Connecting with our values for a better world!

Big news! After years of excellent contributions, Dan Bishop is starting a new chapter. Dan deeply connects with values, people and causes that help make a better world. He has been working full-time as part of our core team. However, he will now spend most of his time with his family and carrying out projects related to home life. Notwithstanding this, he will continue as one of our Advisors and remain at the heart of our community.

To everyone he knows, Dan would like to say: “in sharing your knowledge and experiences with others, you invariably receive much more than you give, and that has always been the case for me at Caplor Horizons. The core team, the advisors, the wider community and all our wonderful partners and clients are my extended family. The work has been a pleasure. I am constantly inspired and in awe of what a small number of people can achieve. Long may it continue".

What is the "Great Turning"? This interesting concept considers how environmental sustainability links to matters of social justice. In their article, which you can read here, Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone identify three "dimensions" related to it.

The ideas promoted by this concept align with our belief that there is no change without cultural change. This is why we’ve developed our “Culture for Justice”, which is an integral part of our strategy. You can read more about our culture here.

On the 19th of September, an event to celebrate the work of Joanna Macy will take place. In addition to co-authoring the paper mentioned above, she encourages people to engage with new ways of exploring our world. To register for the event, click here.

Our webinar focused on collaboration is happening soon! It will take place on the 28th of September, and you can register here. In December, we will run another webinar, this time focused on Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss. It will take place on the 8th of December and you can register here. Both will run from 11:30 to 13:00 UK time. To find out more about our webinar series, click here.

Change maker of the week:

Quote of the week: “Never underestimate the power of intrinsic values. They inspire every struggle for a better world" – George Monbiot

Why do we need more democracy, not less?

We need more democracy, not less. In this short video, Professor Rebecca Willis challenges those people that argue we need less democracy - or even that we need to put democracy “on hold” - to deal with the environmental crisis. She gives three main reasons why that is the case (summarised below):

The research of Professor Willis aligns with the approach of The Commitment, an initiative within Caplor Horizons that works to put climate change and the natural world higher up the political agenda. Her research was particularly significant to The Commitment’s third research paper, "Climate Change and Biodiversity: Connecting voters with politicians"; which was carried out in collaboration with our partner Hope for the Future. You can read it here.

Can climate anxiety be related to government inaction? This is a question that has recently been the subject of research, which involved a survey of 10,000 children and young people across 10 different countries. One of the people involved, Elouise Mayer, is a member of our Strategic Change and Development Group. The results will be shared at an event on the 14th of Sept, at 14:00 BST. You can register for the event here.

Our Transforming Leadership webinar series. Following from a webinar on collaboration, which will take place on the 28th of Sept, for which you can register here, we will have another one focused on Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss; this will take place on the 8th of Dec and you can register here. Both will run from 11:30 to 13:00 UK time. To find out more about our webinar series, click here.

Welcome, Kari-Ann! We are excited to share that Kari-Ann Whitbread will be joining us as a “Partnerships Manager”, following from a competitive recruitment process. We are looking forward to introducing her to our Caplor community!

Change maker of the week:

Quote of the week: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make” - Jane Goodall

How can we be perpetual explorers?

It is often said that “change is the only constant” in our world. If we want to contribute to the best of our ability, we must learn to adapt as new opportunities and challenges emerge.

Research by McKinsey identified 56 “foundational skills” that can help people deal with our changing world. These are summarised below. It is believed these will help enable individuals to contribute effectively in an ever more digital environment. To discover more about these skills, click here.

How can we be “perpetual explorers” in the face of change? In a “A Conversation with Charles Handy”, he prompts us to be eternally curious and innovative. Charles is a renowned social philosopher. He is also our Thought Leadership Advisor. Charles encourages us all to: “dream the impossible and make it practical”.

Our upcoming “Transforming Leadership” webinar series! From later this month through to September next year, we will facilitate conversations on leadership themes, providing an opportunity for shared learning within and beyond our community. You are very welcome to join! Please find a list of all possible topics and dates here.

You can still register to our first webinar, which will be all about collaboration! It will take place on Tuesday the 28th of September 2021. It will explore the question “How could be collaborate better?” To learn more about the event, click here, and to register, click here.

Change maker of the week:

Quote of the week: “The only constant in life is change" - Heraclitus

What is the state of our planet?

