{"id":12333,"date":"2020-11-26T15:17:49","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T15:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smk.org.uk\/?p=12333"},"modified":"2021-01-25T11:15:33","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T11:15:33","slug":"sharing-learning-sharing-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smk.org.uk\/sharing-learning-sharing-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharing learning, sharing power"},"content":{"rendered":"
U<\/span>nderstanding\u00a0<\/span>and transforming\u00a0<\/span>power for social change is a journey, just as much as it is a destination.\u00a0<\/span>W<\/span>hen<\/span>\u00a0times feel urgent,\u00a0<\/span>perhaps\u00a0<\/span>taking a moment to pause and reflect is the most powerful thing\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0do.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> Today, looking back on the weeks that have passed since<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>my last\u00a0<\/span>blog<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>where I set out our thinking about the next steps for the Power Sharing Project,\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m in a more reflective mode.<\/span>\u00a0Time and again we\u2019ve been told how much people value having the opportunity to take time out of their work and\u00a0<\/span>reflect on questions around power and social change<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>n th<\/span>at spirit<\/span>, I\u00a0<\/span>am\u00a0<\/span>shar<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0some of my own\u00a0<\/span>personal reflections here.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve continued to engage in some exciting conversations, and to delve into the incredible resource of notes captured in the\u00a0<\/span>first year<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of the project. But I don\u2019t, if I\u2019m honest, feel I have done much to \u2018share power\u2019 myself.\u00a0<\/span>If, as has been said, \u2018<\/span>knowledge is power\u2019<\/span><\/a>, then gathering all this information for myself can feel counter-productive. But knowing where to start in sharing this\u00a0<\/span>learning<\/span>\u00a0is not easy. Which knowledge needs to be shared?\u00a0<\/span>Which, or w<\/span>hose<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0knowledge really counts?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If we have learned anything on the project so far it is that we are dealing with a lot of contested ideas. We all have different ways of thinking about power.\u00a0<\/span>We have different definitions of \u2018voice\u2019 and\u00a0<\/span>even\u00a0<\/span>different criteria for poverty.\u00a0<\/span>The idea of \u2018lived experience\u2019 is understood by some to be a brilliant way of\u00a0<\/span>valuing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>vital<\/span>\u00a0and often overlooked<\/span>\u00a0knowledge<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a way of describing a person\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>\u2018ability to pick out the nuances that others, without direct experience, might miss\u2019<\/span><\/i>. But for others it\u2019s a\u00a0<\/span>false\u00a0<\/span>distinction,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0misl<\/span>e<\/span>adingly<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/i>reduces people to\u00a0<\/span><\/i>a single aspect of their experience<\/span><\/i>\u2019<\/span><\/i>. No doubt, as you read this, you\u2019ll have your own point of view.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Learning to live with diverse\u00a0<\/span>opinion<\/span>s,\u00a0<\/span>to look for the common ground rather than focus on the difference,\u00a0<\/span>and find a way to move forward together,\u00a0<\/span>feels like important learning.\u00a0<\/span>Perhaps this is why the\u00a0<\/span>process of the\u00a0<\/span>P<\/span>ower\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>haring\u00a0<\/span>P<\/span>roject<\/span>\u00a0so far<\/span>\u00a0has been so valuab<\/span>le<\/span>. Hearing other people\u2019s perspectives, while keeping an open mind, offers the possibility for learning<\/span>. We\u2019ve heard<\/span>\u00a0people\u2019s ideas about power, and\u00a0<\/span>about\u00a0<\/span>their\u00a0<\/span>own power<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0shift in exciting ways:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2018Before the session I wouldn\u2019t have thought I had the power to drive change. I always thought that was people in government.\u2019<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>And we have begun to understand, collectively, how developing a more nuanced understanding of power can help us to develop strategies for action:\u00a0<\/span>‘I used to see power as very suppressive \u2013 people who have it suppress the people who don\u2019t get suppressed, simple as that. I now see power is about understanding where you are, where you want to go and how others can help you.\u2019<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u2019ve\u00a0<\/span>be<\/span>en<\/span>\u00a0drawing together our findings and p<\/span>osing\u00a0<\/span>the next set of questions to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>explore<\/span>\u00a0with<\/span>\u00a0the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Community of Practice<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0I\u2019m aware of another tension.\u00a0<\/span>We need to synthesise<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0look for meaning, but if\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>interpret\u00a0<\/span>too much, present too many of\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span>\u00a0ideas as fact, then\u00a0<\/span>we\u2019re<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in danger of\u00a0<\/span>\u2018setting the agenda\u2019<\/span>, defining the parameters\u00a0<\/span>of any future conversations<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0using\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span>\u00a0own power\u00a0<\/span>as an organisation\u00a0<\/span>in a\u00a0<\/span>hidden way<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, as the hosts of this project, we\u00a0<\/span>do\u00a0have power. And if we weren\u2019t doing the work of\u00a0<\/span>drawing together the threads of our conversations and considering how they might help us\u00a0<\/span>create some concrete strategies to\u00a0<\/span>drive social change, then we wouldn\u2019t be doing our job.\u00a0<\/span>Another theme that we have hear<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0loud and clear is the need to\u00a0<\/span>\u2018make power visible\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>It is in t<\/span>hat spirit, and as a first, partial<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0attempt to\u00a0<\/span>unhide our hidden power, that I am sharing this now.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There is value in\u00a0<\/span>taking time for\u00a0<\/span>reflection<\/span>, but only if it is oriented toward<\/span>\u00a0clear intention<\/span>\u00a0and effective action<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0T<\/span>hese urgent times require it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Just yesterday, our Chancellor announced that, while the health crisis we face in this country is ongoing, the\u00a0<\/span>economic crisis<\/span><\/a>\u00a0has only just begun. Millions are facing job losses, work insecurity, food poverty and homelessness<\/span>, and p<\/span>ublic sector budgets remain vanishingly small<\/span>. A bold and radical\u00a0<\/span>vision for\u00a0<\/span>c<\/span>ivil societ<\/span>y<\/span>\u00a0that includes\u00a0<\/span>all\u00a0<\/span><\/i>voices<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and especially those that are most\u00a0<\/span>often\u00a0<\/span>excluded,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is needed as it has never been needed before.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We have some exciti<\/span>ng ideas developing that we\u00a0<\/span>will\u00a0share soon, and that we hope you will help us shape.\u00a0<\/span>In the\u00a0<\/span>New\u00a0<\/span>Y<\/span>ear,\u00a0<\/span>we will be\u00a0<\/span>opening up\u00a0<\/span>the dialogue again to the<\/span>\u00a0whole community,\u00a0<\/span>hosting\u00a0<\/span>discussion groups<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>inviting responses<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>ll\u00a0<\/span>are\u00a0<\/span>welcome<\/span>, so please do i<\/span>nvite friends and colleagues to sign up so they get the invitations too.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Join\u00a0<\/span><\/b>our<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Community of Practice<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0here.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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