What is it?

Why do we need it?

How can we get it?

With all the activity I have become aware of since the workshops at the Eco show in mid October, it is clear that New Zealand is not only ready for, but is already embracing this Transition Towns model. The www.transitiontowns.org.nz wiki has been active for a few weeks now and is developing fast. The list of active towns is growing and their movement towards formalising their status as a Transition Town progresses almost daily.

So what is the training

Transition Town Training is aimed to assist the steering group – see Step 1 – who accept leadership roles for their town or region. It gives them tools specific to the tasks they are assuming.

Naresh and Sophy are offering two day training courses in the UK. For more information about what they entail, see this detailed description.

Why do we need it

In order to do well in any new venture it pays huge dividends to learn the ropes from a master. While the Transition Town model and process is still very young, it is maturing fast. The movement started on a solid foundation, having grown out of the work of a permaculture course in Kinsale in Ireland. And the process has grown and matured through feedback from the many towns that have taken it up.

How can we get it

I have had some great conversations with Rob and Ben and with Naresh and Sophy. They are all aware of what is happening in New Zealand. Naresh and Sophy have been planning to seek funding to enable them to do a video production of the training course they offer. In conversation with them a few days ago, we considered the option of videoing the two day course, pretty much in its entirety, then giving the 12 hours of raw footage to different people to edit into 6-9 minute chunks. If this was then posted on Youtube, it would be a resource for us and others to use, and the feedback (in terms of the number of views of each ‘chunk’) would be invaluable in creating an even better film version of the training. Fingers crossed that this is possible at the London training coming up on the 8th and 9th of December.