Previous sessions

The myths of philanthropy: what are the narratives that govern philanthropy & how do we change them? from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

What if philanthropy’s greatest resource isn’t financial but relational capital? What if what we inherited doesn’t have to be the legacy we leave? Elemental explore our relationship with money, power, and each other – featuring contributors to its The Myths of Philanthropy series, published by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, Association of Charitable Foundations, and VITA. For a quick summary, see this post from Lydia Cerguera of UK Community Foundations, which captures the session beautifully.

Burnout From Humans: An Intergenerational Inquiry on Complexity, Computation and Collapse from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

We hear from Vanessa’s daughter Giovanna, who shares her journey through Hospicing Modernity with unflinching, courageous and often hilarious honesty. She describes how having been “its biggest hater”, she now “regrets that it took so long” for her to embrace it, and is now leading her own efforts within the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures Collective to carry the work further. Woven through this conversation is a genuinely mind-blowing exploration of the Collective’s relationships with AI, what they call ‘Emergent Intelligences’ because “who are we to say what’s artificial or not?” We explore the tension between AI’s harmful impacts and its potential to help us through these times, especially if our interactions can become less transactional and more relational. What if, as we seek a way through (not out of) our predicament, we were to “recruit them into relational mischief?” Look out for the sequel to Hospicing Modernity – Outgrowing Modernity – in August.

Narrative & Wealth Inequality from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

An urgent, compassionate and practical exploration of the ‘who gets the money’ problem, and how we might work on its systemic roots together as narrative practitioners. The speakers shared a wide range of insights from the frontline of content creation and the latest polling and research in this space. The conversation was rich and detailed, so we encourage a thorough watch to get the full picture, but when asked what ‘one thing’ we should be doing, the speakers suggested: center working class messengers; fund video content; talk about the consequences, risks, harms that extreme wealth creates; create pathways to explore these systemic issues by building relationships and assemblies, and creating content funnels and conversations; and observe the landscape as if for the first time, calling out what you see. Lots of useful links were shared during the session, see here.

Hood Futures: infrastructuring as narrative reclamation, service and self-determination from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

Amahra Spence was in conversation with Nabil Al-Kinani of Hood Futurist Association. They explored the connections between infrastructure and narrative, a vital element of narrative power which is often overlooked in traditional communications work. The discussion was grounded in the manifesto Privatise the Mandem and its follow up text To Free the Ends, and speculated on a ‘Hood Commons’. Thinking about infrastructures that centre narratives, land and resources as tools for community self-determination and sovereignty, they explored how a robust analysis of class and spatial politics can have practical implications for regenerative hood futures. We were encouraged to “Place emphasis on the documents that create movements”, reflect whether “professionalising of story-telling seems to be the problem”, and to “dance in the space of contradiction.”

When climate communication works (and when it doesn’t) from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

Adam Corner of Climate Barometer steered us on an instructive trip down memory lane, reflecting with his guests on some of the wins and challenges over twenty years of climate campaigning efforts. Along the way, Adam’s guests offered an array of tips and warnings: from always remaining focused on people’s lives – not just treating ‘audiences’ as a means to a policy end – to ensuring that deeper damage isn’t expediently done in the interest of short term wins, and holding our trust in the majority when a reactionary minority starts shouting. Finally, in the face of powerfully organised, embedded and ruthless reactionary forces, an encouragement to connect-up and expand our approaches together.

Transforming Narrative Oceans through Narrative Systems Design from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

“Achieving a just future in which the majority of people are engaged in building pluralist culture requires transforming the toxic narrative oceans in which we swim.” In this session we were introduced to the powerful, responsive narrative framework and strategy that helps Pop Culture Collaborative do just that, underpinning their impactful grantmaking and field organising in the US. Accompanied by case studies and a practical exercise (not recorded), we were left with a robust, practical approach to assessing and developing narrative change interventions. Also see their Narrative System framework, and a set of related articles.

