Resources
Main Texts:
"Walk Out Walk On: A learning journey into communities daring to live the future now" by Margaret Wheately and Deborah Frieze.
"Educating for Action: Strategies to ignite social justice" by Jason Del Gandio and Anthony J. Nocella II
Articles and Websites:
"Claiming an Education" by Adrienne Rich
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic469725.files/Rich-Claiming%20an%20Education-1.pdf
"Why Stories Matter" by Marshall Ganz
Accompanying Video: https://youtu.be/39jpWfixGyc
"On Critical Thinking and Connected Knowing" by Blythe Clinchy
http://capstone.unst.pdx.edu/sites/default/files/Critical%20Thinking%20Article_0.pdf
Visions, Values, and Voice: A Social Justice Communication Toolkit
http://toolkit.opportunityagenda.org
"Organizing: People, Power, Change"
http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/52e6e37401925b6f9f000002/attachments/original/1423171411/Organizers_Handbook.pdf?1423171411
Suggested Reading:
"Who Do We Choose To Be?: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity" by Margaret Wheatley
"We Keep Us Safe: Building Secure, Just, and Inclusive Communities" by Zach Norris
"Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds" by Adrienne Maree Brown
"Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive" by Marc Brackett
"Organizing for Social Change" by Kim Bobo, Jackie Kendall and Steve Max. A comprehensive manual for grassroots organizers working for social, racial, environmental and economic justice at the local, state and national levels.
"Citizen You: Doing Your Part To Change The World" by Jonathan M. Tisch. Collection of stories of active citizenship as a personal call to action.
"Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America" edited by Tyson Miller. A comprehensive resource for gaining critical information and becoming empowered citizens. Focus on bold solutions and quickening the pace of change.
"Fostering Sustainable Behavior" An introduction to community-based social marketing by Doug McKenzie-Mohr and William Smith. Describes the most effective methods of bringing about change in individual and group behavior. Although this book primarily supports sustainability issues, the information is applicable to other areas of change work.
"The Impossible Will Take A Little While" by Paul Rogat Loeb. A beautiful collection of short stories/essays shining light on the various ways people effect change in their communities.
"Soul Of A Citizen" Living with conviction in a cynical time by Paul Rogat Loeb. A must read for anyone feeling overwhelmed and/or discouraged with their agent work or feeling somehow disconnected from their community.
"Stick Your Neck Out" A street smart guide to creating change in your community and beyond by John Graham. A comprehensive and practical guide to making change in your community. This book covers many aspects of working for change and is an excellent guide to help support visionary planning.
"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. Chapters four and five on "context" are particularly useful for the change agent.
Pod Casts, Ted Talks and More...
"Unlocking Us" with Brene Brown
Roman Krzaric explains eight essential steps for turning empathy into a form of social action and how we need to harness its power for social and political change. He explains how this is the way to create a revolution of human relationships in the 21st century. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT5X6NIJR88
Listening Differently by Zalika Gardner co-founder and director of Kairos Learning Center. Zalika contends the main threat to effective listening is "certainty" and unveils some key communication practices to keep us listening with curiosity, humility and empathy. http://livestream.com/tedx/TEDxPortland2014/videos/47879614
Cameron Sinclair demonstrates how passionate designers and architects can respond to world housing crises and collaborate in humanitarian crisis work. He unveils his TED Prize wish for a network to improve global living standards through collaborative design (working with a diverse community of participants, designers, inventors and funding models).
https://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_sinclair_on_open_source_architecture?language=en
Ernesto Sirolli proposes the first step in serving others is to listen to the people you're trying to help, and tap into their entrepreneurial spirit. https://www.ted.com/talks/ernesto_sirolli_want_to_help_someone_shut_up_and_listen
Reporter Joe Richman visits a program in Richmond, CA that is trying a controversial method of reducing gun violence in their city: paying criminals to not commit crimes. Sounds crazy, but the even crazier part is…it works. To figure out how, Joe speaks to guys participating in the program, and to Sam Vaugn, a man whose job it is to monitor the criminals' progress and keep them on track.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/555/the-incredible-rarity-of-changing-your-mind?act=2
For nearly three decades John Francis spent his time walking the Globe carrying a message of sustainable development and respect for our planet. Although the focus of this video is on sustainable development there also comes a beautiful illustration of the power of silence. http://www.ted.com/talks/john_francis_walks_the_earth