Seeds of Change: How can we better connect to make a difference?
In this article and presentation, I summarise some key insights from my PhD research in DAF and FairCoop, and outline a theory of radical collective change in social ecosystems.
Wendy & Dorian featured on the Greaterthan podcast
We were invited by Alicia Trepat to speak about our research on the Greaterthan podcast! The conversation focused in particular on the work and learning of the Diversity and Decolonising Circle, on conflict transformation, and on unlearning.
D&D Circle: Our transformation
In this blog post, former members of the DAF Diversity & Decolonising circle share some of the important insights and learnings that have occurred for them as a result of their involvement in these activities.
How to enable and embody decolonial forms of radical collective change in DAF?
Dorian shares with the DAF Weavers Circle some ideas from his PhD research on how to go further, within the Deep Adaptation Forum, to enable and embody forms of radical collective change that are rooted in the awareness of the 4 constitutive denials of modernity-coloniality
Conscious Learning Festival – Getting access to another level of thinking and intuition consistently
In this call, presented by DA Facilitator Chiara Borrello, participants were invited to experience “felt-sensing,” an intuitive way of interacting with their innate body-felt knowing that leads to mutual respect, authenticity and compassion.
How I am helping to catalyse support efforts in the Ukraine
In this learning journey, Sasha talks about her involvement in connecting people in her various networks as part of a self-organised support efforts for people in the Ukraine.
Widening Circles with Emma Mary Gathergood
Zori Tomova speaks with Emma Mary Gathergood – a holistic life coach, wise elder, book writer and creator of the Earth Listening groupwork modality.
D&D Circle: Fostering deep mutual learning within a small group
In this call, members of the DAF Diversity and Decolonising Circle shared some insights from the past year of their life as a group. In particular, they explored the various initiatives undertaken as part of the group members’ efforts, and some elements of the circle’s life and organising
What is the shape of radical change?
In this call, Constance guided us through somatic exercises, as an invitation to release our playfulness and creativity, and to explore together (as embodied beings) questions related to our approach to personal and collective change.
Deep Relating Circles
This is my best place (so far) for sitting with the complexity, reality, power and pertinence of collapse in a way that deepens my bodily understanding, increases my intellectual comprehension and enables me to be a more loving response to awfulness.
Joanna Macy: Climate Crisis as a Spiritual Path
I found this video useful listening, as a basis for enquiring into my own beliefs. I found that I agreed and disagreed with different elements on different days. I was touched by Joanna reciting form the Book of Hours and my reflections deepened my commitment to love and life.
Fresh Air Fridays Breathing Spaces
I want to suggest this resource for those whose overwhelm is more immediate that a long term or future crisis, for friends who are not so collapse aware but need help now with challenges (that are inevitably collapse related but may feel more personal in nature) or who want to build up their self-care skills by experiential learning whoever you are.
Wales Culture Change Manual
We are trying to find our way to respond better to the predicament that humans have brought upon ourselves and everyone else. In particular, the Culture Change Manual has evolved from the first half (10 years) of a behaviour change programme that I lead.
Unlearning and Radical Collective Change
In this call, Wendy and Dorian presented some findings from a newly released research report, “Views on Unlearning and Radical Collective Change in DAF.” What kind of changes are being precipitated in various groups within DAF? Do we, in the network, pursue radical forms of change? And what does all of this have to do with the idea of unlearning?
A Story of Seeds, Soil, and Sowers
During this call, Wendy and Dorian introduced certain findings from their research in DAF, and touched on: the seeds of change (what has been going on, for whom?); the soil (what is it that allows these seeds to grow?); and the sowers (who has been caring for these seeds, and disseminating them?).
Views on Unlearning and Radical Change in the Deep Adaptation Forum
This report presents the results of the Group Reflections survey and the Radical Change survey, which were shared in DAF to explore participants’ views on unlearning and radical collective change.
Self-organisation: What works? D&D circle – Part 2: Conflict Transformation
In this video, members of the Deep Adaptation Forum Diversity & Decolonising Circle discuss what they have learned about conflict, and conflict transformation, in their self-organised group.
