Find your place
Resources for locating ourselves in the work for a liveable world
Dear readers,
How is your heart? My heart is heavy as I wake today, reading the news - Israel dropping bombs on civilians in Tehran, the ongoing and increasing escalation of violence and authoritarianism in the United States, the ongoing genocide and famine in Gaza…and the list goes on. The list is so long these days.
One of the practices I shared in the talk I gave last night on everyday peace and nonviolence was naming and acknowledging the present moment, for as the great James Baldwin wrote, “Not everything that can be faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” There is so much to face right now, and so much grief and rage with that facing. Honoring our grief and rage is another important practice.
Last night’s talk was for the Maryknoll Monarch Initiative, which is offering a series on nonviolence and caring for the earth. I was honored to take part and offer what I could. The experience of the gathering highlighted for me the importance - always, but especially now - of gathering with folks who share a similar vision of a world without war, where conflicts are resolved nonviolently and creatively, where peace and justice prevail, where all human beings are treated with dignity and receiving what they need to thrive, and where our relationship with the earth is based in love, care, reverance, and reciprocity. We need each other to uplift each other, and remember that we are not alone in this yearning.
I was asked to speak about everyday practices for peace and nonviolence, and above is a summary (you can find the full slide deck here - it is full of links and resources- and I will share the recording when it is available). Given the heightened severity of this moment, I want to highlight the part about connecting your inner work, gifts, skills, resources, talents, passions to the broader collective movements for peace, justice, and liberation. We need everyone doing their part, and there is a place for each of us in building a world with greater love, care, and peace at the center (part of my own role is being a guide, which means curating and sharing resources!).
Frameworks for finding your place
Deepa Iyer’s Social Change Ecosystem Map
Deepa Iyer’s social change ecosystem map is a really helpful framework for seeing the different roles we (as individuals and organizations) play in social transformation. As Deepa wrote on her Substack yesterday, this moment needs all of us, and this framework is a very helpful guide to seeing your role as connected to broader movements. It is also useful in thinking about movements as ecosystems, with so many factors contributing to their success and thriving that we can contribute to and shape.
The Metta Center Roadmap
Based on principles of Gandhian nonviolence and the work of the Metta Center and Dr. Michael Nagler, the roadmap is a “peace from within” model that advocates for starting where you are with yourself and your inner work, engaging in constructive worldbuilding, and nonviolently resisting. It promotes the development of “person power,” our inner capacity for love and compassion that we can always work on developing no matter the circumstances. Their 5-point proposal for developing one’s person power - i.e., cultivating your capacity for nonviolence - includes:
Get media-savvy, and avoid the violence and vulgarity of the mass media,
In with the new: learn all you can about nonviolence,
Spiritual practice,
Prioritize personal relationships,
Be the new story.
Four roles of social activism
inspired by Bill Moyers, curated by Angela Montijo
Curated by Angela Montijo and inspired by the work of Bill Moyers, the roles are:
The citizen
The reformer
The rebel
The change agent.
See the linked Instagram post (which is where I learned about this framework) above, and a more detailed description in this article by the The Commons Social Change Library, and see where you find yourself.
I hope these frameworks are helpful for you in seeing yourself connected to broader movements for a more loving, just, caring world. I am wishing for all of us to find our places in this work, to do what we can where we are, to offer all of our strengths, talents, skills, and resources to building a more liveable world now, because we need it now.
(And yet, “the times are urgent, let us slow down,” as my teacher Bayo Akomolafe reminds us…).
Another part of the talk was about active hope (Joanna Macy), and a little flash of hope came across my desk this morning (thanks, AD!) in the form of a news report on the accelerating nonviolent protests in the US. I recommend checking it out (and Waging Nonviolence is a valuable news source in general).
On that note…happy Friday the 13th, witches! Cast your spells for the protection of frontline communities and those on the frontlines of protests, for collective liberation, justice, healing, and transformation (and don’t forget, you can join me next Friday to make magic together for the summer solstice!).
In the words of the great Octavia Butler, “So be it, see to it!”
With love and care,
Stephanie
Thank you 🙏🏼 and an ocean of metta to you and the world these days 🌻❤️🩹
Thank you, Stephanie for sharing this post with so much wisdom and resources. Reading your Enchantable blogs has been so grounding and gives me hope through these times. I had just found out about your event (through your IG stories :) ) but was unable to join live. I am happy to see it was recorded and will be shared out. I will check out Maryknoll Monarch Initiative too and will stay in the loop on future events with them.