Community groups

Working for systemic change at the community level is one of the most effective – and rewarding – actions we can take. Simply joining together with others to start a localization initiative or address a local problem connects us with our neighbors, strengthens bonds of interdependence, and helps restore the fabric of community.  

Build community-owned renewable energy sources.
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Build community-owned renewable energy sources.

Most of us do not trust fossil fuel corporations to put people and planet first, but there is no guarantee that "green energy" companies will behave any more responsibly: they are subject to the same profit and growth imperatives as older power companies and utilities. The solution is for communities to produce their own power.

Take action

Get inspired

  • The 100 residents of Isle of Eigg in the UK own and operate their own electricity provider, Eigg Electric, which features a mix of wind, solar, and small-scale hydropower.
  • Avani Bio Energy, a social enterprise in Uttarhakand, India, builds generators powered by gasified pine needles, which are a fire hazard if not collected.
  • Low Carbon Hub in the UK town of Oxfordshire turns unused roof space and fields into renewable energy power stations, funding the projects through community share offers. 
  • The 50,000 members of the Ecopower cooperative in Flanders, Belgium, have reduced their electricity consumption by 50%, and produce the remainder with locally-owned wind, solar and water power.
  • Members of the Bethesda Energy Local Club in the UK coordinate their electricity use with peak generation from a small locally-owned hydropower station.
  • The members of Cooperative Energy Futures in Minneapolis, US have created several cooperatively-owned solar gardens.
  • For hundreds more examples of community-driven energy projects already underway, check out The Community Power Report. Also see Energy Stories from Vikalp Sangam (India) and the Community Power Map from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (US).
  • The database Go 100% is a list of communities worldwide that have achieved or plan to achieve 100% renewable electrical energy. (Note that not all projects on this list are decentralized or under community control.

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Next Action
Build community-owned renewable energy sources.

Most of us do not trust fossil fuel corporations to put people and planet first, but there is no guarantee that "green energy" companies will behave any more responsibly: they are subject to the same profit and growth imperatives as older power companies and utilities. The solution is for communities to produce their own power.

Take action

Get inspired

  • The 100 residents of Isle of Eigg in the UK own and operate their own electricity provider, Eigg Electric, which features a mix of wind, solar, and small-scale hydropower.
  • Avani Bio Energy, a social enterprise in Uttarhakand, India, builds generators powered by gasified pine needles, which are a fire hazard if not collected.
  • Low Carbon Hub in the UK town of Oxfordshire turns unused roof space and fields into renewable energy power stations, funding the projects through community share offers. 
  • The 50,000 members of the Ecopower cooperative in Flanders, Belgium, have reduced their electricity consumption by 50%, and produce the remainder with locally-owned wind, solar and water power.
  • Members of the Bethesda Energy Local Club in the UK coordinate their electricity use with peak generation from a small locally-owned hydropower station.
  • The members of Cooperative Energy Futures in Minneapolis, US have created several cooperatively-owned solar gardens.
  • For hundreds more examples of community-driven energy projects already underway, check out The Community Power Report. Also see Energy Stories from Vikalp Sangam (India) and the Community Power Map from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (US).
  • The database Go 100% is a list of communities worldwide that have achieved or plan to achieve 100% renewable electrical energy. (Note that not all projects on this list are decentralized or under community control.
Set up a farmers market.
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Previous Action
Set up a farmers market.

Farmers markets that sell local and sustainably-produced food play a key role in maintaining and rebuilding healthy, diverse and resilient local food systems. These markets allow producers to receive a dignified income, provide high-quality food at a reasonable price, create local spaces for sharing and celebration, and bridge gaps between urban and rural dwellers, while benefiting the wider local economy.

Take action

Get inspired

  • The Stoke Newington Farmers' Market in London, UK, is a year-round weekly farmers market selling food purely from local small-scale sustainable producers. The market was started in 2003 and is run by Community Growers – a local NGO that also runs a local box scheme. 
  • Feria Verde in San José, Costa Rica comprises two markets that provide organic food to over 3000 customers on a weekly basis year-round. The market provides the main income for many farming families and has its own organic participatory certification scheme. The Feria Verde has been instrumental in broadening the understanding of, and support for, organic food and farming in Costa Rica. It is also a vibrant community space that brings people together from across the political spectrum.

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Next Action
Set up a farmers market.

Farmers markets that sell local and sustainably-produced food play a key role in maintaining and rebuilding healthy, diverse and resilient local food systems. These markets allow producers to receive a dignified income, provide high-quality food at a reasonable price, create local spaces for sharing and celebration, and bridge gaps between urban and rural dwellers, while benefiting the wider local economy.

Take action

Get inspired

  • The Stoke Newington Farmers' Market in London, UK, is a year-round weekly farmers market selling food purely from local small-scale sustainable producers. The market was started in 2003 and is run by Community Growers – a local NGO that also runs a local box scheme. 
  • Feria Verde in San José, Costa Rica comprises two markets that provide organic food to over 3000 customers on a weekly basis year-round. The market provides the main income for many farming families and has its own organic participatory certification scheme. The Feria Verde has been instrumental in broadening the understanding of, and support for, organic food and farming in Costa Rica. It is also a vibrant community space that brings people together from across the political spectrum.
Start a credit union.
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Previous Action
Start a credit union.

Credit unions are cooperative non-profits structured like banks. They make loans and offer checking and savings accounts, with all profits returned to members. More than 86,000 credit unions provide community-based financial services in 118 countries.

Take action

  • Contact a credit union association in your country through the World Council of Credit Unions' map Our Global Networks to learn how to get started.
  • Rules and regulations vary from country to country, but in the US, setting up a credit union is not as daunting as it sounds. The initial hurdle is to enlist at least 500 members who each pay a fee of $5-25, and to create an oversight committee with at least one certified public accountant (CPA). See a quick overview on how to start a credit union with Wonder's list of steps, Credit Union Creation Process.
  • Understand the full process in the US with the National Credit Union Association's Field of Membership Guide. When your group is ready, apply through NCUA's Charter page.

Get inspired

  • The Maine Harvest Federal Credit Union in Maine is the “only fully-regulated financial institution focused on growing a healthy, local food system" in the US. All its loans go to small farms and food producers.
  • The Permaculture Credit Union in New Mexico was the only US banking institution created to align with permaculture ethics, giving loans for conservation projects, home sustainability upgrades, local farms, and more. (Unlike big banks, the US government did not bail it out in the 2008 financial crisis, and it has since merged with a larger regional credit union.)

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Next Action
Start a credit union.

Credit unions are cooperative non-profits structured like banks. They make loans and offer checking and savings accounts, with all profits returned to members. More than 86,000 credit unions provide community-based financial services in 118 countries.

