Creating the future we want.

Covid-19 is about change. It’s environmental and social change.  The byproduct is financial change.  Attacking the financial will lead us nowhere.  So where will we be in 12-18 months?  Where do I hope we’ll be and how do I think we will get there and have we learnt from the past?  

The past?  9/11, hole in the ozone? Wars, GFC and Climate Change?  All have a commonality.  People and environment in crisis. And taking the wrong path at the wrong time.  An isolated world lacking strong empathy for others and the environment or a will to help.  We should have had communities working together to solve their problems. Building local sustainable lives for generations to come. Not just for our immediate future or for our retirement. But alas this didn’t happen. “The sins of the fathers are felt unto the seventh generation”.  This pretty much sums up where we are at now.  (And I relise that this comes from Exodus 20:5 and I am not religous)

Those future generations are watching us now.  How should we act?

Pivot.  Just one word.  Do it everywhere.  When you want to do what you normally do. Stop and think.  How can I do this sustainably? Generations in, generations out for the next seven.

Change at home - Start with what you do at home.  Make the changes. Learn the skills you need to become resilient. Three months’ worth of food.  In the ground and in your stores, or available from the local coop, farmers or food share.  That’s your challenge.  Water storage and energy resilience next. Yes it can be done. You just have to start. I feel this is all another blog. Or go read Retrosuburbia.

Business to become trade. Business needs to change. In fact, our concept of business needs to change. Let’s call it trade for now. Business is monetary.  Trade is anything. Your time, your knowledge or skill, your resources and yes this includes money.  Although money’s value right now may be uncertain, other trade will happen, so will bartering.  But it will be messy at first. People trying to solve a community's problem. Sounds like social enterprise to me. Community solving their problems, investing in their future. And future generations.  Right now large scale projects must spend 3% of their budget on social enterprises.  Imagine if Superannuation funds had to invest 3% of their worth in local social enterprises?  Make it 40% and we’d be getting somewhere.  Imagine if 50% of your super was invested in your community - now that’s a massive Co-op.

Local governments.  No longer the 3 R’s - Roads rates and rubbish.  Pivot.  Close the cycle - now I’m talking about Bikes, or electric vehicles - any trade that bases its transport locally on bikes is going to be resilient.  Micro investing instead grants.  If someone has an idea to trade something locally then that should be supported. Let’s face it, the banks are not going to lend anything right now.  Where are local councils going to get its money from?  Sports rorts? No seriously. The process is there. The assessment works. Just keep the political hands out. A local superannuation fund?  Like a cross between Into our hands and AMP. Where do you learn the skills and test your ideas?  Startup shake up of course.

Tourism North East becomes Sustainability North East. We pivot from trying to get visitors to the area to about caring for the area, the people and the environment.  We look after that and by default people will want to visit because we care and we lead with sustainable practices and culture and great produce.

Wineries pivot. So much of our area relies on wine.  So much water is exported from our region in wine bottles and yes, Asahi water bottles.  Now it’s time to convert some grape vines rows to veggie rows and sell locally.  Grape growers are farmers after all.  It’s time they got back to the basics and produced a product that all locals can afford.  A product that sustains us at our core.one that builds our culture, not sucks our environment dry.  When we are a little more resilient then I am sure a few bottles of red wouldn’t go astray.

Learning pivot - Schools and TAFEs could be creating the social entrepreneurs of the future. Pivoting, trying, failing.  Yes they need to be able to fail. And to be supported in their failure. And to learn to get back up again. To rise strong, with new ideas, support, encouragement. We are entering a period where many will not have a job. Teaching jobs skills is a declining market.  Teaching life skills is where it will be at.  How to live a rich life on a budget.  How to live in a share house, grow veggies, preserve abundance, value resources, rethink, reuse, recycle and repair. Think cargo bikes, practical trades, sharing skills, ideas, micro communities, bartering and retrofitting.

Recycle, reuse. Be the best at creating value from other people's waste. Valuing resources. The tip becomes an enterprise.  Turning rubbish into products.  Places to go when you want a second hand bike, or a lawn mower or BBQ, a piece of steel or a few bits of wood.

The shopping mall is dead.  Enter the co-op.  The shared supported space.  Where ideas can be tested, risks taken and failure accepted.  Landlords can see the opportunity or councils could be supportive or social enterprises grown to solve community problems for the benefit of the community.  Where farmers markets and trading markets become the social security of the future.  Learning to trade items is the expectation not the rule.  Don’t have a job, then set up a market stall. Online or for real.  Just do it.

State government is where it is right now.  They are on the ground, in the arena supporting people, pushing decisions through and leading.  They are connected to their people.

Capitalism is dying.  Right now the Federal government is lagging. They are using old tools and methods of government to react to events that they are totally unprepared for. Pivot to a socialist, state ownership. How about investing our money in companies so we all have ownership and benefit from the excess.  Can the government do it? Nah. Grass roots I say.   But they may surprise me.

But imagine it the federal government did actually listen and pivot.  To say to companies, yes you are important and we will assist you but, the money comes at a price. The peoples money is not a gift, it is a share purchase. One all Australians benefit from. The money our government hands out now is never coming back.  But future generations will be left to pay the price of this gift to faceless entities.  It is a massive capital shift.  The federal government is giving away the farm.  It is not too late to change.

Work for a social enterprise instead of work for the dole. Bring back work for the dole? Nah but base income, social housing and community farms.  Then once we look after Maslow's basic levels of need - food and shelter (and WIFI) we can go from there.  Let’s not call it work for the dole but how about work for a social enterprise.  Just imagine if all businesses that get government help have to convert to the social enterprise model - Oh I feel this is a separate Blog in itself.  It's simple really.  The government gives you money - basic income or in the case of a business - support.  Then it comes at a price.  

For people it could be that you have to work 20 hours in a social enterprise.  Now that’s value for money from the government's point of view, plus you as the worker get to build job skills, feel like you are contributing and empowered to help others because of the hand up you were given and not the hand out.  The Social Enterprise models are out there.  Let's crank them up. And get them humming ready for the rebuild that will come.  And it will. And the work will begin.  Lets reskill in the meantime - Anyone for an online social enterprise course at ACRE  in Beechworth.

There is a way.  We need to take leadership, ownership and be empowered. Show it is possible and begin.  80% of success is turning up.