Act: Inspiration

Resilience, Community Action & Societal Transformation

May 22, 2017

Resilience, Community Action and Societal Transformation is a unique collection bridging research, theory and practical action to create more resilient societies.

It includes accounts from people and organisations at the front line of efforts to build community resilience, cutting edge theory and analysis from engaged scholar-activists, and commentary from sympathetic researchers.

Its content ranges from first hand accounts of the Transition Movement in the UK, Canada and Spain, theoretical reflections on resilience theory from Transition Network, challenges to accepted ideas of resilience in politics and sustainability practices, the shifts in mindsets and perspectives required for transitions to sustainability, and post-colonial perspectives on Transition.

It includes substantive contributions from activists and activist-scholars such as Lorenzo Chelleri (Gran Sasso Science Institute, Italy), Juan del Rio (Transition Spain), Naresh Giangrande (Transition Network), Maja Göpel (Wuppertal Institute), Thomas Henfrey (Transition Research Network), Justin Kenrick (Forest People’s Programme), Glen Kuecker (University of Indiana), Cheryl Lyon (Transition Peterborough Ontario) and Gesa Maschowski (Transition Bonn), along with briefing notes from noted experts in resilience.

The result is a compelling cocktail of insights, ideas and action points likely to define the scientific and practical fields of community resilience for years to come.

“… a timely and fascinating digest of the Transition movement and its place in the wider movement of movements. Like Transition it is eclectic, filled with inspiring stories, and founded in human connection. It presents a take on resilience that reclaims the word from business-as-usual interpretations, offering a powerful taste of community-led, bottom-up change rooted in real experience.”

Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Network

Tom Henfrey

Tom Henfrey is a Senior Researcher and Learning Programmes Coordinator at the Schumacher Institute. He ompleted a doctorate in Environmental Anthropology at the University of Kent in 2002, the first in this subject to be awarded at a British university. His current work occupies the interface of research and grassroots sustainability action, particularly in permaculture, Transition, and community energy. He co-founded and co-coordinates the Transition Research Network, is an active member of the Permaculture Association’s Research Advisory Board, and is a worker-director at Northern Community Power, a Community Interest Company that works at the interface of renewable energy and community development.

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