Finding renewed energy to engage in deeply adaptive action
On how finding a sense of community and hearing from inspiring people can help to navigate difficult collapse-related emotions.
Finding a community of love in action
A journey of discovering the true value of the Deep Adaptation Forum as a community focused on mass kindness.
How to share our reflections on questions that speak to us?
How David convened a new series of live conversations around the 4Rs of Deep Adaptation during the Conscious Learning Festival, which led him to develop new discussion processes, and to start a new YouTube channel.
Call Recording: Q&A with the Diversity and Decolonising Circle
The DAF Diversity and Decolonising Circle reflect on some of their insights and (un)learnings.
Learning and practicing the language of anti-racism
As a result of engaging in the work of the Diversity and Decolonising Circle, I have begun to learn the language of anti-racism, and inspired others in my professional network to start on their own learning journeys.
Self-organisation: What works? Collaborative Action Team
In this recording, the members of the Deep Adaptation Forum Collaborative Action Team check in with each other, and share their reply to the question: “How has being part of this circle contributed to my life?”
How to transform how I am in the world?
What if the work of decolonising the self was also about getting back in touch with one’s vital compass?
A journey of deep learning in the Diversity & Decolonising Circle
An overview of some of the rich insights that have occurred for me as a result of my ongoing work on anti-racism and decolonisation in DAF.
Self-organisation: What works? D&D Circle – Part 1
In this video, members of the Deep Adaptation Forum Diversity & Decolonising Circle discuss some of the processes and ways of being together that have helped their group come together, self-organise, and keep going for nearly 2 years. Learn more about the D&D circle here.
Navigating a strange new community, without a map
A journey of discovery into the unknown, featuring a temple, strange human beings, and synchronicities.
DAF Collapse Awareness and Community Survey Report
This report presents the results from the 2021 Collapse Awareness & Community Survey, which was circulated in the Deep Adaptation Forum. It provides interesting insights into how people in DAF envision societal collapse, what this brings up in them, and what they make of their awareness and affective responses.
Going further in the work of decolonizing DAF and cultivating mutual aid
How my journey through DAF made me realise that much more needs to be done to acknowledge white supremacy patterns, learn from people already experiencing collapse, and cultivate mutual aid in a spirit of accountability.
Building trust and modelling different ways of doing things
How I have been introducing and modelling new practices within the DAF community.
Towards a more holistic integration of one’s personal and professional lives: Dana’s story
How Dana was introduced to useful new practices, reached renewed self-awareness, and made new connections in DAF, before encountering a sense of disconnection.
Earth Regenerators
Earth Regenerators is an online learning community for evolutionary culture design, earth regeneration and the avoidance of human extinction.
RetroSuburbia: The Downshifter’s Guide to a Resilient Future
Practical skills; a knowledge asset offered by one of the co-originators of permaculture. In my view, permaculture is not possible without deeply adaptiong, and deeply adapting is not doable without permaculture.
John Seed, an Australian Deep Ecologist
If you haven’t met the work of Deep Ecology, I highly recommend it, and John Seed is one of its co-founders. Deep Ecology is a set of practices that help you experience your ‘ecological self’, and come into deeper union with the earth.
An introduction to Anthroposophy: ‘Human-Wrought Wisdom’
The spiritual path of Anthroposophy (’human-wrought wisdom’), born out of the work of Rudolf Steiner, is what helps me understand why we are at the crossroads that we are at in human existence, and gives the courage and know-how to move forward in love.
Orland Bishop in Conversation with Charles Eisenstein
Orland Bishop is a youth mentor in LA, as well a being an incredible spiritual teacher, coming out of the traditions of African gnosis, shamanism and Anthroposophy; listening to him and following his thoughts can be a spiritual experience in itself, and in this interview he speaks to a spiritual understanding of the current crisis on Earth, leaving you more galvanized to act out of deepening your understanding it in a cosmic sense.
The Lenca in El Salvador Encourage Us to Share our Own Valued Stories
Insights from Chief Leonel Chevez, of the Lenca tribe of El Salvador, on how stories should be passed down like seeds from one generation to the next, for humans to journey through collapse.
