The Value and Power of Community Building for a Green Transition
Third Partner Meeting of the Tale Project in Helsinki, Finland
Through co-creative partnerships, the Tale project explores how a transformative action-learning approach can be applied by adult education organisations and sustainable grassroots initiatives alike to catalyse a green transition in (local) communities and cities. ECOLISE has been sharing knowledge about sustainable community-led initiatives, making connections, providing a co-design process, and contributing action learning and participatory facilitation methods.
During this second year of the project, the lead partner Kvs Foundation invited and hosted the 10 consortium partners for an in-person meeting in mid-June in Helsinki, Finland. This article shares some of the shared experiences, highlights and insights from this 3rd Tale partner meeting and a workshop on community building and green transition held during the EAEA conference, which took place just days before in the same city.
Communities as catalysts for social transformation and green transition
What is the role of community in the radical lifestyle changes needed for all to live well within planetary boundaries? Why is putting community and nature at the heart of what we do a powerful drive for transformation? What can adult educators learn from sustainable communities? ECOLISE was invited to give a 1.5-hour workshop during the annual conference of the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) in Helsinki. Laura Kaestele facilitated participatory learning experiences and practices for community building, engagement, and capacity in navigating transformation processes with around 35 participants from adult educators organisations, institutes, and research centers across Europe.
First of all, by giving an introduction and understanding of community as a social structure of belonging to people and places, participants shared place-based community stories and experiences from their lives. Laura then shared inspiring examples of local, sustainable community-led initiatives across Europe that care for nature and people showing that having a positive socio-ecological impact is possible. We then explored the possibility of community action for an eco-social transition and concrete pathways, actions, and practices in small groups and had them present their dialogue results as a little sketch or improvisational play. The workshop used Peter Block’s six conversations, in particular invitation, possibility, and gifts to facilitate exchanges and learning.
Forest protection and activism in Finland
Even though Finland “looks green” and one can see trees on many train rides, trees don’t always grow as a forest – it can just be a monoculture plantation – and not every forest is equally biodiverse. There are only 10% of natural forests left and the large-scale forest industry in the country generates huge revenues, in 2021 it was 33 billion Euros. Especially in the colder climate of Northern Europe plant growth happens slowly and for a forest to regenerate takes time. Forest protection groups and activists like Aino Juvonen, who spoke during the partner meeting, are raising awareness in the population about such issues and running campaigns to protect forests.
Aino engages in environmental activism as a passion. She started a campaign to protect the Stansvik forest with the support of the Helsinki Association for Nature Conservation, when it was decided to cut it down for urban development. The Stansvik forest is a rare case of a natural forest with 100+ year old trees and high biodiversity. With locals becoming active a petition got 2000 signatures in a week, brought to the city hall, and has over 600.000 now. The campaign led to a temporary success of reopening the building plans for revaluation. In the most challenging phase, 100 activists camped in the forest, which felt like a warzone with police cars, logging machines, and chainsaws. Despite their efforts the destruction could only be stopped days later, after they found a protected stream in the Stansvik forest. The movement “Save Stansvik” (Suojellaan Stansvik) continues this forest protection today.
We need common sense and common hands
During the second day of the partner meeting, the principal of ETKO, Mia Talikka, and study secretary Jenni Österman presented the work of the ETKO and the plans for the new adult education centre in Jätkäsaari. In the afternoon we also heard from Kimmo Rönkä, who has been planning the concept of the new “generations house”, where the adult education centre will be located. Kimmo said “In developing co-housing, we need common sense but we also need common hands. When asked how to build a community and sense of belonging? He said “You need hands. Communality is about doing something together, and therefore you need hands.”
This reflects so well the approach of the Tale innovation groups that are about community engagement, shared learning, and sustainable action and the methodology of transformative action-learning that engages hands, heads, and hearts, all together. As the consortium we reflected on the project’s progress, especially the activities of innovation groups and our collective learnings through sharing roses (achievements and highlights flowering), thorns (difficulties or challenging moments), and buds (future potential, still to grow).
As Maria Botsiou, from the Hellenic Open University, Greece says: “Green transition requires the cultivation of collective consciousness and strengthening of social capital. Collaboration between universities, local communities, and citizens highlights adult education as a tool for fostering sustainability. Experiential green projects make sustainability tangible and relatable, encouraging citizens to adopt eco-friendly practices.” Or Philip Smets, DVV, Germany reflecting on the benefit of innovation groups: “Our experience in Groß-Gerau shows that cooperation between volunteer initiatives and adult education institutions anchored in local society can make it easier to overcome hurdles in the city administration. This is an important lever for strengthening civic engagement in urban society and counteracting frustration with non-transparent administrative behaviour.”
Outlook and next steps
After the summer, Tale partners will work on finalising and promoting the recommendations for ALE organisations and policymakers as well as the virtual toolkit, which we are co-creating in order to disseminate key project outputs such as methods and good practices of the innovation groups, stories, and lessons learned, a 3-part podcast series, and multiple articles visually and engagingly. Finally, partners are planning to host 6 national Tale multiplier events and one virtual international event is being organised for the autumn.
