How’s your vision?
An inspiring glimpse of a possible future from Andrew Morrison
- Article from the latest edition of Just Living-
My vision of the future involves empowered communities living in edible landscapes.
I see the transformation of the city into a vibrant, beautiful, sustainable, healthy, playful place to live. I see people redesigning their lifestyles, neighbourhoods, businesses, and cities through fun, practical means. Church groups, primary schools, residents associations, government departments and so on working together as design teams.
Rather than leaving the design and decision-making of our communities up to specialists, I see people empowered to take responsibility and make creative choices about how our neighbourhoods could look, and then being supported to put these plans into action.
I see this transformative environmental education being offered through Urban Permaculture Design Academies.
I see communities in the future that reflect, celebrate and embody the diverse dreams and cultures of their people – that really tap their potential as visionaries and agents of change (no matter how big or small). A key to this is listening and ‘appreciative inquiry’. By focusing on what’s working and what’s possible, rather than what is not, we can acknowledge and appreciate the precious people, stories and resources that make up our communities.
I see regular ‘community conversations’ in which residents talk about what they really like about where they live and how this value could be increased. A group I’m involved in called Four Million Dreams is all about this – having ‘transformative conversations’ about possibility. I see this way of sharing being popularized. Nationwide there would be video submissions about of people’s visions and people in conversations everywhere which tap everyone’s rich stories and connections to culture, place and future hope.
“The rising tide raises all boats” – I see cross sector collaboration in the form of leadership incubator courses, in which motivated people from different sectors take part – arts, environment, social sector and so on. People from community, business and government would come together to work on projects that have multiple benefits.
As a member of Transition Towns Aro Valley Wellington, and owner of Living in the Landscape – Permaculture Design and Training Business, I am actively involved in making this vision a reality.
Transition Towns involve people in learning how they can creatively respond to the challenges of peak oil and climate change and renew and redesign their environment to care for people, and to care for the earth. It’s all about relationships: understanding how natural ecological systems of people, plants, animals, soils, water, air, and sun interact, and actively involving ourselves in that.
The possibilities are enormous if we work together. If we ask “what’s your vision?” and “how can I help?”
Andrew Morrison is a permaculture educator working with others to pioneer tools that enable people to be active citizens, living together with commitment and insight.
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