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Voices From Transition Chester
November 2008
An astrologer predicted the world would end on the middle Tuesday of October. He was wrong. However, that was the week of extreme turmoil on the financial markets, events that have jolted the certainties of many. Presently, I keep meeting people who are reassessing what is important to them. I like to think that he was right, that our choices today are shaping a new world.
In traditional Japan, the New Year’s holiday was 3 months long. Down on the allotment today, I could sense how the energy of nature had gone quiet, how it seemed to be taking a break after another season of growing. Perhaps the old timers were copying the natural rhythm. I would gladly swap the regular rhythm of bills and the 5 day week for something earthy.
In this issue, articles have been submitted by different people. We have:
- The Story of Stuff
- Finding Our Roots
- Changing the Dream Symposium
- Share Tips from the Trading Floor
- The Transition Chester Wiki
- News from Transition Chester
- Events for your Diary- starting next week!
The Transition Library
A funding application has been completed for a collection of books and DVDs that inspire the change to a sustainable society. If successful, the titles will be kept together to make it a browser’s delight. You might go to learn about keeping chickens in your backyard, but also be thrilled to find out how to make sour dough bread.
Transition Chester go online!
Our wiki site on the Transition Towns website is now up and running. Check in to http://transitiontowns.org/Chester/Chester for regular updates on what’s happening with the different working groups, Transition Chester events and other local groups. It’s about as low tech as you can get, but it’s enough to keep the lines of communication open and start a dialogue.
The site is meant to be used and meant to be interactive, so if you have any events you would like to advertise, would like a link to your local group or business, or have ideas for new pages for the site, please get in touch – transitionchester@yahoo.co.uk or 07717 828819.
Wanted: I.T. enthusiast to help maintain our wiki
- Love I.T.?
- Want to support the great transition in Chester?
- Got a (very) little time to spare?
Members of the Coordinating Group admit to being I.T. challenged. If there’s anyone out there with enough IT skills to sex up our wiki and help keep it up to date, we’d love to hear from you. As far as we can work out, once you know what you’re doing, it won’t take up too much of your time. We just don’t know what we’re doing!
Trees for Chester
We are working hard on our vision to have fruit and nut trees growing in the city. Bags of plump sweet chestnuts, hazelnuts and monkey puzzle nuts have been collected. They all taste great. We will plant the remainder and give the saplings away for free. Also, we are applying for funding so we can plant mulberries, medlars, walnuts, goji berries, edible fuschias, that sort of thing, on suitable land. Finding land is proving challenging work, but we are confident.
A list of useful trees and shrubs will appear on the wiki before Christmas. Donations, help and enthusiasm would be greatly received.
The Story of Stuff
I urge you to check out the internet film ‘The Story of Stuff’
This short 20 minute film takes the viewer on a provocative tour of our consumer driven culture. It’s a rapid fire, fact filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns.
Annie Leonard’s narration complements some simple but highly effective visuals that expose the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues.
The film taught me things, made me laugh and definitely changed the way I view my ‘stuff’
Join the 4 million viewers that have already caught the film.
www.storyofstuff.com
A professional trader chooses the hot sectors that will provide the best returns. Vince also tells you what will bomb. Sign him up for the transition movement. (it is an edited version so the argument is not coherent. It does get me thinking of community-owned alternative energy schemes and local currencies. Ed)
“ I think the time of LONG TERM investment in stocks has come and gone..
the printing presses are running, creating more and more dollars that are worth NOTHING. It is all based on illusion and good faith. What happens when it falls, which it will! What will have real value are the basic things that really create abundance: Food, Energy, Shelter, Water. These are the sectors to invest in.
Inflation is going to get worse and you need to ensure you are not losing in this hidden tax.
I heard it best last night when a comedian said, "Can you believe that the broke people are now bailing out the rich people.” If anything, this economy has caused a wake up to some people. I will tell you, I feel quite different about the USA than I used to. I think we Americans have been asleep at the wheel while our wealth has been stolen by greedy politicians, CEOs and bankers. ”
Did you know? 1 steak has the same CO2 footprint as driving 19 miles in a 4x4?
Or that transportation accounts for only 11% of food’s CO2 emissions?
Finding our roots - The Heart and Soul of transition
In these times of change, as the news gets gloomier by the day, I have often had cause to reflect on the ancient Hermetic wisdom
As above, so below
As within, so without
In essence, this tells us that the outer world we see around us is a reflection of our inner state of consciousness. From this point of view, our current society, of industrial estates, road rage and ASBOs is simply the manifestation of something deep within the collective consciousness.
As I navigate through Chester’s traffic jams and supermarket queues, I have come to understand this ‘something’ to be a fundamental disconnection with our natural environment and our real needs as human beings. When we lead our lives in this modern way, we often feel stressed out and unhappy or dissatisfied at some level. This in turn further disconnects us from our environment, numbing us to our natural rhythms and real needs, and so the outer world obliges by reflecting our pain back to us, with more stress and more ugliness.
Why is this relevant to transition? It is relevant because the combination of peak oil, climate change and economic unrest is, in my view, going to shake our society and our communities here in Chester to their foundations. The very fact of modern life means that a scant few of us have stable foundations to shake: notice what has happened to the world economy in the past few months and how it has affected our lives in this country.
