We Dwell in Possibility: Community Power
“I dwell in possibility”
Can you feel the energy? Humans everywhere are discovering their power with and power to build and share prosperity and wellbeing.
Are you helping to build momentum? You can.
Here’s one thing I did this autumn.
In October, Antony Carpen and I spent a morning speaking truth to power. Here we are telling the untold story of Cambridge’s working class to University of Cambridge architectural students at the Cambridge Room. We helped to shape their brief for their exploration of the Kite neighbourhood over the next several months.
Antony Carpen and Heather Thomas speaking to University of Cambridge architectural students at the Cambridge Room
I hope the students realised that armed with the truth, they now posses superpowers to heal.
What’s the truth that we shared?
The working class history of the Kite neighbourhood (the ‘town’ in the ‘town and gown’ paradigm). The story of jaw-droppingly remarkable people who built cooperative businesses, planted eco-friendly gardens to ensure everyone’s right to food (and beauty), and built a social security system that made lifelong learning accessible to everyone no matter gender or bank account status. The majority of efforts that shaped a neighbourhood economy were led by courageous women - in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A reminder nothing is impossible!
In the 1970’s, the University of Cambridge eradicated the Kite and displaced the people who built this community — this cooperative and regenerative economy — in favour of global capitalistic progress.
What did the people of the Kite do?
They declared themselves an autonomous city, resisted and offered another plan.
This battle was lost.
The Grafton Centre was built, and our neighbourhood was renamed to honour a power over landlord to remind people who is ‘in charge.’
These actions in the 1970’s ripped the heart out of Cambridge.
It is a community trauma.
As hurtful as that is, what’s hopeful is that trauma can be healed. We know HOW, we just need to decide to do so and commit to doing the work.
We can progress our healing by starting to build our own economy. We have the power to turn our backs on the elitist system currently in collapse and build something new, something truly egalitarian, designed with the intent to enable wellbeing for all.
Together Culture is building community and a Changemaker’s Toolkit to teach folks how to do the work.
To start, dwell in possibility, my friends - it’s a powerful place.
Share every remarkable ‘power with’ story you have ever heard with anyone who will listen. Your friends, your colleagues, your neighbours, folks at the bus stop, folks at your allotment, folks who serve you coffee and make you smile.
WE are the powerful. We must believe it for it to be true. That starts by editing the story we tell ourselves about our perceived limits.
A different story that has been told for centuries has invaded all of our brains. Be aware of it and reframe limiting thoughts when they pop into your head.
That is dwelling in possibility.
The Changemaker’s Toolkit is a series of live online courses that build your changemaking ability step by step, from innovative thinking to collaborative teams, co-creation and community leadership. Explore it here.
