Our political systems are designed to maintain oligarchy. This is a catastrophic reality for us all and for the planet. Given only a short and limited time to act, what is the best chance for change? What can we as individuals do to make a difference, both in terms of the system and to help prepare us for the inevitable breakdown that is ahead? In this interactive masterclass with local economy legend, Peter Macfadyen, we will explore a range of tools for reclaiming local politics and making systemic change fast.

Peter will draw on his ten year’s learning as an independent in Frome town council, where he introduced a range of new economy initiatives into his community, as well as his 40-plus years working in the Transitions Movement and other environmental and human rights organisations around the world.

At the heart of this is a lesson in global and local—the premise that change as individuals and as local communities to sufficient scale can lead to change at national and international levels. Peter will make a strong case that the best level of politics to get things done is local—creating a movement of local people who want to reclaim decisions that affect their lives and their towns. It’s often not difficult, he will illustrate, due to the lack of votes in council elections. This presents opportunities to meet austerity, climate change and social inequality head on.

Peter will show us how participatory democracy can be used to engage local communities in council decisions and activities—a stark contrast to most councillors who take the power from individuals, operating on their behalf. Buckle in for a whopping three hours of fun and important learnings on participatory democracy and making it a reality in your local council.

Places are strictly limited so we apologies in advance for disappointment.

Our masterclasses are designed as deep-dive exercises that give you an opportunity to explore and apply concepts and theories from the next economy. Our masterclasses are workshops not lectures and as such we always recommend watching associated TED talks or reading associated articles before attending.

About Peter Macfadyen:

Peter has worked in areas of social justice for 40 years. A consummate networker, he is constantly looking to find ways of bringing people and organisations together.

Trained as a gardener, he then worked with disabled people and disability rights organisations in Africa and India. His work with Comic Relief over the last 20 years has focussed on grants assessing and most recently supporting ways to reduce the impact of climate change on poor people.

Back home, he founded Sustainable Frome and is a Director of Frome’s Renewable Energy Co-op. Through these he better understood both the missed opportunities and potential of local government, leading to his role in initiating Independents for Frome (IfF), the group of individuals whose take over of Frome Town Council is the focus of Flatpack Democracy. Peter chaired key committees and served as both mayor and leader of the council. He did not stand again in May 2019, instead writing Flatpack Democracy 2.0 to complete the legacy of experience sharing.

Recycling, reusing, organic, growing, cooking, grandfathering and bicycling are all central to his activity. Peter’s wife Annabelle and children Ben and Amy are also all variously engaged in creating a more sustainable future, with the whole family now various involved in Extinction Rebellion especially through their Future Democracy Hub.

About our co-facilitator, Danny Almagor:

Danny is the co-founder and Chair of Small Giants, which he started with Berry Liberman, who also happens to be the mother of his three children, and the creative director of Small Giants. Prior to Small Giants, Danny was the founding CEO of Engineers Without Borders and the CEO of Medivax. He loves reading nonfiction and jumping on the trampoline with his kids.

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Concession Rate:

We offer concession rates to support those who are unemployed, studying or working for non-profits and B Corporations. Please check out using the concession ticketing option.

Accessibility:
If you require Auslan Interpretation, please contact us at info@smallgiants.com.au at least 2 weeks prior to the event. We will be very happy to arrange this for you.

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About Small Giants Academy:

Our vision at Small Giants Academy is for a just and inclusive transition to a global economy that supports human flourishing while living in harmony with the natural world. Through articles, podcasts, conversations and masterclasses that illuminate the work of global thought leaders, Small Giants Academy is leading its communities towards a hopeful future, the Next Economy.