16 May 2006
A Busy and Productive Week in Kinsale…
**Brian Weller from Willits, California, visits Kinsale. A Report by Graham Strouts**
The process of relocalization was the focus of a visit to Kinsale on May 5th-6th by Brian Weller of Willits Economic LocaLization (W.E.L.L.) in northern California. About 50 people came to the Anchor Hotel in Kinsale on the Friday night to hear Brian speak, and 30 people from communities around Kinsale, Cork County and beyond attended the seminar the following day.
Organised by Louise Rooney of Transition Design, both events were a great success and I think many of those who were there left hugely inspired that a similar process could begin here in Kinsale. Brian Weller is originally from England, but spent time in Ireland and indeed met his wife in Allihies, Co. Cork, in 1992. He later moved to California with her, and later, together with Jason Bradford, a world-travelled biologist who has gained an acute appreciation of global ecological issues through his work, co-founded the Willits Economic Localization project.
A few examples of many initiatives coming out of this project include:
-renewable energy manufacturing companies;
-a group called “The Grateful Gleaners
Louise
17 May 12:12pm
Hi Rob
Graham may have been in the Anchor Hotel for the event (doesn’t exist in Kinsale!!) – while the rest of us were in the Trident Hotel!! I think it’s only fair to credit the right venue!!
I would also like to clarify that a process has already begun in Kinsale since last September – the purpose of this seminar was to feed into that process not create a new one. Plus we won’t be changing that process to ‘Kinsale Economic Localisation’ it will still remain the now popular ‘Transition Town’ intiative – which targets more than economic issues.
Louise