Transition Network Who We Are and What We Do

Who_We_Are_AW:Layout 1 27/1/09 10:26 Page 1
Who we are
and what we do
Rob Hopkins and Peter Lipman
Version: 1.0. 1st February 2009
Contents
Introduction Pg 3
A Definition of Terms Pg 6
The Purpose and Principles of Transition Pg 7
Identifying the Dazzling Array of Transition Initiatives Pg 9
Becoming a Transition Initiative Pg 12
What Does the Transition Network Ltd Look Like? Pg 13
How Transition Network Ltd. supports these initiatives Pg 15
Membership and Issues of Voting Pg 17
A Snapshot of the Transition Movement in 2011 Pg 18
Thank you Pg 23
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank
everyone who contributed
to the various drafts of this
document, whether via. the
Transition Network forum,
by email, or by attending
the various workshops held
during its drafting. We’d like
to particularly thank Julie
Richardson, Mike Grenville,
Mike Jones, Stephan
Harding, Brian Goodwin,
Pamela Grey, Adrienne
Campbell, Zoe Goodman
and John Bristow for their
detailed input. We would
also like to thank Ashoka,
and the Tudor Trust for their
support during the creation
of this document.
2 The Transition Network Ltd Who We Are And What We Do... Version 1.0 Rob Hopkins & Peter Lipman
Introduction
Peak oil and climate change have “All living systems are networks of
rapidly moved up in people’s
awareness in recent years, but
smaller components, and the web
often, particularly in relation to of life as a whole is a multi-layered
peak oil, solutions tend to be thin structure of living systems nestling
on the ground. Since its initial
emergence in Kinsale in 2005, the
within other living systems –
Transition idea1 has spread virally networks within networks”.
across the UK and increasingly
further afield, serving as a catalyst
Fritjof Capra “The Web of Life”.
for community–led responses to
these twin challenges. As the
Transition network has grown, This document has arisen from a process of
questions have been raised extensive consultation across the Transition
regarding how this emerging network, including face-to-face meetings, the use
movement might structure itself, of on-line tools and fora. It will remain work in
which this document is the first progress and be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
formal attempt at answering.
We have already been seeing a
structure emerging organically
over the last two years and what
we propose in this document is
based on a deepening and a
supporting of this emergent
model, on the principle that self-
organisation, innovation and
action are to be encouraged and
supported where they arise,
supported by a distinct set of
principles and clear guidelines.
1
For a more detailed exposition of the Transition concept, see either ‘The Transition Handbook:
from oil dependency to local resilience’ by Rob Hopkins (Green Books 2008), or The Transition Primer,
available at www.transitionnetwork.org.
The Transition Network Ltd Who We Are And What We Do... Version 1.0 Rob Hopkins & Peter Lipman 3
List of Transition Initiatives

at Time of Publication (February 2009)
England Crediton Chesterfield
Totnes South Petherton Sheffield
Penwith Chichester
Ivybridge Berkhamsted Ireland
Falmouth Coventry Kinsale
Moretonhampstead Bungay Kildare
Lewes Mersea Island Kilkenny
Stroud Maidenhead
Ashburton Ladock & Grampound Northern Ireland
Ottery St. Mary Road Holywood
Bristol Leek
Brixton Horsham Wales
Forest Row Exmouth Llandeilo
Mayfield Buxton Bro Ddyfi
Glastonbury Tynedale Rhayader
Lostwithiel Dorchester Presteigne
Forest of Dean New Forest Lampeter
Nottingham Stafford Chepstow
Wrington Chester Monmouth
Brighton & Hove Cambridge
Market Harborough Hereford
West Kirby Buxton
Whitstable Kingston-upon-Thames
Marsden & Slaithwaite Taunton
Frome Langport
Brampton Sidmouth
Isle of Wight York
Seaton Louth
Bath Ely
Exeter Sampford Peverell
Isle of Man Tunbridge Wells
Canterbury Hastings Scotland
Wolverton Newton Abbot Portobello, Scotland
Leicester Belsize, London Dunbar, Scotland
Westcliff-on-Sea High Wycombe Carbon Neutral Biggar,
Isles of Scilly Lancaster a Transition Town
Liverpool South Bassingbourn North Howe
Norwich Leamington Spa Forres
Tring Sevenoaks Arran & Holy Isle
Australia Chile New Zealand