Take action

  • Contact a credit union association in your country through the World Council of Credit Unions' map Our Global Networks to learn how to get started.
  • Rules and regulations vary from country to country, but in the US, setting up a credit union is not as daunting as it sounds. The initial hurdle is to enlist at least 500 members who each pay a fee of $5-25, and to create an oversight committee with at least one certified public accountant (CPA). See a quick overview on how to start a credit union with Wonder's list of steps, Credit Union Creation Process.
  • Understand the full process in the US with the National Credit Union Association's Field of Membership Guide. When your group is ready, apply through NCUA's Charter page.

Get inspired

  • The Maine Harvest Federal Credit Union in Maine is the “only fully-regulated financial institution focused on growing a healthy, local food system" in the US. All its loans go to small farms and food producers.
  • The Permaculture Credit Union in New Mexico was the only US banking institution created to align with permaculture ethics, giving loans for conservation projects, home sustainability upgrades, local farms, and more. (Unlike big banks, the US government did not bail it out in the 2008 financial crisis, and it has since merged with a larger regional credit union.)
Start a Rotating Savings and Credit Association.
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Previous Action
Start a Rotating Savings and Credit Association.

Rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs) are collective, peer-to-peer saving and lending systems that have flourished across the Global South and among immigrant communities since the 1960s. ROSCAs go by different names in different countries: arisan in Indonesia, tanda in Mexico, and susu in the Caribbean. 

Take action

  • Learn how to set up a ROSCA with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's guide The Group Savings Resource Book, page 30. The handbook also features case studies and discussion of advantages and drawbacks.

Get inspired

  • The Banker Ladies is a short documentary about ROSCAs, cooperatives, and mutual aid amongst Black women in Toronto, Canada.
  • Community members in Dukuh Sebatang village in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, have created a ROSCA for purchasing toilets to improve community sanitation.

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Next Action
Start a Rotating Savings and Credit Association.

Rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs) are collective, peer-to-peer saving and lending systems that have flourished across the Global South and among immigrant communities since the 1960s. ROSCAs go by different names in different countries: arisan in Indonesia, tanda in Mexico, and susu in the Caribbean. 

Take action

  • Learn how to set up a ROSCA with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's guide The Group Savings Resource Book, page 30. The handbook also features case studies and discussion of advantages and drawbacks.

Get inspired

  • The Banker Ladies is a short documentary about ROSCAs, cooperatives, and mutual aid amongst Black women in Toronto, Canada.
  • Community members in Dukuh Sebatang village in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, have created a ROSCA for purchasing toilets to improve community sanitation.
Start a local investing group.
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Previous Action
Start a local investing group.

Joining with others to provide capital for new or established local businesses is a great way to meet entrepreneurs in your community, strengthen relationships among friends, and bring more vitality to your local economy.

Take action

  • How to Invest Local by Locavesting (US) offers extended guidance on a dozen models for local investment groups. Most of these are applicable worldwide. 
  • Join or start a Slow Money group. These groups provide interest-free loans to local food and farming enterprises. Most existing groups are in the US, but there are also chapters in Canada, Australia and France. Find a group near you, or start one of your own.

Get inspired

  • Through their Local Investing Opportunities Network, residents of Port Townsend (Washington state, US) have provided more than $7 million to local businesses through a peer-to-peer lending program mediated by the town government. 
  • The US state of Vermont is home to at least two innovative investment clubs. The White River Investment Club provides financing to small businesses that contribute to a stronger local economy, while the Vermont Solidarity Investing Club invests only in cooperative businesses.
  • The members of FarmWorks, in Nova Scotia, Canada, annually purchase shares in a diverse portfolio of local food and farming businesses, bringing almost CAD$3 million to 95 local enterprises.
  • Slow Money chapters worldwide have shifted $79 million towards food and farming enterprises since 2010.

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Next Action
Start a local investing group.

Joining with others to provide capital for new or established local businesses is a great way to meet entrepreneurs in your community, strengthen relationships among friends, and bring more vitality to your local economy.

Take action

  • How to Invest Local by Locavesting (US) offers extended guidance on a dozen models for local investment groups. Most of these are applicable worldwide. 
  • Join or start a Slow Money group. These groups provide interest-free loans to local food and farming enterprises. Most existing groups are in the US, but there are also chapters in Canada, Australia and France. Find a group near you, or start one of your own.

Get inspired

  • Through their Local Investing Opportunities Network, residents of Port Townsend (Washington state, US) have provided more than $7 million to local businesses through a peer-to-peer lending program mediated by the town government. 
  • The US state of Vermont is home to at least two innovative investment clubs. The White River Investment Club provides financing to small businesses that contribute to a stronger local economy, while the Vermont Solidarity Investing Club invests only in cooperative businesses.
  • The members of FarmWorks, in Nova Scotia, Canada, annually purchase shares in a diverse portfolio of local food and farming businesses, bringing almost CAD$3 million to 95 local enterprises.
  • Slow Money chapters worldwide have shifted $79 million towards food and farming enterprises since 2010.
Start a community investment fund.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Start a community investment fund.

Many people who want to invest locally simply don’t have the time to research all of the options; and since most aren't "accredited investors," there are strict rules about where they are allowed to invest money. At the same time, small businesses can find it difficult or impossible to obtain loans – and when they do, they must often pay exorbitant interest rates to distant banks and financial institutions. Community investment funds aim to solve these problems. They are similar to mutual funds, but instead of investing in Fortune 500 companies, the funds invest in local businesses, affordable housing, small farms, entrepreneurs from disadvantaged groups, and so on. Although investors expect a return on their investment, their goal is to support small businesses, not to extract maximum profits from them.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Seed Commons community wealth cooperative in the US is a "national network of locally rooted, non-extractive loan funds that brings the power of big finance under community control," and "provides infrastructure for cooperatives and communities organizing for economic self-determination."
  • The Boston Ujima Project in the US has created a community investment fund as part of an economic alliance devoted to building a local economy by and for the people.
  • The Vermont Community Loan Fund in the US offers interest-bearing savings and Certificate of Deposit (CD) accounts to individuals and organizations. Lenders can specify that their money go towards either the Food, Farms and Forest Fund (supporting local food businesses), or the Next Generation Fund (supporting childcare programs).

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Next Action
Start a community investment fund.

