Global Power Shift was still just a dream one year ago. It was in January of 2013 that the first physical meeting took place to discuss what GPS could and should look like. The basic vision and plan had been laid out, and over 5,000 people had applied to join the kick-off event in Istanbul, but there was still lots to be organised: programmatic details, travel arrangements, food, housing, communications plans, followup plans, and more. Since that time, nearly 600 people came together in Istanbul in June for one of the most inspiring, beautiful, and diverse climate movement gatherings there has ever been. If you have not watched the report-back video, it is a must-see. (Scroll up on the GPS homepage to watch it).

Even more importantly, GPS did not stop at just one big event in Turkey. After the kick-off Power Shift activities have been organised in Australia, Sweden, Vietnam, Brazil, Ukraine, Netherlands, Thailand, Canada, the US, Georgia, Poland, India, Malaysia, and Kyrgyzstan. Now, as we turn the corner from 2013 to 2014, it continues! Just before the new year 14 new project plans were submitted to the GPS funding selection committee for Power Shifts in early 2014. And more proposals continue to come in before the final, 2 February, funding deadline. So, 2013 was the year a Global Power Shift began, and now is 2014 we are going to see it through with a bang.

We are holding a live Google Hangout this coming 9 January, at 8 AM and 8 PM GMT/UTC. It will feature Power Shift organisers from around the world sharing their experiences thus far, discussing tactics and strategies and lessons learned. Join in for the discussion here. We are looking forward to hearing from you – all together again, even if just virtually – and on we go with Power Shifting into 2014!