World Café discussions at last years Convergence Festival in Cultivate

A weekend of talks, workshops, presentations and films is planned at Cultivate for the second Irish Transition Gathering to be held the 25th and 26th April as part of the 14th Convergence Festival.

For anybody involved in a transition initiative or hoping to start one this symposium is a one stop shop to kick start or re-energise your project. The program is jam-packed full of practical workshops ranging from “Starting a community garden” to “Setting up a local currency” and is the best place to meet, hear and experience how other transition groups are developing throughout the country.

So if you want to be inspired, learn more, build your transition capacity and be part of of the fastest growing social movement the world has ever known then book yourself in. Full program and details below the fold or link to the Cultivate website here.

The Convergence Weekend Symposium
The Transition Towns Ireland Gathering
Building the Capacity of the Irish Network
Saturday 25th April and Sunday 26th April | €100 / €80 concessions (Includes Lecture)

Talks, workshops and world café discussions on how we accelerate community responses to the economic downturn, oil depletion and climate change. Transition Town initiatives are an emerging and evolving approach to community level sustainability which is starting to appear in communities up and down the country. This two-day symposium will bring together all of the Irish communities who have adopted the process and all of those who are considering it.

Saturday
09.45 – Opening – Rob Hopkins (by Video)
10.00 – Mapping Exercise - Who are we? Where are we from?
11.00 – Presentation and Discussion

Transition Ireland Network
Where are we at? Where are we going?
Davie Philip, Alex Duffy, Kate Park, Brian Dillon, Suzie Cahn, Chris Chapman

11.30 – Break

11.45 – Concurrent Workshops / Conversations

Green New Deal and Transition – Colin Hynes, Co-author of the Green New Deal and Co-Director of Finance for the Future
The Transition to Zero Carbon - Paul Allen Outreach Director of the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales and the project director of the ground-breaking energy strategy ‘Zero Carbon Britain
Setting up new Transition Initiatives – Led by Theresa Carter, Transition Kildare and Kate Park, FADA Newbridge
Working with local authorities, existing community groups and engaging the mainstream- Led by Brian Dillon, Future Proof Killkenny
Organisational Structures – Led by Chris Chapman, Transition Carlow
Community Gardens - Led by Kaethe Burt-O’Dea, Sitric Compost Community Garden and Suzie Cahn – Transition Wicklow
Education and Training – Led by Alex Duffy Transition Wicklow, Davie Philip, Transtion Cloughjordan and Senan Gardiner Transition Callan

13.00 Lunch – Screening of the Powerdown Show on Transition initiatives

14.00 – Harvest of Workshops

15.00  – World Café – The Transition Heart Cafe
“What’s it like to be alive, doing this work at this time?”
An opportunity to pause, breathe, download, appreciate the significance of it all, acknowledge emotions, know you’re not the only one doing this work.

16.30 – Café Harvest

17.30 – Closing of Day 1

19.30 – Film Screening – ‘Age of Stupid’

21.00 – Social Gathering

Sunday

10.30 – Opening

11.00 – Workshop – Local Currencies and Transition – Steve Allin Transition Kenmare and Richard Douthwaite – The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability

12.00 – Launch
The FEASTA Community Award for Transition Initiatives on the Island of Ireland
The Anne Behan Community Sustainability Award for Transition Initiatives will be presented every year by Feasta, the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability, to the community in Ireland which, in the opinion of a panel of judges, has done most to build local resilience, economic self-reliance, to strengthen itself socially and culturally and to protect and enhance its natural environment.

13.00 – Lunch – Screening of the Powerdown Show – ‘Opportunities for Change’

14.00 –  Plan C - Community Survival Strategies
A dialogue with Pat Murphy, Community Solution (USA)
Pat is the executive director of The Community Solution. He co-wrote and co-produced the award-winning documentary The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, has initiated four major Peak Oil conferences and has given numerous presentations and workshops on the subject. He has extensive construction experience and developed low energy buildings during the nation’s first oil crisis.

15.15 – Break

15.30 – Concurrent Workshops

Making Media and Films for the Transition
A workshop with Faith Morgan, Director of the Power of Community – How Cuba Survived Peak Oil and Davie Philip Director of the Powerdown Show.

Tools & Tips for Transition
A hands-on workshop to try out and experience some of the tools available in the Transition handbook, the Powerdown toolkit and other resources. Led by Brian Dillon, Future Proof Kilkenny and Suzie Cahn, Transition Wicklow

Building the Transition Towns Ireland Web Resource
Activating and building the content of our new on-line network tool with Martin Giannini, Cultivate, Alex Duffy, Transition Wicklow and Paul Brennan, Future Proof Kilkenny

16.15 – Going Further – Sharing Skills and Ideas
Led by Chris Chapman, Transition Carlow and Kate Park, FADA Newbridge

17.00 – Close

17.30 – Special Screening of The Power of Community, How Cuba Survived Peak Oil.
Introduced by the director and co-writer Faith Morgan from the Community Solution (USA)