Many people who want to invest locally simply don’t have the time to research all of the options; and since most aren't "accredited investors," there are strict rules about where they are allowed to invest money. At the same time, small businesses can find it difficult or impossible to obtain loans – and when they do, they must often pay exorbitant interest rates to distant banks and financial institutions. Community investment funds aim to solve these problems. They are similar to mutual funds, but instead of investing in Fortune 500 companies, the funds invest in local businesses, affordable housing, small farms, entrepreneurs from disadvantaged groups, and so on. Although investors expect a return on their investment, their goal is to support small businesses, not to extract maximum profits from them.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Seed Commons community wealth cooperative in the US is a "national network of locally rooted, non-extractive loan funds that brings the power of big finance under community control," and "provides infrastructure for cooperatives and communities organizing for economic self-determination."
  • The Boston Ujima Project in the US has created a community investment fund as part of an economic alliance devoted to building a local economy by and for the people.
  • The Vermont Community Loan Fund in the US offers interest-bearing savings and Certificate of Deposit (CD) accounts to individuals and organizations. Lenders can specify that their money go towards either the Food, Farms and Forest Fund (supporting local food businesses), or the Next Generation Fund (supporting childcare programs).
Create community orchards and food forests.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Create community orchards and food forests.

A community orchard is a collection of food-bearing fruit and nut trees collectively shared and managed by and for local communities, located on publicly accessible lands and managed as a commons for the public good rather than as a private enterprise. Food forests expand this concept by creating multi-layered edible landscapes with perennial vegetables integrated with and around the trees. Even small lots with existing trees can become incredibly productive garden spaces.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Four friends started the Beacon Food Forest in Seattle, US, by presenting to the city council their vision for transforming a plot of grass into a food resource for all. Nine years later, Seattle had a 3-acre food forest that everyone can freely harvest from.
  • The staff at the Food Forest Project in the UK works with communities to rehabilitate land and create food forests, and is building a food forest demonstration site, the Education and Wellbeing Centre.
  • The Belipola Arboretum in Mirahawatte, Sri Lanka, is a thriving 30-year-old "analog forest": a food-producing landscape designed to mimic all the functions of a natural forest ecosystem.
  • Lyneham Commons is a community-run public food forest in Canberra, Australia, that is working to "regenerate public land, improve food security, provide education, reduce agricultural impact and grow food for the benefit of all."
  • The Calgary Public Orchards, maintained by the government of Calgary in Canada, contain edible fruit and nut trees stewarded by community members and open to all. 
  • Cottingly Hall in Leeds, UK, is home to the country's largest community orchard, and shows that even unorthodox spaces can become a great community resource: 120 fruit trees are planted along a half-mile stretch of open space along a railway.
  • The story of the Rosewood Public Orchard in Columbia, South Carolina, US, shows that the community-building element of a community orchard is as important and valuable as the fruit trees.
  • In Community Orchards Bear More Than Fruit, Marina Kelava shares about Croatia's first community orchard based on permaculture principles in the town of Varaždin, which is helping to rebuild both soil and community.

‍

Next Action
Create community orchards and food forests.

A community orchard is a collection of food-bearing fruit and nut trees collectively shared and managed by and for local communities, located on publicly accessible lands and managed as a commons for the public good rather than as a private enterprise. Food forests expand this concept by creating multi-layered edible landscapes with perennial vegetables integrated with and around the trees. Even small lots with existing trees can become incredibly productive garden spaces.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Four friends started the Beacon Food Forest in Seattle, US, by presenting to the city council their vision for transforming a plot of grass into a food resource for all. Nine years later, Seattle had a 3-acre food forest that everyone can freely harvest from.
  • The staff at the Food Forest Project in the UK works with communities to rehabilitate land and create food forests, and is building a food forest demonstration site, the Education and Wellbeing Centre.
  • The Belipola Arboretum in Mirahawatte, Sri Lanka, is a thriving 30-year-old "analog forest": a food-producing landscape designed to mimic all the functions of a natural forest ecosystem.
  • Lyneham Commons is a community-run public food forest in Canberra, Australia, that is working to "regenerate public land, improve food security, provide education, reduce agricultural impact and grow food for the benefit of all."
  • The Calgary Public Orchards, maintained by the government of Calgary in Canada, contain edible fruit and nut trees stewarded by community members and open to all. 
  • Cottingly Hall in Leeds, UK, is home to the country's largest community orchard, and shows that even unorthodox spaces can become a great community resource: 120 fruit trees are planted along a half-mile stretch of open space along a railway.
  • The story of the Rosewood Public Orchard in Columbia, South Carolina, US, shows that the community-building element of a community orchard is as important and valuable as the fruit trees.
  • In Community Orchards Bear More Than Fruit, Marina Kelava shares about Croatia's first community orchard based on permaculture principles in the town of Varaždin, which is helping to rebuild both soil and community.
Reclaim abandoned and vacant spaces.
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Previous Action
Reclaim abandoned and vacant spaces.

Cities and towns contain significant amounts of abandoned and often abused land that lies idle and vacant. If communities organize to gain legal access and tenure to these plots, they can transform them into vibrant food gardens and community spaces that will benefit current and future generations.

Get started

Get inspired

  • The Homegrown Minneapolis Garden Lease Program in Minneapolis, US allows nonprofits to rent vacant city-owned land for one dollar per year.
  • The CountyDigs program in Multnomah County, Oregon, US, donates foreclosed properties to organizations starting community gardens.
  • Community groups in Athens, Greece, responded to the 2008 economic crisis by transforming abandoned spaces into collective kitchens, community parks, and more.
  • Lots of Food in Louisville, Kentucky, US, has transformed 5 contiguous vacant lots into a 1/3 acre market garden and orchard.
  • Alleycat Acres in Seattle, US, transforms undeveloped streets into community gardens, and installs edible walking trails along public corridors and "farmlets" in parking strips across the city.

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Next Action
Reclaim abandoned and vacant spaces.

Cities and towns contain significant amounts of abandoned and often abused land that lies idle and vacant. If communities organize to gain legal access and tenure to these plots, they can transform them into vibrant food gardens and community spaces that will benefit current and future generations.

Get started

Get inspired

  • The Homegrown Minneapolis Garden Lease Program in Minneapolis, US allows nonprofits to rent vacant city-owned land for one dollar per year.
  • The CountyDigs program in Multnomah County, Oregon, US, donates foreclosed properties to organizations starting community gardens.
  • Community groups in Athens, Greece, responded to the 2008 economic crisis by transforming abandoned spaces into collective kitchens, community parks, and more.
  • Lots of Food in Louisville, Kentucky, US, has transformed 5 contiguous vacant lots into a 1/3 acre market garden and orchard.
  • Alleycat Acres in Seattle, US, transforms undeveloped streets into community gardens, and installs edible walking trails along public corridors and "farmlets" in parking strips across the city.
Build community fridges and pantries.
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Previous Action
Build community fridges and pantries.

