Model for Social Change
Our Model for Social Change
This model emerged and clarified over a few years, and it’s still evolving. It helps us recognize the interconnecting aspects of social change and many ways that we can collaborate with people, organizations, resources and programs.
The encircled six pointed star integrates the feminine and masculine energies in the triangles of connection and action, holding the integrity of ‘being’ as well as ‘doing’. This ancient symbol also represents the heart chakra in the Vedic tradition, and the sacred Star of David from the Judaic tradition.
The spiraling motion of this model is fueled by the dynamic of personal evolution in the process of social change. It generates by expanding our “I” into a “we”, one thought, action, circle and community at a time. The six synergistic components outlined below use deepening levels of connection and action to build a strong foundation for social change.
People enter the cycle of change at whatever point is most inviting and natural to them. One point tends to lead to another, and not necessarily in any order, although there is a natural clockwise motion to the spiraling circle.
1. CONNECTION
A core affliction of the industrial world view is to feel separate and isolated from each other, from Earth and even from ourselves. An essential step in this change process is to reconnect; and a whole section in the BTC Action Guide is filled with simple ways to reconnect with community and cosmos.
By opening our hearts in compassion, we can feel a deep sense of inter-relatedness between ourselves and all forms of life on this planet. We connect to our love for the beauty and abundance of life on Earth and feel profound gratitude for all the gifts we have been given.
As our hearts open, we can also feel the deep grief and pain for the destruction of the life support systems of our planet, for the accelerating extinction of many cultures and species that we share this planet with, and anger at the self-destructive folly of humanity's exploitation.
We overcome the "psychic numbing" as Joanna Macy calls our inclination to turn away from the overwhelming reality of our predicament and recognize that the evolution of humanity's collective consciousness is an essential next step in the evolution of life on this planet.(1)
When we feel the call and respond, we seek to realign ourselves with the web of life that we are intrinsically a part of.
Matthew Fox has articulated this process of personal transformation in the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality. When we recognize the universal principles of Via Positiva, Via Negativa, Via Creativa and Via Transformativa we can use their power to support our process.
Elizabeth Sahtouris urges us to take heart, and uses the metamorphic process of the butterfly to illustrate our situation. After a lifetime of gorging itself, the caterpillar sleeps within its chrysalis, and tiny new imaginal cells, as biologists call them, begin to emerge within their bodies. Although at first the caterpillar's immune system fights them, when the imaginal cells band together they are able to multiply and become the directive force for the DNA. The caterpillar becomes the nutritive soup for the butterfly that is waiting to emerge.
“An old unsustainable system fights to preserve itself as a new system struggles to be born… There is no point in being angry with it and there is no need to worry about defeating it. The task is to focus on building the butterfly, the success of which depends on powerful positive and creative efforts in all aspects of society and alliances built among those engaged in them.”(2)
2. ACTIVATION
The natural inclination of an awakened imaginal cell is to awaken and connect with others. Our activating call ranges from a dynamic one hour presentation to powerfully transformative half or full day workshops. It’s perfect if you are planning a conference or gathering, or simply want to inspire your family and friends.
Be The Change works with companies to activate high employee engagement; in high schools to inspire student club enrollment; with service clubs, community centres and faith groups. Supported by inspiring facilitators and outstanding visuals provided by The Pachamama Alliance, this entertaining and interactive experience can change your life.(3) See www.bethechangecircles.org/symposia or email us for ways to bring this presentation to your community or to train to be a facilitator.
There are many great films, books and speakers who are wonderful activators and we encourage you to work with whatever resources are available. Our program is conscious to not activate people and then leave them to go on alone. The industrial world view is too dominant and people are easily overwhelmed by the enormity of the change that is required.
3. ENGAGEMENT - Be The Change Circles & Dialogue
We must follow up the activation with a tangible program for ongoing engagement, because in this fast-paced world of distractions it's far too easy to fall back into the 'work-more-consume-more syndrome'.
Be The Change Action Circles create the ongoing support system people need. The Circle Guide provides an effective framework for exploring critical issues, discovering unexamined assumptions and creating sustainable habits in a fun and personal context. Circles of 8-10 friends or coworkers meet at regular intervals (weekly or biweekly), read materials at home, engage in circle dialogue on issues and choose personal actions to support their process of change.
Global Warming, Menu for the Future, Sustainable Workplace, and Voluntary Simplicity, are just a few courses we provide in affiliation with The Northwest Earth Institute. Other exciting options include “What’s Your Tree? by Julia Butterfly Hill, for choosing your focus in this great movement for change; Films by Global Oneness Project, and talks from The Great Turning Un-conference. Darwin, Divinity & Dance of the Cosmos presents an Evolutionary Christianity and is studied in circles in churches across Canada & USA.
Circles choose their topic for an 8-session cycle and become engaged in the commitment to change. The collective wisdom in a circle is enlivening. Often one good idea leads to another and all kinds of new possibilities for change and collective actions arise.
Once people are familiar with the circle process, they can choose their own books, films and on-line resources to dialogue about. With the Be The Change Action Guide the dialogue is grounded in real changes and we are strengthened by living a life on-purpose.
