2020

The first-ever World Localization Day, held in 2020, featured a recorded program with more than 100 voices from around the world speaking about the need to localise and sharing messages of hope. The program showcased inspiring and successful localization initiatives in motion around the globe. People from 192 countries tuned in.

On this page, browse the original 4-hour and shortened 2-hour program; three live webinars hosted on World Localization Day; 18 original conversations that were recorded for the program; and the full list of collaborators.

4 hours 18 minutes of interviews, localization examples, film clips, music, comedy, and much more. Available in English only.

1 hour 54 minutes of inspiring voices: the best of the full program. Available subtitled in Spanish.

During these 75-minute webinars, speakers addressed localization as a strategy for systemic change through a Q&A format.

Featuring Ella Noah Bancroft, artist, storyteller, Australia; Mika Tsutsumi, investigative journalist, Japan; Manish Jain, alternative education pioneer, India; David Holmgren, permaculture designer & educator, Australia; Damon Gameau, filmmaker (2040), Australia; and Helena Norberg-Hodge, Director of Local Futures, Australia.

Featuring Michael Shuman, community economy specialist and writer, USA; Jyoti Fernandes, farmer, Landworkers Alliance, UK; Diego Isabel La Moneda, New Economy and Social Innovation, Spain; Camila Moreno, environmental researcher and activist, Brazil; and Anja Lyngbaek, Local Futures, Denmark.

Featuring Charles Eisenstein, author and speaker, USA; Zach Bush, physician, human and ecological health educator, USA; Alnoor Ladha, co-founder of Culture Hack Labs, Costa Rica; and Helena Norberg-Hodge, Director of Local Futures, Australia.

Here are just a few of the inspiring conversations that were incorporated into the WLD 2020 program.

Signs of hope in a confluence of crisis with Noam Chomsky and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
Listen to audio only.

The world aching to be born with Joanna Macy and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Look to local first with Molly Scott Cato and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Connecting to place and nature with Iain McGilchrist and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Rewiring the economic system - local first with Gail Bradbrook and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Transforming local economies in Spain with Diego Isabel la Moneda, Jesus Iglesias Saugar, and Anja Lyngbaek.
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The importance of indigenous knowledge today with Albert Wiggan and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Birds, bioregions, and dreaming of accountability with Brontë Velez and Henry Coleman.
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Transforming the economy - local governments are leading the way with David Korten, Gunna Jung, and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Mental health, community, and connections with Johann Hari and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
Listen to audio only.

Peasant movements - smallholders at the forefront of localization with Jyoti Fernandes and Anja Lyngbaek.
Listen to audio only.

The importance of sacred activism and being of place again with Alnoor Ladha and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Reweaving economies around the principle of subsidiarity with Andrew Simms and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Local means decentralizing powers to communities with Daniel Christian Wahl and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Flourishing of life begins with localization with Vandana Shiva and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Go slow and be local: know where you are with V (Eve Ensler) and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Between paradigms and being people of place with Pat McCabe and Helena Norberg-Hodge.
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Effects of the pandemic on education and politics with Manish Jain, Mika Tsutsumi, and Helena Norberg-Hodge.

