“From --- Screens 2 Streets; Online 2 OverYaFence”

Download below a letter from me outlining the exciting and most local capacity building next phase of the Sustainability Street Approach (SSA) 4.0.  Specifically, the not-for-profit Sustainability Street Institute is launching an “appeal” to assist in the dream.

The project, titled “Screens 2 Streets; Online 2 OverYaFence” --- is about using the sophistication and excitement that Web 2.0 technology has to offer, in creating a virtual, Sustainability Online City whose pragmatic content and training capacity will aim to spawn real world sustainability Villages in neighbourhoods - using nearly a decade of the experience of Sustainability Street Villages around Australia.  This has evolved into the SSA 4.0, which revolves around  fostering the DIY local sustainability group which may range from around the kitchen table to neighbourhood house gatherings.  The latest SSA 4.0 manual provides templates, stories, a “course-of-learning & action”, insights on social change, principles for sustainability and social inclusion or "village making" guidelines.etc.

John Bergin

Treasurer; Sustainability Street Institute Inc.

Download "screens_to_streets" for project details & outline

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Since 2000, the aim of the SSA has been to make itself redundant.  Now, in 2010, the long term dream is coming to fruition!  There are a growing number of communities who have used the SSA Version 4.0 - DIY to set up their own, self driven, sustainability focussed local place.  This appeal is to assist in the creation of a Web 2.0 presence in order to gift SSA 4.0 to “every Street that wants it” … an “online City of Sustainability Street Villages”, who can access and share with each other, two rich levels of content, engagement and opportunity ---

• seamlessly offering all Sustainability Street Resources, especially SSA 4.0, plus all the best that Web 2 offers such as video sharing of local achievements, social networking, discussion fora --- and
• powerful Education Software which will enable online training of Sustainability Street Mentors ... from the SCREENS to the STREETS … the cyber world triggering flesh and blood learning and action ... new sustainability groups living differently in local places ...

Send your Donation to ...

Account Name: Sustainability Street Institute Incorporated

Bank: mecu Limited

BSB: 803-140

Account Number: 70586511

Then, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to request your receipt.

The Sustainability St. Approach - Why, What, How? 

How can it be on the one hand, that the enormity of human disruption to the great natural systems of the Earth, such as climate, seem to worsen on a daily basis despite our intelligence, science, art & academia, as well as the huge resources of government/commerce/industry?  On the other hand and in stark contrast, what is the secret behind Sustainability Street Villages achieving 30 - 50% reductions in waste, water and energy.  

The Sustainability Street Approach is a local, social response to the crisis ... a grassroots driven template which has been developed over 20 years and continues to be developed with the input, stories and involvement of Sustainability Street Villages all over Australia.  The Sustainability Street Approach is very much a part of the "Blessed Unrest" phenomena described by Paul Hawkens and in which he describes a magnificant global, diverse, non-ideological grassroots movements as ... "the Earth's immune response" kicking in!  Nice ... or what?

Download the Prospectus

... it is so easy to get involved in, or more precisely to create your own Sustainability Street ... because once the ice is broken ... connecting with each other is deeply hard wired into our most ancient DNA.  On the one hand, programs can be delivered by Sustainability Street Institute practitioners while on the other, the Approach has been written to be "independently doable" by any local community.

For locals working non-commercialy in the interests of nature and of community, copyright, IP and moral rights are waived - so long as you stick to some of the basic essences of the Sustainability Street Approach, you take it and you make it your own!  The Approach has been comprehensively documented in the Sustainability Street manual; "It's a Village out there" which is available for sale for those who can pay and for free to those who are unable.