Inter-Narratives – University of the Forest from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

Vanessa Andreotti, author of Hospicing Modernity, took us on a journey through the University of The Forest. Although an institution, both physically and digitally, it quickly became clear that the UOTF is also an orientation, a way to “unlearn” the “narrow-boundary” concepts that keep westernised modernity violent and unsustainable, and hold us in harmful relationships with each other and our world. This recording is well worth your time, especially if you are curious about the specifics of “unlearning” and “healing”, want to know what “abductive”, “diffractive” and “diachronic” thinking are, would like to engage in “regenerative inquiry”, or want to “foreground the unknowability of the whole” through “quantum wisdom.”

Chief Ninawa was sadly detained by flooding, so although he was with us, we don’t see or hear him in the recording. Vanessa instead shared his message ‘on hope’: “In modern societies, hope is held hostage by idealised images of the future. However, we need to liberate hope from this captivity so that it resides in the present: in the faith that we can heal our fractured relationship with the earth, with other species, among ourselves, and within ourselves. The future is the outcome of relationships we weave in the present. To make the future different, we must weave relationships differently in the present, rather than focusing on idealisations of the future that perpetuate the relational fractures of the present.” – Chief Ninawa Huni Kui

Inter-Narratives – Black Imagination and Liberation Rehearsal from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

Amahra and her guests explored what black imagination is bringing to these times: a profoundly grounded approach, both in the roots of what is wrong and in the practical work to build different worlds. As Tony described it, “imagination is a practice, it is deeply connected to a way of being”, needing intelligent infrastructure and careful, playful stewarding – “there are implications to this poem” as André put it. For those of us rethinking systems, there was invitation from Blessol to bring back spirit, centering love “as the way we understand our struggles”. This was a beautiful, generous, welcoming and uplifting conversation, both gentle salve and urgent tonic. Please do share the recording widely – the world needs these voices right now.

Climate Consensus: Building Resilience and Reclaiming our Digital Spaces from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

In this session, curated by Imran Ahmed, we heard about the “diffuse and very profitable disinformation industry” (Michael Khoo); that “we’re bleeding in that really important space between where public opinion stops and policy outcomes begins – that is where power is” (Tom Brookes); and that “good communication is not the primary challenge, our primary challenge is showing people what the world will look like when we win” (Kate Cell).

Narratives for Stewarding a Different Economy into Existence from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

In Cassie Robinson’s curated session, her guests questioned whether “narrative can move power-holders” (Anastasia Millin). We hear about how “the polycrisis is not a cognitive problem, it is a relational and effective problem” and that “we can only imagine different versions of the same system, unless we work to interrupt our patterns, let go of stories, and make space for something genuinely new but also generative” (Azul Duque) – that “we can imagine all we want, it won’t assist unless we sit with who we are and who we are in relation to the earth” (Ashanti Kunene).

Attack, Engage or Ignore? The role of ‘the enemy’ in climate narratives from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

Adam’s reflection as curator: “The discussion seemed to tap into something on a lot of people’s minds: when to call out the institutions and individuals consciously blocking climate action, and when to build bridges with constituencies and communities who are ‘persuadable’ but not yet persuaded on the green transition. As well as the debate on when (and how) to name ‘enemies’ in climate narratives, we also heard how one group – UK farmers – sometimes experienced being ‘othered’ in campaign and media narratives around decarbonising the food system. Its hard to land on a simple takeaway from such a rich session, but whilst there’s clearly no justification for backing away from ‘naming’ the institutions who are standing in the way of decarbonisation, its also crucial to avoid inadvertently ‘blaming’ the people who don’t yet feel part of the transition.”

Messaging This Moment from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

Reset Narratives Community 1: Narrative Change for a Green and Just Recovery – Learning from the US from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.

Reset Narratives Event with Richard Curtis from Environmental Funders Network on Vimeo.