People's Assembly develops vision for Green Party to contribute to local Climate & Ecological Emergency action

19 March 2020

On Wednesday 11th March, members and supporters of Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Green Party (BCPGP) came together in a People's Assembly to consider the question: "Climate & Ecological Emergency: What can the Green Party contribute in our local communities?"

The event opened with a short update from Councillor Simon Bull on progress by BCP Council with Climate & Ecological Emergency action since the last BCPGP people's assembly. You can watch Simon's talk here:

Councillor Chris Rigby, facilitating, then split attendees into smaller breakout groups to listen to and discuss each others' ideas.

Here are the flipchart notes the groups made:

Attendees came back together to hear summaries of each group's discussion. Seven themes were identified from the ideas presented:

• Transport (including public transport, cycling, Park & Ride and electrification)
• Rewilding
• Air quality
• Waste and recycling
• Community energy and heat
• the Bournemouth Air Show
• Promotion of eco living advice

Theme-based small group discussions then followed on three of those topics - community energy/heat, rewilding, and transport - plus a pop-up mini-discussion on mattress recycling. Groups either took flipchart notes, or notes were taken of their report-back when the attendees came back together. Here are those notes:

Despite reduced numbers at this last event to run just before the adoption by the Green Party of social distancing measures for the Coronavirus crisis, attendees enjoyed making the new connections and reported leaving feeling positive and motivated.

#GetInvolved: Continuing development of local Climate & Ecological Emergency action during social distancing

BCPGP uses digital collaboration platform Slack to allow active members to share information and discuss topics in 'channels' - one channel per discussion.

A Slack channel has now been set up for each ot the seven themes identified at this event:

• #transport-activism
• #rewilding
• #air-quality
• #air-show
• #waste-recycling
• #community-energy
• #eco-advice-promotion

During this period of social distancing due to Coronavirus, BCPGP will increase its focus on its digital collaboration platforms so that members can continue to get some interaction, and members are warmly encouraged to join BCPGP's Slack workspace and then join those channels (topic discussions) which are of interest.

BCPGP also has its own Zoom (videoconferencing) meeting room available for members' use for any activist-related purpose. Dialing in to a Zoom meeting on any telephone is possible as an alternative to online participation (with or without webcam). 

For instructions to local party members to gain access to Slack or Zoom, check out our Members' area. BCPGP members also received an email on 19th March (from coordinator@sedorset.greenparty.org.uk) with full joining instructions for Slack and Zoom.

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