Sunshine Coast El Manzano Waiheke Island
Armidale, NSW Orewa
Bell, VIC Germany Kapiti District
Bellingen, NSW Berlin, Friedrichshain Opotiki Coast
Newcastle, NSW Kreuzberg Nelson
Hervey Bay, QLD Whanganui
Eudlo, QLD Italy Brooklyn
Sydney, NSW Monteveglio
Katoomba, NSW USA
Wingecarribee, NSW Japan Boulder, CO
Kenmore, QLD Fujino Sandpoint, ID
Ketchum, ID
Canada Netherlands Lyons, CO
Peterborough, ON Deventer Santa Cruz, CA
Montpelier, VT
Portland, ME
Sebastopol, CA
A Definition of Terms
Terms that perhaps need a brief introduction at this point include;
“Transition network” (small n) ‘Transition Primer’. The free online

refers to the broad international pdf. which acts as the guide for
community of individuals and groups starting the Transition
groups basing their work on the process. Available at
Transition model (has sometimes www.transitionnetwork.org/Primer
been referred to as “the Transition /TransitionInitiativesPrimer.pdf
Movement”.
‘Carbon cutting’ refers to
“Transition Network Ltd” refers to endeavours which lead to
the legally constituted body reductions in the emissions of
currently called Transition greenhouse gases.
Network.
‘Energy Descent Plan’ or EDP
“Transition Support Scotland” refers to one of the main projects
(etc) refers to national Transition that a Transition initiative sets out
fora, usually driven by and arising to achieve, the creation of a 20
from a national network of year ‘Plan B’ for their community,
Transition initiatives feeling their looking at how it might transition
work would be better served by away from its current oil
having a national network. dependency, and towards a low
carbon, resilient way of working.
‘Resilience’ has been defined as
“the capacity of a system to absorb
disturbance and reorganise while
undergoing change, so as to still
retain essentially the same
function, structure, identity and
feedbacks”2. In Transition, the
concept is applied to settlements
and their need to be able to
withstand shock.
The first pool of trained Transition Trainers

in the US. January 2009
2
Walker, B, Hollinger, C.S, Carpenter, S.R. & Kinzig, A. (2004) Resilience, Adaptability
and Transformability in Social-ecological systems”. Ecology and Society 9 (2) p5.
3. The Purpose and Principles of Transition
We begin this document with a redefining and a clarification of both the Transition movement’s
Purpose and its Principles. These set out the common motivations for the entire Network.
The Purpose of Transition

“To support community-led responses to peak oil and climate change,
building resilience and happiness”.
The 7 Principles of Transition

1. Positive Visioning empowered rather than
• Transition Initiatives are based on powerless.
a dedication to the creation of • Transition initiatives focus on
tangible, clearly expressed and telling people the closest version
practical visions of the of the truth that we know in
community in question beyond times when the information
its present-day dependence on available is deeply contradictory.
fossil fuels. Our primary focus is • The messages are non-directive,
not campaigning against things, respecting each person’s ability
but rather on positive, to make a response that is
empowering possibilities and appropriate to their situation.
opportunities. The generation of
new stories and myths are central
to this visioning work. “Power is shifting from institutions
that have always been run top-
2. Help People Access Good
Information and Trust Them to down, hoarding information at the
Make Good Decisions top, telling us how to run our lives,
• Transition initiatives dedicate to a new paradigm of power that is
themselves, through all aspects
of their work, to raising
democratically distributed and
awareness of peak oil and climate shared by us all”.
change and related issues such
as critiquing economic growth. Trippi, J. (2004) The Revolution Will
In doing so they recognise the Not Be Televised. Harper Collins.
responsibility to present this
information in ways which are
playful, articulate, accessible and
engaging, and which enable
people to feel enthused and
3. Inclusion and Openness (from the local to the national) as