Community fridges and pantries are usually small structures stocked by community members with free food available for anyone in need. Community fridges carry perishable foods, while community pantries focus on non-perishables like dried foods and canned goods. Both of them play an important role in neighborhood-level mutual aid and solidarity efforts.

Take action

  • Build and maintain a Little Free Pantry with The Little Free Pantries' pages of Building Guides and Pantry Host Guides, and Little Free Pantry's page of Resources.
  • Find a community fridge near you with Freedge.org's worldwide map Find a Freedge.
  • None near you yet? Start one with Freedge.org's resource page How to Start a Community Fridge in Your Neighborhood, featuring step-by-step instructions, legal guides, designs, microgrant opportunities, opportunities to connect with other community fridge operators, and more. See also Hubbub's guide Find or start a community fridge in the UK and connect with their Community Fridge Network (UK).
  • Understand the legalities of food recovery programs with the University of Arkansas School of Law's Legal Guide to Food Recovery (US).
  • If a community fridge is not legal in your area and local food banks cannot accept fresh food, set surplus produce from your garden out on a table in front of your house.

Get inspired

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Next Action
Build community fridges and pantries.

Community fridges and pantries are usually small structures stocked by community members with free food available for anyone in need. Community fridges carry perishable foods, while community pantries focus on non-perishables like dried foods and canned goods. Both of them play an important role in neighborhood-level mutual aid and solidarity efforts.

Take action

  • Build and maintain a Little Free Pantry with The Little Free Pantries' pages of Building Guides and Pantry Host Guides, and Little Free Pantry's page of Resources.
  • Find a community fridge near you with Freedge.org's worldwide map Find a Freedge.
  • None near you yet? Start one with Freedge.org's resource page How to Start a Community Fridge in Your Neighborhood, featuring step-by-step instructions, legal guides, designs, microgrant opportunities, opportunities to connect with other community fridge operators, and more. See also Hubbub's guide Find or start a community fridge in the UK and connect with their Community Fridge Network (UK).
  • Understand the legalities of food recovery programs with the University of Arkansas School of Law's Legal Guide to Food Recovery (US).
  • If a community fridge is not legal in your area and local food banks cannot accept fresh food, set surplus produce from your garden out on a table in front of your house.

Get inspired

Build a microgrid.
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Previous Action
Build a microgrid.

Microgrids are local energy networks that can operate autonomously from the main grid. Whether in remote communities or those connected to an existing electrical grid, microgrids provide resilience against storms and power outages, take back power from electric utility monopolies, and enable us to collectively choose and manage our own energy sources and distribution systems.

Take action

Get inspired

  • The social enterprise SolShare in Bangladesh builds peer-to-peer solar energy networks, enabling solar panel owners to link up with nearby homes and businesses to trade electricity.
  • The Digo Bikas Institute in Nepal has built village-scale solar nano grids in remote communities.
  • Residents in two neighborhoods in New York City, US are developing the Brooklyn Microgrid, where they can buy and sell locally produced renewable energy via a networked grid of rooftop solar arrays. See Morgan Peck's article A Microgrid Grows in Brooklyn for the full story.
  • Spiti Off the Grid, a project of Ecosphere in the Spiti Valley of the Indian Himalayas, helps the villages of the region develop autonomous, community-run and -owned renewable electricity microgrids. One microgrid uses wind, solar, and bicycle power to supply electricity to a monastery.

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Next Action
Build a microgrid.

Microgrids are local energy networks that can operate autonomously from the main grid. Whether in remote communities or those connected to an existing electrical grid, microgrids provide resilience against storms and power outages, take back power from electric utility monopolies, and enable us to collectively choose and manage our own energy sources and distribution systems.

Take action

Get inspired

  • The social enterprise SolShare in Bangladesh builds peer-to-peer solar energy networks, enabling solar panel owners to link up with nearby homes and businesses to trade electricity.
  • The Digo Bikas Institute in Nepal has built village-scale solar nano grids in remote communities.
  • Residents in two neighborhoods in New York City, US are developing the Brooklyn Microgrid, where they can buy and sell locally produced renewable energy via a networked grid of rooftop solar arrays. See Morgan Peck's article A Microgrid Grows in Brooklyn for the full story.
  • Spiti Off the Grid, a project of Ecosphere in the Spiti Valley of the Indian Himalayas, helps the villages of the region develop autonomous, community-run and -owned renewable electricity microgrids. One microgrid uses wind, solar, and bicycle power to supply electricity to a monastery.
Start a community seed garden.
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Previous Action
Start a community seed garden.

Creating a space for your community to grow plants for seed is a great way to build local resilience and preserve rare plant varieties. From season to season, plants adapt to the local climate and environment, passing on information to the next generation through their seed. This makes living seed-saving projects extremely important in the face of our changing climate. As a community, you'll work and learn together to grow locally-adapted plant varieties, become self-sufficient in seed, and share seed as a group.

Take action

Get inspired

  • At UK-based Down to Earth Stroud, members grow seed for vegetables, fruits, and flowers in their own backyards and community garden plots. 
  • Native Seeds/SEARCH has a 60-acre seed conservation farm in the US state of Arizona, where they have preserved nearly 2,000 varieties of indigenous desert seeds. They offer small grants and educational programs for communities in the southwestern USA and northern Mexico. 

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Next Action
Start a community seed garden.

Creating a space for your community to grow plants for seed is a great way to build local resilience and preserve rare plant varieties. From season to season, plants adapt to the local climate and environment, passing on information to the next generation through their seed. This makes living seed-saving projects extremely important in the face of our changing climate. As a community, you'll work and learn together to grow locally-adapted plant varieties, become self-sufficient in seed, and share seed as a group.

Take action

Get inspired

  • At UK-based Down to Earth Stroud, members grow seed for vegetables, fruits, and flowers in their own backyards and community garden plots. 
  • Native Seeds/SEARCH has a 60-acre seed conservation farm in the US state of Arizona, where they have preserved nearly 2,000 varieties of indigenous desert seeds. They offer small grants and educational programs for communities in the southwestern USA and northern Mexico. 
Create a seed exchange network or seed bank.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Create a seed exchange network or seed bank.

Because of industrial farming, more than 90% of agricultural biodiversity has been lost in the past century. Storing seed from endangered varieties in seed banks is a way to preserve what remains of that diversity, although farmers' fields remain the best seed banks of all.

