In Transition--A Movie and A Movement

In Transition 1.0 from Transition Towns on Vimeo.

OK, say you are not a ostrich with your head buried in the sand. Say you are really wondering how can we create strong, vibrant, resilient, and sustainable communities in the face of increasing challenges like peak oil, climate change, and an unstable and often unjust global economy.

Well, I suggest that you learn more about the international movement of local Transition Initiatives and explore getting directly involved in this creative and positive work in your local community. My own trajectory is clear. I first read The Transition Handbook last year, then checked out the new Transition US website, and attended a training in Boston for potential Transition activists back in the fall. I also started teaching the Transition Movement organizing model as part of my class on “Patterns of Environmental Activism” at Antioch and shared with my students the new online video describing the movement, called In Transition.

More recently, I have attended a few public meetings of Transition Putney, just across the Connecticut River in Vermont, and that group of adventurous people inspired my New Year’s Resolution for 2010 to start an initial organizing group for launching an official Transition Initiative in Keene, New Hampshire, which I and some other Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability grads--along with various other neighbors in Keene--are now putting together.

What might be the right next step for you?