Conscious Social Change asks us to do our own work
Introducing a Community Impact Survey in Nduba, Rwanda
November 2022
Wisdom Lab Update — Jan 2023
Prior to starting activities in a given community, Global Grassroots staff collaborate with venture teams to identify 40-45 households to participate in a two-part Community Impact Survey (CIS). The survey contains standard questions designed by Global Grassroots as well as a set of “venture specific” questions designed by teams themselves, based on their unique context and mission.
CIS results are summarized and shared with team leaders to help inform planning. A post-program questionnaire is administered at the end of the Incubator or Accelerator grant period (usually 18-24 months later). Summary results are again shared with local leaders, and used by staff to analyze trends across ventures in different communities.
To learn more about our approach or to share how you are measuring impacts of inner work for social change, contact us at wisdomlab@globalgrassroots.org. We’d love to chat!
Conscious Social Change in Action - Principle #2: Becoming Whole
Becoming more mindful leads us to see how change affects us personally. This process is not always comfortable. Once we’ve had some practice with cultivating presence, we may start to recognize our own patterns of behavior that have been unconscious to us. This can include noticing how we react to things that cause us stress, how we handle fear and discomfort, or our judgments about people who do not share our values.
But as these ways of thinking, feeling, and reacting become more apparent - as we see what is really true underneath all that we experience - mindfulness gives us the opportunity to change our behavior and assumptions more readily.
Studies show that by practicing mindfulness we can more easily manage our reactions and operate less often on automatic pilot. As we mitigate our own stress, approach ourselves with less judgment and more curiosity, and allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we can extend the same acceptance to others. We can forge agreements built on human understanding, approaching change with greater awareness of our own biases. This allows us to connect more deeply and foster greater trust and respect in our personal and professional relationships.
Becoming Whole is a process, not a destination, and conscious social change asks us to work on ourselves before - and while! - we work to solve problems in the world around us.
Practices for Becoming Whole
Three Breaths —As you encounter situations that trigger strong feelings, try hitting the pause button before reacting. Notice what body sensations or emotions are coming up in that moment. Then, try to take three breaths before responding or making any decisions. Maybe give the other person a heads-up by sharing, “What you are saying is very important and I want to take it all in. I’m just going to pause for a second.”
Journaling — Find a quiet and comfortable place to do some writing or drawing. Think about a time when you had a strong reaction to someone or to a situation. Write down or draw what happened and your body sensations, emotions, or thoughts at that time. Ask yourself, “What was underneath those reactions?” Write or draw whatever comes to mind. When you are done, take a moment to tune into your breath again. Make a conscious decision about what you’d like to do with your writing/drawing. Save it, share it, recycle it, burn it?
Seek Support — Mindfulness practices can sometimes bring up strong or even painful emotions and memories. As social creatures, we need others to help us make sense of our own experiences. If you cannot think of anyone trustworthy to share with, or if you begin to feel overwhelmed, seeking help from a counselor, therapist, spiritual teacher, or other professional trained to receive your insights with care is a wise and compassionate act. This work is not meant to be done all alone.
Venture team and community members asked each other: How do you take care of yourself when you feel overwhelmed?
“When she gets overburdened, she tries to find her own time to meditate and sing.”
“She goes to the individuals who can help her return to normal.”
“When she feels overwhelmed, she sings and praises God.”
“When something isn’t going well, she reads the bible, prays, meditates, takes a deep breath.”
“When he feels overwhelmed, he does BBM (Breath-Body-Mind) and meditates.”
Next Up: CSC Principle #3 - Ensuring Balance
Global Grassroots is a US (501) C3 founded in 2005. Our mission is to catalyze women in East Africa as leaders of Conscious Social Change in their own communities.