Take action

Get inspired

  • The Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, in Battir, Palestine, works closely with local farmers to identify local food crops and varieties that are threatened with extinction. Bringing those varieties back to life can inspire both farmers and the larger community to preserve their bioculture and repair their local landscape.
  • Vrihi & Basudha, in India, comprises a folk rice bank that has collected, saved, and distributed 940 indigenous varieties of rice, and a conservation research farm that grows out the rice using traditional agroecological methods.
  • Seed Libraries' Getting Started page offers case studies and wisdom from seed libraries across the US.

‍

Next Action
Create a seed exchange network or seed bank.

Because of industrial farming, more than 90% of agricultural biodiversity has been lost in the past century. Storing seed from endangered varieties in seed banks is a way to preserve what remains of that diversity, although farmers' fields remain the best seed banks of all.

Take action

Get inspired

  • The Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, in Battir, Palestine, works closely with local farmers to identify local food crops and varieties that are threatened with extinction. Bringing those varieties back to life can inspire both farmers and the larger community to preserve their bioculture and repair their local landscape.
  • Vrihi & Basudha, in India, comprises a folk rice bank that has collected, saved, and distributed 940 indigenous varieties of rice, and a conservation research farm that grows out the rice using traditional agroecological methods.
  • Seed Libraries' Getting Started page offers case studies and wisdom from seed libraries across the US.
Create a neighborhood group to address the climate crisis locally.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Create a neighborhood group to address the climate crisis locally.

While international coordination and regulation are necessary for lowering global greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the climate crisis, local action is also a vital and often-overlooked counterpart. Connect with your neighbors and build place-based climate-friendly solutions from the ground up with these resources.

Take action

  • Gather with your neighbors and explore ways to reduce carbon emissions and water use, increase disaster resiliency, and create a more empowering and livable community together, following the Empowerment Institute's 4-month Cool Block program, and/or Transition US's Community Resilience and Disaster Preparedness Guide.
  • Explore energy efficiency, waste, water, transportation, and local food solutions with your neighbors using the Transition Streets Handbook and resource page Set up a Transition Streets project in your area, adapted for the US and based on work by Transition Town Totnes in the UK. The handbook guides groups through seven meetings to collectively transition away from fossil fuels and towards resilient communities.

Get inspired

  • Neal Gorenflo, executive director of Shareable, chronicles his Cool Block experience as part of his article series A Year of Living Locally, now published as a free e-book.
  • Transition Streets' Streets-wise stories page shares stories of successful Transition Streets initiatives from around the UK.

‍

Next Action
Create a neighborhood group to address the climate crisis locally.

While international coordination and regulation are necessary for lowering global greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the climate crisis, local action is also a vital and often-overlooked counterpart. Connect with your neighbors and build place-based climate-friendly solutions from the ground up with these resources.

Take action

  • Gather with your neighbors and explore ways to reduce carbon emissions and water use, increase disaster resiliency, and create a more empowering and livable community together, following the Empowerment Institute's 4-month Cool Block program, and/or Transition US's Community Resilience and Disaster Preparedness Guide.
  • Explore energy efficiency, waste, water, transportation, and local food solutions with your neighbors using the Transition Streets Handbook and resource page Set up a Transition Streets project in your area, adapted for the US and based on work by Transition Town Totnes in the UK. The handbook guides groups through seven meetings to collectively transition away from fossil fuels and towards resilient communities.

Get inspired

  • Neal Gorenflo, executive director of Shareable, chronicles his Cool Block experience as part of his article series A Year of Living Locally, now published as a free e-book.
  • Transition Streets' Streets-wise stories page shares stories of successful Transition Streets initiatives from around the UK.
Start a "Going Carbon Neutral" campaign for your town.
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Previous Action
Start a "Going Carbon Neutral" campaign for your town.

Town-wide "Going Carbon Neutral" campaigns not only push for reduced energy usage and carbon emissions, they also strengthen community. The small town of Ashton Hayes in the UK launched the concept by conducting an audit of the town's energy use, which helped determine which changes would reduce carbon emissions the most. To change their collective behavior, residents launched campaigns and projects – all with a light, festive, guilt-free approach and without government involvement. Since then, many other towns around the world have launched similar campaigns. Learn how to join them here.

Take action

Get inspired

  • A participant in Ashton Hayes found that the campaign not only enabled her family to cut their household energy use in half, it also led them to use green construction methods, start a garden, get to know their neighbors better, and participate more in community life. Read about it in The Guardian article My village is going carbon neutral.
  • Eden Mills Going Carbon Neutral in Canada focuses on retrofitting buildings, planting trees, and celebrating all behavior shifts, large and small.

‍

Next Action
Start a "Going Carbon Neutral" campaign for your town.

Town-wide "Going Carbon Neutral" campaigns not only push for reduced energy usage and carbon emissions, they also strengthen community. The small town of Ashton Hayes in the UK launched the concept by conducting an audit of the town's energy use, which helped determine which changes would reduce carbon emissions the most. To change their collective behavior, residents launched campaigns and projects – all with a light, festive, guilt-free approach and without government involvement. Since then, many other towns around the world have launched similar campaigns. Learn how to join them here.

Take action

Get inspired

  • A participant in Ashton Hayes found that the campaign not only enabled her family to cut their household energy use in half, it also led them to use green construction methods, start a garden, get to know their neighbors better, and participate more in community life. Read about it in The Guardian article My village is going carbon neutral.
  • Eden Mills Going Carbon Neutral in Canada focuses on retrofitting buildings, planting trees, and celebrating all behavior shifts, large and small.
Uncover your community’s interests, knowledge, and skills through asset mapping.
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Previous Action
Uncover your community’s interests, knowledge, and skills through asset mapping.

Asset maps document and make visible the organizations, initiatives, and individuals with resources relevant to local community projects in various fields. This can uncover potential opportunities, gaps in resources, and collaborations with existing programs.

Take action

  • In the article How to Map Assets & Expose Real Wealth for Shared Futures, Donnie Maclurcan at the Post Growth Institute offers a straightforward process for a group to uncover its members' strengths and find potential nodes of collaboration. 
  • Learn more about asset mapping with this guide from UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (US) that is applicable to a broad range of sectors and geographic areas.

Get inspired

‍

Next Action
Uncover your community’s interests, knowledge, and skills through asset mapping.

Asset maps document and make visible the organizations, initiatives, and individuals with resources relevant to local community projects in various fields. This can uncover potential opportunities, gaps in resources, and collaborations with existing programs.

Take action

  • In the article How to Map Assets & Expose Real Wealth for Shared Futures, Donnie Maclurcan at the Post Growth Institute offers a straightforward process for a group to uncover its members' strengths and find potential nodes of collaboration. 
  • Learn more about asset mapping with this guide from UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (US) that is applicable to a broad range of sectors and geographic areas.

Get inspired

Start an urban farm.
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Previous Action
Start an urban farm.

