Looking back, looking forward on our Just Transition project

In a few weeks I’ll be saying goodbye to the Transition Together team, after 10 months as the Just Transition Lead. I’m leaving to start the SHIFT Bristol Practical Sustainability course, a 10-month course looking at permaculture and other hands-on sustainability practices, which initially emerged out of Transition Bristol. I’m excited about the opportunity to spend less time typing on my laptop and more time with my hands in the soil. 

The last 10 months have been a learning journey for me, for the rest of the Transition Together team, and for the project as a whole. I wrote back in February about how we’d got on in the first stage of the Just Transition project. Now, as I prepare to hand over the role, I’ve enjoyed reflecting on how some of these activities are starting to come together. 

At the end of February, we hosted the first Transition Alive event: Alive to the Call of Justice, and heard from five contributors from across the movement who are doing work to centre justice and equity in their projects. I thoroughly valued the opportunity to directly see the range of groups and projects who are bringing Just Transition alive in their contexts. If you missed it, catch the recording here. 

In April, we launched Cultivating Just Transition, a six-month learning and exploration programme for recipients of full and partnership Seed Funding Grants. At half way through, we’ve gathered three times to explore what it means to integrate Just Transition principles and practices further into community-led change. We’ve heard from Emma Geen on Disability Justice and Accessibility, and Clara Paillard on Working with Trade Unions.

The feedback so far is that groups participating have valued the space to learn and reflect alongside similar projects, and to engage in peer support and exchange. I’ve personally found it to be a nourishing space where participants come with openness, care, and a commitment to unravel the various topics we’re discussing. 

In the first week of August, the Transition Together team will have their last session with HELD, closing up the internal anti-oppression process which we’ve been participating in behind the scenes. In three modules, we’ve explored our personal relationships with systems of oppression, and how oppressive and anti-oppressive ways of being manifest in our team and wider project. As a team, we’ve found it a useful starting point to reflect on how forces of oppression show up in our work and projects, and we hope to soon share some actions and next steps which have come out of the process. The learnings from this process will continue to inform the work and organisational culture of Transition Together as the project continues, and support the Transition Movement as a whole to continue learning and embedding anti-oppressive ways of being together. 

Lastly, and most importantly, I’m excited to be handing over to El Herndlhofer who will be joining as the Just Transition Lead. El is an experienced and passionate facilitator and community-builder based in Devon, and I’m looking forward to seeing all of the new perspectives and experiences that they bring to the role. Among other things, they will be continuing the Cultivating Just Transition process, working with network weavers on planning a Transition Assembly, and continuing to embed learnings from our internal anti-oppression process.  

As I prepare to pass on to El, I’d like to reiterate how the last 10 months have filled me with hope for the power of community-led change to contribute to the Just Transition we need and deserve. I’ve seen how many groups are already doing work which contributes to building a future which centres justice, equity and collective liberation. There’s certainly still work to be done in our organisation and movement, but I’m excited about the opportunity that this work presents, and the immense power that comes from community-led change. 

I’ll remain on Vive, so please connect there if you’d like to stay in touch. Massive thanks to everyone who I’ve had the pleasure of working with.

For more information: read Ron’a blog on Putting justice at the heart of Transition.