Climate action requires collective action, and we need to act now! Last week, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published the first part of its sixth assessment report. Hundreds of leading climate scientists concluded that the reality of climate change, and the direct responsibility of humans in its creation, can no longer be denied.

The Commitment, an initiative incubated by Caplor Horizons, is ensuring climate change is put higher up the political agenda. Believing in the power voting has to tackle our climate crisis, The Commitments is getting politicians in the UK readily engaged and interested to hold the climate at the core of their decision making. To get involved and make your Commitment for a healthier planet, click here.

The organisation has recently published its research “Climate Change and Biodiversity: Connecting voters with politicians” with our partner Hope for the Future, a climate charity working to equip communities, groups and individuals across the UK to communicate the urgency of climate change with their local politicians.

We believe that, to create societal impact, we must start with transforming leadership. We will soon be working with Hope for the Future’s Senior Leadership Team to develop their “leaderful way”. For more on how to develop your own leaderful way, click here to read one of our Thought Leadership Papers written by Dr Lynne Sedgmore.

Change maker of the week:

Quote of the week: “Believe in the power of your own voice. The more noise you make, the more accountability you demand from your leaders, the more our world will change for the better" - Al Gore

How can we govern effectively?

Effective organisations constantly challenge themselves to do better. Using as a case study the Bank of England, this article explores how diversity can lead to multifaceted, transformational progress.

Multifaceted and big challenges often exist in organisations, and governance can be pivotal in addressing these. Our paper, the Essentials of Governance, presents the “5M Model” (summarised below). It was created by Dr. Peter Moore, one of our advisors, who is a specialist in Governance and Strategy. To learn more, click here.

In many countries, BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities are often subjected to discrimination, marginalisation, stereotypes, and social exclusion. Seeking to promote equality and diversity, African Relief Support, a recently established charity based in Glasgow (Scotland), works to support the integration of BAME communities and asylum seekers. We have just started contributing to their work through the facilitation of a team development and strategy renewal process.

At Caplor Horizons, we strive to become an anti-racist organisation. Supported by our advisors and Directors of ELS Education, Chandra Ladwa and Saf Ghapson, pictured below with Lorna, we are taking steps to make progress.

Change makers of the week:

Quote of the week: “When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become wiser, more inclusive, and better as an organisation.” — Pat Wador

How can we learn to create transformational change?

How can we learn in ways that can bring about transformational change? For those of us that have had the opportunity of education, what is often missing is learning about learning itself. The same often applies to teams and organisations as a whole. Our “Essentials of a Learning Organisation”, which you can read here, seeks to address this gap.

In The Gambia, since 2018, we have been working with our partner United Purpose on a programme with a women-led marketing federation. The Sosolaso (meaning “all united) project has been working to improve the livelihoods, nutrition and networks of around 30,000 women farmers. We have learnt from the way participants engage with each other and us. The women involved, for example, learn in creative and distinctive ways, including song and dance.

This year, with our partners from TARUD and WIG, through interviews led by Baai Jaabang (TARUD), Isatou Ceesay (WIG) and Fatou Jaiteh (University of the Gambia), we undertook an impact study about this work stream. This included a focus on identifying the unintended consequences of the activities we and others have been contributing to. This is our first initiative of such a significant scale and provides us with an opportunity for reflection to learn and improve. We would like to thank all involved in The Gambia and Sam Bishop (University of Bath) for their valuable contributions. You can read a summary of the report here.

This week, we have resumed our in-person work in The Gambia. In our two forums, we will facilitate the next phase of the process of capacity development. The women involved are striving to efficiently market their products, strengthen their relationship with stakeholders and promote ownership and sustainable change.

Strengthening the role of women in agriculture produces long-term, positive results for farm families and their neighbours. The UN's FAO asserts, for instance, that abolishing gender-specific barriers in farming would not only unleash women’s highest economic potential, but it would also eliminate hunger for 150 million people. You can read more about this research and other insights in this National Geographic article.

Change maker of the week:

Quote of the week: “No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half its citizens.” - Michelle Obama

Making the best strategic decisions in today's world!

How can we make better strategic decisions in the world we live in? A new piece of research in the international non-profit sector has identified five main pointers for decision making in complex, uncertain times. These are:
1. Focus on the values-driven ‘how’, rather than the uncertain ‘what’
2. Increase diversity to build collective intelligence to ‘look around and look ahead’
3. Use this opportunity to innovate, learn, unlearn and set the precedent for the possible
4. Use scenarios across different timescales with the whole organisation
5. Rethink adaptable strategies to embrace emergent change within a long-term view.
You can read more on this here.

