Great Turning Times

Chris Johnstone

A purpose of this newsletter is to pass on news of inspiring resources, and I’d like to tell about one that arrived through my letterbox recently. It is a book I’m so impressed by that I’m awarding it the Great Turning Times Book of the Year award for 2009. It is Social Change 2.0 by David Gershon (High Point/Chelsea Green, 2009). Drawing on decades of practice and research into what helps the shift towards sustainability, it describes social change tools that have been proven in the field. The core idea is that while campaigning and protest actions are hugely important, we also need an approach that empowers communities to reinvent our society from the bottom up. That’s not a new idea; what is new is the way this book illustrates how community empowerment tools can address the middle bit of change, engaging people and their enthusiasm, mapping out design principles and strategies you can use in promoting the shift towards a sustainable society.

In this newsletter we look at all three bits of change – information about the problems we face, a focus on how we promote motivation and inspiration for change, and also pointers towards practical steps that can make a difference. With delegates of 192 countries gathering in Copenhagen, our world is poised at a crucial turning point. But that turning doesn't just involve those delegates, it also involves you and me and the choices we will continue to make. The Great Turning is happening and we can all be part of it.

With you in this exciting adventure

Chris

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