There is a growing movement of Transition Towns worldwide where communities are working towards self sufficiency.  More info can be found at www.transitiontowns.org

While Envirochild agrees with many of the principles, we are not in agreement with "Peak Oil" and "Global Warming" being the motivating forces for these efforts.  We believe there are far more pressing reasons for communities to work together to re-organise themselves for a sustainable future and South Africa also has it's own set of circumstances which are unique.

all united together to develop a suburb that :

• has the capacity and infrastructure for all it's residents

• is more resilient to shortages

• is more self-reliant

• searches for employment opportunities to reduce the poverty cycle

and in our case

• explores solutions to social and housing problems

• wishes to maintain the spectacular beauty this valley is endowed with.

The mission is to be a catalyst for localising, i.e., developing local self-reliance in food, energy, transportation, media, systems of care, and economy, and possibly education, while regenerating community.

The residents form a transition team, to brainstorm solutions, volunteer help and initiate a  process of localising as many essential elements that the community needs to sustain themselves and thrive.

The role is to provide inspiration, empowerment, education, and support for individuals, businesses, organizations, communities and local governments, working together to consider and implement a collective vision of a localised future.

There is a growing movement of Transition Towns worldwide where these communities are galvanising themselves to accommodate rising petrol prices (and the attendant inflation) and reducing impact on the environment by rethinking lifestyle choices and thus consciously co-creating the kind of community and world they would like to live in.

• You can download the 40 page document used in the UK for starting up a Transition Town here. Many of the principles apply but being Africa with our own unique circumstances, the dynamics will be different.

 

These are some of the models we want to adopt

Permaculture – known internationally as a gardening skill, permaculture is actually much, much more. Applying those same principles to a whole region gives us a blueprint for what needs to be done. David Holmgren’s text Permaculture; Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability describes how to do this.

Powering down – a term used by Richard Heinberg to describe the contraction and relocalisation of an entire region (or municipality if you like).

Lifeboat building – another of Richard Heinberg’s concepts, lifeboat building is essentially the grassroots permaculture movement – preparing our own homes, families, gardens and local communities for energy descent. Getting our own homes in order includes; assessing and securing energy independence (or resilience), securing our own water supplies, growing food and perhaps even materials (firewood, clothing materials from animals etc). Also organising ourselves financially, work wise and even going so far as to prepare for the housing crisis by looking at ways to take in lodgers in the future.

Preservationist societies / Survivalist Movement – this is really interesting. So many people comment on the lifeboat idea and say they will need firearms to protect their veggie patch – this is not a good idea, nor is it sustainable (you will have to go inside sometime or go to sleep – then who guards your land?) - We don't believe in proceeding from a place of fear, instead we focus on building skills and knowledge – sharing ideas and excess food, being inclusive and valuing the marginal. Helping others – cooperating, not competing.