• Successful Transition Initiatives seems appropriate – and to
need an unprecedented coming setting them within an overall
together of the broad diversity of context of the need to do all we
society. They dedicate can to ensure general
themselves to ensuring that their environmental resilience.
decision-making processes and
their working groups embody 6. Inner and Outer Transition
principles of openness and • The challenges we face are not
inclusion. just caused by a mistake in our
• This principle also refers to the technologies but as a direct result
principle of each initiative of our world view and belief
reaching the community in its system. The impact of the
entirety, and endeavouring, from information about the state of our
an early stage, to engage their planet can generate fear and grief
local business community, the – which may underlie the state of
diversity of community groups denial that many people are
and local authorities. It makes caught in. Psychological models
explicit the principle that there is, can help us understand what is
in the challenge of energy really happening and avoid
descent, no room for ‘them and unconscious processes
us’ thinking. sabotaging change, for example,
addictions models and models for
4. Enable Sharing and behavioural change. This
Networking principle also honours the fact
• Transition Initiatives dedicate that Transition thrives because it
themselves to sharing their enables and supports people to
successes, failures, insights and do what they are passionate
connections at the various scales about, what they feel called to do.
across the Transition network, so
as to more widely build up a 7. Subsidiarity: self-organisation
collective body of experience. and decision making at the
appropriate level
5. Build Resilience • This final principle enshrines the
• This stresses the fundamental idea that the intention of the
importance of building resilience, Transition model is not to
that is, the capacity of our centralise or control decision
businesses, communities and making, but rather to work with
settlements to deal as well as everyone so that it is practiced at
possible with shock. Transition the most appropriate, practical
initiatives commit to building and empowering level, and in
resilience across a wide range of such a way that it models the
areas (food, economics, energy ability of natural systems to self
etc) and also on a range of scales organise.
4. Identifying the Dazzling Array of

Transition Initiatives
Since the emergence of Totnes as We are seeing a combination of
the first Transition Initiative in scales which includes some of the
2006, the concept has been following, local Transition
popping up at a wide range of initiatives, regional Transition
scales. Trying to divide Transition networks, regional ‘hubs’, national
Initiatives into neat bands of Transition support
groups and categories is organisations/networks,
somewhat akin to trying to nail temporary groupings of local
jelly to a wall. We celebrate this initiatives to carry out particular
spontaneity and diversity and projects, as well as other
don’t intend to be prescriptive, but manifestations.
rather we are happy to advise and In addition to the 7 general
support emerging groups as to the Principles outlined above, there
most effective scales on which to are 6 practical guidelines which we
operate. ask initiatives on whichever scale
to observe.
“As innovation becomes more central to the way we make our

livings and how we tackle pressing challenges we face – from
global warming to health pandemics – our well-being will
depend more and more on what we share with others and
create together”.
Leadbeater, C. (2008) We-Think: mass innovation, not mass
production. Profile Books.
6 Practical Guidelines for Transition Initiatives

1. An agreement with the core initiatives around them, inspiring
Purpose and Principles set out and encouraging them where
above: this includes an possible.
assumption that the group will
contribute to the ongoing 5. Openness to Feedback and
development and updating of Learning: Implicit within an
these principles. acceptance of these principles is
an openness to feedback from
2. Life is Easier if we don’t others also working in this field.
Reinvent the Wheel: there are now This would generally be feedback
hundreds of initiatives out there which questions whether we are
who have developed constitutions, starting to run our Transition
projects, websites, structures. Look initiatives in such a way as to no
around, don’t be afraid to ask, longer embodies these principles.
groups are generally delighted to This kind of feedback is most
share what they have learnt; learn effective when it emerges from our
from their mistakes rather than peers, but an openness to being
your own! Transition Training is challenged is vital, as feedback can
extremely helpful for this, as is be highly affirming and can
ensuring that your initiative generate confidence.
contains, at the earliest possible
opportunity, some people who 6. Start in Your Own Back Yard:
have long been embedded in the Local Transition Initiatives will
local community. identify for themselves the scales
that feel most appropriate for
3. Start with a Initiating Group them to work at, but this principle
That Designs Its Demise: the encourages them to work at the
initiating group exists to navigate scale that feels comfortable and
the first few steps of the process, over which they can have an
but always with an intention of influence, rather than leaping
dissolving itself as the project straight in to regional scale work.
evolves (with the caveat that early Don’t bite off more than you can
experience indicates that this chew. It is also vital that anyone
guideline may be more who takes an active role in a
appropriate at the local level than Transition project on any scale
the larger scales). larger than the local is themselves
active within a local initiative, so as
4. Interdependence: Transition to maintain a solid connection to
initiatives are far stronger where the challenges and practicalities of
they work supportively with the Transition work.
initiatives around them.
Communication is key, as is
supporting newer emerging
National Transition Organisations

