August 2009
Training 4 Transition in Ashland, Oregon

Join us August 15th and 16th in Ashland, Oregon, for the pilot of our new workshop, “Training 4 Transition” . Supporting the important work of Gaia University associates and others in addressing solutions to global challenges of peak oil, climate change, uncertain global finances, and exponential population growth, the Thrivability Institute of Ashland Oregon, USA will offer this 2-day workshop, as a public-accessible course, right before their hosting of the August Gaia U Orientation program.
Transition Trainings will be woven into the two other events highlighted in this issue- The Financial Permaculture Summit and the Continental Bioregional Congress.
To register for the Ashland training, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Focusing on developing local resilience, the Training 4 Transition course is based on the original Transition Town (TT) model, which has moved from its embryonic stages in Totnes, UK to the global movement that is now spreading throughout the world.

Gaia U Associate Richard Kunhel was recently featured in our newsletter for his role in the initiation of the Sandpoint, Idaho Transition Town. You can read more in our April issue or in this New York Times Article highlighting his work. (ADD LINK)

Another graduate and Director of the Gaia U SEUS Center, Jennifer English, has been deeply involved in the Hohenwald Transition Town, which recently gained its place as the 24th TT in the United States. Jennifer is also one of the main organizers for the Financial Permaculture Institute, which is holding a summit on Greening Rural American Towns this September 22nd to 26th. For more information on the summit please see the adjacent article in this newsletter.

At the end of this course participants can expect to:

- have a clear understanding of the context for transition towns, the current global situation and the transformational possibilities that arise from climate change and peak oil and gas

- know what the TT model is ñ Including an in depth look at the key 12 ingredients that lead from inspiration, setting up the initiating group, all the way to having active and effective working groups

- have experienced a joint visioning process

- understand how to organize effective meetings such as public talks, open space days and small theme working groups

-understand the purpose and principles of an Energy Descent Action Plan

-have the outline of an effective and inspiring talk on Transition Towns

-have formed useful contacts with other Transition initiatives, and met some of those involved in the Transition Network

-have a plan of action for themselves and their locality

This training is a perfect opportunity both for anyone already interested in being involved in the TT movement, as well as for those simply wishing to deepen their understanding and skills in the domains of sustainability and community development.
For more information on the transition town movement, visit TransitionUS.org.