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At the Labour Party conference in Manchester, over the next few days, political leaders will be puzzling over the future of energy, and how to maintain the quality of life of voters, despite the fact that oil is only going to get more scarce and expensive.
At the same time, Cuban visionary Roberto Perez, on tour in the UK, will be sharing his experiences with the Manchester public, about how communities can work together, and live well, in a low energy world.
Main Public Meeting
"Living well in a low energy world: Cuban sustainability - how Cuba survived Peak Oil"
7.00pm, Manchester Metropolitan University, Lecture Theatre 2, the Geoffrey Manton Building, Oxford Rd.
3 showings of the film The Power of Community have also been arranged prior to the public meeting.
1. Wed 17th Sept, 7.30pm, Unicorn Grocery, 89 Albany Road, Chorlton Manchester M21 0BN
2. Thu 18th Sept, 7pm, St. Aidan's Church, Littleton Road, Kersal, Salford, M7 3SE
- Wed 24th Sept, 4.40pm, Students' Union, MMU, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR
To arrange an interview
please ring Rob Squires on 07974 658 745 |
Climate change and peak oil are on many people’s minds today. The big question is how do we make the transition to a low energy society, and what would such a society be like? The way Cuba adapted to losing its oil supply following the collapse of the Soviet Union, known as the ‘Special Period’, is a model that many people are trying to learn and take inspiration from.
Climate change and peak oil pose the question: "how do we make the transition to a low energy society, and what would such a society be like?" The way Cuba adapted to losing its oil supply following the collapse of the Soviet Union, known as the ‘Special Period’, is a model that many people are trying to learn from.
Roberto Pérez is a Cuban permaculturist and environmental educator who will be on tour in the UK in September. Roberto was involved in work to develop urban food growing in the Special Period to increase Cuba’s food security, using permaculture techniques which seek sustainable solutions by following nature’s patterns.
Cuba’s experience is explained in the award-winning documentary film, The Power of Community, in which Roberto features, and now he will be visiting groups and food growing projects across the country, many of which are organising events for local people to hear him talk about the transition in Cuba.
Roberto is based at the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity, a Cuban NGO with a socio-cultural and environmental focus. It pursues its objectives – with national and international partners – through research, grassroots development programs, and advocacy.
Based in Havana, the Foundation’s activities began in that city and have since expanded to five other provinces of the country. Staff also travel elsewhere (primarily within Latin America), to support other organisations by sharing their experience, methodologies, and lessons learned.
The official name of the organization (Fundación Antonio Núñez Jiménez de la Naturaleza y el Hombre, or FANJ) pays tribute to our founding president. The late Dr. Antonio Núñez Jiménez was a noted academic (geographer and historian), author, traveller, diplomat, and pioneering environmentalist. As a revolutionary he served as a rebel captain in the forces of Ernesto Guevara, "The Che". The Foundation builds on his legacy with a mission is to promote a culture of nature, in which people and the environment both thrive. Its vision for Cuba is a society with a well-developed environmental awareness – so well-developed that its members recognize nature as an essential part of their own identity.
