Possibility of Change

Look around.

Change needs outstretched arms, it needs a critical mass of people, giving, receiving, mutual benefit, reciprocal contribution.  

Pockets of justice and difference are emerging, using new platforms and conversations to illuminate change-work. The emerging reality is that change is possible. Incremental, sometimes slow, big statements and people committed to learning, doing it out loud and open-source sharing. 

We see striking underpaid workers fighting for justice, #Metoo, Camerados yellow badges encouraging us all to look out for each other, cultural institutions waking up to historic and structural racism, footballers taking the knee, prime-time telly starting to get representation right, record numbers of social start-ups and community interest companies established, New Zealand banning conversion therapy. 

All the outstretched arms wanting change justice, equality and resilience.

There is energy feeding a movement.

Complex, but possible.

This change will not happen if we stick to traditional roles of helper and helped, benevolent and poor, healed and damaged. Instead we need to rethink what help means, I believe its a dance between contribution and benefit, for both sides.  A charity worker who does not benefit (financially, emotionally, practically feeling valued, supported) will soon burnout and will not be able to contribute to the cause.  A social enterprise that reaps the benefits from its work but does not spend time contributing to the cause it was set up to benefit, will soon be cancelled, if not by the regulator, by its customers and supporters.

Have you ever held your hands in the air for a long time? 

Try it now, feel the effort it takes.  Imagine being alone in a room, arms held up.  Now, feel that room filled with people, experiences, stories, pain, transformation, hope, life.  A crowd with its arms up has a whole different energy. 

We want to build the energy of the crowd and create organisations that pulse with momentum.  We want to build numbers and layered stories that communicate truth. We want to create places where mutuality is safe and trusted. What we might not know yet is that big, powerful change begins with an intentional, small shift inside ourselves.

Join the crowd creating change, overcome barriers faced by people dismantling inequality.

Listen to Resilient and Brilliant