Philip Ackerman-Leist, Bayo Akomolafe, Seetha Ananthasivan, Tiziana Alterio, Aikokul Arzieva, Ella Noah Bancroft, Elena Biryukova, David Bollier, Russell Brand, Gail Bradbrook, Zach Bush, Elisabetta Caraccia, Noam Chomsky, Devita Davison, Mari Einang, Charles Eisenstein, Brian Eno, V (Eve Ensler), Christian Felber, Cathy Fei, George Ferguson, Jyoti Fernandes, Anna Clara Franzen de Nardin, Rose Friedman, Damon Gameau, Gloria Germani, Sampada Ghadi, Jarmbi Githabul, Jane Goodall, Stanzin Gya, Stephan Harding, Johann Hari, Jack Harries, Chris Hedges, Richard Heinberg, Sofie Hodges, David Holmgren, Rob Hopkins, Jesus Iglesias Saugar, Diego Isabel la Moneda, Manish Jain, Kosha Joubert, Gunna Jung, GoWoon Kim, David Korten, Martin Kirk, Ashish Kothari, Satish Kumar, Alnoor Ladha, Justin Lander, Serge Latouche, Alejandro Lopez Musalem, Joanna Macy, Andrew McAulay, Woman Stands Shining (Pat McCabe), Iain McGilchrist, Stacy Mitchell, Patricia Moguel Viveros, George Monbiot, Luana Monteiro do Couto, Camila Moreno, Ekaterina Mukhiva, Nick Mulvey, Nelson Mudzingwa, Thandie Newton, Mandy Nolan, Helena Norberg-Hodge, Keibo Oiwa, Thais Pacheco Mantovani, Chozin Palmo, Shankari Raj, Ramachandra, Rupert Read, Julia Ryzhova, Ganesh Savanur, Molly Scott Cato, Preeti Sharma, Michael Shuman, Andrew Simms, Rajendra Singh, Ray Stevenson, Yael Stone, Vandana Shiva, Renata Strengerowski, Seth Tabatznik, Victor Toledo, Metka Trdin, Dolma Tsering, Mika Tsutsumi, Uthappa Uday, Tomas van de Beek, Brontë Velez, Daniel Wahl, Alice Waters, Judy Wicks, Albert Wiggan, Martin Winiecki, Park Won-soon, and Masahiko Yamada.

Organizations and individuals who contributed music, artwork and film clips to the World Localization Day program:

Ask Strong Towns: Celebrity Edition with Stacy Mitchell by Strong Towns

The Belgian Renewable Energy Company that Built Power for the Masses by Friends of the Earth Europe, featuring Ecopower

Bristol Food Producers by Black Bark Films and Bristol Food Producers

Cargonomia: Cargobike & Local Food Distribution Hub, Budapest by Cargonomia 

Celeste by Roger and Brian Eno

Chores by Modern Times Theater

Climate Movement produced by Spoonbill, lyrics by Formidable Vegetable, illustration by Brenna Quinlan, animation by Dropbear

CO2 on the High Seas by Rebecca Dunn and David Dunn Animation

Earth People Fair produced by Happen Films, music by Formidable Vegetable

The Economy of Common Good - in a Nutshell by GWÖ Karlsruhe

Energy Local: Making Energy Work for You by Possible, featuring Energy Local Bethesda Club

Happy Localisation Day! by Bhoomi Network

Horizontal Governing: The Virtually Incorruptible Solution to Vertical Top Down Corruption by utopiacornucopia.org

How to Become Self-Reliant in Thailand: Pun Pun Organic Farm by Aspeer, featuring Pun Pun Center for Self-Reliance

Man in the Maze by Greener Media, featuring Native Seeds/SEARCH

A Message from Flowering Dharma on World Localisation Day by Flowering Dharma

The Preston Model by Hazel Sheffield, Far Nearer

Share: A Library of Things by Edventure Frome, Frome Town Council and the Cheese and Grain

Soul Fire Farm: Raise the Roof for Food Justice by Soul Fire Farm

Stephan Harding in Nature by Oscar Harding

Totally Locally Scarborough by Jason Kilshaw

We are building the new world in the shadow of the old, a series of post-COVID illustrations by Brenna Quinlan

What is Prosperity? by Common Future (formerly BALLE)

Why We Need Local Food Commons? by Morag Gamble, Our Permaculture Life, featuring Devita Davison of Food Lab Detroit

2040 Trailer by Damon Gameau

In addition, we gratefully received permission to use the following films, but were not able to feature them in the main programme due to space and time constraints. We likewise encourage you to check them all out and support their work:

Baranaja: Twelve Seeds of Sustainability by Project Survival Media featuring the work of Beej Bachao Aandolan (Save Seeds Movement of Uttharakand)

Economy by Modern Times Theater

Local Food Connect by Local Food Connect

Making Local Food Work: Manchester by Sustain, Sustainable Food Places and The Kindling Trust, featuring Manchester Veg People

Vanuatu: Another Kind of Wealth by Dan Porras, Planetwize