ICS Working Paper Nº1/2018

ICS W O R K I N G P A P E R S 2018 20 3.3 Hidden connections Inward- and outward-looking CBIs may differ in the formalization and pursue of their relational strategies (i.e. isolation or networking). However, the interactions between them and the “outside world” already exist, and in some cases even reach a structural level. For example, the idyllic portrait of small and isolated self-sufficient eco-villages, theoretically independent (e.g. from energy, schooling or medical supply), is somewhat a fallacy: Sooner or later – often systematically, there will be interdependency bonds established with the incumbent system. These interactions are, nevertheless, often guided by a self-justifying rationale of using the capitalistic system and its structures for the “good” – CBIs’ good –, which informs a predominantly instrumental relationship with the political and economic spheres, for instance in order to acquire sufficient funding for their development and survival. Take for instance Tamera: several of its members spend the summer months in Northern Europe working in temporary jobs in order to provide the sufficient funds for the project to survive over the rest of the year (Esteves, 2017). Similarly, Amoreiras Village Convergence Centre (ACC) in Odemira initially brought in six people with a one year work-contract while others arrived as volunteers, using their own financial resources hoping that the ACC would eventually create jobs. Yet, the latter was only possible for short-term periods, therefore most members had to find ways of earning money outside. This is another example of a CBI survival strategy that inadvertently strengthens its dependency on the overall socio-economic system whose change mobilized it in the first place. From a more orthodox standpoint, this instrumental interaction with the system may seem to compromise the “purity” of their founding values (Haxeltine et al., 2017: 10), such as locality, solidarity or equality, but it may also be perceived as much needed pragmatism to enable CBIs targets altogether. We observe that the current Portuguese CBI landscape hosts multiple interpretational approaches in terms of implementation strategy, agency and interaction with public institutions and local communities. These range from isolationism to networking as a result of their heterogeneity. It seems that CBIs self- assess themselves as proactive, envisaging networking and knowledge transfer efforts as a stepping stone for the promotion of a wider socio-ecological transition. However, there is a crucial gap between their visions and actions, which we explore in the next section (4). 4. The politicization gap Societal transition cannot be viewed decoupled from an analysis of the power dynamics at play when it comes to ‘regime change’. Transition’s power dynamics shift and realign along the way, triggered by “conflicts, power struggles, contestations, lobbying, coalition building, and bargaining” between the regime actors and the incumbent groups (Avelino and Wittmayer, 2016: 631). Thus, power can shift between actors or groups of actors. In this context, it is important to examine how CBIs access and exercise