Kepa''s training on Reimagine activism.

1. 22nd November 2016, Helsinki

2. Why does activism need re.imagination?

6. Gus Speth, 2008
“We have won many victories, but we
are losing the planet. It is important to
ask why.”

7. Case Study

8. In China 64% of urban underground water is seriously polluted;
in Indonesia 80% of water pollution in the capital’s main river
comes from the textile industry.
“Today, we live in a world filled with hazardous chemicals. These
'Little Monsters' have been unleashed into our lives and the lives
of our children, polluting our rivers, entering our bodies and
causing havoc from the factory to the high street, from the north
pole to our own homes.”

9. “10% of the global retail fashion industry is committed to eliminating
toxic chemicals. But without you, this would've been zero.
This is what hundred of thousands of people can do when they are
united in the belief that beautiful fashion should be made free from
hazardous chemicals – and most importantly, when they have the
courage to take action.
So today, Greenpeace East Asia can finally reveal the second
instalment of the Detox Catwalk, an online platform charting the
progress made by 18 committed companies down the runway to
Detox. Is your favourite fashion label a Detox Leader?”

10. Detox campaigner at Greenpeace East
Asia, Yixiu Wu:
“We believe this momentum is creating a
new standard in sustainable fashion and
sparking a transparency revolution and
proving that zero discharge of hazardous
chemicals is within our reach by 2020.”

12. • What is your intuitive response to this campaign – how
does it make you think and feel?
• What values does this campaign transmit?
• To what extent is this campaign a good strategy to tackle
systemic problems?

13. • Do you know of or work with a campaign
with similar characteristics?
• Which were these similarities?

14. More recent evolution of DETOX communications
“While we still need to work on Detoxing the textile industry -
our addiction to fast fashion and the increasing rate that clothes
are made, bought, used and thrown away is amplifying the
environmental and human impacts of fashion. In future
Greenpeace will be pushing for more profound changes on
moving towards closing and slowing the loop”

15. • Single issue focus
• Focusing on symptoms, not root causes
• Playing the game of politics and business, too tactical
• Us vs. them syndrome
• Too much belief in the power of facts
• Funding scheme are unhelpful
Why does activism need re.imagination?

16. Re.imagining our future: the vision

17. • It is clearly a (or the) major cause of the symptoms.
• It has no worthwhile deeper cause.
• It can be resolved.
• Its resolution will not create other equal or bigger
problems. Side effects must be considered.
• There is no better root cause. All alternatives have
been considered.
Definition of ‘root cause’

19. What are the root causes of the Detox campaign?

20. If we try to avoid the traps of short-term
campaigning, and try to tackle root causes
more than symptoms. What kind of vision can
we dare to imagine for society?

21. The vision of the Great Transition
• The current system is not set in stone – social
construction
• An economy at the service to people
• Goal: The good life for all within the planetary limits
– not growth and more consumerism
• Deep cultural change (world view level)
• „All in the same boat“ – not possible without global
governance

22. Re.imagining change: the Smart CSOs Model

24. Potential system effects of
Saving the world
through technology
Cat walk narrative
Pragmatic approach that
allows business to fix the
problem and continue
expanding via shortening
of the fashion cycle
Disregarding the radical
innovators Sustainable /
fairly produced quality
clothes. Timeless fashion

25. Strategic tools for systemic activism: values & frames

26. Research on values
• Each of us is
motivated by all of
these values, but to
differing degrees.
• Societal values out
of balance.
• Values can be
engaged.
• Intrinsic values
supportive for
bigger-than-self
problems

27. What are frames and why are they important?
• Circuits between neurones. Connections between ideas and
phenomena. We make sense of the world through frames.
• There are no facts without frames. Example: 90 % chance to
survive – 10 % chance to die.
• Frames influence how we think and what we value.
Example: tax relief – burden we need relief from.
• People become interested in politics through moral
arguments. Progressives often shy away from moral
arguments and try to convince through facts.

28. How can activists learn from framing science?
• People hold competing frames. Activating the right frames
can be decisive in politics.
• Unintentionally, campaigns often reinforce in their
audiences the frames that are causing the problems in the
first place.
• Negating frames can mean activating the wrong frames
• Activists / CSOs should clarify their ideological perspective
and communicate their moral matters clearly and openly.
• Frames, narrative, storytelling ...

29. Enzyklika Laudato Si:
“On Care for Our Common Home”
The earth is our home – all people of the world are a family, living
in a common home. As a family we should care for each other. A
home is something we all depend on, physically and emotionally.

30. Which frames does the Detox campaign use and
what effect might this have?

31. Strategic tools for systemic activism: leverage points

34. B
Road building
dynamics
Highway
construction
Average commuting
time
Pressure to
widen
roads
Attractiveness of
outlying areas
Population of
outlying areas
Number of
commuters
R
Attractiveness

36. Group work:
Detox – Causal Loop Diagram
1. Core problem: What is the essence? What has to change?
=> post its
2. System boundary: Which system to look at?
3. Causes, effects and links => Post its and arrows (+/-)
4. Mores causes, effects, links until ‘enough’ => Post its and
arrows (+/-)
5. Review / eye on the big picture => Additions and
corrections?
6. Interpretation: Balancing/Reinforcing Loops? What are the
leverage points?

38. In China 64% of urban underground water is seriously polluted; in Indonesia 80%
of water pollution in the capital’s main river comes from the textile industry.
“Today, we live in a world filled with hazardous chemicals. These 'Little
Monsters' have been unleashed into our lives and the lives of our children,
polluting our rivers, entering our bodies and causing havoc from the factory to
the high street, from the north pole to our own homes.”
“10% of the global retail fashion industry is committed to eliminating toxic
chemicals. But without you, this would've been zero.
This is what hundred of thousands of people can do when they are united in the
belief that beautiful fashion should be made free from hazardous chemicals –
and most importantly, when they have the courage to take action.
So today, Greenpeace East Asia can finally reveal the second instalment of the
Detox Catwalk, an online platform charting the progress made by 18 committed
companies down the runway to Detox. Is your favourite fashion label a Detox
Leader?”

39. Re.imagining the organisation

40. Re.imagining the organisation for systemic change
• Coherent vision to tackle our systemic crises.
• Structure around systems and deeper leverage points
(solutions) rather than issues
• Structures and decision-making processes that allow
teams to make autonomous decisions.
• Cross-functional teams, instead of departmental lines
• Create learning organisations .
• Live the values your organisation strives for.
• Leadership skills based on collaboration, facilitation and
innovation.