Bristol 2050

The first Peoples 2050 meeting happened yesterday.

It’s probably worth mentioning again that this is only one of the projects emerging from Occupy Bristol. Other projects addressing different issues, utilising different ways of working will be announced shortly.

We had about 60 people come and a good range of interesting conversations.

The Open spaces meeting format was warmly received. A couple of people had questions about the facilitation, and how the format had been decided. The Open Space format was introduced and facilitated by Simon Stafford-Townsend, who’d volunteered to help.

In open space meetings the agenda and discussion topics are set by those that come to the gathering. So there was no preconceived agenda going into yesterdays meeting, beyond the question: “How can we make Bristol 2050 a success.”

Some of the conversations focused on the 2050 process and some of the conversations addressed the actual issues people wished to tackle.

If you’ve got ideas for what the theme of the next 2050 meeting should be, please let us know in the comments.

The conversations that happened were:

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Lessons from occupy:

A chance for some of those involved to discuss the lessons learned. These included:

* If inner city camping is used as a tactic again, to put more effort into pre-planning some of the infrastructure and logistical issues.

* Some people put in a lot of energy early on, then had to step back and take breaks, a lot of these breaks coincided in early-mid November and let to a certain loss of momentum

* Take breaks, keep the rest of your life happening.

Outcome:

None specific

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 How can Bristol’s Green Groups in the city work together more effectively?

* Focus on the things they agree on, put difference aside

* Link up the 2050 process with the ‘Future City’ conversations

* Continue the dialogue

 Outcomes:

* Working group formed to discuss 10 simple ideas that the groups could unite behind

* Invite all to http://www.bristolenergynetwork.org event 7pm Hamilton House 23 Feb

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Inclusion/ Diversity in Peoples Bristol 2050

* Discussed how to mobilise as many voices as possible

* Risks of a self-selecting group

* Participatory rather than telling people what is good for them

* Events in different areas of Bristol.

* Schools & Places of worship as a way of reaching out to people who may not otherwise get involved

* Diversity of activities: Only people who like meetings go to meetings

* Developing info pack that could be used by communities

* Developing talks that can be given to stimulate conversation in communities.

Outcome:

* Meeting in South Bristol next time

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What is Success for the peoples 2050 project?

* The ‘official’ Bristol 2050 is actually Utopian in it’s own way – It imagines that continuing growth is possible, even likely!

* Reality is going to be much harsher unless we make changes soon: Peak oil, Bankrupt system

* Success might be a post-growth 2050 document

* Success might be a document(s) that show a way for a growing Bristol population to remain fed, warm and happy.

Outcome:

None specific

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Transport

* Integrated transport authority

* Tram network

* Bike network that is not a afterthought on the side of roads

* Linking up with existing projects through http://www.livingheart.talktalk.net/

Outcomes:

To feed into Big green week/ forum for future discussion

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Technology in 2050:

* Not Luddites: Green tech

* Internet continued importance as a democratising platform

* Products kept for much longer time: Laptops for 15 years

* New models of ownership (lease rather than buy)

 Outcomes:

None specific

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Local food resources:

* Lot’s of interest in food

* Discussed http://www.reclaimthefields.org.uk/

* Discussed the Community supported agriculture model http://simshillsharedharvest.wordpress.com/

* Lot of support for expanding veg in Castle Park scheme

 Outcomes:

* Working group formed

* Fund raiser for Guerrilla gardening planned

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 Positive Money

* Discussed whether a return to the Gold standard could be progressive

* The present situation of Bank controlled money supply worst of all possible worlds

* Alternative methods for controlling money supply rationally discussed

 Outcomes:

* None specific (Pub discussion later touched on Pro’s con’s of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_economics )

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Localism in a Global context:

* What are the limits to what we can achieve with localism?

* Creative projects to increase awareness of where products come from & impacts of production

* Articulate how we can interact for ‘good’ with the global economy

Outcomes

* Working group formed to map the existent links between Bristol/ Global economy

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We will be running a poll to decide the theme of the next meeting. Please give us your suggestions in the comments below!