EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE − The growing darkness of December, the seasonal hope for a better world symbolized by gifts and stars, candles that never go out and trees that are ever green − this is the time for dreaming.
In her book Crip Kinship, disability justice activist Shadya Kafai writes
“dreaming is not passive. In dreaming, our communities materialise a world where, through fury and love, transformation in all its rebelliousness thrives.”
Dreams have rewritten history: Tommy Douglas’s dream for health care for all; Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream” speech; the local Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH) group’s dream of dignity for people without homes.
Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Town movement, says that he believes “that we will create the future we long for only because we are able to master the art of telling the most compelling stories.”
Old stories are failing us and our home planet. The deceptive old story of consumerism, individualistic gain, private wealth and power – all gotten by exploiting Nature − has dangerously failed us all. Around the globe, people are dreaming new stories about our future being born out of the darkness of present disasters.
Transition Town Peterborough brought us a different story about localizing the Economy using experiences of a local food festival (the Purple Onion festival), a local currency (the Kawartha loon), a free magazine (the Greenzine), and a whole new way of economic thinking based on permaculture’s ecological principles and practices.
Local artists, gardeners, artists, entrepreneurs, bakers, caregivers, elders, youth, ecologists, educators, thinkers, farmers are dreaming new and shared pathways into our future by:
- respecting the limits of the Earth’s resources: the green energy producers and users, the bus riders, cyclists, regenerative farmers, community gardeners
- seeking equity and inclusivity for the disadvantaged and marginalized people, those most affected by the climate crisis: Sadlier House’s Free Market, Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH)
- holding space for reflection, critique and new ideas for our rapidly changing community: OPIRG, Kawartha World Issues Centre, Connect Peterborough’s continuing online consultations on climate and other local policy and planning; and Re-Imagine Peterborough
- pushing for faster action from authorities toward in response to the increasing urgency of the climate crisis: Fridays for the Future student strikes
- educating and inspiring us: Youth Leadership in Sustainability (YLS) program, GreenUP, The Greenzine magazine, Trent and Fleming teachers educating about the work the needs doing and graduates doing it, film makers, painters and other artists
All of these local community efforts and many more unnamed are nurturing the connectivity, creativity and positive possibilities at play in our community.
The critical years for decision-making: Now to 2030.
That’s not a long time but the Peterborough area has all of the above going for it as well as new municipal Councils in the City and Townships. They are the most accessible level of government and they need to hear from us. We can hold their feet to the fire of a burning planet and ask that every decision they make feel the local heat.
Leave a Reply