Episode Summary
"We are being driven by a blind system that we support when we remain blind to it."
Helena Norberg-Hodge doesn't talk about going local like it's a lifestyle choice.
She talks about it like someone who's spent 50 years watching globalisation systematically dismantle communities, turn citizens into consumers, and leave people desperately lonely in a world designed to profit from division.
As the founder of Local Futures, Helena has witnessed the shift from collective citizen action to individual consumer guilt.
She's seen how trade treaties quietly handed power to global corporations, how algorithms now thrive on polarisation, and how the last five years of manufactured division aren't an accident.
But she's also seen something else—the quiet revolution happening in community gardens, local food economies, and yes, coworking spaces where people are choosing to step back from the madness.
This isn't another conversation about sustainability or buying different products.
It's about understanding that your coworking space sits at the intersection of economic resistance and psychological healing.
About why human connection comes before nature connection. About using the currency you already have to build the infrastructure you actually need.
Helena breaks down the invisible empire of global trade, explains why the "inner peace first" movement keeps us trapped, and offers concrete steps any coworking space can take to become an anchor for local resilience.
Tilley, Bernie and Helena discuss bread in Galicia, burnout in London, and the healing power of working with soil and seeds.
We also talk about cash—the kind you can hold, the kind that doesn't disappear into blockchain energy consumption, the kind that can rebuild a local mill through grassroots sweat and tears.
This episode is for anyone who senses the future isn't digital—it's local.
For anyone building a community who needs permission to slow down without losing their fire.
And for anyone wondering how to create real change when the whole system seems designed to keep you isolated and overwhelmed.
Timeline Highlights
[00:06] Bernie invites listeners to Unreasonable Connection—networking for people who hate networking
[01:16] Helena introduces herself as a 50-year pioneer of worldwide localisation
[02:33] The hard truth about going local: "It's quite hard to stop using Amazon, even though you hate it"
[04:07] How governments signed away power to global corporations—and why we're all consumers now, not citizens
[05:47] The shift from collective action to individual guilt: "You are destroying the world"
[07:28] "We're victims of a system that's driving this"—why the last five years have been so polarised
[08:58] The blindness problem: "We support the system when we remain blind to it"
[10:17] Bernie's observation: more hope than ever despite the shit storm
[12:10] The spiritual bypass trap: why "inner peace first" thinking keeps us stuck
[13:42] Human connection comes before nature connection—lessons from indigenous cultures
[15:17] How to be fast and slow at the same time—the art of inhabiting different realities
[17:18] Why local currencies often replicate the same problems—use what you've got instead
[19:10] The Devon mill story: how grassroots effort rebuilt a local food economy
[22:20] Bernie's Galicia bread revelation: why local food tastes different and doesn't make you feel ill
[24:07] The idealism trap: watching out for perfect democratic structures that paralyse action
[27:01] Tilley's reflection on feeling grounded—and Helena's rare combination of global view with grassroots experience
Thematic Breakdown
The Corporate Takeover Nobody Talks About
Helena doesn't waste time with gentle introductions. She goes straight to the heart of how governments handed power to global corporations through trade treaties in the mid-80s. This wasn't gradual—it was a deliberate shift that transformed citizens into consumers and collective action into individual guilt.
Why Everything Feels So Polarised Right Now
The last five years haven't felt more divided by accident.
Helena connects the dots between extractive capitalism and the algorithms designed to profit from hatred and division.
She's witnessed 50 years of activism, and this level of polarisation is new—and manufactured.
The Blindness That Keeps Us Trapped
The biggest problem isn't evil CEOs or corrupt politicians. It's blindness to how the system works.
Helena argues that from grassroots activists to BlackRock executives, we're all trapped in a system we support by not understanding it.
Why Local Food Economies Matter Most
Food is the only thing humans produce that everyone needs three times a day.
Helena shares the Devon mill story—how a community rebuilt local wheat-to-bread infrastructure through sweat, tears, and philanthropy.
This isn't romantic localism; it's practical economics that creates psychological healing as a side effect.
The Spiritual Bypass Problem
Helena calls out the "inner peace first" movement, which has dominated alternative thinking for decades.
Real change requires working on both inner and outer transformation simultaneously. The human connection comes before the nature connection—a lesson from indigenous cultures that most spiritual movements often overlook.
What Actually Works for Coworking Spaces
Forget blockchain and complex local currencies.
Use the national currency you have and start building relationships with local suppliers, local food initiatives, and community projects.
Helena highlights coworking spaces that reduce rent for community initiatives, and owners who end up giving space away for free because they love what's happening.
The Pragmatic Path Forward
Helena warns against perfectionist idealism that demands representation from every group before taking action.
Start with a few partners, watch one of their films, and begin the conversation about moving from individual consumer choices to collective citizen action.
Links & Resources
Helena's Work
Events & Community
Coworking Ecosystem
One More Thing
Coworking brings communities together, helping people find and share their voices.
Each episode of the Coworking Values Podcast explores Accessibility, Community, Openness, Collaboration, and Sustainability—values that shape the spaces where we gather, work, and grow.
If this resonates with you, rate, follow, and share the podcast. Your support helps others discover how coworking enriches lives, builds careers, and strengthens communities.
Community is the key 🔑
Share this post