The only scale we feel needs more idea is that the handover is gradual,
than the Guidelines outlined above taking place over 4 stages, starting
is the National scale initiatives with inspiring, supporting and
starting to emerge in the US, New encouraging, then moving on to
Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, training, and finally taking on the
Japan and other places. The need is networking functions as well as the
arising in countries for functioning development of adapted principles
replicas of Transition Network Ltd and offering support to newly
to provide its 5 functions in a way emergent initiatives. They would
embedded in the language, culture also act as ambassadors for the
and context of the host nation Transition movement at
and/or culture, and also to provide Governmental and organisational
a strategic national overview. The levels3.
Sonya Wallace and Janet Millington unveil the Sunshine Coast Energy Descent Action Plan, the country’s first
3
This approach is set out in the Transition Network document ‘A Memorandum of Understanding for
National Transition organisations, available at www.transitionnetwork.org
5. Becoming a Transition Initiative
Transition initiatives on all scales other than national ones go through

a succession of stages, as follows.
The Initial Stage: typically, a group formal status, and are very proud
of people start to meet each other, of having reached that point.
start to discuss the Transition
At the moment, applications for
concept, and begin the process of
formal status are managed by
enthusing each other to initiate
Transition Network Ltd., but in
the process
time, the idea is that this function
will most naturally be fulfilled by
The ‘Mulling’ Stage: Currently here
emerging national
contact is made with the Transition
groups/networks, and also by
Network Ltd, the individuals or
regional initiatives. Some people in
group enter themselves into the
the Transition movement have
Googlemap of Transition
suggested that new initiatives
initiatives, download the Transition
should self-assess – or that there
Primer, and let the Transition
shouldn’t be any criteria at all.
Network Ltd know of their ‘mulling’
Others strongly disagree with both
status (although in time this will
these suggestions. On balance,
devolve to regional/national
and based on the feedback we
Transition networks).
have received from across the
network, we feel that having clear
Formal Transition Initiative: the
guidelines which are assessed by
‘mulling’ stage can last for a few
supportive third parties creates a
weeks or for many months,
positive, meaningful process, but
depending on the group. In order
fully agree that they must remain
to proceed to formal status, the
open to debate and to ongoing
group completes a declaration of
review.
intention, which lists the
guidelines and asks for information
about the initiative, as well as
checking that the initiative is in the
best possible position to proceed
successfully4. Many initiatives have
told us that they cherish their
4
These can be found in the Transition Primer at
www.transitionnetwork.org/Primer/TransitionInitiativesPrimer.pdf
6. What Does the Transition Network Ltd

Look Like?
We have found the image on the
right as a useful way of visualising
the Transition Network Ltd. It is
based on a cell, a biological
system, which feels in keeping
with the organic emergence of this
structure. Although a cell is not a
perfect metaphor, in many ways it
is very useful for explaining how
the Transition Network Ltd
functions.
Various scales of initiatives emerge
organically like spores in a petri
dish at scales that feel most
appropriate to them, guided by
the Purpose and Principles of
Transition, then network together
in ways that feel most useful,
creating the networks between is created by the nucleus and the
each other they feel to be most other contents of the cell, but it
productive. These are represented also defines the identity of the
by the circles of varying sizes whole and grows with the cell. The
within the main circle, larger ones role of the Transition Network Ltd
representing regional initiatives, then becomes to continue this
and the smaller circles individual catalysing function, to continually
local initiatives. review and, collaboratively, refine
Transition Network Ltd, in this what Transition means, as well as
context, becomes the white enabling the maximum amount of
encircling ring surrounding the networking.
individual initiatives. It functions, This means facilitating smooth and
in some ways, like a cell efficient networking between the
membrane, enshrining the various levels of hubs and
Purpose and Principles common to initiatives, as well as between
the wider Transition Movement, different interest groups, i.e.
and acts as a catalyst which keeps enabling the various food groups
the circle expanding as the to communicate, swap good
number of initiatives it contains practice and organise national
grows. In biology, a cell membrane events, as well as the energy
groups, economics groups and so change) such as the Soil

