TUESDAY ELEPHANT EVENT WITH PETER MACFADYEN @5PM ON ZOOM

In December 2019, 30 of AUK’s co-creators came together to think about the Elephant in the Room.   What was the socio-political-economic system that had got us into this mess? And what was the alternative? At the time we were thinking more about the climate crisis and the ten-year window we had to turn the corner on greenhouse gases, but the Coronavirus is another symptom of the same set of dysfunctions.

We had a sense that each of us were playing a clear part in developing a new system that would, as Buckminster Fuller put it, make the old one obsolete. Yet at the time, we couldn’t name it. 

Like the parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant, we all had our unique perspective but none of us could see the whole. At the same time, it’s the Elephant in the Room – the thing we find hard to name, or even talk about. 

In the first of a series of Zoom events, we are inviting the original Elephanteers into the spotlight. Our first, Peter Macfadyen, was part of the Independents for Frome who took over the local council in 2011. He became the first Independent Mayor of Frome and subsequently wrote Flatpack Democracy which has inspired another 21 Councils to follow suit. In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, Peter continues to innovate together with new citizen action networks that have sprung up to help people in need. 

In our Zoom event, Peter will be in brief conversation with A/UK Co-Initiator, Indra Adnan, to share his thoughts and responses to the Coronavirus moment. After which participants will have a chance to discuss their own responses and share their ideas with Peter.

You will need to register on Eventbrite to get the link: https://www.thealternative.org.uk/dailyalternative/2020/3/30/new-elephant-with-peter-macfadyen