Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity and Courage in a World Gone Mad
Frances Moore Lappé is the author of 16 books, from the three-million-copy bestseller Diet for a Small Planet (1971) to Democracy's Edge: Choosing to Save Our Country by Bringing Democracy Back to Life (2006). Her life and work have been featured in O, Glamour, People, The Utne Reader, Orion, and many other publications. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Readers’ Digest, Christian Century, Le Monde Diplomatique, National Civic Review, Tikkun, and Harpers. Her latest book, Getting a Grip, distills her experience and wisdom in a conversational style aimed at affirming readers’ intuitive grasp of the roots of today’s crises, from hunger and poverty to climate change and terrorism, and at leaving them feeling courageous in the face of them.
See http://www.smallplanetinstitute.org/
Read Frankie's blog about her evening at the Cape Ann Forum:
http://www.gettingagrip.net/2008/02/13/a-birthday-bashtalking-democracy/...
Questions and answers from the Cape Ann Forum event:
WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE SAY AND/OR BELIEVE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT KEEP US FROM MOVING FORWARD? (THE SPIRIT OF POWERLESSNESS)
We are overwhelmed by the variety and number of issues/needs that it’s difficult to know where to begin.
• The problems are out of control, too big, and too complex to tackle
• There are too many problems and where do we start?
• We don’t know what to do so we don’t do anything.
We have a habitual lack of funding.
• State and federal support lacking for state/federal mandates
• There are not enough resources to go around
Frustration that we can affect any kind of change.
• We don’t think we can change things
• People feel helpless to make a difference
• Individuals cannot make a difference
• There is a lack of creativity, problem solving, and know how
The feeling that what you think or do won’t matter or make a difference. Being marginalized by others.
• “what I think won’t make a difference”
• Feeling like your issue won’t count
• My feelings and concerns don’t matter
• Politicians and ‘powerful people’ know more than I do so why get involved
The identity of Gloucester as a fishing town makes it difficult to change and creates fear of the unknown.
• Identity of Gloucester as fishing town keeps us from changing
• We’re afraid of change
• We think we’re only a fishing town
• Resistance to change
• Holding on to old ways
• Creative and innovative thinking is risky/fearful
Lack of leadership on local, state, and federal levels or the feeling that leadership doesn’t care what you think or want.
• There is a lack of leadership or we don’t have the right leader
• Frustration with outdated, stubborn local government
• Good Old Boy network
• Very few real leaders in place now
• People with power are not honest
• Political leaders are incompetent
• Short term gain focus – leaders don’t look at big picture – take band aid approach instead of looking at long term solutions.
• “People in power” ignore wishes of citizenship
• Developers and zoning boards difficult to influence, control
Mistrust of those in power and the feeling that corruption and nepotism are rampant and keep real change from happening.
• There’s just too much corruption
• You can’t beat the system
• Money buys power
• We don’t trust our leaders and government to do the right thing
• Town government seems impenetrable
• People are afraid to take on ‘City Hall’ i.e.: You can’t fight City Hall
• Politicians have all of the power
• The power structure is unable to be influenced
• MA is too corrupt to be influenced in a positive direction
• Greed rules the day
• The local and national media often don’t give us the facts or the truth – only biased opinions and mis-information
• There’s not enough media coverage of issues facing the community
There is a strong perception that people just don’t care anymore – due to laziness, frustration, burn-out, time constraints of everyday living, etc.
• People don’t care
• We watch too much TV
• People don’t have time
• We’re lazy
• Inactiveness – lack of involvement
• Too busy just making ends meet
• General lack of interest/education
• It doesn’t matter
• I’m only one person and I can’t make a difference
• I’m not able to understand the issues enough to help in a positive way
• Why bother? Tomorrow might not come
• Nothing ever changes or gets done
• It’s been tried before
• We are on our own
• It’s always been this way
• Don’t want to be part of a group
• It’s someone else’s problem
• Too many people feel helpless and hopeless
• Hope is childish
• Action groups need new participants
• Our complicated lives make us hope someone else is doing the public work
• We often rely on someone else to solve the problem
• After living with problems for a certain amount of time, we begin accepting failure as the norm
There is the feeling that Gloucester’s schools have been abandoned by state and federal entities and that without a good school system the city will suffer immeasurably.