on. It would also enable Association, NEF, Centre for
networking by geographical areas, Alternative Technology, key
by cultures and by population size funders and so on. The circles
of project. The communication within that ring represent the
thus enabled would be deep, emerging new strands to
diverse and self-perpetuating. Transition, Transition
Business/Local Government etc.
The outer ring in this diagram
The role of Transition Network Ltd
represents two additional aspects
is to develop initiatives and
of the work of Transition Network
projects with the partner groups,
Ltd, its development of creative
and also to network the emerging
‘edge’ with other groups and areas
strands together with the relevant
of interest. The circles around the
other networks. As time passes,
outer ring represent the strong set
those will grow, perhaps ending
of partnerships that continue to be
up as large as or larger than the
developed. This includes key
current Transition communities
organisations (currently in the UK
circle.
only, but we think that that will
“...the key characteristic of a living network is that it continually

produces itself. The being and doing of [living systems] are
inseparable, and this is their specific mode of organisation.
Autopoiesis, or ‘self-making’, is a network patterns in which the
function of each component is to participate in the production
or transformation of other components in the network. In this
way, the network continually makes itself. It is produced by its
components and in turn produces those components”
Fritjof Capra “The Web of Life”.
7. How Transition Network Ltd supports

these initiatives
Transition Network Ltd. was established in late 2006 with its stated
intention being to;
Inspire • Encourage • Support • Enable Networking • Train
What follows is an outline of some of the projects and developments that Transition
Network Ltd. will be undertaking over the next three years in order to carry out this
intention. It will continue doing this, always bearing in mind the desirability, where
possible, of projects and functions being owned by the most appropriate people/groups
and at as local a level as possible;
Training begun online but which has

• Continuing to develop and potential to evolve into a regular
deepen Transition Training, publication. This will be
increasing the quantity and complemented by a blog on the
ensuring the quality of Transition new website where individual
Training workshops (the full initiatives are invited to post their
menu of trainings that have been successes and failures, events
developed) across the country, and news
training core teams of Transition • Supporting the production of a
trainers in other parts of the series of books on different
world, and providing ongoing aspects of Transition, i.e. food,
support to those trainers already energy and so on... The Transition
qualified to deliver the training Guides to Food and Money are
already in development
Communication • Hosting, moderating and editing
• Radically improving our delivery the collaborative rewrite of ‘The
of our “enabling sharing and Transition Handbook’ using a wiki
networking” by, for example, approach, with the original book
setting up a much improved web serving as the basis for a
platform gathering of tools, stories,
experience and insight from
Media across the Transition
• Producing ‘The (First) Transition
Movie’, a film about the Transition Tools
concept, developed as a • Tools to facilitate the writing of
collaborative process Energy Descent Plans, up-to-date
• Supporting the emergence of a presentations and examples of
monthly , e-bulletin, ‘Transition best practice, as well as a forum
Network News’, which has now for people to post their own
resources, be it links, papers, Events

short films or their own • Organising (in the UK) bi-annual
powerpoints, which they think national Convergences
others will find useful alternating with regional
• Producing clearer ‘maps’ of how Transition Convergences.
Transition Initiatives might evolve • Supporting new emerging areas
over time, how to assemble the of Transition by designing
12 Steps and how a variety of specific events, i.e. Transition in
Initiatives have designed Cities conference (November ’08)
different ways through them,
drawn from the experience of Providing Support
various initiatives • Supporting national and regional
• Setting up an online registry of transition organizations as set
Transition speakers out in the principles above
Consulting Ongoing
• Setting up Transition Consulting • Thinking strategically about the
to offer Transition advice to emerging context in which
businesses, including Oil Transition Initiatives grow and
Vulnerability Auditing and develop – and when needed
analysis of the resilience of the revising our practices and this
business, as well as practical document as a consequence.
measures that can be taken.
In essence, Transition Network
Research Ltd’s core function will be to
• Supporting and enabling action continue to be a catalyst for the
research and evaluation at a Transition model.
national/international level –
partnering with universities
where appropriate
The Board of Transition Network Ltd

