sofia Rodriguez
I work in video game graphics and lead the local volunteer group for Greenpeace in Vancouver. I grew up in Germany and Peru. I want to learn and become more useful and more involved. I want to connect
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I believe I have heard a few donors of the organization I work with complaining about the campaign's focus and saying they will only donate if they work more on a specific cause dear to them. I was not part of those decisions but I imagine it must get tricky when one needs to balance where one is most needed and can do the most good with the wishes of...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I think it is important to incorporate a question early on, explaining you want to stay in touch but do not want to presume/infringe on their space, you ask them to choose options of communication channels, frequency of reports, invitations,etc...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
Totally. Part of keeping your donors involved could mean periodically asking for their input and collating their answers into a general guideline that is communicated. People who are interested enough in your cause to donate money and are , in some cases, successful enough to have extra money, may well be valuable also for their ideas input and not just their...
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sofia Rodriguez replied to Julie Maer
I love libraries . Just as an aside :)
I guess the fact that the councils and governments cuts are cutting into your funding needs to be highlighted which will also attract any critics of such right wing measures... -
sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I have had this problem when looking for volunteers and supporters for an NGO that does many different things, such as campaigns, lobbying, education, etc. It is easy to become vague in your description when you try to encompass all. Also they have had a few blunders in the past which some people cannot now separate from their perception of them. I find these...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I like the personal one on one connection in the sightsavers story, and the making a virtue of necessity in a way of the Mountbatten one.
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Yes, I can see how that would make more sense to some people. Personally I would rather be involved in the day to day of activism and advocacy for a living but if you also enjoy a corporate job and can give a large part of the money, that is super valid too
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
So interesting to look at how one needs to tart by shifting internally within oneself and then within your organisation in order to create the kind of environment from which to tell a story and ask for support.
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I think many things can make you feel unconformable when someone asks you for a donation. Guilt at not giving, not being clear about whether you can afford to give (not having a clear idea what your priorities are in terms of expenditures), also the feeling you might get that someone is engaging with you and pretending to like you only to get a donation from...
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Yes that is interesting. I know from a relative that a certain Org I support sometimes pays a lot for coaching for their employees and nice retreats. Does this make me unconformable? A little, but on reflection I understand it. I do not believe extreme frugality necessarily will lead to better results. But I do think there is a limit beyond where I would stop...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
This is so interesting when I think of my own donating. My interests lie a lot with environmental causes and also social unfairness. I grew up in south america. I have worked with Rain forest alliance and Greenpeace so i know what they do. So often I donate to the orgs I know, especially if they are working on something for example in the Amazon area or south...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
Yes this is a way I have had a lot of success with. It is very engaging for everyone involved and can easily incorporate several levels of engagement. The organizer of the fundraising drive/event is quite engaged but still makes use of your guidance and support, the givers in their network are less engaged but want to help out and participate/be seen to...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
wonderful
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
Excited to start!
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
Some of the challenges I encounter are within my own head, such as getting discouraged or doubting my abilities. Also, not having time to become very informed and plan meticulously, making mistakes and omissions because of that. Then of course there is the feeling of impotence as you sometimes look around you and see apathy and division. But in the end I...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
So far I have only started by informally mentioning my plan to a few people, unfortunately none of them knew the answers to my questions but I have identified some people I had not expected that I might be able to count on for support. I will keep going.
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sofia Rodriguez replied to Ezekiel Aina
This is great.
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
My plan for the next few weeks is to explore the possibility of trying to get the city to hold another referendum about expanding public transit, focusing on the impact this could have on our carbon footprint. I want to find out whether any other group is already working on this, and also who exactly would make this decision. I will be in a meeting with other...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
i have donated to a charity a few times that helps children in terrible situations world wide and while I think they do important work, the frequent letters they have been sending me since then make me want to donate to them less rather than more. I am not doing any donations now anyway as I am unemployed at the moment but when I see how much money they put...
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I agree that songs as stories and also spoken and written stories have a deep influence on our minds and can help shape our notions of what is acceptable and what is normal and what is desirable.
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I was just wondering if something like this exist in Peru, where I grew up.There is also a huge problem there with VAWG. I love that they are also working with musicians, because music and other media and art forms reflect , but also influence the culture and subtle positive references to violence and domination over women is very prevalent in Latin american...
