Shruti Patel
Location Switzerland
Activity
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
List of non-violent action is great. Perhaps I would add hashtags to the list. A good hashtag can inspire movements. Also, consistency and momentum is crucial.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Great feature of this campaign is that it put those who may have something to lose in the driving seat - making them unlikely champions also made the campaign effective.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Authenticity, realism, and novelty if I'm honest. There are lots of good stories out there but the ones that capture are exciting in some way. Of course, our own experiences and individual beliefs play a huge role in what determines how exciting or authentic something is.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
I think CNN has done a good job of bringing this issue under the spotlight. They appeal to heart (with visual media content) and head through well-investigated journalism. Also think the UK govt has some "hand" tactics by encouraging people to report suspicions. This is missing in the CNN content. Swiss govt employs more of a stick approach by raising...
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Highly recommend the content amassed by Beautiful Rising - it's a real treasure trove of tools and insightful stories of change.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
My biggest takeaways are: (i) better understanding the nature of change, and (ii) planning for change isn't just a nice office exercise - it's essential and should be the starting point of every new change initiative that individuals or organisations embark on. Unfortunately, it's not done very often - at least not with sincerity.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
My sphere of control is how I undertake my work, how I interact with others, the footprints I make, and the impressions I leave. The sphere of influence is when I make an intentional effort to connect my sphere of control with the context and environment in which I live; and when these connections are deliberately aimed at changing something. The sphere of...
-
Shruti Patel replied to Jon Clarke
Very useful Jon, thanks.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
The implications of this are quite far-reaching and profound. When we focus on sphere of control, we automatically think more about concrete actions.
When we focus on sphere of influence, it's often about lobbying or campaigning. And then, when you focus on sphere of concern, it's more likely that you 've removed yourself from the problem or issue. A bit... -
Shruti Patel made a comment
Being successful in influencing someone? I find this difficult to identify. How do you know that the change you see is as a result of something you did or said? Often it's wishful thinking! I influenced my husband to cut down on his meat consumption by cooking vegetarian meals for myself. I think setting an example & demonstration can be useful. I've seen this...
-
@JonClarke agree, listening well is really hard. Especially as sometimes people are trying to tell you something in an opaque manner; ie, without having to spell it out. I find it helpful in many situations to ask myself “what does this person fear?”, “what do I know about this person, and how is his/her experience playing out here?” Often helps bring context...
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
I would need to raise my threshold for risk. My team and I are working on some tough changes & getting resistance. Sometimes you just need to speak up, be brave, and ready to face the consequences; even if that means being like less.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
I like the emphasis on self-knowledge & power within in this article. Sadly, traditional
schooling doesn’t give these topics enough weight. Yet we’re quite quick to give our younger generations the burden of being agents of change. -
Shruti Patel made a comment
I would love to know more about the definition of consensus. Does it imply 100% of constituents have to be in agreement with each other? And what’s the relationship between consensus and democracy?
-
Excited to share this update. Just hit the news today - Kenyan judges have halted plans to construct a coal-powered plant near the coastal town of Lamu.
Love how this demonstrates what happens when all 4 types of power work for change. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48771519 -
Shruti Patel made a comment
Working with others gives weight and credibility to your issue. It becomes important and relevant to the wider community. Working with others also creates visibility which may be important in creating a perception of power. One example of success is farmer cooperatives - they create their own "hidden" power through collaboration or collusion. Such action can...
-
@AdriaanS I agree power is central and the different forms of power are important to keep in mind but I wonder if we can always capture them adequately because as implied by the words "hidden" and "invisible", they are really difficult to know. I suppose that's where observation and understanding of the system comes into play.
-
Yes, I agree the tools provided in the course are very helpful and made me think that every initiative should begin with a power analysis.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Any kind of change is part of a system and will contain many different types of power. By observing the system you can understand different power dynamics at play and this information can help you be more strategic when it comes to making change happen. But change is inherently unpredictable so you must always be ready to adapt your approach or leverage a...
-
Create your own power! What a transformative idea...(if you believe it's possible.) Reverend Lindsay Kirkpatrick's words made reflect on whether the seed of all power might need to be planted from within. i.e., - confidence, self-worth, integrity etc. You need this even before you start to acquire new skills or knowledge or be active in a collective.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Taking as an example a hypothetical NGO-funded project to get small-scale farmers to change their farming practices by reducing the use of chemical pesticides. Using the 4 expressions of power: Power within and Power to would be the most important ones, as the change is rather a personal choice. However, in order to be able to action it, power from collective...
-
Shruti Patel replied to Sabine Delhaise
@SabineDelhaise Yes, I'm continuously surprised by the power of language. Words really do make worlds. (Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel)
-
Shruti Patel replied to Shagota Chisim
Power of respect - so true. I would add power of empathy which I suppose is power of your own way of being, doing, and learning.
-
Shruti Patel replied to Nancy Saul-Demers
So true. One could say power increases (maybe exponentially) when you operate as a collective.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
This material makes me think about power in the different roles we play in life. As a parent, I have a lot of power & freedom but I also have a lot of responsibility. At work, I have less power but can't always do what I wish. Situations in which I feel more powerful are those where I know people are interested and want to listen - and where I feel I have...