Anyone can start a circle and Be the Change provides plenty of support. We encourage rotating leadership and this Circle Guide makes it fun and easy to lead the small group process.
4. PERSONAL ACTION – Be The Change Action Guide
Once we start looking at all the unexamined assumptions that predicate our behaviours, we realize the significant gap that exists between our current understanding of the world and our daily actions. For example, the industrial world saw a planet with limitless resources that we could use in whatever way suited humankind. The readings and dialogue of the circles can quickly update our understanding of our relationship with the planetary life support systems, but our lifestyle habits can still have us unconsciously acting in ways that are damaging.
When we ground our dialogue and understanding in concrete actions, we begin to truly experience and integrate the global mind-shift in our own lives.
Using the Be The Change Action Guide, we choose specific, measurable and achievable actions that are relevant to our life-style. The guide takes a holistic lifestyle approach, looking at all the ways we can reconnect, reduce our carbon emissions & waste, enjoy local pesticide free food, avoid plastics, toxins and other hazardous aspects of the 21st century. Our change actions can be related to the dialogue focus of the circle, or simply be one that appeals to us. They are all interconnected and all contribute to a better world.
“Being in a Be The Change action circle and using the Participant’s Action Guide is the most comprehensive approach I have discovered for how to be a more environmentally aware and responsible person. The Guide very clearly outlines the many ways we can choose to have a life-style in alignment with our values and the circle process brings all the encouragement and accountability of a supportive community. It's changed a lot about how I live." -2008 Circle Participant
Gandhi did it, and we get it. The best way to change the world is to change ourselves. And the best way to change ourselves, and shift our level of thinking, is with others.
Be The Change circles provide a lively community of like-minded people who give each other the support we all need to shed old habits, make new lifestyle choices and spark major social change. Peer support and accountability is the key to this successful program for upgrading our lifestyles.
Often one good idea leads to another and all kinds of new possibilities for change and collective actions arise. People that are well along the way towards a sustainable lifestyle can multiply their impact on the global mind shift by convening an action circle and supporting others in this way.
The on line Be The Change Action Tracker lets us see our total actions grow, and that of our circle. Organizations and communities with multiple circles can see the great effect of all their actions. It’s easy to go from feeling like one little wave in the ocean to a cresting whitecap on a surging current of positive change.
5. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION - The Great Turning
The process of connection extends from personal, to interpersonal circles to reweaving broader community connection. In this context, we create opportunities for all the circles to connect, and invite other organizations to participate.
Our annual spring gathering, in Vancouver BC, is called The Great Turning, This is an un-conference featuring community leaders in dialogue with activated citizens, a feast of bio-regional organic food and a musical festival celebrating our movement for change.
Passionate and informed leaders from various organizations working for environmental sustainability, spiritual fulfillment and social justice share their wisdom and expertise in circle dialogues with concerned citizens. The collaborative energy of these organizations lifts social change to a new level.
This is a time when the circles focus on collective concerns and address local issues within a global context. People learn more about the groups active in their community that are initiating improvement projects and the collective energy attracts new participants.
As Paul Hawken of Wiser Earth assures us, “this is the largest movement in history”(4) and it’s important to have community gatherings where we can feel the quickening underway and experience the excitement and promise of "The Great Turning”, as Joanna Macy refers to this essential adventure of our times. That’s why we named the un-conference in this way.
You are very welcome to join us. And we would gladly help you create this collaborative experience in your own community.
6. COLLECTIVE ACTION
The progression from personal action to collective action is a natural one. It often emerges out of circles into creative group projects large and small. For example, an action circle that completed the Menu for the Future module went on to create a neighbourhood initiative called The Two Block Diet.(5) They supported each other in planting a small garden plot in each of their yards and shared the composite crop.
Some people gravitate more to collective action and prefer to start an action circle focused entirely on collective action. The Wild Salmon Circle(6) was started from The Great Turning un-conference, with participants focusing their energy on the fish farm issue that is jeopardizing the wild salmon runs in B.C. They have used the circle format to support their public awareness and political advocacy initiative.
The TransitionTown(7) initiative creates an excellent example of people addressing the collective actions necessary to create sustainable communities. The Be The Change circle structure can strengthen the bonds of individuals within these collective initiatives and ensure that everyone has a role to play. Even when a circle is focused entirely on a collective action, it is good to support each other in taking personal change actions.
We anticipate that there will also be larger collective actions that will inspire everyone to participate. We trust in the emergent collective wisdom that informs this evolutionary raising of consciousness.
1) We recommend you explore the “Work that Reconnects” offered by Joanna Macy trained facilitators. Visit the Joanna Macy site for details.
2) Elizabeth Sahtouris, Bioneers Conference.
3) The Pachamama Alliance has trained thousands of facilitators to deliver their Awaken The Dreamer Symposium. In collaboration, Be The Change has adapted this material for different audiences and to offer people a way to stay engaged in the process of change once they have been activated.
4) Paul Hawken talk from Bioneers Conference – YouTube video
5) http://twoblockdiet.blogspot.com/
6) http://www.wildsalmoncircle.com/
7) http://www.transitionnetwork.org/