(as at February 2009)
Peter Lipman (Sustrans, Chair),
Brian Goodwin (Schumacher College),
Ben Brangwyn (Transition Network),
William Lana (Greenfibres),
Julie Richardson (Dartington / Landscope),
Pamela Gray (Transition US),
Rob Hopkins (Transition Network).
8. Membership and Issues of Voting
One issue which remains under consider anyone active within

review is that of membership of Transition to be an informal
Transition Network Ltd. At present, member of this movement. The
the Board of Trustees is self- Trustees of Transition Network Ltd
appointed, and there is no formal continue to seek new input for the
mechanism to enable those in Transition Network Ltd board
Transition Initiatives to vote for or which brings fresh perspectives
remove Trustees. We have, for now, and a opinions not yet represented
consciously avoided having a there, and will continue with the
formal, fee-paying membership, current situation for a year,
due to the amount of keeping it under review, although
administrative work it would it will be discussed again at the
create for the Network. Instead, we 2009 Transition conference.
The Unleashing of Transition Town Brixton A group ‘mapping’ activity at the 2008 Transition
Network conference
The 'Transition Timeline', one of the tools developed as A Seedy Sunday seed swap event, Totnes, Devon
part of the creation of the Totnes and District Energy
Descent Plan
9. A Snapshot of the Transition Movement

in 2011
What might the Transition movement look like in three years time? We
present this fictional look into the future to inspire and provoke debate.
Overall, community responses to peak oil and climate change have begun to take shape
in many hundreds of communities across the UK and also the rest of the world. The rising
prices of food, fuel and the economic contraction that began in 2008 due, in part, to high
oil prices, have been met by people working creatively together to make their money go
further, to strengthen their local economies and to build resilience.
"Once you have glimpsed the world • Food: People source a lot more of
their food from local producers,
as it might be, as it ought to be, as often organic. They increasingly
it’s going to be (however that vision share produce grown in their
appears to you), it is impossible to gardens and allotments and some
new community gardens. They
live compliant and complacent have well-organised deliveries
anymore in the world as it is." from local farms and farmers’
markets. There are a growing
Victoria Safford number of newly-established
Community Supported
1. Local initiatives
Agriculture schemes, and peri-
There are now many hundreds of
urban market gardens. A few are
local Transition initiatives, with more
experimenting with pig and
forming all the time, many of the
chicken clubs, and community
early ones now well advanced in
bakeries are starting to mill local
producing Energy Descent Plans.
flour. Some people are cooking
Transition has begun to make a lot
prepared meals for time-pressed
of difference to people’s lives,
neighbours. Many people are
especially those active in it.
learning to cook and garden for
• Social: It provides a rich social life, the first time, with Transition
with frequent social events big groups offering training and
and small: shared meals, parties, reskilling in both.
meetings. Typically after a shared
• Transport: Fuel for personal car
meal there might be swapping
use has become much more
and trading, or a lecture, film or
expensive than 3 years ago, so
discussion to govern the Initiative,
Transition groups’ Transport theme
often followed by music and
groups have organised ride share
dancing. People know each other
schemes, collection and delivery
better, and work closely together
systems for children, shoppers and
in many ways.
social events. Living without a car which can be repaired when

is now possible in a way that it needed.
wasn’t 3 years previously. Car share
• Local economy: People have
schemes mean that people have
begun to do a lot of organised
access to borrowed or hired larger
trading and exchange with each
vehicles when they need them.
other, sometimes for money,
There is a lot more cycling among
sometimes for local currency, but
the fit and healthy, and the high
very often as favours. They give
price of fuel has meant that many
and receive goods that they no
businesses now encourage people
longer want, help each other with
to work from home where
childcare, rides, deliveries, and
possible.
many other services. Groups of
• Household Energy: Transition young people offer ‘technical
initiatives have, with funding from support’ on anything from
their local authorities, initiated computers to DVDs. This enables
‘insulation clubs’, where people people’s money to go much
have learned the best ways of further, and provides some
reducing household heating income for those without jobs.
needs and help each other do it. They have identified the like-
Numerous tricks and tips to use minded local independent
less energy have become popular. businesses and tradespeople
A growing number of Transition whom they preferentially
initiatives have now set up Energy patronise, and give them ratings
Services Companies (ESCOs), and recommendations on their
owned by the community, to websites.
provide locally generated
• Other aspects of community:
electricity through community-
People are learning that grassroots
owned wind, solar, hydro and
self-organisation takes a certain
biomass schemes.
amount of effort and are
• Re-use, recycling, repair: Many beginning to learn how to do it
local schemes have been started well. Some people volunteer to
to extend the life of clothes, repair look after aspects of the whole of
goods and appliances, creating the local transition initiative. There
some part-time employment. are groups set up to handle
Workshops in making do and conflicts between people, to
repairing are commonplace, often provide emotional support and
inviting older people to share their counselling when needed, but also
undervalued skills with younger to co-ordinate the initiative: to
generations. Much of the local help keep the theme groups in
food is distributed in re-usable touch with each other and
containers. Transition initiatives are working synergistically, to plan for
facilitating the bulk-buying of the future, and to systematically
goods designed for durability and consult on policy decisions.
2. Regional hubs • Government links: Transition

