Society Builders – Details, episodes & analysis

An exploration of Bahá’í-inspired approaches to social action, one of the key pillars of 'society building'.  

In Part Two, we explore how our approaches should be participatory, giving agency to all.  We discuss how this builds on the construct of 'universal participation' and frame agency as both right and responsibility.  We conclude by focusing on the change each of us can make in our lives and in the lives of the communities around us.

CONTENTS

0:00 Introduction
2:19 What is Agency?
6:45 Universal Participation
10:17 Agency as Empowerment
17:48 Agency as Responsibility
19:47 Personal Action
22:35 Concluding thoughts
25:04 Song: "Break Free"

An exploration of Bahá’í-inspired approaches to social action, one of the key pillars of 'society building'.  

In Part One, we explore two key principles: Organic Growth (that initiatives should start small and grow over time) and coherence (finding balance between our material and spiritual needs).

CONTENTS

0:00 Introduction
5:10 Organic Growth
20:13 Coherence
29:06 Closing Thoughts

On November 28, 2023, the Universal House of Justice shared its message providing a history of our organic evolution as a community over the past hundred years.  This episode explores parts of that message addressing the 'society building' focus across four key themes: the organic evolution of initiatives, our interaction with wider society, principles for society building and the interplay between the forces of integration and disintegration at work in the world today.

An interview with Rabbi Roly Matalon sharing his efforts to promote depolarization including an amazing exchange which saw representatives of his very progressive-liberal congregation living with MAGA supporters for three days - followed by their living with his congregation for three days.  The results of this exchange will move you and highlight the power of personal transformation in better learning to understand others.

An interview with global pioneer in mediation training, Gary Friedman, co-founder of the Center for Understanding in Conflict which has trained over 10,000 mediators.  Gary has taught at both Harvard and Stanford and for the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva and the American Bar Association and is the author of three books.  In this episode, Gary shares his 'understanding-based' model of mediation, providing strategies to help those in conflict better understand each other in their path towards finding resolution.

An interview with award-winning scholar, Dr. Peter Coleman, sharing his research at Columbia University's 'Difficult Conversations Lab', exploring the variables best contributing to bringing antagonistic groups closer together.

In this 'power hour', discover the main principles which have emerged in the
scientific literature for effective depolarization.  This includes the benefits of complicating the narrative, the power of movement, pursuing a common goal, the limits of contact theory, appreciating the temporal dimension of change, positive deviance, shaping first impressions, articulating theories of change, maintaining a strong positive-to-negative comment ratio.  

Dr. Coleman also shares details about his 4 week, daily training program, 'The Challenge'.

Key references:

Cross-cutting structure (4:24)
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3088437

Movie: A Walk in the Woods (20:11)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Walk_in_the_Woods_(film)

Habitat for Humanity (23:04)
https://www.habitat.org/

Movie: The First Step (24:15)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_Step_(film)

Allport's Contact Theory (27:02)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_hypothesis

Positive Deviance (33:56) 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_deviance
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-Deviance-Unlikely-Innovators/dp/1422110664

Blum's Islands of Agreement (35:19)
https://www.amazon.com/Islands-Agreement-Managing-Enduring-Rivalries/dp/067402446X

Derek Kilmer (37:48)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Kilmer

Sensitivity to Initial Conditions (39:03)
https://sites.psu.edu/academy/2016/04/25/sensitive-dependence-of-initial-conditions/

Chasin's Public Conversation's Project (40:53)
https://www.publicconversations.org/

Popper's Clock vs Cloud Problem (44:31)
http://www.the-rathouse.com/2011/Clouds-and-Clocks.html

The Negativity Bias (47:20)
https://positivepsychology.com/3-steps-negativity-bias

Gottman's Love Lab (48:52)
https://www.gottman.com/love-lab/

Starts with Us - The Challenge (52:17)
https://findingthewayout.startswith.us/

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Chapters:

0:00 Introduction
8:40 Complicating the Narrative
15:53 The Power of Movement 
23:47 Pursuing A Common Goal
26:04 Contact Theory
33:03 Positive Deviance
38:27 Shaping First Impressions
42:37 Theories of Change
46:31 Positive/Negative Ratio
50:48 The “Challenge”
53:50 Advice for Baha’i Communities
56:05 Closing Thoughts

An interview with award-winning journalist Amanda Ripley who shares insights on the science of bringing antagonistic groups together based on her recent best-selling book, High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out.  

Includes discussion on evidence-based strategies for depolarization and on 
how the Baha'i community serves as a role model in this arena.

CONTENTS

0:00 Introduction
5:20 Background to the Book
11:29 Avoiding High Conflict
16:03 Feeling Heard
19:10 Breaking Binaries
21:00 Avoiding Conflict Entrepreneurs
32:12 Cultivating Calm
35:40 Complicating the Narrative
39:29 Reaching a Saturation Point 
41:56 The Baha’i Community as Model
47:48 Hope & Human Triumph
50:15 Applications for the Workplace
53:00 Closing Thoughts

How can you best engage withe the prevalent discourses of society?  In this episode, we explore FIVE stages one should consider in engaging with a discourse:

1. Prioritizing which discourse to engage with.
2. 'Reading society' and getting familiar with the discourse.
3. Immersion in the Baha'i Writings in search of relevant insights.
4. Sharing insights in ways that be best understood and welcomed.
5. Reflection - an iterative cycle of action and reflection.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
3:27 Choosing a Discourse
9:39 Reading Society
17:02 Turning to the Writings
20:28 ‘Hearable’ Insights
24:27 Reflection
29:30 Closing Thoughts

The term 'discourse' means different things to different academic disciplines.  There's a difference, for example, between political vs. scientific discourse.  In this episode, we explore what discourse means to Baha'is, focusing on five key characteristics:

1. A unifying focus;
2. We view discourse as consultative;
3. We strive for an uplifting approach;
4. Our contributions are principled;
5. We focus on constructive solutions.

We close the episode also exploring approaches which we should avoid.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
4:34 What is Discourse?
12:40 A Unifying Focus
22:38 Discourse as Consultation
29:10 An Uplifting Approach
33:50 Principled Contributions
37:53 Constructive Solutions
40:34 What to Avoid
44:36 Conclusions

Hot off the press, this episode explores the 2023 Ridvan Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the World, celebrating the key achievements of the past year while articulating priorities for the upcoming one.  It's inspiring guidance shaping the society building endeavors for Baha'i communities worldwide.