Urban farms are typically, though not always, larger-scale initiatives than community gardens. They are often cooperatively and collectively run by and for the benefit of the local community, and like community gardens, help meet important local food, nutrition, employment, green space and composting needs.

Take action

Get inspired

‍

Next Action
Start an urban farm.

Urban farms are typically, though not always, larger-scale initiatives than community gardens. They are often cooperatively and collectively run by and for the benefit of the local community, and like community gardens, help meet important local food, nutrition, employment, green space and composting needs.

Take action

Get inspired

Start a local news organization.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Start a local news organization.

The digital economy has led to a steep decline in small local newspapers, depriving people of solid reporting about their own communities. Set up a local news organization to help fill the gap.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Cape Town Community Television in South Africa proves that local media can strengthen community while connecting people to the broader world. The station covers hard news from the Cape Town region, gives marginalized communities a voice, airs programs for and by young people, and screens documentary films from around the world. The station reaches 2.7 million people each month.
  • After the 2008 financial collapse, most newspapers across the United States were cutting reporting staff to the bone. But the news site VTDigger, launched in 2009, bucked those trends by focusing entirely on issues and events of importance to the state of Vermont. Over the years it has earned a reputation for solid reporting, and is thriving: in a state with a population of just 625,000, the daily online news source has 300,000 monthly users.

‍

Next Action
Start a local news organization.

The digital economy has led to a steep decline in small local newspapers, depriving people of solid reporting about their own communities. Set up a local news organization to help fill the gap.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Cape Town Community Television in South Africa proves that local media can strengthen community while connecting people to the broader world. The station covers hard news from the Cape Town region, gives marginalized communities a voice, airs programs for and by young people, and screens documentary films from around the world. The station reaches 2.7 million people each month.
  • After the 2008 financial collapse, most newspapers across the United States were cutting reporting staff to the bone. But the news site VTDigger, launched in 2009, bucked those trends by focusing entirely on issues and events of importance to the state of Vermont. Over the years it has earned a reputation for solid reporting, and is thriving: in a state with a population of just 625,000, the daily online news source has 300,000 monthly users.
Farm cooperatively.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Farm cooperatively.

Just as with worker-owned cooperatives in other sectors, banding together with others in a co-op arrangement also has much promise for farmers compared to trying to go it alone or having a conventional hierarchical ownership setup.

Take action

  • Check out The Greenhorns' Cooperative Farming Guidebook for various approaches, methods and resources for farming together with others, cooperatively.

Get inspired

  • Diggers' Mirth Collective Farm in Vermont, US, is a five person collectively worker-owned and operated farm growing a variety of organic vegetables and selling to local grocery stores, restaurants, and other food-distributors.
  • Berry Farmers Break Free From Big Agriculture, by Lynsi Burton in YES! Magaizine, tells the story of Cooperativa Tierra y Libertad, an organic cooperative started by a group of farmworkers in the Pacific Northwest of the US that guarantees fair wages and healthy working conditions while preserving indigenous heritage.

‍

Next Action
Farm cooperatively.

Just as with worker-owned cooperatives in other sectors, banding together with others in a co-op arrangement also has much promise for farmers compared to trying to go it alone or having a conventional hierarchical ownership setup.

Take action

  • Check out The Greenhorns' Cooperative Farming Guidebook for various approaches, methods and resources for farming together with others, cooperatively.

Get inspired

  • Diggers' Mirth Collective Farm in Vermont, US, is a five person collectively worker-owned and operated farm growing a variety of organic vegetables and selling to local grocery stores, restaurants, and other food-distributors.
  • Berry Farmers Break Free From Big Agriculture, by Lynsi Burton in YES! Magaizine, tells the story of Cooperativa Tierra y Libertad, an organic cooperative started by a group of farmworkers in the Pacific Northwest of the US that guarantees fair wages and healthy working conditions while preserving indigenous heritage.
Start a community radio station.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Start a community radio station.

The radio spectrum is a public commons, and we should all have the right to use it – not just governments and well-funded corporations. While many countries allows citizens to set up a public radio station, each has its own rules. While this Guide can’t offer an exhaustive descriptions of the process everywhere, we do offer a few examples. You should be able to find detailed guidelines from the government or community radio association where you live.

Take action

  • While the US Federal Communications Commission has not accepted new applications for low-power transmitters since 2013, many people hope that the situation will change in the near future. Check out the Prometheus Project to stay informed.
  • For rules on community radio in the UK, see Ofcom's page Apply for a Radio Broadcast License.
  • In India, community radio stations are licensed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which presents the steps required in the 10-minute video How to set up a Community Radio Station.
  • Read an overview of the status and licensing requirements in more than 20 additional countries with Wikipedia's entry on Community Radio.

Get inspired

  • The Association of Community Access Broadcasters in New Zealand is a group of 11 community radio stations that receive government funding, operate locally and independently, and air programming that reflects diverse beliefs and underrepresented voices.
  • Central Vermont Community Radio (CVCR) is the new non-profit organization managing the independent Vermont radio station WGDR in the US. The station was previously run by Goddard College, which is handing full control of the station to the local community.

‍

Next Action
Start a community radio station.

The radio spectrum is a public commons, and we should all have the right to use it – not just governments and well-funded corporations. While many countries allows citizens to set up a public radio station, each has its own rules. While this Guide can’t offer an exhaustive descriptions of the process everywhere, we do offer a few examples. You should be able to find detailed guidelines from the government or community radio association where you live.

Take action

  • While the US Federal Communications Commission has not accepted new applications for low-power transmitters since 2013, many people hope that the situation will change in the near future. Check out the Prometheus Project to stay informed.
  • For rules on community radio in the UK, see Ofcom's page Apply for a Radio Broadcast License.
  • In India, community radio stations are licensed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which presents the steps required in the 10-minute video How to set up a Community Radio Station.
  • Read an overview of the status and licensing requirements in more than 20 additional countries with Wikipedia's entry on Community Radio.

Get inspired

  • The Association of Community Access Broadcasters in New Zealand is a group of 11 community radio stations that receive government funding, operate locally and independently, and air programming that reflects diverse beliefs and underrepresented voices.
  • Central Vermont Community Radio (CVCR) is the new non-profit organization managing the independent Vermont radio station WGDR in the US. The station was previously run by Goddard College, which is handing full control of the station to the local community.
Promote food sovereignty.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Promote food sovereignty.

Food sovereignty is a global movement led by small-scale farmers and activists that "puts those who produce, distribute and need wholesome, local food at the heart of food, agricultural, livestock and fisheries systems and policies, rather than the demands of markets and corporations that reduce food to internationally tradeable commodities and components." Food sovereignty arose in direct opposition to the dominant regime of industrialized corporate agribuisness, which increasingly dominates food and farming around the world. The movement strives to replace that paradigm with people-powered local food systems everywhere.