Mapping Out the Five Elements of Collapse Awareness
How joining the DA community has helped me better metabolise my own grief, discover important new practices, and invent the framework of the 5 Elements of collapse-awareness.
Call recording: Q&A with Chris Tröndle
In this conversation, we discussed the activities of Camp Collapse, who use storytelling, performance art and immersive art forms to stimulate conversations around our predicament; and we touched on Chris’s MA thesis, titled “The End of the World as We Know it: Hope, Despair and Action among Deep Adapters.”
Call recording: Learning to make a difference
In this webinar, we discussed social learning as a perspective, and how it can be useful to understand the changes happening to people in online communities.
Insights from the Diversity and Decolonising Circle
In this webinar, the members of the DAF Diversity and Decolonising Circle will be discussing some learnings and personal changes that have come out of their work.
How Everything Can Collapse: A Manual for our Times, by Pablo Servigne and Raphaël Stevens
URL: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/How+Everything+Can+Collapse%3A+A+Manual+for+our+Times-p-9781509541393 Type: Book This is the book which initiated the scholarly field of “collapsologie” in the French-speaking world. It is a very detailed and comprehensive summary of the main trends that are unfolding at the heart of our global predicament, and which herald ever more terrifying disruptions to the “business-as-usual” world dominated by modern
The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups, by Starhawk
URL: https://starhawk.org/writing/books/the-empowerment-manual/ Type: Book The Empowerment Manual is a comprehensive guide for groups seeking to organize with shared power and bottom-up leadership to foster vision, trust, accountability and responsibility. I have found it extremely helpful to my thinking around better (or more democratic) ways of organising and working together in collaborative groups. Besides, it is
Loomio
I find Loomio a very useful and well-designed piece of software, which focuses on facilitating decision-making in collaborative and consensus-focused groups. It was built by a small team of Kiwi developers from the Enspiral community, who were keen to encourage ways of organising and communicating they had been exploring during the Occupy movement. It is published under a free software license, and serves a clear social purpose.
Dark Mountain
Dark Mountain is a project dedicated to exploring the deep cultural roots of the ecological, social and cultural unravelling that is now underway. It is “a rooted and branching network of creative activity,” which places a special emphasis on the role of storytelling and art in planting the seeds of a new, “uncivilised” world. From this project, a beautiful series of books was born, bringing together essays, fiction, poetry, visual art and more – as well as a website, and local collaborations with organisers of festivals, gatherings, workshops, etc.
Transition Network International
Transition are all about local action in response to global questions and issues. Transition Network is the international hub of a global movement of really local neighbourhood communities reimagining and rebuilding the community structures in their street. Transition is about acting locally on projects that impact me and my neighbours specific to where I am. Their blog, full of ideas, and their resources for group creation and sustaining, are invaluable assets in this time.
Happen Films – permaculture/practical Deep Adaptation doccies on Youtube
Jordan and Antoinette, talented young filmmakers based in Aotearoa New Zealand, have a series of beautifully filmed, upbeat, positive, solution focussed documentaries about building resilient communities & landscapes in the face of global challenges. I love their accents too 🙂 They have collated a series of Stories from inspirational people, actually creating a more beautiful world right now. Subscribe to their YouTube channel Happen Films.
Host Vicki Robin on Post Carbon Institute’s series of podcasts “What could possibly go Right?”
While I accept collapse of social structures is part of our present, and probably a large part of our human future, Deep Adaptation wise woman and advocate, Vicki Robins, is able to help focus on what is going well, what we can take from our learning and our grief, that is valuable or instructive or spiritually expansive. She doesn’t shy from the hard questions, but comes from an intrinsically healthy, kind and empathetic viewpoint. All her interviews have been helpful to me.
How do we change our hearts, and minds? Stephanie Lepp’s podcast “Reckonings”
Stephanie Lepp has been investigating what it is that makes people shift their views, and I think she uncovered some great examples others can learn from – either to help us move our own stuck ideas, or to help us converse with loved ones who have a viewpoint that causes them a lot of pain or conflict. While we can only change ourselves, we can sow seeds to help others change, particu
Cultural Emergence with Looby McNamara
All Permaculture design training is fantastic background for any person doing Deep Adaptation, and for me the most useful has been inner, cultural, social, local neighbourhood aspects. I believe it is Key to how we design a functional future society. Looby has been leaning into the feminine, home, inner parts of how culture has formed, and how we can create a new richer more kind culture. The course is great, a lot of what you need is in the website, and the book is worth reading too.
