Director of Renewable Energy Development at the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
Author and activist Bill McKibben writes, “…Americans report ever-growing feelings of disconnection and loss of community, trends that can only be reversed if we…rebuild local institutions that draw people together.” The localization movement has had a profound impact on communities large and small across America, fortifying the connection between consumers and the goods they consume while also strengthening social and economic interdependence. Learn how local business ownership, food enterprises, energy sources—even local currency—can help your town secure a more sustainable, healthier future.
Charles Marohn will moderate this session.
Comments: 2
Comments
Localization
Case in point, but not exactly. Trader Joes. Not a food store, a culture with a newsletter. My Masters Thesis is titled: "Cooperative Enterprise In Relation to Community Development Objectives and Technical Assistance." Influences of Saul Alinsky molded some of the crafting of those thoughts but really integral to all of it was the Antigonish Movement in Nove Scotia with the fishing and farming communities to be able to compete and improve their economic lives and sense of community. The whole Mixed-use development (infill) paradigm plays upon peoples desire to get out of the impersonalized auto driven isolation that was pervasive for no many years of building the McMansions that now more and more, are not finding buyers. Nice trends going on. The "use a car for an hour or whatever" idea is a good one. How about, use a ladder, or use a garden tiller, or use a "whatever" rather than everyone wastefully having to go buy their own. Heaven forbid someone label such thoughts as socialism as happens in a nano-second by the babbleheads on FOX. Ya, I know. Neighbors to neighbors cooperation economically to accelerate the sense of community. Such an un-American concept, but what a nice utilization of peoples time and money better, and getting to know their neighbors better. I hope to attend Oct 5-8 but have to change some things. Keep on doing what you are doing. Just like smiling, "It takes less energy". Cheers, Robert.
Great points
It's great to hear there are grad students working on these issues and digging into them further... thanks for mentioning all these trends. It's actually been really encouraging to see some of the entrants in CM's Strong Communities Competition with Ashoka's Changemakers (communitymatters.org/strong-communities-competition) that are working towards innovative local economies and building community at the same time... if you have time, you might be interested in checking out a few that relate to the ideas you're talking about.
Closest Closet - a new website letting people borrow, lend, and give away things like ladders and garden tillers, as well as share skills... changemakers.com/node/84123
Time Banking - a website converting time spent building community into Time Dollars that can buy services... changemakers.com/node/85486
Local Stock Exchanges - new financial systems allowing citizens to invest in local businesses and helping start-up businesses to get the capital they need.
PRAISE (Philadelphia)... changemakers.com/node/84819
LanX (Lancaster County, PA)... changemakers.com/node/86212
(I can't paste in actual links, unfortunately, but put in the www. before any of the URLs above)
Do you (or does anyone else) know of other examples like this? I'd love to hear about more...
Thanks for your post and hope to meet you at CM10!
Post new comment