Our wide-ranging programs highlight the root causes of today’s many crises — from unemployment to climate change, from ethnic conflict to loss of biodiversity — while promoting grassroots and policy-level strategies for ecological and community renewal. We have worked in countries all over the world, including the UK, USA, Spain, Australia, India, Thailand, Bhutan and Japan. We currently run three main programs: Global to Local, Our Work in Ladakh and The Economics of Happiness.
Global to Local
The Global to Local program covers a wide range of projects, each of which focuses in a different way on the importance of localization to societies and economies.
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- The International Alliance for Localization (IAL) is a cross-cultural network of thinkers, activists and NGOs dedicated to exploring new visions of development and progress. The IAL operates on two separate but closely related fronts: Resistance and Renewal. People and groups from 58 different countries have joined the IAL to date. Learn more about being an IAL member and join the IAL.
As part of the IAL we organize:
- The Global to Local Webinar Series, in which we discuss key issues in the global-to-local debate. These interactive online conversations are free for IAL members. Listen to full recordings of our previous webinars.
- The Local Bites Podcast, which features interviews with leaders of localization efforts from around the world. Listen to past episodes.
- Planet Local, our web series showcasing inspiring localization initiatives from around the world. Now with an accompanying blog on Medium.
- Roots of Change, a curriculum for hosting study circles featuring the voices of leading political, economic and ecological thinkers from around the world. The emphasis is on education for action: moving beyond single issues to look at the more fundamental influences that shape our lives. No academic background is required to use the curriculum. Learn more about its goals and how it works and how to start a study circle.
Local Futures & Ladakh
Learning from Ladakh is Local Futures’ experiential education program which has offered participants the chance to gain first-hand knowledge of the social and ecological issues facing a traditional culture as it meets the modern world. We have organized Global to Local workshops, Traditional Knowledge and Skills workshops and Helping with the Harvest events. Read of our experiences and activities in Ladakh 2017 here.
This August, Local Futures will hold a critical media literacy workshop in Ladakh – in partnership with the Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO) – exploring the psychological, social and environmental impacts of commercial media in Ladakh today. Read more here: Media Literacy Workshop 2018.
In addition to our main Learning from Ladakh program, more information is available about Local Futures’ History in Ladakh and our Mindful Travel and Tourist Education Program.
The Economics of Happiness
Our award-winning film The Economics of Happiness, which premiered in 2011, explains the social and spiritual impact of economic globalization on local communities and economies, and highlights the many benefits of shifting towards the local. The full-length version of The Economics of Happiness, plus a 20-minute abridged version, can be watched here.
We invite any interested individuals or organizations to host a:
- Community screening of The Economics of Happiness or one of our other films;
- DIY Economics of Happiness workshop for activists and others who want to kick-start effective global-to-local action in their community or within an existing group. The DIY Workshop Toolkit and the Discussion Guide and Companion to the Film are both free of charge.