Resilience Forums to tackle climate change

Local grassroots charity Transition Town Totnes are holding a series of workshops as part of a Community Resilience Forum this spring and summer to help tackle the effects of climate change. The aim of these sessions is to explore the theory and practice of growing resilience in our land management, nature and ecology, and the principles of just transition in activism.

Getting going

A warm-up event takes place on Saturday April 20th at 1pm in The Old School Hall of The Mansion, Fore Street, Totnes. It will provide an afternoon of playful learning through a Systems Games workshop, facilitated by Robin de Carteret, as well as an opportunity to meet fellow community members and prepare for the upcoming Community Resilience Forum. Registration is required to attend via the Events page of the Transition Town Totnes website at transitiontowntotnes.org.

I am passionate about creating accessible spaces

Expertise

The Community Resilience Forum will be led by leaders in their field, including local projects and academics, who will invite discussion and debate on some of the most pressing issues of our time. The three main sessions are:

• Land Use: who owns Totnes? on April 27th in Totnes Methodist Church, 1-3pm, will look at land rights, which is particularly topical in Totnes at present.
• Nature Recovery – on June 22nd in The Old School Hall of The Mansion, 1-3pm, will explore biodiversity collapse and nature recovery (through regenerative practices, rewilding, etc.).
• Just Transition – on July 13th in The Old School Hall of The Mansion, 1-3pm, will explore the meanings of a Just Transition through real-life examples.

Organiser and local activist, Viktoria Erlacher-Downing is currently completing a PhD in social justice, mental health and climate change. Having previously worked with Transition Town Totnes on a local food map, Viktoria is looking forward to bringing her experience of hosting resilience forums to the town.

Taking action

She says; “I am passionate about creating accessible spaces where locals, practitioners, activists and experts can come together to learn about and start to tackle threats to our resilience. The themes we will explore in the Community Resilience Forum are pivotal for humans and nature alike and now is the time for people from all different backgrounds to come together and create a positive future.”

Getting the funds

It’s with huge thanks to Transition Together, which supports the UK network of Transition Towns, for making these forums possible through their seed funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.