You can bring hope to people by demonstrating that they can take action as an agent in their own future.
Community organising can have a positive impact on agency and happiness. By working with others towards a common goal, community leaders can feel greater control over their lives and the world around them. This can lead to increased agency or the feeling that one can make a difference and effect change across entire communities.
Additionally, being part of a supportive community can contribute to a greater sense of happiness and well-being. Through community organising, communities can build relationships, develop new skills, and gain a sense of purpose and meaning.
These factors can contribute to a greater sense of agency and happiness for an entire society.
Having agency over your life is vital for happiness, survival, and longevity. It represents the belief that we have control over our lives, our future, and what we can do so that we’re not helpless.
Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, conducted studies where he took away people’s agency. In one example, he set up a slot machine, and as players placed nickels in, they eventually figured out that it didn’t matter if they pulled the handle; the results were always the same. He noted that a lack of control resulted in feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness.
He concluded that when individuals are repeatedly exposed to situations without control over the outcome, they can develop learned helplessness. This can happen when politicians and the media make people believe they are helpless victims. Research has shown that learned helplessness can even affect a person’s lifespan.
Community organising can positively impact agency and happiness across entire communities.
When a society adopts a victim mentality, they can become trapped in a cycle of helplessness that can negatively impact their quality of life, career successes, and overall happiness.
The Power of Storytelling
Storytelling is used in community organising to inspire, inform and mobilise people towards a common goal by sharing relatable and honest stories highlighting the community’s issues. it is not only a powerful tool for community organising, but it also engages the executive functions of the brain.
We must pay attention, process information, and make sense of it when we listen to or tell stories. This can help us understand complex issues and develop critical thinking skills.
Moreover, storytelling can also help us regulate our emotions. When we hear stories, we can empathise with the characters and experience their emotions. This can help us develop empathy and emotional intelligence, which are critical components of executive brain functions.
In community organising, storytelling can be used to engage people and motivate them to take action.
Storytelling not only plays a crucial role in community organising, but it also engages the executive functions of the brain; engaging these functions works to counteract feelings of helplessness and focuses on taking action towards our aspirations.
By coming together as a community and sharing stories, we can empower each other and work towards creating positive change. Through community organising, we can address the issues affecting us and control our lives.
By working together, we can break free from the cycle of learned helplessness in society and create a better future for ourselves and those around us.
Broad-based organising is centred around storytelling, relationship-building, and collective action, and we believe that everyone has a role to play in building a more just and equitable community.
So, if you’re passionate about creating positive change and want to be part of a community actively working towards that goal, we invite you to join us and be part of something truly impactful.