Take Action

  • Get involved with and support La Via Campesina, the international peasants' movement – and the largest social movement in the world – comprising 182 local and national organizations in 81 countries from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
  • Learn about food sovereignty and how to support it in this primer by European Coordination Via Campesina, this synthesis report by Nyéléni Forum for Food Sovereignty, and the Food for Thought and Action Food Sovereignty Curriculum by Grassroots International.
  • Promote food sovereignty from the individual to the political level with Food Sovereignty Action Steps, by Soul Fire Farm and the Northeast Farmers of Color Alliance in the US.
  • Make a food sovereignty assessment of your community, with the Food Sovereignty Assessment Tool by First Nations Development Institute.
  • Download a template for a municipal food sovereignty ordinance from LocalFoodRules.org. Although the language in the ordinance is specific to the US state of Maine (see below) it can be easily adapted to other locales.

Get inspired

  • In 2017 the US state of Maine passed "An Act To Recognize Local Control Regarding Food Systems", which allowed municipalities to set their own rules governing food produced and sold locally. At least 73 towns in Maine have now passed food sovereignty ordinances. Learn more in The future of Maine's food sovereignty movement, an article in The Regulatory Review.
  • The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa has dozens of case studies from across the continent showing successful initiatives in areas of agroecology, land, pastoralism and seeds that are helping realize the food sovereignty vision.
  • In Agroecology, Small Farms and Food Sovereignty, Miguel Altieri explores how small-scale farms and agroecological practices are key to achieving food sovereignty everywhere, with special focus on living examples in the Global South.

‍

Next Action
Promote food sovereignty.

Food sovereignty is a global movement led by small-scale farmers and activists that "puts those who produce, distribute and need wholesome, local food at the heart of food, agricultural, livestock and fisheries systems and policies, rather than the demands of markets and corporations that reduce food to internationally tradeable commodities and components." Food sovereignty arose in direct opposition to the dominant regime of industrialized corporate agribuisness, which increasingly dominates food and farming around the world. The movement strives to replace that paradigm with people-powered local food systems everywhere.

Take Action

  • Get involved with and support La Via Campesina, the international peasants' movement – and the largest social movement in the world – comprising 182 local and national organizations in 81 countries from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
  • Learn about food sovereignty and how to support it in this primer by European Coordination Via Campesina, this synthesis report by Nyéléni Forum for Food Sovereignty, and the Food for Thought and Action Food Sovereignty Curriculum by Grassroots International.
  • Promote food sovereignty from the individual to the political level with Food Sovereignty Action Steps, by Soul Fire Farm and the Northeast Farmers of Color Alliance in the US.
  • Make a food sovereignty assessment of your community, with the Food Sovereignty Assessment Tool by First Nations Development Institute.
  • Download a template for a municipal food sovereignty ordinance from LocalFoodRules.org. Although the language in the ordinance is specific to the US state of Maine (see below) it can be easily adapted to other locales.

Get inspired

  • In 2017 the US state of Maine passed "An Act To Recognize Local Control Regarding Food Systems", which allowed municipalities to set their own rules governing food produced and sold locally. At least 73 towns in Maine have now passed food sovereignty ordinances. Learn more in The future of Maine's food sovereignty movement, an article in The Regulatory Review.
  • The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa has dozens of case studies from across the continent showing successful initiatives in areas of agroecology, land, pastoralism and seeds that are helping realize the food sovereignty vision.
  • In Agroecology, Small Farms and Food Sovereignty, Miguel Altieri explores how small-scale farms and agroecological practices are key to achieving food sovereignty everywhere, with special focus on living examples in the Global South.
Transition your community.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Transition your community.

The Transition Network is a global movement of communities coming together to reimagine and rebuild our world – one town at a time – by changing every part of the currently destructive and extractive economy and replacing it with localized, sustainable, just alternatives.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Transition Town Totnes in the UK has carried out a variety of projects including affordable housing, skill sharing, the Totnes REconomy Project, and community gardens.
  • Transition founder Rob Hopkins writes about Liége en Transition in Belgium, one of the most successful, exemplary Transition initiatives, comprising numerous direct farm-to-consumer projects, shops for small producers, 14 interwoven co-ops doing mushroom-growing, cargo bicycle distribution, seed saving, beer brewing, and more, and a local currency.
  • Greyton Transition Town in South Africa organizes swap shops, trash-to-treasure initiatives, local vegetable exchanges, community composting, school gardens and other education initiatives, and eco-business mentoring, and runs an eco-lodge, among numerous other activities.

‍

Next Action
Transition your community.

The Transition Network is a global movement of communities coming together to reimagine and rebuild our world – one town at a time – by changing every part of the currently destructive and extractive economy and replacing it with localized, sustainable, just alternatives.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Transition Town Totnes in the UK has carried out a variety of projects including affordable housing, skill sharing, the Totnes REconomy Project, and community gardens.
  • Transition founder Rob Hopkins writes about Liége en Transition in Belgium, one of the most successful, exemplary Transition initiatives, comprising numerous direct farm-to-consumer projects, shops for small producers, 14 interwoven co-ops doing mushroom-growing, cargo bicycle distribution, seed saving, beer brewing, and more, and a local currency.
  • Greyton Transition Town in South Africa organizes swap shops, trash-to-treasure initiatives, local vegetable exchanges, community composting, school gardens and other education initiatives, and eco-business mentoring, and runs an eco-lodge, among numerous other activities.
Get guidance on multi-sector localizing.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Get guidance on multi-sector localizing.