A variety of forms of regional hub hubs are increasingly working
have emerged from a strong with local government on their
network of local initiatives who local sustainability plans, and have
have decided that such a Hub received funding from them for a
would aid their work. Some link range of research projects as well
initiatives in a town or city, others as practical initiatives.
in a rural area or bioregion. These
• Business links: Many Transition
are formed out of members of
groups are actively working with
local initiatives who offer to work
local independent businesses,
at the regional level. There is now
offering consultancy and a range
an annual Transition cities
of services, including oil
convergence, where best practice
vulnerability auditing and energy
is shared and several similar
efficiency advice, as well as
meetings for more rural hubs.
exploring how they can become
Cities have begun to develop their
more resilient and locally
own version of the Transition
embedded in increasingly
model.
uncertain times. Many of these
• Supporting new initiatives: The businesses have become financial
regional hubs have become the sponsors of the local initiatives
first point of contact for those in and regional hubs.
that area, offering support and
3. National Support Networks
mentoring for new initiatives.
There are now support networks at
They have taken over much
the national level in the UK:
responsibility for the process of
Transition Support Scotland,
becoming a formal Transition
Transition Ireland Network,
Initiative.
Transition Support Wales and
• Supporting existing initiatives: Transition England, and a growing
The regional hubs organise links number of national support
between the various food networks in other countries around
groups, transport groups, and the world, with strong networks in
other theme groups to help them the USA and New Zealand leading
work synergistically. They share the way.
best practice to help the local
• Infrastructure: With much of the
initiatives avoid problems and
day-to-day support for local
correct mistakes. They have
initiatives now devolved to the
begun to take on much of the
regional hubs, the national
training aspects, not just for new
networks concentrate more on
initiatives, but in reskilling,
providing infrastructure and co-
conflict resolution, organisation
ordination. They are supporting
and other areas where local
ongoing development of
initiatives are too small to
communications systems that are
provide it effectively.
available for use by local initiatives
“Humans are capable of a unique trick, creating realities by

first imagining them, by experiencing them in their minds.
…As soon as we sense the possibility of a more desirable
world, we begin behaving differently, as though that world is
starting to come into existence, as though, in our mind’s eye,
we are already there. The dream becomes an invisible force
which pulls us forward. By this process it begins to come true.
The act of imagining somehow makes it real…
And what is possible in art becomes thinkable in life”.
Brian Eno
and regional hubs. A great variety 4. Transition Movement

of different systems have Worldwide
developed, but with common Transition Network Ltd still remains,
standards so that they can share performing a co-ordinating role for
resources and hold discussions the national networks, helping
across them. them to work synergistically, avoid
errors that each other have made,
• Training and education: The
and supporting planning and
national support networks now
overall policy. A multi-level
develop much of the materials
structure has emerged naturally –
used for the training done by the
local, regional, national, global –
regional hubs. They have
but without any top-down control.
developed strong links with
Transition concepts of building a
universities some of whom are
positive future are increasingly
applying transition concepts to
common in everyday conversation,
themselves, some of whom are
TV and other media, in response to
running courses in transition
the increasingly unavoidable reality
issues, adding a practical
of the end of cheap energy and
dimension to their previously
economic growth. The shift away
purely academic courses, and
from business as usual, or from
several who are doing basic
shocked/doomladen responses to
research to support and
the need to downsize and relocalise
strengthen the transition model.
is well underway.
Transition Training has begun to
receive support and funding from
various national skills and training
programmes.
• Transition Business: The national
networks have begun to develop
a strong economic function. They
work with each other and outside
organisations to identify products
and companies that have strong
environmental and community
credentials. Feeding this
information through the network
creates a good captive market for
such businesses to serve. The
networks themselves have
developed a range of consultancy
services based on the expertise of
the regional and local networks,
that provides income while
effecting constructive change.
10. Thank you
This document is very much work Key References that have

