Translocalism

Meg Wheatley calls the spread of Localisation globally, Translocalism

Description

Geordan Shannon and Jeremy Lauer:

"Whilst generative solutions may be designed for a certain location or community, these innovations should be translocal, i.e., rooted in place-based innovation but connected-up globally. The premise of translocalism is that insights and actions can be shaped by movement, exchange, and circulation across different geographies (Greiner & Sakdapolrak, 2013). Translocalism builds strength from plural perspectives and diversity: as opposed to attempting to control for difference, translocal learning thrives on it. Linked-up socio-spatial dynamics can facilitate knowledge exchange, critical insight formation, new identities, and actions that transcend boundaries (Shannon, Basu, et al., 2023).

Translocalism has been a powerful strategy for Indigenous resistance, providing a way for those engaged in place-based struggles to connect and create critical new spaces of agency and action, in a way that both transgresses and transcends the constraints of nation states (Banerjee, 2011). Another example of translocalism in practice is Direct Action Networks (DANs), who linked up local actions for global justice built on principles of decentralisation and emergent priority setting (Graeber, 2009)."

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Characteristics

Geordan Shannon and Jeremy Lauer:

"Banerjee highlights four features of translocalism, that align with our vision of planetary health:

• Distributed, horizontal and lateral networks, as opposed to vertical and centralised structures of national and supra-national governance;

• Multivalent and multilevel governance that facilitate interactions and sense-making at the local, regional, national and international space;

• Variety of actors including private and community actors who are engaged in building public goods;

• The juxtaposition of temporalities where the temporality of the nation state sits alongside the temporalities of Indigenous communities (Banerjee, 2011).

"Translocalism is not simply about the networked connections, it is about the process of connecting itself. Translocal assemblage has been used as a term to refer to the way that translocal actors build and sustain networks for action (McFarlane, 2009). Assemblage refers to three interlinked dynamics: the labour required to gather, cohere, and disperse in an ongoing, shape-shifting way; the pluralities of groups and distributed agencies involved in this work; and the emergent nature of outcomes (McFarlane, 2009). Emergence has been identified as an important phenomenon in social innovation (see “So how do systems change?” below). Emergent phenomena seem to crystallise rapidly, once previously isolated, localised actions become aware of each other and connect at scale."

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Example

Universidad de la Tierra on their Walk Out Walk On - http://www.walkoutwalkon.net/