Resource - Outcomes from the Judy Wicks workshop on localism

Posted in Events, Models, Visions by Ferne Edwards on July 10th, 2008

Please see the report below from Amadis Lacheta, Village Well, about the outcomes from the Judy Wicks workshop on the localism movement. It’s fantastic to see the outcomes from one of the many events we promote on SustainableMelbourne.com!

Going Local: Creating sustainable and resilient business networks and communities Workshop, Thursday 22nd May 2008, 100 Mile Café, Melbourne

Thanks to all of you for your enthusiastic participation in the Going Local workshop. Seventy people attended on the day, from a variety of backgrounds including business, environment organisations, local and state government, community, developers and urban design professionals. What follows are the notes that were collated over the course of the day:
1. Panel discussion notes
2. Issues and Opportunities workshop notes
3. Further notes
4. Where to from here? FAQs & further information & resources for setting up sustainable business networks

1 Panel discussion notes- issues and opportunities:
• What support is available to assist ethical enterprises to be successful?
• Home business efficiency network
• Supporting small farming practices – ethical sustainable slaughter of animals
• Growing slowly, organically
• Farmers markets – connecting customers with the people who grow food – directly
• Keeping the values and practices in the take over of independent business by corporations
• Losing $$ from local communities when we invest in corporations
• How can community/environment sector become more business savvy – to continue to do what they do better?
• Social venture networks to support ethical business challenges
• Common market – food distribution business
• What is sustainable growth?
• Community funds- what’s available?
• Sustainable investment- where, with whom?
• The gifting economy- business bartering
• Price discrepancies for local produce- the reality of rural and urban differences in pricing
• The failure of centralised distribution systems – doubling/ tripling transport of goods
• Loss of local produce from local communities- export to city markets
• Government subsidises agribusiness, not small-scale sustainable farming practice
• The real ‘wealth’ of community and the importance of relationships to support ethical enterprises
• How do we encourage local business and trading in an export/import oriented market?
• The importance of building strong relationships between local government and green, local businesses
• Initial government support for ethical business and business enterprises – then business becoming self supporting
• Using the social/ economic structures that already exist to support ethical enterprises

2 Issues and Opportunities Workshop Notes:
2.1 Issue – Getting people to change behaviour
Opportunity – Active participation in alternative models
• Living juicy- fully is an attraction
• Understanding who your local community is
• Having a sense of place – meet, understand history
• Maintaining identity and community through change
• Identity – connectedness (work, sports, friends, schools, cultural)
• Expansionist model (not less – more) – direct feedback; attractive consumption; education
• From belongings to belonging
• Use community leaders- mentors, change agents

Building blocks:
• Targeting different groups
• Selling to businesses
• Community food security (Glenda): Door knocked the area to meet and invite; discovered where the gaps are and utilised the skills from within; community gathering and sharing
• Start small
• Work on existing connections
• Don’t re-invent the wheel – find models that work and use them
• Put an ad in the local paper
• Put forward articles in the local paper
• Find and nurture champions within existing groups
• Target groups
• Celebrate success
• Utilise schools and younger champions

2.2 Issue – Disconnectedness of various movements and actions
• Opportunity – Creating sustainable business networks to connect and support ethical enterprises
• People with passion
• Having a common cause
• Community sense of ownership
• Local government
• Building blocks:
• Grass roots movements
• $$$
• Connectors between government/funding and community needs
• Inspires people to participate
• These people are influential
• Tipple effect

2.3 Issue – Lack of leadership
• Opportunity – Finding local champions and supporting them
• Door knocking/word of mouth
• Referrals – community group; Mainstreets; the Bendigo Bank
• Become a leader and develop partnerships
• Forum for a voice of leadership
• Identify the demand and allow it to drive the action
• Run a workshop on a topic and find out who’s in the room, share ideas and support
• Use community resources
• Work out the needs of the community – what do they have to offer and receive from being sustainable
• Building blocks to support Going Local

Challenges – education; competition; lack of time

Building Blocks:
• Positive solutions – further education
• Sustainable business networks

2.4 Issue - Lack of leadership by government
• Opportunity – New systems, structures, governance models

Actions:
1. Find out how to invigorate community attendance at pro-active public forums
2. To promote the use of cutting edge and innovative governance models (e.g. sociocracy…)
3. Generate urban planning/zoning proposal to federal, state and local governments for community projects
4. Promote and use models such as the Community Land Trust which delivers affordable housing throughout the UK, USA and Europe
5. Preferred supplier through local networks eg. Council’s etc, mandate local power
6. Creating collective/co-operative systems for local issues eg. power, food etc.
7. BALLE – local trading discount; regional basis to a network for Melbourne; what are existing networks doing?
8. Active empowerment (as a form of governance) to support going local
9. Fun Consultation
10. Planning Feedback
11. Reporting Engagement

