Geelong's Mik Aidt (pictured) has found a new connection through the Geelong Connection Cafe that meets for the first time this Friday at 3:00 pm.

Mik, who has been deeply involved with climate activities in the city for about 15 years, mainly through "The Sustainable Hour", has worked with others from the city's former Climate Cafe to create this new body to reinvigorate connections in the southern Victorian city.

Directly from the Geelong Connection Cafe website page, we hear:

"At our September gathering, a small group of locals in Geelong made an important decision: our long-running Climate Café will now be known as the Geelong Connection Café.

Why the change? Because words matter. While climate is central to our concerns, the word often carries a weight of crisis and disagreements. We wanted a name that points to what helps us move forward: togetherness, resilience, and the energy of being connected.

Mel, who suggested the word, summed it up beautifully:

“I think ‘connection’ is a good word because we have a global loneliness problem at the same time as having a climate crisis, and I think the thing that will move us through the climate crisis and make us more resilient is connection – the only thing that will actually get us through. If we are prepared to connect before that happens, then it means that we’re more likely to do better in the future. It also puts a more positive tint on things, because climate can feel a bit doom and gloom, but everyone wants connection – it’s intrinsic to us.”

Anthony added that the word opens up many directions at once:

“There are so many things we can connect with – connect with each other, talk about what’s important in life, connect with nature, connect with other people. That same connection can apply to all of those things. And that’s actually what’s missing in society as a whole.”

For Adam, co-founder of the Geelong Climate Café, the new name also ties back to the history of The House, where our monthly café is hosted:

“For the founding members of The House, it was actually that lack of community that drove us to put together The House. So it definitely fits with the theme of this place as well.”

The move also reflects a broader shift. Around the world, people are experimenting with new language for community gatherings on climate and sustainability. Joseph Gelfer, who talks about replacing “climate” with concepts rooted in service to life, points out that words shape our expectations and our energy. By naming our café around connection, we are choosing to emphasise possibility, relationship, and resilience, rather than crisis alone.

What to expect at the Connection Café

The Geelong Connection Café will continue to meet monthly at The House. It will remain an open, informal space for:

• Conversations about how we live well in times of change
• Sharing personal experiences and practical ideas
• Building supportive networks in Geelong and beyond
• Exploring ways to strengthen community resilience and connection

Most of all, it will be a place to practise what the name promises: connection.