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Sounds great. Such an exciting and fun way to make change happen @MarianaBonillaRojas
-
Shruti Patel replied to Shruti Patel
Thanks Tom. Very interesting. I will definitely take a look. I was thinking more about individuals though. Especially critical is that period between when a single person starts something and he/she convinces people to join his/her cause.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Agree. Lone wolves and rebels seldom succeed in bringing about change unless they succeed in winning over and mobilising others. Don't be scared of power, try to get inside in without antagonising it. Maybe changemakers need to be skilled conflict resolution as well.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
A Kenyan university lecturer (can't remember his name) once talked about the legal licence to operate and the social licence to operate. Trump has a legal licence to operate but not a social licence. Greta Thunberg has no legal licence but does have a social licence. Both are different forms of power - one legitimate & formal and the other informal. Both can...
-
Shruti Patel replied to Robin C
Interesting @RobinC. I was thinking about the person who got water. She couldn't paint over anything but could mix up the colours really well I guess. It made me wonder whether there is parallel in that people with less power also have fewer restrictions or are less bound by loyalty and can, therefore "jump ship" more easily than others. i.e., if you're really...
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
"comfortable immersing themselves in the complexities of the institutions that shape change." This resonates. Too often changemakers are impatient, choose to work outside rather than within or with the system - an approach that doesn't tend to be successful. Unfortunately, stories of slow change and people that have grit and stamina often go un-noticed....
-
Shruti Patel replied to Karen V
I find this framing powerful and convincing. Sadly, equality is one of those things where most people agree in principle but very few apply in practice.
-
Shruti Patel replied to SUAT TANIR
I like your wider definition of education, the cultural element is sadly under-valued & overlooked by our current system.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
I had written something about a more empathetic society. Where I really see this missing is for older people who are increasingly being left out of society, largely due to fast-paced technological progress. Heck, aren't we all?!
Yet people in industrialised countries are overall living longer, and better.
So my changed state would be a society that promotes... -
Shruti Patel replied to Jane Grbovik
Hi Jane, I can relate to your vision. Wouldn't it be great if people were just kinder to each other and our planet!
-
Shruti Patel replied to James Woodcock
This would be great, but a key question is how you define "at the centre of decision-making". I think it's really difficult to change something without a specific - and very do-able action you want someone to take.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
De-coalonize is anti-coal movement that has spread across Africa. It was started by residents of a small fishing village in Kenya to stop a coal power plant being built in the town of Lamu. Last year fishermen won a lawsuit against the power plant but plans to build it have still not been withdrawn. Key-takeaway: International recognition of local initiatives...
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
A Sri Lankan community was forcibly displaced by their own country's military and have been fighting for their land since 2010.
Although there has been progress in the form of legal recognition of wrong-doing, the land has still not been returned to them.
For me the case highlights 2 things:
1. Success in even 3 of 4 quadrants may not be sufficient to... -
Shruti Patel made a comment
Great tool. Highlights value of having action at every level and in different spheres. E.g, campaigning to government (Q1) would also lead to awareness at the individual level (Q2). And if the awareness-raising was done properly, it should spillover into the Q4, provided Q3 and Q1 hold.
-
Hi @DuncanGreen, yes thanks I've read it. Mindblowing. Sad to say it opened my eyes to a world I live in, but didn't know existed. Who'd have thought reading a book could be a huge unlearning experience!
-
Shruti Patel replied to Shruti Patel
Really good point Ciaffi. I see what you mean. To your earlier point, I suppose it depends on how you define change. Perhaps it's only the illusion of change that's inevitable.
-
Hi Hi Mariana!!! What an incredible coincidence to meet you here. It's me - Shruti, Rania's friend from Zurich. Hope you are doing well! Glad we are on this course together :)
-
You hit the nail on the head with your question...how? Taking two extremes of potential solutions: using either a carrot or with a stick? At stick would be quicker but unfortunately the ones holding the stick are often the same ones in power!
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
#MeToo was collection action spurred by a single individual, probably at an opportune moment in history. It also had a strong story behind it and the vehicle (social media) used to deploy that story was particularly suited to the message. Interestingly, this wasn't a deliberate action...it was circumstance or perhaps had been a "long time coming".
522...
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Global, national, regional.
Cultural, legal, societal. -
Shruti Patel made a comment
Create empathy for the other - I'd like to see a less selfish world.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
My hypothesis before starting this course is that historically, most significant change or human progress has stemmed from activism - lobbying against the prevailing paradigm. When we look at the "development" sector today however, there is hardly any speak of going against anything---it all seems quite benign. Though the current interest in taxing the wealthy...
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Change is inevitable. The question is to what extent can it be engineered to deliver a specific result, and even if it does can we ever truly know how it came about?
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Having a good understanding of self allows you to channel energy where it might be best used. In my current situation I feel powerless in effecting change at the community level because I don't speak the language. Secondly, when you are aware of self, you also become aware of both differences and similarities with others. Identifying both are necessary to...
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
I really can't think of any real change process I've been involved in. Everything I've done so far seemed like change - getting philanthropic organisations to be more effective for example, by changing procedures. I now realise, that even if you're doing this on big $$$ scale, it's not necessarily change - it's still just tinkering in the big scheme of things.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
Different types, mineral variation is key....plays many functions. Generally been undervalued until now.
-
Shruti Patel made a comment
I am a Programme Officer at the Biovision Foundation for Ecological Development. I want to understand details of improving soil fertility to better support small scale farmers in East Africa with relevant and practical knowledge on how to manage soils.