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Xr is such a new group and as such will obviously face many challenges to be organized and keep up momentum. But already you have accomplished so much and there are such good ideas there. Exercised around group dynamics and self examination seem like a great idea.
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You have the power to make a difference by making this issue a priority when you vote at elections, by joining groups that are working for solutions from many different angles, by reducing your own carbon footprint, by normalizing talking about the urgency of this among people, by donating to or volunteering for groups working on this, by divesting from fossil...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
The problem we face is that climate change is happening and as a whole we are not doing nearly enough to reverse this in time. And most people are looking away in one way or another.
It matters that we fix this because if the temperature on earth raises more than 2 C the effects on weather patterns, crops, coastlines,etc will be so severe that millions of... -
sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I often am drawn to stories that are compelling and heart touching but without making me feel too manipulated. And it is always great to have something at the end about how we can help.
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sofia Rodriguez replied to sofia Rodriguez
Yes!
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
What has stuck in my mind is above all else some things I need to work on to become a better leader and activist, and also many useful tools to help think about a problem, and then about an action or activism that addresses it, in a more structured and deep way. I also love the quadrant of change diagram as it helps me articulate an answer to naysayers who...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
For the subject of action on climate change, I think it is important to include in any conversation that we should not leave anyone behind when making progress. The Green New Deal is an important guideline. Thos e who could easily be left behind are workers of fossil fuel companies and those who rely on cheap fuel prices to survive. Any policy we push for must...
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Hello Birgitta. That is a good question. I guess in my case what drives me in a convoluted mixture of experiences and thoughts but I know for other activists its a much more clear cut thing where they have experienced injustice and had an epiphany that they could do something to change the paradigm so they do, and they are powered by their pain and anger...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
For my aim to do my bit to make people and governments act on the science around climate change, my sphere of control is the example I can give to people by engaging with the issue, and the time and energy I chose to allocate to this activism. My sphere of influence is the people around me whom I talk to, the volunteers I work with, the media I can talk to,...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
Recently I was working on getting local businesses to join, or show support for, a youth led climate strike. I wrote a letter outlining the reasons for the strike, the striker's demands, and the levels of support a business could choose. I also added a list of the businesses already participating. It worked in quite a few cases and I think part of that was to...
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its so important to air things out, well done. What is left unsaid festers and poisons.
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Yes I too have moments like that. Where I resent that not everyone is as motivated as myself and I feel like a one woman band.
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I feel I have some of the energy and the impulse to serve and to effect change and the courage, I also think I make a lot of effort to encourage others to participate and join, and I like to think I can put people at ease by being vulnerable and injecting some humor.I also recognize one cannot really be happy and free if others around you are not. At times I...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
This is all so important. There should be... there probably are, but there should be more widely used, tools for preempting division within groups trying to effect change. So often one sees the groups/political parties most concerned with actually improving people's lives tearing themselves apart and splitting up and losing to the groups that are working...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I am very interested in the "unlikely suspects" , as I have been feeling lately that preaching to the choir can only get us so far...
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I agree very much that one needs to involve more people so that the vision for change is informed by not just our own experience.
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I think even at the beginning when you are figuring out what change exactly you want to strive towards, you need inout and collaboration from others so that your vision for change will not be informed solely by your own experience and will not be undermined by gaps in your knowledge. Also when planning a strategy often having more people involved will help...
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I also like the idea of not starting out with authority figures as the perceived antagonist automatically, and to first approach them in a human way and see if they can be gotten on board with your project for change.
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I like your idea that we should highlight the role of interpersonal relationships and kindness towards the ones immediately next to us and towards ourselves, that often before trying to tackle wider issues we should start there.
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I think this has helped me realize a lot more thought can/should go into preparation and exploration before starting an activism action. I often take mental shortcuts and it can work out fine but I do believe taking a more detailed thought out approach could benefit my work. Also this has gotten me thinking about the importance of the power within, and has...
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such an important project! I think it is important to make people realize they have power and responsibility regarding the things they dispose of that there is no such thing as throwing "Away" Things will continue to exist and affect our lives or the lives of others. I agree involving people in a way that they own the process and the change is very important.
