permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

Here's what we're doing in Bloomington IN.

From the TT WIKI...

Split into subgroups to discuss specific parts of the unleashing. These 
subgroups will be:

   * Publicity & Outreach
   * Logistics, Artwork & Room setup
   * Follow up: how we can ensure people stay engaged
   * Food
   * Hosting and Facilitation
   * Entertainment
   * other?

Agreeing To Do Lists, timeline, roles on the day.

*Goals*

  1. Many people attend
  2. Many subgroups are created
  3. The Hub Group is consolidated, well supported and roles filled.
  4. People move on in their commitment during their evening
  5. People gain understanding of why TTs are necessary, powerful and
     how they apply to Bloomington. Also that their central aim is to
     produce an Energy Descent Action Plan (most of which already
     exists as the POTF Report)
  6. People attending are inspired and experience synergy
  7. People have a sense of direction on the action they can take and
     specific targets of TTB
  8. Co-operation is increased between local groups and people,
     especially environmental groups
  9. A new sense of possibility
 10. other....


   What should happen...?

An event that feels like a pulling together of groups, people, energy, 
awareness towards Transition. Celebratory, practical, the 'end very much 
in mind' ie setting targets and asking for people to step up to form 
groups to achieve them... , a space for visioning, for networking, 
finding local allies, synergy...

Decoration, a sense of entrance, Music

A Positive News board. A Peoples Transition Gallery. People encouraged 
to post to it on the day or beforehand.

A business presence.

Something about the 12 steps. Perhaps a demonstration, dramatization... 
or like the stations of the cross around the walls...

Vision space.

   * Post-its on the walls...
   * People able to say I dream rather than I dread.
   * Post-its / pins on a map.
   * Local visionaries saying I dream of a Bloomington...
   * Visioning in small groups, convened to keep it open, positive,
     uncynical.

A timeline...??

Pictures

   * Examples of visionary projects.
   * Housing Solar projects
   * Food Growing
   * etc.

Props / Exhibits

   * Pedal Power
   * Plants, Flowers, Produce
   * Solar Panels
   * More...?

Quotations:

   * from wise people, economists.
   * from TTB visioning exercises over the months.
   * from the Future Bloomington Masterplan

Home Tours?

A headline, e.g.Together towards a better low energy, low-carbon future 
for Blooomington. Rethink, reconnect, relocalize.

Evidence of it being a low carbon event - re-use, local food, drink, 
acoustic music, local generation, pledge from Council / Commissioners / 
others to reduce, re-sign to a Green Energy supplier.

Working group 'stations' around the walls.

Something about our future visions and goals eg, Food growing, Re-use...

Opportunity for people to commit in the white heat of enthusiasm:

   * to convening a working group.
   * to be part of a working group
   * to do something on the jobs list.
   * to be part of a supporting group e.g. events, facilitation, admin.

Feedback form

Endorsements

The results recorded as we go along. And posted soon. Everyone contacted 
within 2 days.

Active welcome crew with badges, encouraging networking, signing up

Transition Handbook signed and on sale. Other books on sale.

Leaflet table.


   Who should be there...?

Speakers: .......

What would we like them to say?

People from every sector in Bloomington, residents, faith groups, 
voluntary sector, health, business, market, creative and cultural, 
council members, leaders, officers, 'Environment Champions', partner 
subcontract organizations.

People not there to boast about what they are doing but to understand 
how far there is to go and to resolve to go there together because it is 
a place we would prefer to be.

Groups of people to remember to invite:

   * Many new people especially unlikely people
         o young people, children
         o from estates
         o local businesses
         o the normally resistent
         o from many ethnic communities.
         o elders
   * Politicians
         o Council / Commission leaders and members of every party
         o Council / Commission Exec and Chief Exec.
         o Council Officers,
               + Environment Champions
               + Waste
               + Education
               + Housing
               + Transport
               + Enterprise
         o Local Parties
   * Business
         o Bloomington Market
         o Business Forum/Chamber of Commerce
   * Transport
         o ...?...
         o public transport
         o delivery bikes
   * Faith
   * Schools Colleges Adult Education
         o Ivy Tech
         o IU
         o HSs
   * Youth
   * Scouts, 4H, Big Brother/Big Sister...
   * Voluntary Sector
   * Green Groups
   * Arts Groups
   * Leisure
   * Unions
   * Freecycle
   * Supported Community
   * Housing Coops/ Residents/ Neighborhood Assocs
   * Energy
         o SIREN
         o Local energy saving inspectors.
         o Local renewable installers
   * Food
         o Bloomingfoods
         o HIlltop
         o Community Garden Groups
         o Local Growers Guild
         o Bloomington Organic Growers
         o Master Gardeners
   * Churches
   * Community Associations
   * Local FOE / Greenpeace / IFA, etc.
   * Energy Efficiency consultants
   * BioRegional orgs

Outsiders

   * Other TT reps
   * ...?...
   * State Representatives
   * Other state Reps


   TO DO LIST

Publicize and plan April meeting.

