Resilience Training
future shocks. Running the course may not cost money, but funding may be required if, for instance, you need to hire a community hall or a projector. Community Resilience courses have already been delivered in Laois, Wicklow and West Cork with funding provided by local development companies through the Rural Development Programme (aka LEADER). START YOUR OWN CURRENCY Your community could also consider starting a Transition Towns Initiative. There are now 35 towns in Ireland working towards becoming Transition Towns. They’re growing their own, conducting community assetsurveys and planning ahead. Dozens of communities have experimented with introducing their own local currency. Kenmare, for example, traded ‘Youros’ in a successful experiment for six months.
Co-sufficiency beats self-sufficiency
“T
he future isn’t about building “sustainable communities,” says Davie Philip. “It’s about local resilience.” Resilience training is about helping communities to prepare for the shocks to come that will either prove disastrous or may be the catalyst from which we bounce forward. “We need co-sufficiency, not self-sufficiency,” he said, adding, “The biggest challenge Davie Philips at the training workshop in Cloughjordan is changing people’s mindset.” Something like a hauliers’ Our Future conference, in shop A low-resolution version strike would probably do the November, in Cork. of the film will be freely trick. Most people still don’t More info: www. available on cultivate’s website realise that this country is claimingourfuture.ie by October. never more than three days Also of interest: from running out of food (bar RESOURCES AND MORE www.communitysolutions.com, what’s in your cupboard). INFO www.feasta.org, He urges readers to watch For Community Resilience www.dya.ie and the film “One Hundred guidebooks, contact Davie www.zone5.org, Mornings”, the best Irish film Philip at Cultivate. T: 0505www.changeexploratory.com in a decade according to one 56061. E: davie@cultivate.ie Community resilience in review. Buy the ‘Community Ireland: Powerdown’ DVD (€10): www.transitiontownsireland. Claiming Our Future meeting ning.com/ Sustainable development will be HYPERLINK “http://www. the theme of the third Claiming cultivate.ie” www.cultivate.ie/
5 easy steps to 125 Programme offices ‘Changing Ireland’ has mapped 125 projects in the Local and Community Development Programme. We’ve pinpointed 95% of the locations to within metres and you can access the project/companies’ email, phone and website details through the map.
Steps: 1. Click on the map. 2. Zoom in. 3. Change the view option to hybrid view. 4. Zoom in more. 5. Use the little ‘Yellow Man’ to google-walk the street. The office you’re looking for is very close. Access the map through our homepage: www.changingireland.ie
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Empowered women are more likely to smoke – W.H.O.