About Us

Transition is an approach rooted in values and principles. These are described slightly differently in different parts of the movement, but broadly:
We respect resource limits and create resilience
Because we live on a planet whose abundant natural resources are rapidly being depleted, Transition advocates for dramatically reducing consumption to achieve sustainability. However, because we’ve already set in motion forces that threaten our communities, we also need to build resilience. While resilience is most often defined as the ability to bounce back from misfortune, it can also be thought of as a robust health and vitality that enables us to respond creatively to whatever challenges we might encounter.

We promote inclusivity and social justice
Transition strives to be as inclusive as possible, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it makes us smarter and stronger. Transition requires an unprecedented coming together of society to be successful, so we need to intentionally cultivate all kinds of diversity in our movement: not only race and class but also age, gender, culture, sexual orientation, geography, and political affiliation. A commitment to social justice is likewise essential because strategies that fail to alter existing power dynamics and increase equality will not automatically lead to better outcomes for all.

We adopt subsidiarity (self-organization & decision making at the appropriate level)
This principle means that Transition respects the autonomy of initiatives to decide what’s best for themselves and their local communities. Transition Initiatives are always created for people who live in that place, are never required to pay dues, and don’t even need to call themselves Transition Wherever. Because every community is different, imposing one-size-fits-all solutions would be counterproductive. Instead, regional, national, and international Transition Hubs exist to serve the grassroots movement, providing support for those engaged in practical action on the ground.

We pay attention to balance
Balance shows up in many different ways in the Transition Movement, but this principle specifically refers to a balance between the Head, Heart, and Hands of Transition. As well as seeking to understand our global predicament, we’re actually doing something about it, not only in the external world but also internally, working to transform ourselves and our cultures.

We are part of an experimental, learning network
From the beginning, it’s been clear that there’s no one right way to do Transition. Nevertheless, we can all benefit from sharing our experiences and insights with each other. By linking local, regional, and national groups together into a global network, we can more easily collaborate with each other, provide mutual support, and amplify our collective voice.

We freely share ideas and power
Whenever we discover a best practice or create a new resource, we’re encouraged to share it with the rest of the movement. After all, none of us can afford to waste time reinventing the wheel. Transition groups at all levels are also encouraged to adopt and adapt democratic systems of governance that value the contributions of all members.

We collaborate and look for synergies
Transition groups regularly partner with a wide range of other organizations and institutions for mutual benefit. We don’t try to pretend that we have all the answers or can fix everything ourselves. Because of this, Transition Initiatives and Hubs are exceptionally adept at weaving many disparate entities into a unified movement.

We foster positive visioning and creativity
While both utopian and apocalyptic visions of the future abound in popular culture, alternatives to the status quo that are plausible and attractive are precious and few. If we can’t even imagine a better world, how can we hope to create one? Transition seeks to unleash the power of the imagination and the creativity of local communities to dream, design, and manifest their own destiny.