Thank you! We have just facilitated the last of three main strategy renewal sessions with TechnoServe, a process all about facilitating good strategic decision making. Engaging with TechnoServe’s impressive team from 30 programmes worldwide, these sessions have consistently involved 10-15 of our wonderful facilitators. Even though there's still more work ahead of us, we wanted to say a huge thank you to all those who have been involved!

To fight human trafficking, we must move beyond understanding and towards educating. Celebrated today, this year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons highlighted the importance of education; of listening to and learning from survivors of human trafficking. This article points to how appropriate support to survivors can help lead to a life of sustained freedom.

One of our partners, Ella’s, works with women who have survived trafficking and sexual exploitation. They are a UK-based charity who seek to ensure survivors have all they need to recover and build lives that are safe and free. We recently supported their strategy renewal process; facilitating discussions to help enable their very committed and highly skilled team identify and make the best strategic decisions possible for the future.

Change maker of the week:

This short video provides a glimpse into what Pandiyan leaves behind and what he stood for.

Quote of the week: “When you listen, it's amazing what you can learn. When you act on what you've learned, it's amazing what you can change.” - Audrey McLaughlin

What can we learn from our youth?

Young people can turn their energy and creativity towards solving difficulties. Celebrated in recent days, this year’s World Youth Skills Day paid tribute to the resilience and creativity of youth. In her short TED-Talk, 12-year-old Adora Svitak challenges us to reconsider what “childishness” is. She invites adults to engage in child-like thinking to bring about change. To watch, click here.

One of our partners, Paper Boat, works in hard-to-reach communities in India to inspire and enable children to bring about change. They work with children and young people through creative approaches to build their confidence, resilience, and acceptance of self.

We recently facilitated an away day with Paper Boat trustees and staff in the UK. After 18 months of not meeting in-person, due to the pandemic, they reconsidered the most effective route to follow to keep on enabling the transformational and meaningful work they do.

To know more about Paper Boat's work, in partnership with CEDAR, you can watch this short, 2-minute video

Change maker of the week:

Quote of the week: "The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it, generation after generation" - Pearl S. Buck

Can our vote save our planet?

Climate change and biodiversity loss are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced. They are sometimes referred to as the two most important, or core, “planetary boundaries”. These elements are at the heart of our strategy, which you can read here.

The Commitment is an initiative within Caplor Horizons that works to put climate change and the natural world higher up the political agenda. It has recently published its third research paper: "Climate Change and Biodiversity: Connecting voters with politicians", which was a joint political research project with our partner  Hope for the Future.

The research and was based on interviews with 41 UK politicians, as well as wider analyses and conversations. The Commitment's approach was described as  “unique” and “refreshing". One of the main findings was that it is "clearly differentiated from petitions and similar campaigning tools". You can read the full report here.

Change maker of the week:

Quote of the week: "We have a responsibility to protect the rights of generations, of all species, that cannot speak for themselves today. The global challenge of climate change requires that we ask no less of our leaders, or ourselves" - Wangari Maathai

What is feminist leadership and why does it matter?

Feminist Leadership could spur significant change. This article by Devex explores how embedding it in the culture and approach of organisations could make the development sector more inclusive and accountable.

At Caplor Horizons, we have engaged in different ways to deepen our understandingunderstanding and commitment to Feminist Leadership. Together with our advisors, Professor Sharon Turnbull and Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, we wrote our latest Thought Leadership Paper: “Feminist Leadership – a post-patriarchal paradigm”. You can read it here.

We believe there is no change without cultural change. This includes addressing the issue of gender equality. As a result, we developed our “Culture for Justice”. This is an integral part of our strategy. You can read more about our Culture for Justice and how we are living it here.

ActionAid Ireland has been very proactive in its commitment to Feminist Leadership. This has been focused upon as a central part of a strategy renewal process we are facilitating. We are appreciative of the opportunity to work with such a highly progressive group of people.

Change makers of the week:

Quote of the week: “Culture does not make people. People make culture. If it is true that the full humanity of women is not our culture, then we can and must make it our culture." - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie