Strengthening Local Economies

World Localisation Day runs globally throughout June 2025. Its themes align with NENA's upcoming Conference themes: Pathways to a Thriving World - Building Economies for People and Planet.

Join co-convenors Susan Wanmer and Yolanda van Gellecum in conversation about the financial models and governance structures, creating prosperous local economies - including cooperatives. 

Australia has enjoyed prosperity with small and localised manufacturing, lower food miles and shorter supply chains before globalisation and the push for growth and cheaper overseas goods and labour overtook smaller and more localised businesses. 

Indigenous management of lands and goods - including trade - matched the needs of communities - and was previously sustainable longterm. 

What models can serve communities in times of disruption and uncertainty? Susan and Yolanda share examples, touch on power structures, group dynamics in communities and business organisations, and open the pathways for deeper exploration leading up to the Conference. 

Susan Wanmer is an independent field researcher, speaker and curriculum coordinator for Byron Bay Business College. She is based on Bundjalung country, Byron Bay, New South Wales. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanwanmer-business-educator/

Yolanda van Gellecum is an academic, a qualified social researcher and sociocracy facilitator. She is based on Jagera and Yugambeh country, Logan, Southern outskirts of Brisbane, Queensland. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yolanda-van-gellecum-a46b79142/

Both women are Directors for NENA [New Economy Network of Australia Ltd], participate in NENA's Governance working group, and both have lived experience as migrants. 

You will recognise their mutually shared passion for place and people, and a strong desire for happiness, inclusion,and helping people's voices and needs be heard and met within peaceful, thriving communities. 

More about NENA

The New Economy Network of Australia Ltd (NENA) is a network of individuals and organisations working to transform Australia’s economic system so that achieving ecological health and social justice are the foundational principles and primary objectives of the economic system.

NENA works to facilitate connections, showcase and promote innovative projects, build peer-to-peer learning and use collective strategies to create and advocate for change, so that we can build a strong movement of people demanding, creating and benefiting from a ‘new’ economy.

Intrigued and would like to contribute your voice or passion in these areas? Find out more here: https://www.neweconomy.org.au/about/get-involved/

Contact us: nena@neweconomy.org.au

More about World Localisation Day

https://worldlocalizationday.org/about/

LOCAL FUTURES

Local Futures is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to renewing ecological and social well-being by strengthening communities and local economies. Founded by Helena Norberg-Hodge, Local Futures hosts the annual World Localisation Day campaign as well as place-based conferences and events around the world. The organisation has produced the award-winning documentary The Economics of Happiness as well as the Localisation Action Guide, the Local Is Our Future book, and various other materials -- all with the goal of catalysing a broad-based movement for global-to-local systems change.
https://worldlocalizationday.org/
https://www.localfutures.org/.../the-economics-of-happiness/
https://actionguide.localfutures.org/
https://www.localfutures.org/.../local-is-our-future.../

Susan is also co-convenor for NENA's Financial and Economic Literacy Hub aimed at demystifying economies and providing educational resources around financial literacies, financial justice and a glossary of different economic models. Contact Susan, or nena@neweconomy.org.au if you would like to suggest a topic, contribute, or be interviewed. 

Thank you from our NENA collective!