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National Hub revisited

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4 October 2013 - 12:52pm
#1
Ruth Marsh
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Joined: 20 Feb 2009
National Hub revisited

 

Hi everyone

I've recently returned from England (Totnes) where I had a good chat with the founders of Transition Towns and Transition Network. I asked what conditions created a strong successful transition. There are of coruse several conditions:

1. a sense of identity

2. a strong lateral thinking coordination team

3. where there is a national hub providing support, coordination, stimulation, connections etc.

There was recently a gathering of National Hubs in France where people from around the word shared ideas of what works, how to support each other, how to attract funding, how to grow the movement etc.

Which leads me to ask the question - do we want to revisit the question of a national hub in NZ?

Natalie Horman wrote about this issue maybe a couple of years ago now, and it still remains a question. I'd appreciate people's opinions on whether this is a worthwhile thing to pursue.

Thanks, Ruth

 

 

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5 October 2013 - 7:06am
#2
Waterdragon52
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Joined: 3 Oct 2013
National hubs

A national co-ordinating hub is essential to avoid what happened in China. Thousands of small groups all working to develop the same thing. each one re-inventing what had already been done else where.
Time and resources wasted.
Also we are all still linked so that what the neighbour does can effect us.
I just read a report which said that the radioactive waste still leaking from the Fukushima power station in Japan is enough to contaminate the entire Pacific Ocean.
The chemical rain still runs down hill to the sea.

Knowledge is power. unfortunately it has never been shared equally which is why we are in the mess we are.

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11 October 2013 - 3:34pm
(Reply to #2) #3
Ruth Marsh
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Joined: 20 Feb 2009
My thinking on the National

My thinking on the National Hub is that the more we join up to focus on what is possible (rather than what might be probable) the more we can support each other into brilliant initiatives and learn from each other. This might more easily be done by some national co-ordination.

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29 October 2013 - 9:40am
(Reply to #3) #4
Scott Willis
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Joined: 2 Jul 2008
Hi Ruth and all, The key

Hi Ruth and all,
The key difference in NZ to all other minority/Northern/Developed/Western nations where Transition exists is the paucity of community funding. All the international examples of Transition we know about can access levels of community funding that are unimaginable in NZ, where the community sector provides a huge range of essential community services from a very small pool, and often out of gambling tax.
I can see a real value in a National Hub, and I almost think we could begin work on that here, if we could find some funding to get one of our people to begin setting it up. That said, given the ongoing challenges we face just to maintain our range of initiatives (Community wind, solar promotion, energy advice, Cosy Homes collaboration, community networks, Climate Change Planning...), I can't see an easy way. However, the success of the the Community Energy Network (http://www.communityenergy.org.nz/) and the CEN hub assures me it can be done, and if done, will move all Transition work up a level.
Best
Scott

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3 November 2013 - 3:35am
#5
Laurence Boomert
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Joined: 3 Jul 2008
National Hub

Juanita & co (Nalatalie?) could be good nominees for running the hub as they seem to have some good base camp focus there in Lower Hutt
Good to see coverage on TVNZ of TT 101 concepts at this conference in Chch http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/disaster-preparedness-builds-community-v...
possibly Chch.'s new mayor will be supportive too - possible Chch makes a good base camp for a national hub - guess its down to a coalition of the willing.
I did have s sponsorship for national hub focus back in 2009 but there seemed some confusion about whether that was desirable back then. Im sure a good proposal could find sponsorship now - look forward to you outline Ruth, regards Laurence (from on the road in the US of A where visiting and speaking to TT's all over the country which is really exciting - lots to report in due course on all the cool stuff happening here)

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