Relocalization Meeting Minutes

February 6, 2007

In attendance were: Will, Ravi, Jan, Guy, Alex, and Doug

Will was designated to take notes.

We started with reports on the location and insurance. Will had investigated insurance for the event and had contacted Troy Landers at Insurance World. Troy had not yet gotten back to me with quotations from several sources. Ones he had received were way out of line. Will said he would pursue the matter until we had the quotes we needed. Will has subsequently spoken with Troy to urge him to find more reasonable insurers. Extending someone’s homeowner policy might be worth considering if we don’t receive a reasonable quote.

The location reports were piecemeal and incomplete but we were able to assemble the following table for the 3 locations under consideration: EWEB, Whitaker Elementary School, and the UO Longhouse:

Item: Longhouse EWEB Whittaker

Cost: $175-200 free 150-700

Kitchen: yes cafeteria yes

Meeting space to be arranged OK best

Availability ?? no Fri/yes Sat yes

Charge donation no yes

Aesthetics ++ - +

Suggestions:

Doug posed that we use the longhouse for Friday evening and keynote and EWEB or Whittaker for Saturday. A discussion led to Ravi, Will, Doug and Guy generally in favor of a Friday at the longhouse and Saturday at EWEB or Whittaker.

Funding – A straw poll was taken with tentative commitments from the committee and funding sources.

Guy volunteered to take on the task of trying to inspect and secure the Longhouse if possible.

Event costs were then discussed. Cost items included insurance costs, transportation costs, venue costs, food costs, AV projector costs and possible speaker costs such as honoraria, travel and lodging.

Jan asserted that since this is a localization event, it is most appropriate to have local people. Ravi suggested we pay transportation costs but not offer honoraria. Doug saw this as a coming together of a community rather than an ordinary conference. Are we a big conference thing or a community coming together thing? Everyone agreed it was a community coming together thing. Ravi elaborated that this can start at the community level, then take its vision to the subregion (ie S. Willamette Valley), then to the region (state or Northwest).

Reasons for the event were then discussed. Ravi said this stage wise process can grow into a regional system that can take relocalization action to the next levels. Will said the event should provide relevant examples to tune people into what sustainability is and how it can be practiced.

Ravi noted that there were three models from prior permaculture gatherings:

1. Workshops
2. Develop local sustainability organizations and
3. Build sustainability infrastructure such as credit unions

Guy noted we need a proactive stance, “walking the walk ……”

Will noted that these aims were actually quite close to the program for Saturday in the draft agenda.

Schedule- Jan went to the board and lined out the following schedule reflecting the discussion:

Friday – Introduction Saturday – Brief welcome
Overview Brief overview recap
Keynote speaker (1 only) Expanded show and
Facilitated show and tells tells in groups
Lunch
Facilitated breakouts
Plenary report from
Breakouts
Action plans
Close

The only real change in the draft schedule was to have an overview person and a single keynoter on Friday and devotion of only the morning and early afternoon sessions to group workshops. Will has attached a modified schedule he previously prepared to reflect these changes. Alex suggested that the discussions build to a charge to the attendees to pledge that they would engage in an activity reflecting the concept of relocalization. Jan offered himself for the keynote slot. Will recommended Ravi for the overview slot.

Ravi suggested we undertake an in-depth discussion of the flow and continuity of the event as our first activity at the next meeting.

Ravi gave a brief (but fascinating) description of the concepts behind a decentralized economy.

The concept involves 7 key areas of economic activity:

1. Resources – Local people have control
2. Production – Done by people with an investment in the local economy
3. Human Capital – Have local people with expertise and have educational
programs related to local needs i.e. the energy management program at
LCC and like educational capabilities.
4. Enterprises are worker owned and operated such as:
a. Small private enterprises
b. Coops – Most important – provides a stable workforce with a sense
of ownership to motivate the workforce, profit sharing a key aspect.
c. Incorporate key industries such as utilities, communications,
transportation, etc.
5. Consumption – by local entities that meet local demand
6. Capital – local control extremely important. Includes the concept of
"fencing capital" to control the myriad ways capital can leak away from the
community. Involves creation of credit unions, development banks and "microbanks" All things together create a holistic view of human enterprise
7. Decentralized planning – the choices are either a market or a planned
economy. Market economy has proven to be the most efficient.
However, a market economy must take into account externalities that
cover social and other factors affecting quality of life.

He elaborated on the focus of decentralized planning with 3 points:

1. Sustainability – how to make operational
2. Productivity – make on going efforts to improve activities
3. Purchasing capacity

A methodology is needed for making these changes.

Critical resources must be identified for the community. Each community cannot be expected to provide all its essentials for living and must trade with other areas that do have what they need. The closer that trading partner is the better. Development has been imbalanced and the following areas must be brought into balance:

Industry
Agribusiness
Agrico Industries – inputs to agriculture
Service sector
Commercial retail

Material economy subcultures such as timber, agriculture, mining, energy, industry need to each be in balance. An overarching aspect to this concept of sector balance will provide the community with options to respond with.