What Is Our Action Fueled By?

“How much we can really support systemic change if we are unable to turn back and face our diseases, bearing witness to pain and suffering in our social body. When our action to change the world is fueled by anger, frustration or rage at the way things are, it risks being reactive, another aggressive response to disease—another bypass surgery. But when we can look at “the way it is” with compassion and grace—and really listen to and notice what’s needed—then perhaps we can find our way to the root source of the illness, to the ethics and values that we yearn to see expressed in our households, neighborhoods and nation.”

Deborah Frieze

Link Loving 27.02.12

• Why we love celebrities. Stephanie Pappas.
• If you don’t read this, you’re racist. Baratunde Thurston.
• Why everything is connected to everything else, explained in 100 seconds. Brian Cox.
• A call for a movement of tenants from Alyson Macdonald who is helping to lead the Edinburgh Private Tenants’ Action Group.
• Documenting languages as they die.
• How the new radicals are taking root. Vanessa Reid.

Networking For Community Resilience

On Walking Past Someone Who Is Homeless

“Poor people embarrass and upset us. They arouse conflicting feelings of pity, anger, inner discomfort and perhaps a kind of more or less recognised guilt. They reveal our refusal to stand by one another. It is no surprising that the rich defend themselves and try to hide poor people behind the walls of slum areas.”

Jean Vanier – sign up to his beautiful daily message of compassion.

Want To Start A Nonviolent Revolution?

Then do your homework.

Link Loving 26.02.12

• Why the super-rich love the UK. John Lanchester.
• A three-and-a-half hour documentary on President Bill Clinton from PBS. Worth it.
• The good people at 38 Degrees are hiring three senior campaign roles.
• In persuit of the common good. Great video of Maurice Glassman. h/t Dan Vockins.
• How companies learn your secrets. Terrifying. Charles Duhigg.

A Newsletter That I Actually Read

I first heard about the Acumen Fund through Seth Godin and have loved following their work since.

They don’t traditionally fall into my list of passions – harnessing the power of innovation and markets to change the way the world tackles poverty, though within this they advocate some powerful and radical ideas and practices. Jacqueline Novogratz is the founder and CEO of Acumen. Her TED presentation (below) is something very special – an example of true leadership.

Her letter to supporters is a thing of beauty – read it at the bottom of this link.

1. It’s actually a letter – ‘from the desk of Jacqueline Novogratz’ even!
2. Lots of stories
3. Names and details about individual staff and partners
4. Emotions – what’s hard, what is going well?

Link Loving 25.02.12

• Ten new rules for radicals. Sara Robinson.
• Ingenious acts of cyber-vengeance. Ron Rosenbaum.
• To have, or to be?
• My old mate Paul Myles goes undercover for Channel 4 Dispatches to investigate ticket.
• Change through conversation. Tuesday Ryan-Hart.

How Do Social Change Organisations Reframe Social Issues?

Link Loving 24.02.12

• I’m not an introvert – but this was worth watching. Susan Cain.
• The seven worst international aid ideas – some absolutely corkers. Richard Stupart.
• On the black block. Pete Speller.