‘Local is Our Future’ is Helena Norberg-Hodge’s latest book. It connects the dots between our social, economic, ecological and spiritual crises, revealing how a systemic shift from global to local can address these seemingly disparate problems simultaneously.
Distilling the wisdom gleaned from four decades of activism and direct experience in both the global North and South, Helena lucidly deconstructs the old narrative of ‘progress’ through technological advance and corporate growth, while presenting a concise and compelling case for economic localization.
Her arguments are supported by real-world examples proving that – beneath the radar of the mainstream media and far from the fetishized techno-utopia of Silicon Valley – healthy and vibrant futures, built upon connection to nature and community, are already in the making.
Published by Local Futures
Book club and discussion guide
We’d like to encourage readers to discuss the book as part of a book club or other community group – so we’re offering a 30% discount to anyone planning to engage with the book collectively in this way. Please email [email protected] for the discount code.
We’ve also put together a short two-page discussion guide with suggested questions and recommendations of next steps your community can take after reading the book. Available for downloading in color here and in black and white here.
Translations of the book
The book has been published in Slovak, Spanish and Czech. Translations of the book in Finnish, German, Portuguese and Telugu are currently underway. An excerpt from the first chapter has been translated into more than 18 languages.
We are eager to translate ‘Local is Our Future‘ (in full or in part) into as many languages as possible. If you’re interested in volunteering your time to help with translation, please send an email to [email protected].
Praise for ‘Local is Our Future’
“There is no more important task than re-localizing our economies – it will help to cure everything from climate change to human sadness. And this book will tell you how it’s done, with testimony from some of the world’s most remarkable pioneers.“
~ Bill McKibben ~
“Globalization is often seen as an aspiration or an inevitability. This book suggests otherwise. With clear, concise reasoning and vivid examples, it offers localization as a potent conceptual lens and action principle to reverse the ruin of culture, nature, and place around the world.“
~ Charles Eisenstein ~
“Local is indeed our future, and Helena Norberg-Hodge shows us how to get there. As she makes clear, it’s all about connection: with each other, with nature, with place. This is an essential guidebook, lighting the way towards economies of human and ecological wellbeing. And as we confront climate change, our very survival.“
~ Judy Wicks ~
About the author
Helena Norberg-Hodge – Founder and Director
Author and filmmaker Helena Norberg-Hodge is the founder and director of Local Futures. A pioneer of the ‘new economy’ movement, she has been promoting an economics of personal, social and ecological well-being for more than thirty years. In addition to authoring ‘Local is Our Future’, Helena produced and co-directed the award-winning documentary The Economics of Happiness, and is the author of Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh, described as “an inspirational classic”.