• Everyone has given up on our public school system
• The Gloucester education system has lost so much that we will never recover
Economic and socio-economic issues sometimes cause misunderstanding and isolation.
• The Laws and rules regarding fishing are too strict and unfair
• As an island/peninsula, we’re isolated and disjointed.
• Ethnic separatism
• Our citizens are often labeled negatively (just working class, alcoholic, a people stuck in the past, etc.)
• Many feel isolated from a group of like-minded individuals
• How do we solve the fishing problem when the problem is a lack of fish
• There is a certain separateness in our community
There is a general feeling that our community lacks unity and is not interested and vested in helping each other. Everyone only looks out for themselves.
• No feeling of community or cooperation; summer vs. year round residents
• We segment ourselves and create competition
• Many have become disconnected from community concerns
• We think each group is competing with others for the limited resources there are
• Competitiveness gets in way of cooperation
• We have no forum to work together
• Everyone looks out for their own self interest
• The idea that you can’t give something to one group without taking it from another group
WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS WE COULD ASK THAT OPEN UP POSSIBILITY, CREATIVITY, AND SOLUTIONS?
(THE SPIRAL OF EMPOWERMENT)
Beginnings
• How can we get from “I know” to I do?
• How do we get focused?
• How do we identify specific things to do that we know will matter?
• How do we care about each other?
• Where do we begin?
• What do we hope for?
• What can we imagine?
• What can we create together?
• What IS working?
• How do we become more comfortable with our own power?
• How can we cooperate?
• What would make us happy?
• What can I do? What am I doing?
• How do we deal with obstructions?
• What would a life affirming mental map look like?
• How do we convince citizens that we are all interconnected?
• Can we change our way of thinking?
• How do we institutionalize doing the right thing?
• How do we encourage cooperation rather than competition?
• How do we see beyond the small differences to common goal?
• Can the solution be local or does it have to be global?
• How do we build community to empower people?
• What can we live without?
• What can we give back?
• What kind of change do we want?
• What would compel people to do things for the greater good?
• What would compel people to do something different?
• What inspires me? Who inspires me?
• What can I read? Who can I meet?
• How do I find the courage to speak up?
Skills & Expertise
• How do we tap into everyone’s expertise?
• How can we create a process to utilize peoples’ skills? How do we identify leaders to initiate coordination efforts?
• Where do we find the experts to help us?
What’s important to our community?
• Which issues are important to most people?
• What is everybody’s vision of a better community?
• What are common needs?
• What are people concerned about?
• What is the need of the greater community?
• How do we begin a forum to discuss Harbor plans?
• How do we harness our focus and coordinate it to send messages to corporations?
• How can we expand things like Farmers’ Market and Coop? Time Banks?
• Could we encourage art shows, community events?
• Coming together at events like Cape Ann Forum, Time Banks breaks the cycle of being alone
• How do we use town pride and turn that into an asset?
• What resources are we not using yet?
• Could we re-introduce civics into our schools?
• How do we make Gloucester vital for all citizens?
Keeping it green
• How can we have economic growth without economic greed or damage to earth?
Volunteerism
• How do we get people to volunteer, get involved, and influence the decision makers?
• How can we harness volunteerism?
Encouraging participation
• How do we tap into the power of numbers?
• How can we get a range of voices to participate?
• How can we reach out to others to share in this endeavor?
• How can we become more involved personally in what is important to us?
• How can we get students more involved in the community?
• How can we engage the community to be concerned?
• How do I find the energy to get involved?
Communication & Connection
• How do we communicate more?
• How do we get more power over the media?
• Where can I go to find people with the same concerns?
• How can we facilitate connection?
• What can we do to get honest info from media about society and what’s really going on?
• Why don’t neighbors talk to one another?
• Us community newspapers more to communicate issues, solutions, and to solicit volunteers