Community Leadership in a Post-Carbon era

Facilitator: Marie Power
Community Leadership in a Post-Carbon era
This is a course for those who are or want to lead communities towards viable new ecologically sustainable urban and rural systems. The twin challenges of peak oil and global climate change require new skills and knowledge to build community resilience. This course aims to do that, using selected inputs - including film, current data, case studies and toolkits for action. It is based on the transition Town Model, which strives to empower people to deal with change in a positive way. Participants are invited to use a self-directed learning approach, and to strive towards using the skills learnt within their own communities and networks. The course is based to a high degree on the Transition Town model developed by Rob Hopkins (see The Transition Handbook "from oil dependency to local resilience." Green Books 2008).
Check out the website.
(Go to the Quicklink entitled Powerdown)

Course content
Peak Oil and Climate Change
“ What are they? Is there a safe limit?
Evaluating options for the way forward; Creativity in a time of climate change; Food production; Design for Change; Low carbon transport systems; Economic systems; Sustainable construction; Energy use; other related inputs such as Community Resilience “ What does that mean? Why small is inevitable." Local sources. Where does government fit in? Understanding the psychology of change; The politics of social analysis; Vision for the future “ the Transition Town concept" How to start a transition initiative in 12 steps.
Practical skills will include: Making the most of your public events; Writing a good press release; Designing productive meetings & teamwork skills; How to run an open space event; How to run a street party; How to run a fishbowl discussion.
Target audience
The course will facilitate:Community leaders (existing and potential); Professionals whose work is impacted by these issues; planners; environmental officers; organisational change managers and individuals who wish to learn more and to make relevant changes in their own lives.
Educators, particularly those involved in Jane GoodallInstitute's Roots & Shoots programme and the Green Schools programme.
Duration: 12 weeks, Thursday 7 to 9pm.
Qualification: Certificate of Completion.
Level 6 10 Credit Module Cost: €200
Closing Date for Receipt of Applications: 12 September 2008.