A call for global resilience

In a world prone to pessimism, even among those endeavoring to change it, the documentary “Transition 2.0” shares stories of hope, ingenuity and a kid growing lettuce on a vacant lot. Sharing their “engaged optimism,” Director Emma Goude shows ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

The new film will be presented by Transition Sonoma Valley, the local chapter of the worldwide Transition social movement, on Thursday, May 17, at the Sonoma Valley Grange. The 7 p.m. screening is free.

The film, far brighter than its gloomy 2009 predecessor “Transition 1.0,” documents innovation and success. Communities printing their own money, growing food everywhere, localizing their economies, creating time banks and setting up community power stations. People envisioning, and acting towards, hopeful futures.

“The film focuses on the moves groups of people are making to look at the future squarely, to make connections with one another and to find ways to thrive in challenging times,” said Tim Boeve of Transition Sonoma Valley.

The Transition movement began in 2005 in England and since then has sparked off 900 initiatives worldwide. Locally, Transition Sonoma Valley is building a responsive network of local citizens, groups and businesses to create a resilient, self-reliant community in response to the challenges of climate change, peak oil, and economic instability.

“It’s an idea that has gone viral, a social experiment that is about responding to uncertain times with solutions and optimism,” Boeve said.

“In Transition 2.0 – a story of Resilience and Hope in Extraordinary Times” will show at the Grange Hall, The film, series is presented in partnership with the Sonoma Community Center, the Sonoma Ecology Center and the Sonoma Valley Grange. Find out more at Transitionsonomavalley.org.