[Sust-mar] Scenario Planning Workshop - offered by Transition Bay St Margarets

[David Wimberly]

Hi Sust-mar,
Please post this notice below at your earliest opportunity.  The scope 
of this is regional, it pertains to the entire Maritimes. I know you 
will eliminate our logo and the graphic.
Could you perhaps acknowledge this and that the announcement will be 
posted soon, please.
Thanks much, David Wimberly




*/
    Building Community Resilience to Global Challenges
/*transitionbay.ca <http://transitionbay.ca>
*__*


**

*SCENARIO PLANNINGWORKSHOP*

*September 15, Saturday, 9-5*

*St. Luke’s United Church Lower Hall, Tantallon*
We suggest: Reserve this Sept. 15 date and register in advance now.

*Scenario Planning Workshop: */Transition Bay St Margarets/ is hosting a 
one-day workshop that explores how rural communities can better prepare 
for a future that is impossible to predict. Guided by Scenario Planning 
expert Marty Janowitz, participants will creatively identify the most 
important unknowns, the key driving forces and then develop scenarios 
(stories of the potential future) based on plausible, but challenging 
variations among them. Scenarios have proven invaluable to communities, 
businesses and even countries to develop plans that promote resilience, 
and to identify "early warning signals" if one or another scenario 
starts to play out. This workshop is ideal for community-minded 
individuals, municipal planners, community organizations and others 
concerned about the rapid change that seems a permanent fixture in our 
future.

To register contact David Wimberly <davidwimberly at eastlink.ca> 
<mailto:davidwimberly at eastlink.ca>902-826-7846 *//*www.transitionbay.ca 
<http://transitionbay.ca> *__*

Please set aside this day and be certain you and your organizations are 
represented here.

Oh, and we do plan to keep this engaging and fun too!

More details:

*Invitation*

*What might the future hold for rural Nova Scotian communities?*

/A one-day workshop using Scenario Planning/

It seems that every day raises new questions about our future. National 
economies seem to be teetering. The climate is also worrisome -- heat 
waves, fires, melting icecaps, and a host of other extreme weather 
events. The price and availability of energy is another big question. 
The rise of democracy movements, stunning technological advances, 
plummeting birth rates, and an exponentially growing free flow of 
information. But what do those forces on the global level mean to us in 
rural Nova Scotia?

In the face of such uncertainty, there are any number of natural 
reactions. We may assume that some greater power -- Government, "the 
Market"or technology-- will take care of any troubles. Or we may hope 
that any big emergencies won't happen in our lifetime. Or we may think 
that our community is out of harm's way. We may feel hopeless or 
resigned. Or on the other hand, we may take these risks personally, 
feeling energized to prepare and even create a better future here at 
home and beyond.

There is a methodical and proven way for groups -- businesses, 
governments, countries or communities -- to explore and assess the mass 
of future uncertainties, consider the forces that are most likely to 
affect our future, and develop strategies and plans that are resilient 
in the face of those uncertainties. That method is known as Scenario 
Planning, a method that challenges us to think creatively, selecting and 
developing some of the ‘stories’ that could be in our future. Scenario 
Planning will assist us to create three to five challenging scenarios 
that reflect the potential interaction of key forces to stretch and 
focus our thinking. We invite you to join in the discussion about the 
potential risks we face, and the possible actions we may undertake as a 
community, as community organizations, or as individuals to strengthen 
our resilience. No one knows for sure what the future holds, but 
Scenario Planning can help us lay out sign posts for where we are 
heading and prepare for and influence the outcome.

*What you will get out of this one-day workshop: *You will get a better 
sense of the forces and risks we face as a community. You will 
creatively identify potential futures and resilient strategies that 
address multiple possibilities. You will gain insight for your 
organization's future planning, and commitment to community. You will 
make connections with other members of the community that may become 
allies or partners in future community initiatives. On top of all that, 
scenario planning is enjoyable!

*Who this workshop is for: *Anyone who senses the risks are real, and 
that head-in-the-sand approaches are ill-advised. Anyone who works with 
a community organization that is dedicated to the well-being of 
neighbours and other members of the community.  Anyone who doubts that 
government will save us in the end.

*The particulars: *This workshop will be held at St. Luke's Church, Head 
of St. Margarets, on Saturday 15 September, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lunch 
is included onsite. Requested contribution is $50, $15 for peopleunder 
30. We are dedicated to making this workshop as accessible as possible, 
so scholarships are also available upon request 
(davidwimberly at eastlink.ca <mailto:davidwimberly at eastlink.ca>). 
902-826-7846 *//*www.transitionbay.ca <http://transitionbay.ca>

*The facilitator: *Marty Janowitz is Vice President for Sustainable 
Development for Stantec, a multi-discipline planning, design and 
engineering consultancy. Marty is well known in Nova Scotia for his work 
on sustainable communities, businesses and organizations. He has been 
trained in scenario planning techniques and has designed and facilitated 
a number of Provincial Scenario Planning initiatives – on community 
climate change adaptation, our sustainable energy future and our 
seniors’ strategies. He is chair of both the Nova Scotia Round Table on 
Environment and Sustainable Prosperity and the Authentic Leadership in 
Action (ALIA) Institute.

Registration now open.