Brave New Normal

By Tomasz Falkowski, Uneven Earth

Cultivating cooperative, self-sustaining communities can undermine destructive economic systems and offer meaningful responses to social-ecological crises in the wake of the pandemic.

How Uganda’s ecofeminists are fighting back against oil-industry land grabs

By Sostine Namanya, Bwailisa Christine, Open Democracy

But despite women bearing the heaviest burden as primary farmers, they own only 7% of land and are marginalized in any decision-making on how the land is used. The lack of land-ownership means women do not benefit from compensation packages offered by infrastructure developments.

A feminist response to the pandemic

By ROAR Collective, ROAR Magazine

Given the rapidly changing attitudes towards care work and reproductive labor as our globalized society combats COVID-19, it may finally be time to recognize gender liberation as a practical and necessary achievement.

Climate Change Won’t Stop for the Coronavirus Pandemic

By Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica

The next several months could bring hurricanes, floods and fire, on top of the pandemic currently raging through the country. How do you shelter in place during an evacuation?

Transition Towns, Re-localisation, COVID-19 and the Fracking Industry

By Chris Rhodes, Energy Balance

Thus, although Transition Towns thinking came about primarily through considerations about peak oil, all essential efforts toward re-localisation and community resilience may provide the strongest available single buffer against the many storms that are likely to prevail upon us.

Comparative Resilience: 8 Principles for Post-COVID Reconstruction

By Michael Shuman, Michael Shuman blog

We need a different way forward, what we might call the Theory of Comparative Resilience.  My basic proposition is simple:  Those communities that are best able to withstand future crises—whether pandemics, climate disruptions, or financial meltdowns—will be the ones that thrive economically. 

Exploring Transformative Change on the Brink

By Stefan Cristoff, Uneven Earth

Highlighting the term careful is important here: we can view the response of the state to this pandemic with care, we can be careful to see the gaps and address the ways that the state response is lacking. Careful in this context also means taking care and directly engaging with the crisis on a community based level in a safe way.

Becoming Resilient in an Ever-Changing World

By Ben Falk, Resilience.org

There are times in life when we wake up and realize we no longer recognize the world around us. When life throws us such curveballs, resiliency is what determines if we sink or swim. But what is resiliency exactly, and how do we foster it?

In Tough times, Our Community Becomes Our Safety Net

By Quint Studer, Strong Towns

When we get intentional about doing what we can to strengthen and build up our communities now, we’re doing more than surviving. We’re setting the stage for renewed growth and revitalization once this pandemic dies down (and it will). One day in the not-too-distant future, we will find we made it through the tough times and came out on the other side stronger, better, and closer than ever.

Justice, Resilience & Connection

By Kristin Schafer, Pesticide Action Network

Without ignoring the real pain and loss many are suffering, we also must lift up the need to raise, grow, and catch our food in ways that are closer to our communities and enriching to all. Hear, hear. Perhaps this crisis will remind us all to recognize the importance of being in community with each other, and the urgency of building a more resilient food system for all.

Leslie Davenport on staying sane amid coronavirus craziness

By Asher Miller, Resilience.org

I don’t know about you, but the never-ending stream of worrying news about the coronavirus and social distancing are taking a toll on my psyche. So I reached out to the delightful Leslie Davenport—a licensed psychotherapist who I got to know because of her work on climate psychology—to get her advice about how we can practice self-care, and care for our loved ones and neighbors, while trying to navigate this pandemic.

Public Health is the New Bottom Line

By Vicki Robin, Vicki Robin blog

Public Health. What is that, really? It’s not just the services of research institutions, public education, medical professionals, hospitals, equipment, medicines, emergency rooms, insurance and such. It’s a healthy public. The question arising now is: What can we do, as a society, to support a healthy public?