WHY OFF GRID?

Just why is Off-Grid important?

We are in a Transition of the Ages

As the Earth changes, as our economic system is exposed in its falsehoods and crumbles away, as we enter this transition of the ages and veer between visions of fear and optimism, we have a choice as to what path we take...To step into a Brave New World as a committed participant or to stand aside and let others shape our futures.

Whether we face the End of the Age of Oil or the End of Time itself, our duty as stewards of Planet Earth is to consciously step forward into a new world, forging the future and reconnecting with our Home.

We are the architects of our realities and we are responsible for shaping our worlds.

share skills Off-Grid is a deep exploration of community living, creativity and consciousness produced by the Sunrise team. Learn to generate your own power, Eat from nature, sit in ceremony, design the future, walk on hot coals and move beyond your perceived limits. Marvel at earth’s mysteries, Rebirth your wild side. Evolve and revolve around love, celebration and joy.

Off-Grid is a chance to refine your skills and define your value as a participant in a sustainable future. An intimate environment in which to share skills, trade knowledge, impart wisdom and make a difference. Four days out of the world to get into changing our world. In a world teetering on the brink of disaster can we afford not to?

Unrealised by the masses, human civilisation is an intensely fragile construction. It is built on the fabric of dreams, of a belief in the invincibility and infallibility of its systems, of its laws, of its military force and of its moral rightness. Yet human history tells us over and over that civilizations inevitably fall. This is inescapable. Yet we have created the illusion that this one will last for ever, as, undoubtedly, each civilisation in history has itself done. But within each civilisation, in its dying hours, comes those who are willing to prepare for the changes that lie ahead, those with the vision to see and plan and move forward into a new era, ready and willing. These are often the bravest of souls, those who are willing to fight the party line, be ridiculed and do the unthinkable.

Land fill Our story now appears to be one of an Empire collapsing from within. It is the inevitable result of a time in human history when we believed that our actions would not have consequences, that our bubble was impregnable. It is not. We are now reaching the limits of our reckless consumption and degradation of the natural environment. Off-grid living offers a different way. A rewriting of our cultural stories.

Off-Grid is about switching off from a dependency on unsustainable resources and the corporate brain-washing, but it is not just about the way we live in the physical realm. It is not just about switching off from the electricity grid or building a compost toilet, though these are all key skills on offer at the event. Its also about the way we walk on this Earth, the choices we make in life, the way we interact with each other, and the invisible networks that we are creating, outside the 'Grid' of civilization. It is a holistic concept that is interlinked with Permaculture, Transition and Community Consciousness.

off grid talks

Sunrise: Off Grid is an opportunity for those committed to community to come together for a time to exchange knowledge, ideas and skills. It is a forum for right thought, a conference of conscious creators and eco-pioneers. It is an experiment in new ideas and systems and a trial of our readiness to make community. It is an interesting experience to pass through.

maloca talks There will be opportunities to put out, via noticeboards, for partners in land projects, for those with skills you need or knowledge that may help you. There are chances to host your own presentations and open discussions, in one of many spaces. There is the option to learn from those that have already walked down this path.

One of the most exciting aspects for us is the Sunrise Transition Currency. The SOL (Symbol of Life) is Sunrise Off-Grid’s exciting and unique economic experiment: Inspired by the Totnes and Lewes Pounds, Sunrise Off-Grid 2009 was the first festival in the world to launch its own ‘Transition’ currency: the Sunrise SOL. This will be returning for the third time in 2011 in wider use we hope.

"You hold in your hand a powerful tool for economic regeneration ... Pass it round, spend it, envision the potential it embodies ..." from the original Totnes Pound.

We hope that Sunrise: Off Grid will become a key gathering for those choosing to live a freer, more sustainable lifestyle. For those living Off-Grid, those empowering themselves to do so, and those simply looking to enact change in their own lives, homes and communities.

Sunrise: Off-Grid is run by a Community Interest Company, building a world beyond monetary profit.

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