6 years ago I took a leap of faith. In March 2020 I left the Participatory Budgeting Project, to start a new organization with no name or mission yet. I wanted to push beyond one approach in one country, to make democracy more participatory around the world.
This March, People Powered hosted its biggest convening yet, in Nairobi. My top 5 takeaways:
1️⃣We can only change the story of democracy together. We started with a day for the Democracy Narratives Alliance, a global effort to build narratives that deepen democracy and weaken autocracy. It was hard bringing together 40 international organizations and funders leading work on democracy messaging. But we managed to synthesize what we know into five key sets of narratives and prioritize 10 actions (learn more at the March 24 webinar). This is just the start. I appreciated how Theresa L. Miller, PhD mapped the ecosystem of partners still needed for narrative change. No one organization can change the story of democracy - we need to weave our voices into a choir.
2️⃣In an age of AI, constrained activities can be more useful than infinite information. To address big challenges of democracy, Katy Rubin and Alberto Ford asked us to set aside our guides and resources, and instead use a pile of trash. In a workshop on embodied learning, teams had 7 minutes to assemble water bottles, tape, stickers, and other found objects into strategies for inclusive democracy. I was skeptical, but we each speed-built scenes that revealed new practical actions. The time and material limits forced us to brainstorm creatively. With AI, we’re trying to provide the easiest access to the most information. But maybe that theory of change is wrong. Maybe we need more hard activities with limited information, to help us see challenges from new perspectives and invent new solutions.
3️⃣Rhythms vary across regions, and that’s ok. Our first convening in Africa flowed at a different speed. The majority of people were African, and most engaged with more formality and less animation than I’m used to. But this was a healthy discomfort, a reminder that ways of working that feel comfortable to me can be just as uncomfortable for others. And in the end, everyone engaged in their own way, when we created inclusive spaces for participation.
4️⃣Field building is an endless cycle of creating and ceding space. While this was our most successful convening, I had the smallest role. I’ve focused on opening space for new partnerships, so more groups can benefit from and contribute to our work. But every step into those new spaces means a step out of something else. Probably every week I’ve stopped doing some part of our work, to start doing something new. That’s only succeeded because of our amazing team (see comments), who planned the convening more than me, and board and members who stepped up. Thank you!
5️⃣Elmo. Next time you’re having a discussion and start going in unproductive circles, say Elmo. Enough, Let’s Move On. (🙏🏼 Zaana)
This March, People Powered hosted its biggest convening yet, in Nairobi. My top 5 takeaways:
1️⃣We can only change the story of democracy together. We started with a day for the Democracy Narratives Alliance, a global effort to build narratives that deepen democracy and weaken autocracy. It was hard bringing together 40 international organizations and funders leading work on democracy messaging. But we managed to synthesize what we know into five key sets of narratives and prioritize 10 actions (learn more at the March 24 webinar). This is just the start. I appreciated how Theresa L. Miller, PhD mapped the ecosystem of partners still needed for narrative change. No one organization can change the story of democracy - we need to weave our voices into a choir.
2️⃣In an age of AI, constrained activities can be more useful than infinite information. To address big challenges of democracy, Katy Rubin and Alberto Ford asked us to set aside our guides and resources, and instead use a pile of trash. In a workshop on embodied learning, teams had 7 minutes to assemble water bottles, tape, stickers, and other found objects into strategies for inclusive democracy. I was skeptical, but we each speed-built scenes that revealed new practical actions. The time and material limits forced us to brainstorm creatively. With AI, we’re trying to provide the easiest access to the most information. But maybe that theory of change is wrong. Maybe we need more hard activities with limited information, to help us see challenges from new perspectives and invent new solutions.
3️⃣Rhythms vary across regions, and that’s ok. Our first convening in Africa flowed at a different speed. The majority of people were African, and most engaged with more formality and less animation than I’m used to. But this was a healthy discomfort, a reminder that ways of working that feel comfortable to me can be just as uncomfortable for others. And in the end, everyone engaged in their own way, when we created inclusive spaces for participation.
4️⃣Field building is an endless cycle of creating and ceding space. While this was our most successful convening, I had the smallest role. I’ve focused on opening space for new partnerships, so more groups can benefit from and contribute to our work. But every step into those new spaces means a step out of something else. Probably every week I’ve stopped doing some part of our work, to start doing something new. That’s only succeeded because of our amazing team (see comments), who planned the convening more than me, and board and members who stepped up. Thank you!
5️⃣Elmo. Next time you’re having a discussion and start going in unproductive circles, say Elmo. Enough, Let’s Move On. (🙏🏼 Zaana)