Multi-sector localization refers to efforts that strive to change multiple elements of the economy – food, energy, livelihoods, shelter, transportation and planning, etc. – all together, from the high-energy, globalized, corporate system to low-energy, locally-owned and produced economies of care. A number of organizations have put together excellent guides to holistic localization, listed below – and we hope that this Localization Action Guide as a whole will fulfill that role, too.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Cooperativa Integral Minga in Portugal was founded "to reverse a process common to many rural Portuguese towns: population loss, the abandonment of agriculture and the decline of local commerce." The cooperative does this by promoting agroecological farming and connecting local farmers and consumers, managing a community space and local currency, and encouraging principles and practices of slowing down, consuming less, sourcing local and seasonal food, and reintegrating people with nature. Read more on the Lush Spring Prize 2021 website.
  • Building a Local Economy (BALE), in the White River Valley of Vermont, US is a holistic local economy initiative, building the capacity of communities in the region to thrive in the face of ecological and economic turmoil. Their work includes community solar projects, resilience hubs, a local food network, a time exchange, and a local investment club.
  • Tosepan, in Puebla, Mexico, is comprised of three civil associations and eight cooperatives, which together cover basic needs including: organic agroecological farming both for sale (primarily to local markets) and for the community’s subsistence; small-scale, community-based eco-tourism; natural building using local resources like bamboo and adobe, incorporating features like water harvesting, solar dehydrators, ecological cookstoves, and renewable energy; local health-care, focusing on prevention and traditional herbal remedies; decentralized renewable energy with a goal of total energy sovereignty; and local finance to support the functioning of the entire ecosystem of cooperatives.
  • Farmer's Share in Kerala, India, is a space for promoting human-scale local economies centered on dignified rural livelihoods. Their activities cover hand-crafted goods, local food production and preservation, vernacular building, rethinking education, and more.
  • Local Futures' Maps of alternatives links to many international and regional trans-local networks working towards local, ecological and solidarity economies.

‍

Next Action
Get guidance on multi-sector localizing.

Multi-sector localization refers to efforts that strive to change multiple elements of the economy – food, energy, livelihoods, shelter, transportation and planning, etc. – all together, from the high-energy, globalized, corporate system to low-energy, locally-owned and produced economies of care. A number of organizations have put together excellent guides to holistic localization, listed below – and we hope that this Localization Action Guide as a whole will fulfill that role, too.

Take action

Get inspired

  • Cooperativa Integral Minga in Portugal was founded "to reverse a process common to many rural Portuguese towns: population loss, the abandonment of agriculture and the decline of local commerce." The cooperative does this by promoting agroecological farming and connecting local farmers and consumers, managing a community space and local currency, and encouraging principles and practices of slowing down, consuming less, sourcing local and seasonal food, and reintegrating people with nature. Read more on the Lush Spring Prize 2021 website.
  • Building a Local Economy (BALE), in the White River Valley of Vermont, US is a holistic local economy initiative, building the capacity of communities in the region to thrive in the face of ecological and economic turmoil. Their work includes community solar projects, resilience hubs, a local food network, a time exchange, and a local investment club.
  • Tosepan, in Puebla, Mexico, is comprised of three civil associations and eight cooperatives, which together cover basic needs including: organic agroecological farming both for sale (primarily to local markets) and for the community’s subsistence; small-scale, community-based eco-tourism; natural building using local resources like bamboo and adobe, incorporating features like water harvesting, solar dehydrators, ecological cookstoves, and renewable energy; local health-care, focusing on prevention and traditional herbal remedies; decentralized renewable energy with a goal of total energy sovereignty; and local finance to support the functioning of the entire ecosystem of cooperatives.
  • Farmer's Share in Kerala, India, is a space for promoting human-scale local economies centered on dignified rural livelihoods. Their activities cover hand-crafted goods, local food production and preservation, vernacular building, rethinking education, and more.
  • Local Futures' Maps of alternatives links to many international and regional trans-local networks working towards local, ecological and solidarity economies.
Policy action: Create a zero-waste city or town.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Policy action: Create a zero-waste city or town.

Taking collective policy-based action at the town, city or municipal levels is one of the most effective ways to make transformative change towards zero waste at the pace and scale needed to tackle the crisis.

Take Action

Get inspired

  • Case studies from Guatemala, Chile, Philippines, Malaysia, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Spain, and more can be found in GAIA's Zero Waste World project, documenting how communities across the world are transitioning to zero waste.

‍

Next Action
Policy action: Create a zero-waste city or town.

Taking collective policy-based action at the town, city or municipal levels is one of the most effective ways to make transformative change towards zero waste at the pace and scale needed to tackle the crisis.

Take Action

Get inspired

  • Case studies from Guatemala, Chile, Philippines, Malaysia, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Spain, and more can be found in GAIA's Zero Waste World project, documenting how communities across the world are transitioning to zero waste.
Policy action: Support fundamental change of the financial system.
Expand Action
Previous Action
Policy action: Support fundamental change of the financial system.

Local finance and banking alternatives can help communities and local economies, but their impacts will not be big enough to fundamentally remake the global financial system. For that, policy changes that extend beyond the local level will be needed.

Get started

  • The International Movement for Monetary Reform is one place to learn about the policy changes needed to transform the global financial system – in particular, taking money creation out of the hands of private banks and vesting it in governments. 
  • In the United States, the Public Banking Institute has been pushing for public banks at the state level. Encourage your state to create a public bank with the tips, sample letters, and more in their Advocacy Kit.
  • The Pathways to a Peoples’ Economy Toolkit contains a number of policies and case studies on limiting the size and power of banks and creating financial institutions that prioritize the communities they serve. The toolkit is US-based but many of the steps can be applied elsewhere.
  • Learn how US cities and states can fight back against the power of big banks in the Banking chapter of Fighting Monopoly Power, by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. It offers some "potent levers that states can pull to curb the power of megabanks and strengthen and expand community banks and credit unions." (Scroll down to the section, "How States and Cities Can Fight Back.")

Get inspired

  • The Transnational Institute's book Public Finance for the Future We Want describes how public finance is shaping regenerative and redistributive economies around the world, from India to Germany, Costa Rica to Vietnam. Available as a free download in English, Spanish, Italian, and Greek.

‍

Policy action: Support fundamental change of the financial system.

Local finance and banking alternatives can help communities and local economies, but their impacts will not be big enough to fundamentally remake the global financial system. For that, policy changes that extend beyond the local level will be needed.

Get started

  • The International Movement for Monetary Reform is one place to learn about the policy changes needed to transform the global financial system – in particular, taking money creation out of the hands of private banks and vesting it in governments. 
  • In the United States, the Public Banking Institute has been pushing for public banks at the state level. Encourage your state to create a public bank with the tips, sample letters, and more in their Advocacy Kit.
  • The Pathways to a Peoples’ Economy Toolkit contains a number of policies and case studies on limiting the size and power of banks and creating financial institutions that prioritize the communities they serve. The toolkit is US-based but many of the steps can be applied elsewhere.
  • Learn how US cities and states can fight back against the power of big banks in the Banking chapter of Fighting Monopoly Power, by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. It offers some "potent levers that states can pull to curb the power of megabanks and strengthen and expand community banks and credit unions." (Scroll down to the section, "How States and Cities Can Fight Back.")

Get inspired

  • The Transnational Institute's book Public Finance for the Future We Want describes how public finance is shaping regenerative and redistributive economies around the world, from India to Germany, Costa Rica to Vietnam. Available as a free download in English, Spanish, Italian, and Greek.

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