One World Centre Isle of Man

Another chance to see Transition 2, a brilliant introduction to the Transition movement – a worldwide response to peak oil, climate and the social, economic and environmental benefits of localism. There are fantastic examples from the UK, US, Italy – all over the place on what ordinary people like us can do to create better lives for ourselves, our children and our fellow inhabitants of this lovely planet.  This Friday, 8th February, at the Alpine Cafe, Regent St, Douglas; 19:00 for a 19:30 start.

Friday 25th January is our next film evening and we’ll be showing three of the Story of Stuff shorties, by the inspiring Annie Leonard. These movies, all from the Story of Stuff Project, are great fun – informing, entertaining, challenging but full of optimism. You can’t watch without questioning why we do things the way we do…..and feeling motivated to have a crack at the alternatives! There’ll be time to discuss them (and buy a cup of coffee / slice of the Alpine’s very special cakes). Timings: 7.00pm doors open – 7.30pm The Story of Stuff, followed by – no later than 8pm The Story of Bottled Water, followed by – no later than 8.30pm The Story of Change.

This Friday evening, at the Alpine Cafe in Regent Street, Douglas, join us to watch:

YERT – Your Environmental Road Trip.  Called to action by a planet in peril, three friends spend a year on the road – travelling with hope, humour and all of the rubbish they create – to explore every state in America in search of extraordinary innovators and citizens who are tackling humanity’s greatest environmental crises.

YERT has won a number of environmental and documentary awards in the US and this will be its first screening in the Isle of Man.

Doors open at 7 pm for a 7.30 pm start.  The event is free to attend but donations to the One World Centre are welcome.

Manx residents, Hugh and Sandra Davidson, are working with Oxfam, co-funding a project in Bangladesh, and invited the One World Centre Director, Rosemary Clarke, to visit the project with Alex Wotton from Manx Radio and Pete Smith from Oxfam.  Rosemary was delighted to see the way that women in rural areas with very little education are being empowered to develop their business skills.  Some have chosen milk and, by marketing together, they have increased both their income and their spare time.  Others are growing maize or chilli alongside rice and vegetables.

One person now has a tube well; another rebuilt and furnished her home; a third bought a sewing machine to be able to generate more income.  Several were enjoying wearing saris that they had chosen for themselves – in the past they were not allowed to go to the market and had to depend on the selection a male member of their family made.