We are a national network of people striving to build local resilience.
We get it. The overwhelming challenges caused by climate disruption, destructive economies, and growing inequality make it difficult to know where to start. We are ordinary people who are scared about what the climate crisis means for the people and places we love. We are gathering in living rooms, community gardens, and co-working spaces across the country. Everyone has a role to play.
We are stronger together as a unified movement than as isolated efforts scattered throughout the country. Together, we can amplify our collective voice, harness the power of collaboration, learn from each other’s experience, and provide mutual support.
Unlike a traditional, top-down chapter model, members of our network are independent, autonomous entities, coordinating and collaborating with Transition US on a voluntary basis. As the official national hub for the international Transition Movement, Transition US is here to help your group succeed and thrive.
The key components of our network are local Transition Initiatives, regional hubs, national working groups, our national Collaborative Design Council, Transition US, and the Transition Network.
Network Structure
This diagram should be understood as a rough approximation of our current national network structure. There are simply too many diverse connections between too many Transition groups operating at too many scales and in too many different ways all over the country to clearly depict them all in one image.
Local Initiatives
Transition Initiatives are the beating heart of this network. They are the places where more resilient local communities are collectively redesigned and rebuilt from the bottom up. Every Transition Initiative is fully autonomous, deciding for itself what actions to take and how best to take them.
Regional Hubs
Regional hubs support Transition activities within a particular region by supporting existing local initiatives in their region, encouraging the formation of new ones, networking initiatives together, hosting regional gatherings and Transition Trainings, sharing knowledge, coordinating actions, and raising awareness about Transition in general.
In many regions, hubs do not currently exist or are only in the very early stages of development. However, in others – like Northern California, the Twin Cities, or the Mid-Atlantic States – they have already been active for years. Transition US and the Collaborative Design Council both help to facilitate the sharing of best practices and the provision of mutual support between established hubs.
National Working Groups
National working groups can be catalyzed by Transition US or emerge spontaneously from our network to address a variety of important topics related to Transition, channeling the power of common interest into more coordinated action. National working groups have already formed to focus on Inner Resilience, Social Justice, Politics & Policy, Transition Schools, and Local Initiative Support. Members collaboratively produce and offer resources like national network calls, webinars, trainings, retreats, and handbooks within their area of focus, for the benefit of the movement and based on guidance from the grassroots. National working groups currently coordinate their activities with the rest of our network through representative participation on the Collaborative Design Council and direct communication with Transition US.
Social Justice Working Group
Launched in 2018, the mission of the Transition US Social Justice Working Group is to grow justice, equity and inclusion in the world, and to create the conditions for diversity to flourish in the Transition Movement. We do this by educating ourselves on social justice issues and sharing resources with the broader Transition movement, connecting and collaborating with the broader social justice movement, and implementing practical projects that incorporate justice and equity as integral aspects of building resilience.
Inner Resilience Network
The Inner Resilience Network was formed in 2018 as a collaboration between Transition US, Era of Care [LINK] and other aligned organizations. The mission of the Inner Resilience Network is to support interpersonal and psycho-spiritual resilience in the face of today's multifaceted challenges and to cultivate the skills, resources, and support systems needed for a life-affirming culture. We do this by connecting with practitioners, facilitators and activists engaged in personal and collective transformation.
Politics & Policy Working Group
The Politics & Policy Working Group was formed in late 2019 to educate and share resources on Transition-aligned policy solutions. The Politics & Policy Working Group hosts a monthly webinar series, and connects and supports local TIs that are interested in policy work.
Collaborative Design Council
Our national Collaborative Design Council was established in 2016 to create a dedicated space for national working groups, regional hubs, and local initiative leaders throughout the country to come together to learn from each other, share ideas, resources, skills, and information, provide input on Transition US activities, and collaborate on projects that guide and support the Transition Movement in this country. Transition US staff and board members participate in this 18-member Council, which meets online once a month and invites new members to join annually.
