Newsletter n°5 – The Festival of Citizens in Transition
E(s)ch Maach(e) Mat ! a great success for the 1st Festival of Citizens in Transition
CCC: sounds like three little music notes.
CCC: it whistles like a cicada in summer.
CCC is above all the Collectif Citoyen pour le Climat launched in December 2022 in Esch.
Its aim is to create a movement so that all Esch residents and visitors can connect with each other to learn, reflect, act and commit to the transition. Food, mobility, circular economy, biodiversity, well-being, etc., all aspects of our daily lives will have to evolve so that we can adapt to and anticipate the coming changes linked to climate change.
CCC is a bet for the future: to come together to commit to the transition.
CCC is great! More than 300 people took part in the 1st Festival “des Citoyen.ne.s en Transition” (The Festival of Citizens in Transition) on June 29th in 14 locations throughout Esch, taking part in some 20 activities. This time of collective expression to see, share and celebrate means that we can patiently build the alternatives we desire to shape a more sustainable future.
CCC is there also thanks to all the partner organizations (see logos below) who are starting to give the movement a boost.
When will CCC continue? We’ll have to see together, as we’ll be drawing the map of Esch’s future together.
After the Citizen’s Forum organized jointly by Transition Minett and the City of Esch, the citizens of Esch showed on June 29th that they can be there.
We’ll be back in fall to draw the follow-up of this dynamic movement.
See you soon.
“What I like about Transition Minett is your positivity. The climate challenges we all face are becoming ever more urgent. We’re counting on you to raise awareness among as many inhabitants of Esch as possible, so that everyone can, in their own way and according to their own possibilities, gradually change their consumption patterns and lifestyles in general. (…) You have also succeeded in mobilizing a large number of structures, which you have located on a map showing that Esch is on the way to establishing itself as the capital of transition”.
You prove that another world is possible! There were more than 300 of you participating in various events around our flagship CCC activities:
Workshops to promote local, seasonal and vegetarian food
Fifteen citizens put together seasonal menus with volunteers from the CCC group “Local and bio basket” at Mesa. Participants were able to compose their own vegetarian menu using local, seasonal produce distributed by the cooperative at Mesa. One winner received a free meal at the restaurant!
The CCC Vegan group invited a dozen adults and children to a workshop to discover vegan delights: dried fruit pralines, “Snickers” pralines and coconut pralines.
These cooking workshops provide a forum for exchanging ideas and learning, and are one way of raising awareness and mobilizing the public around the transition to a vegan diet. At both workshops, participants and volunteers were able to share their experiences about food transition in a joyful atmosphere.
Compose a menu with vegetables from La Mesa’s organic and local baskets.
Organic baskets workshop at MESA
Compose a menu with vegetables from La Mesa’s organic and local baskets.
VEGAN group at MESA
Compose the vegan delights.
VEGAN group at MESA
Compose your own vegan delights, for young and old alike.
VEGAN group at MESA
Compose your own vegan delights, for young and old alike.
Zero Waste and the 5R philosophy
Clean up : To raise awareness of the importance of keeping our cities clean, a joint “Pick It Up” waste collection was organized in and around the Belval site.
Tetra pack engraving workshop: Participants went to Facilitec’s workshop to experiment with the technique of engraving on recycled material with artist Claudine Furlano from Zoom Editions. An enjoyable way to rediscover our industrial heritage in a creative and responsible way.
Tetrapack engraving workshop
Hosted by CNCI at Facilitec
Tetrapack engraving workshop
Hosted by CNCI at Facilitec
Tetrapack engraving workshopv
Hosted by CNCI at Facilitec
Tetrapack engraving workshopv
Hosted by CNCI at Facilitec
Tetrapack engraving workshop
Hosted by CNCI at Facilitec
Tetrapack engraving workshop
Hosted by CNCI at Facilitec
Tetrapack engraving workshop
Hosted by CNCI at Facilitec
Clean up Session of Uni Belval
With the Pick it up team
Clean up Session of Uni Belval
With the Pick it up team
Feedback from a CCC Zero Waste Participant
The joy of ecological transition! The festival proves that transition can be fun!
Togther, let’s bring our community gardens to life
Dancing in the Capucine Community Garden
Let’s dance the Capucine!