Call recording: 4Rs workshop with DA facilitators and volunteers
The recording of the Sept.7 workshop on the 4Rs of Deep Adaptation, hosted by Kim Hare with support from other DAF volunteers.
Discussion: Learning to Make a Difference
What can we gain by looking at learning as a social phenomenon, which is all about following one’s curiosity, engaging one’s uncertainty, and making a difference in one’s life and/or the world? How is this perspective helpful when considering what we are doing in the Deep Adaptation Forum, and other social spaces in our lives?
A conversation with Etienne & Bev Wenger-Trayner
On August 8, 2021, Dorian was able to meet Bev and Etienne Wenger-Trayner in Portugal, for a conversation on social learning. In this view, learning takes place everywhere and all the time – not just in formal settings – and is driven by a person’s curiosity and sense of agency in the world. As a result, it is intimately linked with creating change (in one’s life, and/or in the world at large) and with the process of becoming a certain person.
4R’s Workshop for DA Facilitators and Volunteers
Join us for a workshop on the 4 R’s of Deep Adaptation. We will explore how this framework can be useful in the context of our lives, and to deepen our inquiry into what matters most, right now.
What is temporal? What is eternal?
About a simple exercise that may help us to remind ourselves of what really matters.
Sitting on the Edge of the Cliff
An invitation to discuss what lies for you on the other side of the cliff – and what keeps you going, in spite of it all.
Q&A with Chris Tröndle
Join us on Sept. 30 for a special Conscious Learning webinar with Chris Tröndle, about his research on hope, despair and activism related to Deep Adaptation.
Call Recording: Q&A with Jane Dwinell
Watch the call recording of the Aug.20 webinar with Jane Dwinell, veteran moderator on the Deep Adaptation Facebook group.
Call recording: Q&A with Sarah Bittle
Watch the call recording of the Aug.9 webinar with Sarah Bittle, founder of the Deep Adaptation Facebook group.
Q&A with Jane Dwinell
Join us on Aug.20 for a special Conscious Learning webinar with Jane Dwinell, veteran moderator of the Deep Adaptation Facebook group.
Q&A with Sarah Bittle
Join us on Aug.9 for a special Conscious Learning webinar with Sarah Bittle, founder of the Deep Adaptation Facebook group.
On pronouns and self-protection
How can the pronouns we use when we talk make us distance ourselves from the reality of our predicament?
Finding space to talk about collapse
How joining the Deep Adaptation Forum has enabled me to find a community in which to have important conversations, and gain renewed confidence about my own collapse-awareness.
Work, self-exploitation, and time
Lately someone shared an article in the DAF Slack workspace by the philosopher Byung-Chul Han, “The Tiredness Virus“. It made me think of some conversations I had with several other Deep Adaptation volunteers on the topic of how we (globalised modern humans) are “in” time and “with” time… This part felt quite striking: “Work, no
How the Deep Adaptation Facebook group is helping me deal with chronic depression
Joining the Deep Adaptation Facebook group is helping me manage my chronic depression. The group has also enabled me to become more open and loving with friends and loved ones.
How I brought Deep Adaptation into my workplace
How becoming deeply involved as a Deep Adaptation Forum volunteer has helped me grow more tolerant and confident – and how I’ve been introducing practices and workshops from the Forum into my workspace.
How I abandoned the field of offshore finance and became a Deep Adaptation volunteer
How I became active as a Deep Adaptation volunteer, and eventually started talking about Deep Adaptation in the context of an adult education course.
How I decided to take action on anti-racism and decolonising
How my journey into the Deep Adaptation Forum has helped me (with some help from the I Ching) awaken more fully to the reality of racism and colonisation, and enabled me to take action on these topics.
How I found my way and a role to play in the Deep Adaptation Forum
How I became a moderator in various Deep Adaptation groups, and started to be involved in making DA spaces safer.