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I am very interested in how we can influence the power from within in people in order to achieve action on climate change. I think the factors now impeding faster progress have a lot to do with the fact that most people do not feel strong enough to look this problem in the eye, it is difficult to face the fact that we are heading into such suffering and...
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sofia Rodriguez replied to Laks Mann
It feels like we need to get working on change in all these fields at once... lets wish each other courage!
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
For action on climate change, there is very defined visible power. Politicians in administrations could drastically change policies to create the infrastructure needed to transition to renewable energies, could implement all the different measures that would tax and regulate all emissions causing industries as harshly as is needed. There is also the power...
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sofia Rodriguez replied to Xavier Aguilella
This is a very positive interpretation and use of power
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I have had power over people employed by my family as part of a very unequal society, this power has always made me feel uncomfortable and guilty.
I have had power in a way as an attractive woman influencing men or making them do things, and this has felt like a double edged sword in many ways, reducing me to one aspect of myself even while giving me a... -
sofia Rodriguez made a comment
Power. We give away our power when we think we dont have any. Power. Those who seek power and reach positions of power are often ruthless and egocentric. How to put people in power who will work for the good of the many and for our future? Should democracy mean the will of a majority whose will is manipulated by lack of education and misinformation? Should...
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no i havent hear of that, i will look it up!
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
It is hard to pick one as I am passionate and involved in a few different things but the first thing that comes to mind is acting on climate change and ending fossil fuel hegemony and the culture of looking away from the issue. I want to see a huge surge in the number of people engaging with the problem, I want to see leaders elected who will not make friends...
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I am partnering with a person who has experience in street theater and invisible theater, etc and we will hold brainstorming meetings to see what we can do on the topic of climate justice. We want to do things in public spaces that start conversations and bring distant topics closer to people, we want to participate in larger protests such as extinction...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I love the change analysis tool because it gives me a concrete answer to give to those who seek to call my efforts toward collective change hypocritical if i do not act perfectly in accordance in my personal life, and who cynically undermine efforts at personal changes as being too small. I always try to explain it is all an imperfect striving in the same...
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I am not a theater person but am trying to start a climate justice theater workshop together with a theater person so would love to hear more about this!
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
Another example that comes to mind is something I have seen a lot in my home country. Well meaning people from more industrialized countries come as volunteers and to teach the local children their language, etc. A group I know collects money and school supply s every year in Germany to then build schools in rural Peru. All this is mostly beneficial but I...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
If we look around us we can see any victories we get as women against the narrative that we are objects to be cajoled, collected, consumed, broken into, used and discarded are steps along a long road that is still far from over.
I think none of the answers to these questions can be a firm this or that. In all cases to varying degrees both strong leadership... -
sofia Rodriguez made a comment
The main things that worry me about the world is climate change and pollution, and inequality. I grew up in a very unequal society where this social gap permeates everything and creates mistrust, hopelessness, disconnection and so many more ramifications which cause suffering. I am interested in understanding the root causes of this sort of class structures...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I believe change is often confusing and piecemeal and relative and we might not see it as much when we are in the thick of it, but that must not discourage us, we mus continue to muck about pushing in the direction we believe is right, and realize contradiction is an integral part of the human condition and that we are shaping a small piece of a bigger pattern...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I have always been aware of my many privileges and am still not quite able sometimes to find a way to engage back home where they are at their most stark and unfair. I try to stay vigilant about my own assumptions and prejudices and I feel how it sometimes works and sometimes not as much.
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I feel it is very important to keep this in mind and also not take it to an extreme where everything seems relative and we are paralyzed or become cynical or bound up in self consciousness. Remembering to perceive the lens we look through while also realizing we need to pick what minimizes damage and suffering and nothing is perfect...
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sofia Rodriguez made a comment
I spent a lot of years thinking about the change i wanted to see in my home city in South america with all its inequalities, wastefulness and irrational dynamics. There I was able to make only small changes on a small scale because i felt so hemmed in by my own assigned role in that society and my youthful shyness. Late living in other countries I started...
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Yes! some of the problems have become to global and complex that while small local personal initiatives are wonderful and do cretae a bigger pattern we need to put a lot of effort into changing the political landscape because only policy can make really big change happen in many instances
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i have often wondered the same :) preaching to the choir feels rewarding sometimes as you receive support but once you start to see them same faces coming to events it feels isolated...
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migrant justice is climate justice <3
