We at the office feel happy and tired after the intensive and rewarding days at this year's Transition Forum in Hågaby outside Uppsala. We are especially happy about the new acquaintances we have made and that more people have gotten to know us!
Of the 175 people who participated in some way during the transition forum, around 50 were from Upplandsbygd's area of operation. Of these, the majority had clear connections to the countryside. It was a constructive mix between people involved in civil society, public authorities and companies. Of the participants at our project workshop on Saturday, none had received Leader money before. They left with inspiration and concrete sketches of projects around issues that concern them, such as creating a display area for forest biodiversity or a gadget pool to share resources locally.
At Sunday's movement builder workshop, about 45 of the conference's transitioners in Upplandsbygd participated and gave us input on which issues are closest to their hearts. We divided ourselves into groups that discussed farming, forests, human relationships and the good life. The participants identified several needs for network meetings during the coming year. Among other things, philosophical conversations about moving from being a consumer to a producer in one's life and exchanges of experiences between local forest owners about clear-cutting forestry. Afterwards, we have gained 20 new participants in our network. We have also deepened our contacts with the transition groups in Uppsala and Knivsta, the National Transition Network, the Swedish Permaculture Association, and Studiefrämjandet as partners with complementary strengths. A bonus was also that so many of the lecturers actually live here in Upplandsbygd!
“The good life” is already part of our vision, but the conference provided many more perspectives on what it can actually mean. We were inspired to join hands with different movements in our area that work for the good life in different ways. We were also challenged to find ways to meet those who are not directly interested in change, through, for example, culture, music, sports, food and local history. At the closing session, many shared that they took home a sense of hope and new friends – something that we want our development work to contribute to. This inspires us to be a catalyst for change in our area.
Would you also like to join the Upplandsbygd network and find out what we have going on in the future and perhaps even become a member of our association with the opportunity to democratically influence our future? If so, go to this page: Get involved!
Thank you to all the brave co-organizers and participants!