Discussion Questions
and Next Steps
Chapter 1: Can localization help “transcend theconventional left-right [political] dichotomy”?
Chapter 2: Why might economic localization
actually be important for genuine international
collaboration?
Chapter 3: How has globalization aﬀected your life
and that of your community? How has it aﬀected
the global North and South diﬀerently?
Chapter 4: What are some of the fears and worries
that you and your community face on a regularbasis? How might they be related to the global
economy and consumer culture?
Chapter 5: What is being done in your community
to re-localize economic activity? Can you think ofpolicy shifts (at the local, national, and/orinternational level) that could facilitate localization?
Chapter 6: Which of the initiatives described in thischapter do you ﬁnd most interesting? How candiﬀerent initiatives (for food, ﬁnance, energy, etc.)
collaborate to have a greater impact?
Chapter 7: Do you know of, or can you envision,some policy strategies that could help to build andstrengthen local food systems?
Chapter 8: What other concerns about localization
might people have? How would you respond?
Chapter 9: Do you think that raising awarenessabout the dominant economic system canstrengthen activism? Are people generally aware of
the political mechanisms that enable corporate rule?
Chapters 10-11: Is ‘big-picture activism’ needed, inyour opinion? If so, do you see yourself taking anactive part in it? How?
Chapter 12: Do you agree that localization is anantidote to the consumer culture? Why or why not?
Could a shift towards the local help us regain ourphysical and mental health?

General Questions and ExercisesWhat do you think are the most importanttakeaways from the book?
Share a favorite quote from the book, and explain
why you found it signiﬁcant.
Pick a common imported product in your area.
What are the steps in the global supply chain that
led to the product reaching your community?
Make a list of some common recommendations forindividual action that you often hear repeated (e.g.
‘conserve energy’, ‘buy local’, etc). Now brainstorm
how these could be ‘scaled up’ and addressed in amore systemic way, and think of some policies that
could support them.
After reading this book, do you feel compelled totake action on a particular issue more than anyother? What do you feel inspired to do, and whatﬁrst steps do you think you could take?
What aspects of your community or region make it
unique and special to you? How can the insights
and ideas from this book be adapted to suit yourcommunity’s particular strengths?
Brainstorm with others about ‘big-picture activism’.
What strategies could communicate this perspective
to others, while raising awareness about corporate
rule and local alternatives?
This list is intended as a starting point for
discussion and action. You probably have otherquestions, as well as ideas for what to do next. We
would love to hear about both; please consider
sharing your thoughts with us at
info@localfutures.org.
See the following page for somesuggested next steps you can take...

What can I we do now?
Engage in big-picture activism. Spread the word
about the corporate-led global economy, theimportance of rebuilding healthy local economies,
and the many inspiring initiatives alreadyunderway. There are many ways to do this: byholding talks and presentations, producing theater
pieces, screening and discussing ﬁlms, organizing
an Economics of Happiness Workshop, facilitating
debates, or writing opinion pieces. Check out theresources on the right side of this page for moreguidance.
Get involved with an organization or group that is
focused on rebuilding fair and ecologically soundeconomic models from the ground up. Our Localization
Action Guide oﬀers 100+ ideas for engaging locally.
Seek out like-minded individuals in your area.
Maybe there’s a Transition Network branch nearyou, or a group promoting local food, or a solar
power purchasing cooperative. Our list ofOrganizations for Change may help you getstarted. If you can’t ﬁnd the kind of group you’relooking for, consider setting one up.
Put pressure on policymakers to shift taxes,
subsidies, and regulations so that they favor thesmall and local instead of the big and global. Speakwith local politicians, write to your representatives,and engage with activist groups and organizations.
Join global networks such as the International
Alliance for Localization and others to share ideas
and success stories with like-minded people
around the world.

Resources on LocalFutures.org- Watch our ﬁlms Planet Local: A Quiet Revolution and
The Economics of Happiness and organize a screening.
- Create change in your community with ourLocalization Action Guide, featuring tools andresources for 140 practical actions.
- Browse through Planet Local, our library of inspiring
grassroots localization projects around the world.
- Read or listen to Ancient Futures, Helena NorbergHodge’s ﬁrst book, which has inspired people
worldwide to rethink their conceptions of progress anddevelopment.
- Read our published essay collection Life After Progress.
- Follow the Economics of Happiness Blog and the Local
Futures Podcast.
- Check out our Free Reading Materials, Films for
Change, Recommended Readings, and Independent
Media Sources pages.
- Sign up for Local Futures’ email updates to learn
about events, inspiring stories from around the world,
new localization resources, and more.

We’d love to hear about what you do next!
Stay in touch at info@localfutures.org or
through the channels below.

for more steps towards
localfutures_
an economics of happiness,
localfutures_
LocalFutures.TheEconomicsofHappinessvisit localfutures.org
ISECeconofhappiness