2.5 Issue - Cost of Organic and being sustainable
Opportunity – Growing more organic food in the city in various ways
• Breaking down ‘organics’ barrier – elitist perception
• Working on achievable results – getting government support to do this i.e. farms going organic gradually
• Making organics accessible in a mainstream way
• Access to information

Building blocks:
• Community dinner – CERES and Collingwood Children’s Farm Café – access ideas and share resources
• Act on the ideas – collection of organic food, possibility of CERES knowledge to use Collingwood Farm to grow food
• Contacting other cafes/businesses to share and contribute – look at other local growing opportunities
• Grants? To help support someone to lead the group

2.6 Issue - Population growth climate change and peak oil
Opportunity - Planning for future local communities
• Access
• Getting away from activity centres being only retail hubs
• To plan we need to know carrying capacity of the region in post oil economy??
• Moving to other localities
• Food-to-home delivery
• Barter system – pro bono
• Fruit trees on nature strips
• Meal mapping
• Ethics/values codes
• Farmland degradation
• Food
• Employment
• Entertainment
• Waste management
• Shelter
• Retail
• Arts/culture
• Energy
• Recreation
• Ethical businesses
• Hard to set aside land for agriculture, natural industries
• Information and awareness
• Local face-to-face meetings
• Community leaders – catalysts
• No network too small
• Focus on simple, business needs
• Hub – place of community
• Set up small model, build on it

2.7 Topics that arose from the issues and opportunities exercise, but not discussed:
• Issue – Subsidies to big business and corporate global paradigm
• Opportunity – Micro finance, sustainable investment initiatives
• Issue – Long distribution networks
• Opportunity – Setting up decentralised networks that support the local
• Issue – Understanding the issues
• Opportunity – Integrated education ‘sharing the niche’
• Issue – Media not picking up on the positive alternatives
• Opportunity – Find media champions for the ‘new story’

3 Further notes
• Disconnectedness comes about from government level ‘imposing’ solutions from the top down
• Funding doesn’t allow involvement from different sectors
• Lost ‘common spaces’ to communicate ‘face to face’

Model for Sustainable business Networks
• ‘Jane Jacobs example’ – people that bring the right people together could be the local bank managers
• The Tipping Point – a book –the value of ‘connectors’ and other personality types in social change movements
• ‘Who is in the community’ that is a natural ‘connector’ that can be brought on board?
• Connecting Nillumbik – could be a good model
• Bendigo Bank – local community business support

Positive Solutions
• Clusters
• Getting people together (physically), business breakfasts
• Champions/mentoring
• Inspire and educate people

Building Blocks
• Identify who we want to connect with
• People with passion – who are influential
• Accessing current services/groups
• A common cause – clear vision
• Giving community sense of ownership
• Connecting State Government and the community - is this local government’s role?

Why isn’t this working at this level?
• Local Government
• Personal connection with people – has been a bit lost through email etc.
• Hubs/clusters of interest groups

4 Where to from here? FAQs & further information and resources for setting up sustainable business networks
What is the role of sustainable business networks?
Sustainable business networks help local, independent businesses thrive while they build an economy that values people, planet and prosperity for all through:
• Creating a supportive network for locally owned, independent businesses through collaborative events, a membership directory and member-to-member business transactions
• Educating entrepreneurs on best practices for triple-bottom-line management through monthly events, peer-to-peer mentoring, an annual conference and Social Venture Institute with award recognitions
• Educating consumers about the benefits of supporting sustainable and local businesses, and connecting them to network members through Buy Local campaigns, public events and online and print local business directories
• Advising and advocating on sustainable and pro-independent local business policies to local government and those with influence, providing resources, available studies and support.

What activities do sustainable business networks undertake?
Sustainable business networks develop a calendar of events to bring members together to connect and learn from each other, such as:
• Monthly meetings
• Film screenings
• Regional conferences
• Annual international BALLE conference
• Product expos
• Buy local campaigns, consumer education
• Speakers from among the network membership are available to present
• Promotional activities
• Email newsletter
• Online marketplace

Who are the people that make up sustainable business networks?
Sustainable business networks are made up of:
• Local business people
• Philanthropic bodies
• Social entrepreneurs
• Investors, Community Banks & Credit Unions
• Not-for-profit leaders
• Government representatives
• Volunteers

How are sustainable business networks funded?
Sustainable business networks are funded through:
• Membership fees
• Philanthropic organisations
• Community Banks and Credit Unions (for example, Bendigo Bank and MECU)
• Private investors

How do sustainable business networks operate?
Sustainable business networks are run by a small team of core staff, normally as an NGO or adjunct of a Trust or philanthropic organization, and are assisted by an extensive volunteer base from within the network.

How do we set up a sustainable business network?
Excellent information on this is available through the BALLE website, and groups can order an information kit direct from the website: http://www.livingeconomies.org/networks/start-a-network-1

Where can I find out more information?
www.livingeconomies.org
www.sbnphiladelphia.org
www.omlf.org
www.localfirst.org
www.sbnportland.org
www.bendigobank.com
www.mecu.com.au

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