Living a life grounded in the “localization” movement means supporting locally owned and independent businesses and initiatives whenever you can.
However, that doesn’t mean limiting your thinking to only local doings and beliefs. This movement also means bringing the best ideas and ideals from other parts of the world to your community and sharing your successes with others. As the adage goes, “Think Globally, Act Locally.”
Local Economist Michael Shuman revised this motto slightly. “The new mantra for localization should be ‘Innovate Locally, Share Globally,’” said Michael. “Every business design that helps a city become a little more self-reliant, whether in food, energy, or bicycles, should be shared and spread with every other community around the world. As this sharing network expands, communities will benefit from best practices across the world."
One way to embrace both slogans is to celebrate World Localization Day on June 21 (and during the whole month of June), founded by Helena Norberg-Hodge, author, filmmaker, and director of Local Futures. “Localization is a ‘movement of movements’ from farmers markets, local business alliances, community gardens, eco-villages, transition towns, farm to table initiatives, seed libraries, repair cafes, revival of indigenous and local knowledge systems, decentralized renewable energy projects, and more, is growing stronger,” said Helena. “World Localization Day offers us a wonderful opportunity to amplify the solutions and bring the economy home.”
Participation is easy! Host a potluck dinner or a film screening of one of Local Futures’ films. Head to a farmers’ market or your local grocers and enjoy the early-season harvest. Plant a fruit tree in your backyard. Throughout and beyond June, celebrate the global movement to go local every day.
Get inspired
“From farmers markets and consumer-producer cooperatives to local business alliances and community finance schemes, people are reweaving the fabric of local interdependence from the ground up,” said Helena. “Out of common sense and heartfelt intuition, they are finding innovative ways to step out of the consumer rat race to live local lives at a human pace and scale.”
The American Independent Business Alliance invites you to another opportunity to learn how others are innovating locally and sharing globally. Register for our free virtual event called “Economic Nutrition” on Thursday, June 12, at 1 pm.
RSVP today!
Gwen Partrick of Shorefast, based on Fogo Island, Canada, will share about their Economic Nutrition Labeling program. Economic Nutrition is a new way to encourage us to make every purchase an investment in our local economy.
Think of the nutrition labels on the food you purchase. Imagine those labels capturing where your dollars go after you buy that product or service. Does it recirculate in the local economy? How much is shared with staff through wages?
Learn more
Let us know how you celebrate the localization movement in your community, and what inspires you to go deeper globally?
Email us!
The Local Crowd Monadnock - Keene, NH