   * Contact individuals and groups above to get a definite guest list...
   * Do general outreach to groups
   * Do publicity campaign
         o Flier?
         o Newspapers
         o Green Events
         o networks

Material:

   * Quotations
   * Pictures
   * Booking music, food,
   * Decoration
   * Get TTB banner
   * Map
         o Laminate BIG Bloomington map...)
         o Get aerial photo

*PRESS RELEASE (sample - adapted from Brixton UK)
Transition Town Bloomington
The Great Unleashing*

Credit crunch gloom is dominating newspaper headlines and TV news reports.

But a growing, vibrant grass roots movement in Bloomington, IN, is 
saying that things don't have to be this way.

Transition Town Bloomington is offering nothing less than an antidote to 
a runaway consumer society in which rocketing fuel bills, sky-high food 
prices, over-priced housing and climate meltdown are giving us all 
sleepless nights.

A group of people from all walks of life are working on a plan to turn 
this into the first Indiana city-based model of a low carbon, 
sustainable community.

Our basic belief is that the usual political suspects are not going to 
deliver a safe, happy, fossil fuel-free future for us and our children 
-- so we're going to have to do it for ourselves.

Teams of dedicated, enthusiastic local volunteers are looking at new 
ways to tackle everything from transport and energy generation and use 
to food production and distribution and waste management.

One of our more eye-catching plans is the Abundance Project, a scheme to 
grow and distribute food locally by identifying and using every spare 
centimeter of growing space in Bloomington

Another is a one-day test run for a local currency usable in stores and 
businesses in the area and designed to encourage local shopping habits.

April 24th will be the Great Unleashing, the day when we officially work 
on the Bloomington Energy Descent Plan, our blueprint for weaning us off 
our dangerous addiction to rapidly-vanishing fossil fuels (based on POTF 
Report).

It's a big moment. The Transition Town movement, started in Totnes, 
Devon, in 2005, now includes more than 100 towns and initiatives 
worldwide. But Transition Town Bloomington is the first to launch in 
Indiana.

There'll be food and music too. This a celebration after all -- a 
celebration of an exciting future that we already starting to make happen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://transitionus.org/stories/transition-laguna-beach-ready-set-go
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unleashing Videos
http://nachhaltiger.net/index.php/2009/09/news/transition-towns-whats-a-great-unleashing-video/
http://www.vimeo.com/3049457
http://ttv.posterous.com/transition-langport-great-unleashing
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TT Websites
http://www.transitionberkhamsted.org.uk/
http://www.transitioneast.net/
http://www.transitionlangport.org/
http://www.sandpointtransitioninitiative.org/
http://www.transitionrogerspark.org/
http://ttv.posterous.com/
http://www.transitiontownwigan.org/
http://transitiontowns.org/forum/


--

Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516, Bloomington, IN 47407
(812) 335-0383
- Permaculture Activist <http://www.permacultureactivist.net/>
- Permaculture Trading Post <http://www.permaculturetradingpost.com/>
- Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting 
<http://www.permacultureactivist.net/design/Designconsult.html>
- Permaculture & Regenerative Design News Blog 
<http://kjpermaculture.blogspot.com/>
- Permaculture Politics Blog <http://permaculturepolitics.blogspot.com/>

- Transition Indiana <http://transitionindiana.blogspot.com/> - Blog 
<http://transitionindiana.blogspot.com/>

- Transition Bloomington <http://transitionbloomingtonind.ning.com/>
- The Gardeners' World Blog <http://theecosystem.blogspot.com/>
- Renaissance Farm and Permaculture Center 
<http://bloomingtongrowers.locallygrown.net/growers/show/212>
- Bloomington Permaculture Growers Cooperative 
<http://bloomingtongrowers.locallygrown.net/>
- Bloomington Permaculture Guild Blog 
<http://bloomingtonpermacultureguild.blogspot.com/> - Calendar 
<http://my.calendars.net/bloomingtonpccal/>
- Switch to Solar Power the Easy Way 
<http://www.jointhesolution.com/KeithJ-SunPower>

--

Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516, Bloomington, IN 47407
(812) 335-0383
- Permaculture Activist <http://www.permacultureactivist.net/>
- Permaculture Trading Post <http://www.permaculturetradingpost.com/>
- Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting 
<http://www.permacultureactivist.net/design/Designconsult.html>
- Permaculture & Regenerative Design News Blog 
<http://kjpermaculture.blogspot.com/>
- Permaculture Politics Blog <http://permaculturepolitics.blogspot.com/>

- Transition Indiana <http://transitionindiana.blogspot.com/> - Blog 
<http://transitionindiana.blogspot.com/>

- Transition Bloomington <http://transitionbloomingtonind.ning.com/>
- The Gardeners' World Blog <http://theecosystem.blogspot.com/>
- Renaissance Farm and Permaculture Center 
<http://bloomingtongrowers.locallygrown.net/growers/show/212>
- Bloomington Permaculture Growers Cooperative 
<http://bloomingtongrowers.locallygrown.net/>
- Bloomington Permaculture Guild Blog 
<http://bloomingtonpermacultureguild.blogspot.com/> - Calendar 
<http://my.calendars.net/bloomingtonpccal/>
- Switch to Solar Power the Easy Way 
<http://www.jointhesolution.com/KeithJ-SunPower>