These notes were taken during our Climate Conversation on the 4th of July 2024. You can learn more about the topic in the conversation guide and resource list.
Peer support and creating a safe space to talk
We began with a discussion about the principles of peer support and how we can create a safe space to talk in. We were focused on how to manage any clashes between different beliefs. One of the principles of peer support is that we create a place where people feel safe, another, at the top of the pyramid, is the freedom to be yourself. I was concerned that sometimes there might be a conflict between making sure people feel safe and can be themselves equally. For example, if one person expresses a belief or opinion as fact, it might make it difficult for another person who has a strongly opposing view. We don’t want to get mired in debates about sensitive subjects like religion or politics. Neither do we want people to feel that they can’t mention such important parts of their identity.
One useful suggestion was that each level of the pyramid is built upon the layer below. So, we must prioritise and protect the foundations first. So while we want people to feel they can be themselves, that doesn’t mean they are free to say whatever they want without considering its impact on other participants. It’s then up to all of us to be mindful of what we’re saying and to pay attention to how other people might be feeling. It’s also okay to ask people to stay with the topic we’re discussing.
Joining with others to make change
Background
At the last meeting, we decided we’d like to talk about joining groups to change social structures.
The most important thing an indivdual can do, is be a little less of an individual and join together with others in movements large enough to make change
Bill McKibben
I dug out this quote because it felt very relevant to the topic and I found it inspiring. However, as I began preparing for the conversation I realised there was more in the quote, and the topic, than I first realised. Firstly, it might take some time and effort to learn how to be less of an individual. Finding, joining or creating groups might not come naturally either. And then there’s the question of what change we need to bring about and how that can be accomplished. That would mean understanding more about how social systems can be changed and what makes a social movement successful, as well as understanding our current crisis and what work is being done and what gaps need to be filled.
Clearly, there was far more involved that we could cover in one conversation. We decided to begin by talking about joining and creating groups. How do we feel about creating and joining groups? Do we have skills to learn? Where do we start?
Notes from our conversation
What are your first thoughts and feelings about Bill McKibben’s statement? How do you feel about joining or creating groups?
We often do this in the group. There’ll be a variety of experiences in the room so we start by thinking about where we are now. We’ll take a couple of moments to see what comes up for each of us in response to the idea or question.
- There’s a difference between joining a group, being the first person to start something and being the second person to join in. The second person to join in makes it a group. It’s really hard being the first.
- It goes against my nature.
- I thought about the book Bowling Alone
- There are social and economic reasons that make it. harder.
- People work in a more atomised way.
- Who started clubs and associations in the past?
- I’m a bit of a joiner.
- Groups are sociable.
- A group can share the work.
- There can be problems caused by individuals.
- You need rules or something bigger to control it.
- We’re not used to working in groups.
- Really big groups like Greenpeace are good but it’s hard to feel connected to it.
- It’s necessary to figure out how to work together but it feels difficult.
- Where are the opportunities to learn? Do young people get to do it at school?
- I learnt by getting involved with XR.
- There are groups like cadets, but they’re very hierarchical.
- There are some
- We’re not very good at it.
- There are dozens of environmental groups in Manchester.
- Many fail.
- It’s good there are different models and structures
- The bus/circus factor. How many people can you lose before the group starts to fail? If one person ran away to the circus would you be able to continue? What would happen if three left?
We looked back at our answers and saw three themes in the conversation.
- Our personalities and preferences e.g for working alone or with others.
- The importance of structure.
- Some skills need practice.
What opportunities do we already have to practice being part of a group?
In the first part, we’d talked about some of the problems that can arise in groups. We’d also said that we might be out of practice. Society has become more individualised and work can be atomised. We might not be used to working closely with other people and may need to practise our relationship skills. For the second part, started with a question about where we might find opportunities to practice but we ended up with some ideas for some of the things that might help us work effectively in a group.
- Have a framework or mission statement (and use it).
- A nice concise set of axioms (statements that are the basic building blocks for other ideas and statements).
- Identifying shared principles even if you have different worldviews.
- Make an effort to understand each other.
- Not assuming.
- Not judging.
- Drop your ego.
- Compassion and empathy.
- Formal rules.
- These skills can be practised in everyday life.
- Interpersonal problems.
- Really difficult.
- Perhaps we need mediators, or to learn mediation skills.
- Practise speaking up in meetings.
- Look at successful groups and what they have in common.
- I think it might be harder for environmental groups than hobby-based groups.
- More diffuse.
- Complicated.
- I think it might be harder for environmental groups than hobby-based groups.
- Design groups so they can change.
- It’s okay that there are different structures. Match the structure to the needs of the group.
- Some groups are part of existing organisations and have to fit in with the larger organisation’s way of doing things.
Final thoughts
- It was very interesting. It’d be good to take the conversation further.
- I think I should push myself to practise interpersonal skills and to talk to other people (and listen).
- How do you find groups? Can we point people to groups that might fit?
- One challenge is that lots of groups are too small to sustain.
- Coordination.
- It might be good to look at case studies of successful groups.