us in whatever way you can. Thanks, Keith Johnson Training for Transition ~ Bloomington, Indiana What: The purpose of the two-day training is to provide an in-depth experiential introduction to Transition for those who are considering bringing Transition to their community or getting involved in the leadership of an already existing local initiative. The training is based on the newly-updated Training for Transition course developed by Naresh Giangrande and Sophy Banks in Totnes, England. Who should attend: All those considering bringing Transition to their community. (NOTE: This course fulfills the training requirement for initiating local Transition groups.) Curriculum: The course includes the "fundamentals" for setting up, running and maintaining a successful Transition Initiative. It is packed with imaginative and inspiring ways to delve into both the theory and practice of Transition, providing training in the basics of Transition for new communities coming on board, as well as other skills necessary to successfully set up and run a Transition Initiative. The weekend will also include a special optional "Transition Clinic" (on Saturday evening) for those who want to go deeper into the nuts and bolts of launching or expanding local Transition Initiatives. When: Saturday, April 18th and Sunday, April 19th , 2009 Where: City Hall Council Chambers, Bloomington City Hall, Bloomington, Indiana Schedule: Saturday, 8:30 a.m. registration; workshop runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with breaks for lunch and dinner; optional Transition Clinic at 7:00 p.m. Sunday workshop runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with lunch break. Instructors: Michael Brownlee and Lynette Marie Hanthorn, certified Transition Trainers and co-founders of Transition Boulder County (the first official Transition Initiative in North America). They each bring more than three years of on-the-ground relocalization experience to the Transition Training, as well as a in-depth practice in organizational development, group process technologies, and psychospiritual processes. Price: $225. ($250 after Monday, April 6th , 2009). Food and lodging not included (though snacks and refreshments will be provided). 5 full (or ten half) scholarships will be available. Space is limited, so please register early! To reserve your space contact Keith Johnson or Zach Mermel ([email protected]), 812-335-0383) or send payment to the following address: 5421 E. Kings Road, Bloomington, IN 47408. Make checks payable to Keith Johnson (be sure to write "Transition Training - Bloomington" in the memo line). Prerequisites Reading The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience (by Rob Hopkins) Transition Primer The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the 21st Century (by James Howard Kunstler) or Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines ( by Richard Heinberg) Viewing "Crude Impact" or "A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash" (Please join us for a free viewing of this film Tuesday March 24 at the Monroe Co Public Library in the Auditorium at 7PM) "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" (Please join us for a free viewing of this film Thursday April 9th at the Monroe Co Public Library in the Auditorium at 7PM) "Sustainability 101" (Dr. Albert Bartlett) When a strong local group arises out the the Training here are some of the tasks that we will take on: - raising public awareness around peak oil and climate change - connecting with existing community groups and local government - launching projects aimed at building people's understanding of local cultural / economic resilience, carbon issues and community engagement - forming groups to look at all the key areas of life (food, energy, transport, health, heart & soul, economics & livelihoods, etc. This will build upon the work of the City Coucil-designated Peak Oil Task Force ) - create an "Energy Descent Action Plan" for Bloomington (and other regions) There will be a limited number of scholarships available for this event. When the enrollment for the course reaches 20 we will offer one free attendance scholarship. When we reach 30, another; 40, another, etc. to 60, basically a total of 5 scholarships. 10 enrollments is our break even point...but we would love to see 60 people in City Hall for this event. If you want to see the following Resolution embraced not only by the Mayor and City Council but also the by the populace, then the training will help you be an effective co-creator of a sustainable Bloomington. Be prepared to get down to work. This is serious (and even seriously exhilarating) business. A Resolution to Establish Bloomington as a TRANSITION TOWN WHEREAS, the people of Bloomington recognize the importance of the move towards more localized energy-efficient and productive living arrangements; and WHEREAS, we desire to build upon our heritage and make Bloomington and Monroe county a place where our economy is locally sustained, business is productive, education is effective, our natural resources are protected and used wisely; and WHEREAS, we recognize that individuals are responsible for their actions and that collectively we can set common goals that secure the localization of food production, energy, goods and services production and proper waste management; and WHEREAS, a lack of commitment and irresponsibility have resulted in an increasing number of social, financial and economic consequences to individual family members and to this city and county as a whole; and WHEREAS, there is a need for more positive initiatives among our young people for their future prosperity and welfare; and WHEREAS, if a people fail to build positive proactive possibilities and only concentrate on wrong reactive choices, the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens are endangered, resulting in a financial burden upon the taxpayers; and WHEREAS, many current societal problems will be alleviated when the citizens of the city and county can live by a sense of anticipation because of identified and supported practical long term solutions; and WHEREAS, teaching Permaculture and Transition skills to a population has been known to produce a change in behavior and their posterity; and WHEREAS, encouraging citizens by recognizing the potential to rebuild local agriculture and food production, localizing energy production, rethinking preventative health care, rediscovering local building materials and rethinking how we manage waste can result in an increase in local morale, local sustainability and local profits; and WHEREAS, the emphasis of local sustainability in every sector of society can only occur as individuals commit themselves to exemplifying those practices in their personal lives and inspiring others to do the same; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the people of this city pledge our commitment to responsible transition to local sustainability, and doing all in our power to become known as a TRANSITION TOWN by promoting sincere efforts to local food, energy, goods and services production and responsible waste management in our schools, businesses, homes, local government, media, and community groups, and we urge the leaders of each of these jurisdictions to do likewise. Adopted by the City Council this ______Day of ____________ 2______ Signed ________________________ Mayor Signed ________________________ City Council Chairman Signed ________________________ City Clerk