in progress and will be reviewed on informed this document
an ongoing basis. We welcome Capra, F. (1997) The Web of Life: A
your thoughts and comments on it, New Synthesis of Mind and Matter.
and hope that you have found it as Flamingo
much fun to read as we have found Hamilton, C. (2003) Growth Fetish.
the process of creating it. We hope London, Pluto Press.
that what we have set out here is a Hock, D (1999) Birth of the Chaordic
model for a dynamic and powerful Age. Berrett-Koehler.
movement, one based on that Homer-Dixon, T. (2007) The Upside
which has been emerging naturally of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity
since the Transition concept first and the Renewal of Civilisation.
emerged. We are deeply grateful to Souvenir Press Ltd.
the many hundreds of people James, O. (2008) The Selfish
across the Transition network who Capitalist: origins of affluenza.
have contributed to the various Vermilion.
stages in its creation. Leadbeater, C. (2008) WeThink:
the power of mass creativity.
If you would like to comment or
Profile Books
offer any feedback, please contact
Maturana, H.R. & Varela, F.J. (1992)
info@transitionnetwork.org or
The Tree of Knowledge: biological
write to our office at 43, Fore
roots of human understanding.
Street, Totnes, Devon. TQ9 5HN.
Shambhala Publishing
North, P (2008) Localisation as a
For more information see;
response to peak oil and climate
www.transitionnetwork.org
change – a sympathetic critique.
www.transitionculture.org
Geoforum (details tbc)
Hopkins, R. (2008) The Transition Shirky, C. (2008) Here Comes
Handbook: from oil dependency Everybody: the power of organizing
to local resilience. Dartington, without organizations. Allen Lane.
Green Books. Tapscott D & Williams, A. (2008)
Brangwyn, B. & Hopkins, R. (2008) Wikinomics: how mass collaboration
Transition Initiatives Primer – changes everything. Atlantic Books.
becoming a Transition Town, City, Walker, B. & Salt, D. (2006)
District, Village, Community or even Resilience Thinking: Sustaining
Island. Transition Network. Ecosystems and People in a
Changing World. Island Press.
Chamberlin, S. (2009) The Transition
Timeline: your guide to a scenario of
hope. Dartington, Green Books.
Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper using 100% renewable energy and vegetable based inks. If you don’t want to keep it help the environment by giving it to a friend or put it in your recycle bin.
One tonne of recycled paper saves – 17 trees, 32,000 litres of water, enough to heat an average house for 6 months and 27kg of air pollutants. Designed by mooreblackett.com
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Web site: www.transitionnetwork.org

E-mail: info@transitionnetwork.org
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Tel: +44 (0) 5601 531882

43 Fore Street, Totnes
Transition Network
TQ9 5HN, UK

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List of Transition Initiatives

Australia Chile New Zealand

Terms that perhaps need a brief introduction at this point include;

“Transition network” (small n) ‘Transition Primer’. The free online

The first pool of trained Transition Trainers

3. The Purpose and Principles of Transition

The Purpose of Transition

The 7 Principles of Transition

3. Inclusion and Openness (from the local to the national) as

4. Identifying the Dazzling Array of

“As innovation becomes more central to the way we make our

6 Practical Guidelines for Transition Initiatives

National Transition Organisations

5. Becoming a Transition Initiative

Transition initiatives on all scales other than national ones go through

6. What Does the Transition Network Ltd

groups, economics groups and so change) such as the Soil

“...the key characteristic of a living network is that it continually

7. How Transition Network Ltd supports

Training begun online but which has

resources, be it links, papers, Events

The Board of Transition Network Ltd

8. Membership and Issues of Voting

One issue which remains under consider anyone active within

9. A Snapshot of the Transition Movement

social events. Living without a car which can be repaired when

2. Regional hubs • Government links: Transition

“Humans are capable of a unique trick, creating realities by

and regional hubs. A great variety 4. Transition Movement

10. Thank you

This document is very much work Key References that have

Web site: www.transitionnetwork.org

Tel: +44 (0) 5601 531882

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