The world wasn’t always this way. Speaking of the contrast between indigenous and modern Western cultures, Don Enrique Salmon, a Mexican-American medicine man observed: “If a big storm comes along, Native Americans’ roots are deep into the earth. But for a lot of Anglos, there aren’t many roots. The next storm comes along and they would all be blown off the universe.”
I believe that the Transition Town movement offers a way out of this predicament. Sure it’s an experiment, but I do know that by simply coming together in collective endeavour, while holding a strong positive vision of the future, we are already fulfilling a deep-seated human need – that of mutually beneficial and nurturing relationships within a supportive community - surely a recipe for greater personal and collective happiness? As we achieve small successes, so our inner map also begins to change to reflect a more positive and empowered world view. The first half of the saying I began with reminds us that we have the capacity to create our own heaven, right here on earth.
Peak oil will ultimately force us let go of our addiction to the material ‘stuff’ that somehow seems so fundamental to our quality of life at this time. But, as we learn to live more simply, we also liberate space and time to enjoy priceless pleasures, like learning to create objects of real practical value and of beauty, growing our own food, or spending time with people we love. Thus, by stages, we are reconnected back to the web of life, and with the place we call home.
If you are interested in exploring these and other related issues over a cup of tea and a slice of cake, the Heart and Soul group run monthly open space gatherings. So far, we’ve been sharing things that have inspired us, celebrating the good things and building the group energy through simple meditation exercises. Please join us, and bring your own point of view to the circle. The next meeting is on 26th November, in Handbridge. Contact me if you would like to know more – 07717 828819 / rebeccaimber@gmail.com.
Clothing with a Conscience
invite you to join them for
Christmas with a Conscience
At Wesley Methodist Church, Chester
If you are tired of the commercialism of Christmas then this could be an evening for you.
They will be modelling fairly traded clothes and gifts, giving demonstrations and giving you the opportunity to make your own Christmas cards and decorations. Transition Chester will run a stall there with: a display about transition towns and what’s been happening in Chester, sample “Morsbags”, a slideshow, a mini Freeconomy giveaway, Wompom cards, with profits to Trees for Chester, plus Laurence will be making natural Christmas decorations.
Where on Earth are we going? And what can we do about it?
These are two of the questions that are at the heart of the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium.
The Symposium is an unusual and engaging inquiry into a bold vision: to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on Earth. The Symposium originated in the US and has spread across the globe with the help of volunteer facilitators and enthusiastic promoters. Using sometimes beautiful and sometimes moving video images along with well researched expert opinion, our local facilitators will help the gathering to explore four key questions:
1. Where are we?
2. How did we get here?
3. What is possible for the future?
4. Where do we go from here?
Does this vision and these questions intrigue you? Are you ready to explore what this means for you? Do you yearn for the opportunity to create an inspiring future? If so, we warmly invite you to attend the Symposium on Sunday 18 January 2009.
EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY – all welcome!
* Toastmaster Training with Jane and Tom
19th November, 7–8.30pm, Quaker Meeting House, Frodsham Street.
If you would like to become more confident when speaking in public, then this event is for you. No experience needed. FREE
* Christmas with a Conscience
20th November, 7.30pm
Wesley Methodist Church, St John’s Street.
Tickets are available from the Chester Fair Trade shop at Wesley or on the door
£3, to include refreshments
* Bag-making stall
20th November, 7.30pm
Wesley Methodist Church, St John’s Street
Some of TC will be there with sewing machines and patterns, making shopping bags to give away for free to unsuspecting members of the public. (See www.morsbags.com for more information about the concept behind it). Come along to help or learn new skills. Email us for times.
* TC Social – riverside walk
Sunday the 23rd of November, 1.30pm at the entrance to the Duke’s Drive.
We are meeting for a walk. Please come and join us. We would love to meet you. Starting at 1.30pm at the top of Duke's Drive, we will walk to Eccleston and follow the river back to Chester, where will warm up in the Bear and Billet. Bring a mug and a mince pie/snack. We will brew a cuppa en route with our Kelly Kettle.
Heart and Soul
26th November, 7.30-9pm, Handbridge
There are lots of exciting possibilities for taking this group forward. Come along and join us for our third open space gathering. Brian has also prepared a presentation on our relationship with nature, on which he would like feedback. Contact Rebecca if you would like to know more – 07717 828819 rebeccaimber@gmail.com.
Rhythm of the Heart – an evening with John Lockley
4th December,,6.30-9.30pm Quaker Meeting House
Transition Chester are hosting an evening of storytelling, drumming and ceremony with a traditional medicine man from South Africa. This event will start with a communal supper. 20% of profit to Trees for Chester. £10 on the door (£5 unwaged/low wage). Contact Rebecca for more info – rebeccaimber@gmail.com
Transition Group Meeting
Our next meeting will be Thursday 8th January at 7.30pm in the Cross Keys.
New faces are very welcome.
Awakening the Dreamer ,Changing the Dream Symposium
Sunday 18 January 2009, 1.30pm - 5.30pm at Wesley Methodist Church Hall, St John’s Street, Chester. Warming refreshments will be served. To book your place phone 01244.323037
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