Democracy « Localise West Midlands

Cutting through ‘sustainababble’

By localise2, on May 24th, 2013%

Today we received news from America’s New Economics Institute – a partner of Britain’s nef – about the latest edition of Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World series. Their comment:

Every day, we are presented with a range of “sustainable” products and activities – from “green” cleaning supplies to carbon offsets – but . . . → Read More: Cutting through ‘sustainababble’

Community Supported Industry

By localise2, on April 2nd, 2013%

Community Supported Agriculture (flourishing in Stroud) started in the USA in 1986 at Indian Line Farm in South Egremont, Massaschusetts, just a couple of miles down Jug End Road from the Library and offices of the Schumacher Center for a New Economics, a partner of the British New Economics Foundation.

Their projects have . . . → Read More: Community Supported Industry

Will this town centre community-owned shop regenerate the High Street?

By localise2, on March 27th, 2013%

A new community-owned bakery in Dunbar, East Lothian, has been hailed as a prototype for other towns looking to revive their high streets.

Well over 300 village shops and pubs have now been reopened or saved from closure and owned by members of the local community – as ‘one-off’ ventures – sometimes with help . . . → Read More: Will this town centre community-owned shop regenerate the High Street?

The Financial Times reports a co-operative revival

By localise2, on March 17th, 2013%

Andrew Bounds has reported ‘a co-operative revival’ in the Financial Times – a trend first noted in this blog in 2010. He notes that the number of share offers and co-operative members in new societies doubled between 2009 and 2012 as the economic downturn has continued, according to figures from Co-operatives UK, the umbrella . . . → Read More: The Financial Times reports a co-operative revival

A call for more decision-making powers to be devolved to regional level

By localise2, on February 20th, 2013%

Some Localise West Midlands members who have a particular interest in economic and political devolution, will welcome the call of a district councillor (also green economist and professor at Roehampton University), for more decision-making powers to be devolved to regional level.

Cllr Scott Cato, who represents Stroud’s Valley ward and has been selected as . . . → Read More: A call for more decision-making powers to be devolved to regional level

The Resilience imperative – Cooperative Transitions to a Steady State Economy

By localise2, on February 8th, 2013%

Localise West Midland’s co-founder, Patrick Conaty, has just published a book co-authored with Mike Lewis: The Resilience imperative – Cooperative Transitions to a Steady State Economy. It examines many elements of a resilient local economy, collating and critiquing many examples of how this has been achieved all over the world over the last 150 . . . → Read More: The Resilience imperative – Cooperative Transitions to a Steady State Economy

Local authorities ask “what if the economic situation doesn’t get better?”

By localise2, on December 7th, 2012%

Fiona Ward of Transition Network’s REconomy Project attended the South West Autumn Seminar organised by the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE). Her feedback opens:

“The question in this post’s title was one of the challenging questions asked at the Solace South West Autumn Seminar”, held at Dartington Hall in . . . → Read More: Local authorities ask “what if the economic situation doesn’t get better?”

A co-operative council is strengthening the local economy

By localise2, on November 23rd, 2012%

Paul Gosling recently wrote at length about a ‘pathfinder co-operative council’ in the hard copy of the Co-operative News. This echoes current discussions led by our ‘sister’ thinktank Chamberlain Forum on the potential for a Co-operative Council approach in Birmingham – which LWM have been attending.

Some points Paul Gosling made are summarised here.

Poverty: “a matter for shame and alarm about the failure of our economic system”

By localise2, on November 16th, 2012%

Challenging words from Tony Stoller allege that, at the end of 2012, we now have a completely new paradigm for public policy-making, “dominated and managed by what we can call the ‘new elite’ “.

As chair of trustees for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation he lists this elite as “a cohort of politicians, policy . . . → Read More: Poverty: “a matter for shame and alarm about the failure of our economic system”

A new social revolution – an emerging trend “a million miles away from the fantasy localism agenda espoused by David Cameron”?

By localise2, on November 12th, 2012%

David Thorpe, news Editor at Energy and Environmental Management (EAEM) writes about “An emerging trend that, if allowed to develop its potential, could transform society for the better by increasing democracy and individual responsibility”.

Its roots: “(A)nger with the banks and corporate greed (last month, vitriol was directed at water companies and the month . . . → Read More: A new social revolution – an emerging trend “a million miles away from the fantasy localism agenda espoused by David Cameron”?

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