Transition Kensal to Kilburn

A plug for the New Economics Foundation...

For anyone wanting to explore some of the issues at the heart of the Transition movement, I can really recommend the work of the New Economics Foundation (nef)... http://www.neweconomics.org/

Last autumn a number of us went to their conference, called 'The Bigger Picture', down at Butlers Warf on the Southbank. It was a truely inspiring day where we listened to speakers and took part in discussions around topics as diverse as beekeeping, what makes us happy, sustainable farming, building a community high street and so the list goes on...

For a very clear articulation of some of the economic theory that lies behind initiatives like Transition, I would really recommend their pamphlet 'The Great Transition' - http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/great-transition

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Permalink Reply by Paul Mitchell-Gears on February 13, 2010 at 11:15

They produced a report today suggesting people reduce their working week to 21 hours giving them more quality leisure time.

In a discussion of it on Radio 4 this morning, someone opposing it made the fair point that we do have that choice already, and yet many people choose to work more in order to have more money to consume goods at the cost of less time despite what they say when polled about wanting more time.

This is the core conundrum isn't it. Surely neither we nor the NEF are in the business of forcing things on people, even, to coin a phrase with scary overtones, "for their own good"?

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Permalink Reply by George Latham on February 16, 2010 at 8:47

Thanks for your reply, Paul
The point that nef make is that we have a society that is simultaneously full of people who are overworked, tired and time-poor, alongside a mass of unemployed and underemployed. Neither of these situations is making people happier, more fulfilled and it undermines the strength and health of communities.
But you are right - I don't think that any of us are in the business of forcing things on people. In fact I think that one of the great things about the Transition model is that it is about assembling a coalition of the willing - empowering those who want to take action to do so with a group of other like minded people.