Around fifty participants enjoyed a friendly moment of intergenerational and festive sharing around dance and urban gardening.
The event ended with an aperitif to help residents discover Esch’s new community garden.
Breedewee by night
To raise awareness of the importance of preserving biodiversity in urban spaces, the citizens were invited to observe the fauna of the Breedewee garden at dusk with a biologist from Natur&ëmwelt. This activity is part of the Transition Minett project launched with the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte.
Disco soup at the 4 coins du monde garden in the Lallange district
“Disco Soup” a musical meal, was organized by Casa Lallange and the CCC Zero Waste group in partnership with Foodsharing Luxembourg. Together with the participants, they cooked unsold products from supermarkets and garden vegetables in a lively, friendly atmosphere. A dozen dishes were served and shared, including salads, wood-fired soup, hummus and spreads, fruit salads and smoothies blended with a bike-mixer. The Zero Waste group animated the meal, which was attended by over 50 guests, with a quiz on waste. The participants also discovered the edible and medicinal plants in the garden, and the kids had a chance to do some crafts and play together.
Citizens also took the opportunity to chat over iced tea about the future of the CASA Lallange project.
CiGL was also present with an awareness-raising stand and local plants/vegetables.
The activity was organized with some 20 citizens from various CCC groups:
– Gardeners of Jardin 4 coins du Monde – Lallange
– Members of La CASA Lallange – project of a neighborhood in Lallange
– Members of the Zero Waste group and the CCC group against food waste
In partnership with CiGL Esch and Foodsharing Luxembourg.
Rendez-vous au jardin 4 coins du monde pour le «Disco soup»
Dans le quartier de Lallange
Préparation du repas avec les participant.e.s
Le repas a été préparé avec les invendus des magasins reçus recueillis par FoodSharing et les légumes du jardin.
CIGL stand
Disco Soup
Disco soup
Medicinal plants
Happy participants
Dinner preparation
Mix on the bike
Food sharing
Stand CIG-L
The dinner is served
Rendez-vous at Capucines Garden
Flash mob
Flash Mob
Breedewee by night
Breedewee by night
Testimonials from participating citizens:
“It’s days like this that make us realize that another society is possible. It’s great to be part of it!”
“It was a pleasure to get to know new people around a table, creating something together in a beautiful natural setting. Lots of inspiration in a shared garden!”
Do it Yourself!
Joining the Transition means knowing how to make and create things yourself. Several workshops encouraged our participants to “DIY”:
Formida Echange: participants and their children discovered a space for experimentation, exploration, inspiration and creative exchange. In fact, the Formida resource center uses industrial residual materials to foster creativity and create sustainably.
Beauty cosmetics: Workshop to make chantilly-shea butter, a cream for body and hair, with Miss Bak, in partnership with Mosaïque club.
Up-Cycling: introduction to screen-printing and discovery of the new non-profit organization Krees lab (formerly Benu) on up-cycling activities, in partnership with Kulturfabrik.
Digital sustainability: participants went to Facilitec to attend a workshop on video game creation and digital sustainability awareness.
Cosmetics hand made preparation with Miss BakSerigraphy workshop at KulturfabrikSerigraphy workshop at KulturfabrikFormida Exchange workshop Formida Exchange workshop
Active mobility
During the Transition Festival, participants were able to discover Esch’s new Haus Vum Vëlo, a project set up by Active Mobility CCC group and run by volunteers, where you can now repair your bike. Join the official inauguration on 20 September!
In addition, a group of cyclist-participants joined the Critical Mass (Velorution) for a fun bike ride between Esch’s Transition sites.
Well-being
For citizens with a healthy body and mind, an introductory course in yin yoga and mantra chanting with Thérèse Neves was organized free of charge for all Transition Festival participants, in partnership with the Escher Theater.
Participants were also able to relax over a drink and a DJ set at Vinyl Harvest.
A fun way to discover emblematic Transition sites in Esch. A dozen participants opened Captain Popkins’ treasure chest and were rewarded with a number of prizes, including Barbara’s story, a “Barbara pirate” puzzle made at the workshop (see attached photo), “Mouches Frites” chocolates and a V.I.P. invitation to a surprise Barbara-related event on the evening of September 27th! The hunt is still on until mid-September, with the same prizes to be won – join us at Facilitec to start your treasure hunt!
