(GET) Good Enough Transformation
Climate change brings rising temperatures, extreme weather and disruptions to our ecosystems. Our inconsiderate hunger for Earth’s resources causes deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Environmental degradation hits the vulnerable communities the hardest, making social inequalities even worse. Our future requires action! The stakes are now very high, and the call for a green transition is relevant as never before.
What is the green transition? The green transition is the urgent shift from a fossil fuel-driven economy to one powered by renewable energy, sustainable practices and circular systems. It's a fight to reclaim our planet from the grip of pollution, corporate greed and environmental destruction. We must act now!
How can we do it, we thought? With this call echoing, Trans Europe Halles together in collaboration with partners from 9 countries in 4 continents introduces #GET – the Good Enough Transformation project. Supported by the Globus Programme of the Nordisk Kulturfond (2024-2025), this initiative aims to form a community of practice made up of academics, architects, designers, cultural institutions and grassroots communities. GET's mission is to research, document and develop affordable, sustainable and immediately accessible green transformations combining sustainable innovation with the cultural and natural heritage of local communities worldwide.
What is a community of practice? The seeds for a global green transition don’t need to wait for big technological revolutions. They can be found in small landscapes of local grassroots communities around the world, in the places where our green future is already happening now! A community of practice is a powerful force for change, where people with a shared passion and purpose come together to learn, collaborate and drive collective action - this is what GET wants to achieve. GET wants to create a community of practice that will be about breaking down silos, challenging the status quo and building a movement of shared knowledge and skills that push boundaries and ignite progress.
What is #GET exactly? GET offers a unique perspective on a sustainable green transformation that is driven by local collectives, collaborative social networks and the interaction between traditional knowledge systems, small creative economies and accessible urban innovation.
Representatives from Burkina Faso, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Morocco, Malaysia, Mexico and Sweden (9 countries across 4 continents) will share insights from ongoing #action-research and #testbeds that tap into:
- nature-based agricultural heritage in Mexico City,
- vernacular architecture in Burkina Faso,
- community gardens in Cyprus,
- upcycling material explorations in Malaysia,
- and grassroots creative neighborhoods worldwide engaging indigenous farmers, scientific researchers, cultural entrepreneurs, community leaders and peri urban youth.
Community-based practices (mentioned above) are powerful catalysts for systemic change from the micro-local level that can impact the global scale. They serve as invaluable repositories of vital vernacular knowledge, essential for seamlessly implementing the green transition at the microlocal level.
While communities can't lead the full transition alone, they can enact what we like to call a "good enough transformation". This involves engaging people, fostering low-cost, locally sourced sustainable solutions and harnessing traditional knowledge and collective creativity to transform their immediate environment into greener, more sustainable spaces. Precisely this approach will be embraced by #GET.
Building a community of practice that unites, exchanges and shares insights, learning and discoveries on the #GET green transition, rooted in local community-based sustainable practices from across the 4 continents - Europe, Asia, Africa and America! So, let’s kick off the #GET movement.
