WE HAVE NO ONE TO LOOK TO BUT OURSELVES TO SOLVE THE COMING CHALLENGES--WE CANNOT RELY ON GOVERNMENTS OR CORPORATIONS TO DO THIS FOR US!
The Solutions
We cannot wait for the politicians, corporations, or the experts to solve the problems for us. Unfortunately, most of the time politicians, corporations, and some “experts” seem to be contributing more to the problems than to solutions. Further, even if the politicians, corporations, and experts were working to alleviate the threats, it is highly questionable how they would deal with the problems we now face.
"WE ARE THE ONES WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!"
We at OPOA believe that it is unlikely that the problems we now face will be solved by national governments or the market place—both institutions are geared toward operating in a paradigm of growth and profit that makes them unfit to deal with challenge of declining energy and the other converging catastrophes of the twenty first century. Neither do we think it is appropriate to take the individualistic path of simply “hunkering down” and trying to out-survive everybody else.
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
Instead, we at OPOA believe that small, strong, and self-reliant communities bonded with the glue of neighborliness and care will be the most appropriate level at which we can meet and deal with the coming challenges. Relocalizing our communities will become the most important and vital means of community survival in the coming times.
Equally important, we need to adapt a new model of community development and human-to-earth relationships that create beautiful, bountiful, and sustainable landscapes that we can pass down to future generations. The best model for this that we have found is the movement and principles described by Permaculture. We also need to find ways of supporting healthy local economies and community currencies that will make our economies more sustainable and strong, and protect them from instabilities in the national currency. We need to develop bioregional politics that honor the importance of natural resources and care for our local ecosystems, which decentralize power, and create vibrant local politics that are truly for, by, and of the common people. We alos need to look to new models of development, such as ecovillages. Lastly, we need to develop a new ethical systems that honors and respects the Earth and all of Humanity.
And we need to do all of this in an extremely short period of time! We will need much discipline, courage, and compassion in the coming times...
BIORegional College
Learning skills of self-reliance and sustainability will become among the most important steps we can take in the near future. OPOA is working to develop an accredited "Bioregional College" that aims at delivering an unparalleled liberal arts education with an emphasis on self-reliance and sustainability with the goal of developing leaders and shakers within the relocalization and earth-care movement. To find out more about our proposals for a Bioregional College and to get involved check out our Bioregional College Page.
Check out our OPOA Action Page for more information about what OPOA is doing to prepare the Ohio area for the coming crises.
WE NEED YOU!
Here at OPOA we are trying to transform crisis into opportunity. If you think that the mission and material that OPOA provides is useful and much needed during this coming time of crisis, we ask that you give what you can to support a truly grassroots movement to protect and defend the Earth and humanity during the coming times. With two full-time staff members, practically all funds are used exclusively to further our mission to help prepare the Ohio area for the coming times and to distribute free information about how individuals and communities can prepare for the coming times. Without your kind donations we wouldn’t be able to survive! To donate or find out more about how you can get involved please follow this link. Voice your opinions, solutions, inventions, suggestions, insights, strategies, and analyses at www.RelocalizationWiki.org.