Tools for the Great Turning
It is the premise of The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community that we humans stand at a defining moment that presents us with an irrevocable choice. Our collective response will determine how our time is remembered for so long as the human species survives. In the days now at hand, we must each be clear that every individual and collective choice we make is a vote for the future we of this time will bequeath to the generations that follow. The Great Turning is not a prophecy; it is a possibility.
—David Korten
Agriculture/Food Security/Permaculture
Are the return of Victory Gardens in our future? Does your community have enough farmland to feed its population? Do you support your local farmers? Now is the time to build strong, sustainable, self-reliant, local and regional food systems that include growing, manufacturing, processing, and selling food that is locally grown.
Asset Mapping/Indicator Projects
Communities develop asset mapping and indicator projects for many reasons. Some communities use the framework of sustainability, others use a framework of healthy communities or quality of life. Whatever the framework, the process of developing indicators can foster new alliances and relationships, provide citizens with a better understanding of community problems and assets, and be the blueprint for community change.
Energy/Peak Oil/Global Climate Change
Sky-rocketing prices at the gas pump are just the latest indicator that energy independence needs to be the top priority of individuals and organizations at every level of society. We cannot expect change to come from the top down. Communities at local and state levels must do what the federal government cannot, and individuals must change their lifestyles. The buzz words are conservation, efficiency, and innovation.
Local Economy
With the potential for serious disruption in global supply lines, creating a vibrant local economy not only protects communities from potential shortfalls, but also ensures that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and natural life as well as long-term economic viability. Buy local campaigns are just the tip of the iceberg of what communities can do to localize their economy.
Local and Complimentary Currencies
Community currencies have been around in one form or another for the last two hundred years. During the 1930's, in the US, thousands of communities created their own scrip in order to build local trading networks connecting people to the goods and services they needed. These scrips were powerful forces for good in those dark economic times when money was almost unobtainable for the average person. Currently, there are a number of complementary currencies that exist such as Ithaca Hours, Time Dollars and LETS.
Sustainable Community/Localization
Individuals and communities have very different ways of understanding "sustainability." For some the concept is limited to the environment, for others it includes a more holistic understanding that includes social and economic justice. The most common agreed upon statement is "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Other Valuable Resources
Community Building, Emergency Management, Green Building and Low Impact Development, Independent Media, Off-the-Grid Resources and more...