Newsletter #4
Hi folks,
Glad to be with you for another sharing of work and guidance, seeking justice and regeneration in these in-between times.
This week: measuring impact; climate anxiety; working in relationship; and a powerful ecosystem map.
We hope to see you next week for our public session. You can sign-up below, and now at our website where you will also find recordings of the public sessions we ran a few years ago.
Shared in solidarity, with love.
Session
Attack, Engage or Ignore? The role of ‘the enemy’ in climate narratives
27th July, 13:00 GMT
Please note a change of speaker – Noora Firaq will step in for Dr. Amiera Sawas.
Speakers, curated by Adam Corner: Noora Firaq (Climate Outreach); Funmibi Ogunlesi (NEON); Pippa Simmonds (Countryside & Community Research Institute); and Alex Evans (LargerUS).
The event will be recorded for future reference.
Shares
Key: 📝 Article | 📋 Report | ⚙️ Tool
Measuring Narrative Change: Moving From Theory to Practice
Brett Davidson, SSIR
“Sometimes we have to keep planting the seeds and tending the soil, not knowing how long it will take for the plants to grow and bear fruit, or even whether anything will germinate. Funders and grantees may need to accept that ultimately only so much is knowable, and this is an inherent part of the sort of emergent strategic work that many narrative change actors are engaged in. What we do know for certain though is that if we don’t do the work, we can’t expect anything to change at all.” (Thanks for sharing with us Akira Nakahara)
#narrativestrategy
Explode on Impact
Toby Lowe
“It is impossible for organisations to ‘demonstrate their impact’ if they work in complex environments. Asking them to do so requires them to create a fantasy version of the story of their work. This corruption of data makes doing genuine change work harder because it is difficult to learn and adapt from corrupted data…The key shift to make here is to move from funding for “demonstrable” impact…to funding for collaborative learning and adaptation. The evidence shows, this is how real impact is made.”
#tactics
How to Live Meaningfully with Climate Anxiety
Britt Way, Gen Dread
A practical deep dive into ‘climate anxiety’: how to talk about it, live with it, and act on it. “To prevent climate mental health challenges, think of: ‘Do a favor, work with neighbors’ And to treat climate mental health challenges in ways that can spread, think: ‘Peer-sharing for scalable caring’.”
#issuenarrative #messaging
The Challenge Now is Policy
James Meadway, Steve Akehurst
A response to a recent piece that claimed climate communications was failing because “the words are all wrong”. They argue that the policies on the table are not sufficient for the situation we are now in, calling for “solutions from ecological and degrowth movements that solve (both) mitigation and adaptation”.
#issuenarrative
Multiplayer Futures: Towards an Emergence Economy
RADAR
“RADAR is a decentralised global collective of 300+ researchers, early adopters and innovators accelerating better futures…We’re placing our stake in the ground and putting forth a new theory of change. One that relies on interconnected emergence rather than individual innovation; one that believes mass adoption can occur much more rapidly under these circumstances; one that’s supercharged by new behaviors & new technology.”
#tactics
In Praise of Bees and Fungi
Alice Sachrajda
“How an understanding of ecologies and ecosystems has influenced my working mindset”. Alice offers encouragement and helpful framing for folk working in the ‘in-between space’, practically applying the emerging understanding that our universe is fundamentally relational.
#tactics
📝 Read now
Ecological and Social Transitions - Co-creating the Pluriverse
Green Economy Coalition x Culture Hack Labs
“In the face of climate collapse, trust in governments has broken down. How can we best unite social movements to approach this challenge?” The report identifies and explores four ‘Narrative Communities’ who are driving the conversation around ‘Transition’, and the need for a new social contract.
#narrativestrategy #insight
Ecosystem Map (BETA)
Climate 2025
“We will only succeed in achieving a just transition if we build partnerships together and collaborate…The Ecosystem Map enables global changemakers to explore and identify potential allies, contribute to the data, and help map the growing range of movements, organisations, funders, and more who are working to address the climate and ecological crisis.”
#insight #tactics
⚙️ See here
Events
Descendants & Destiny
Groundswell Project, Indigo at the O2 | 19th October 19:30 BST
“Words & Music - A Powerful Black History Month Event” with Dr Makaziwe Mandela, Adjoa Andoh, David Olusoga, René Carayol, Musa Motha & The London Community Gospel Choir. “In recognition of Black History Month, a stimulating night of keynotes, conversations and entertainment to inspire, motivate and drive positive action in the sphere of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.”
🗓️ Get tickets here (not for profit)
Quotes
“In the world we’re creating and the things that we’re handing off to the next generation - if love, hope, and community aren’t at the core of it, we’re not doing this right.” – Fenton Lutunatabua
“How do we learn to do this love work of collective care that lifts us instead of abandons us, that grapples with all the deep ways in which care is complicated?” — Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
"Life did not take over the world by combat, but by networking" – Lynn Margulis
“If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you'll come to understand that you're connected with everything.” Alan Watts
"Why have these ideas lying around? Let's get them up and running" – Kate Raworth
Thanks for joining us. A reminder that if you have something that you’d love to see in these newsletters, or work you’d like to share in the community sessions, or if you have any feedback, please reach out at inter-narratives@greenfunders.org
Very best,
Paddy & Ella