Timothy Wren’s Post

Learn more about the #mentalhealth challenges #NC communities are facing and how #CarolinaAcross100 is partnering with communities to design effective strategies that are localized and sustainable: https://ow.ly/YReC50PEjQg

Building Movement Project’s Director of Race Equity Assessment, Mercedes Brown, Esq., was featured on Independent Sector’s “The Retreat of Nonprofits’ Influence on Systems & Policy” webinar. On the webinar, nonprofit leaders discussed a new study that indicates a drop in #nonprofit support in shaping systems change and what leaders can do to take action. Here are a few key takeaways from the conversation 🗣🗣🗣 1️⃣ When organizations are bought into #RacialEquity and willing to take bold, progressive stances, both staff and the communities they serve benefit. 2️⃣ Organizational leaders must advocate for policy changes that advance racial equity and align with their mission. 3️⃣ BMP’s Building Blocks for Change assessment process helps nonprofits accelerate the dialogue and action necessary to secure buy-in across the organization. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gazPjfbK #equityanddiversity #deistrategy #racialjustice #bb4c #racetolead

🦋🐛Butterflies and Caterpillars This time last week we were gathering in Glasgow to welcome over 100 likeminded folk keen to learn how data insight driven action at an early enough stage can prevent problems before they arise. We ended by talking about a version of the three horizons model, adapted for a prevention context 😕The first horizon is where we are now, and the trajectory we are on -what we're doing, and how it's affecting the choices our young people make. 🐛And let's face it, outcomes for kids these days aren't looking too great. If we keep going down this path, it's only going to get worse. Our teenagers can and do make good decisions, but we are currently putting them into environments that make making good decisions hard. 🦋Now, picture the future, the third horizon. It's what we all dream of for ourselves, our kids, and our communities. But wishing alone won't get us there. 💜That's where the second horizon comes into play. It's the interesting part. We've got all these options, innovations, and investments on the table. The big question is, are they just quick fixes for the mess we're in now, or are they actually going to lead us toward that amazing third horizon we all want? So, let's be honest about the choices we're making and whether they're keeping us stuck or propelling us forward. It's time to make moves that really count. My friend and colleague lorraine gillies FRSA sums up the choice we have to make - shoring up the status quo or genuinely creating a better Scotland very beautifully in this clip. (click CC for captions)

What better way to start the week than with a delivery of freshly printed Strategic Plans! Mercy Connect is proud to launch its new 2024-2027 Strategic Plan, as we continue to support people in need to live fulfilled lives. There are five, key strategic priorities which will be focused upon over the coming years, including: 1) Community Service “Develop holistic, innovative, high quality and inclusive community services to respond where there is an indentified need”. 2) Social Justice “To steward the Mercy Ministry Companions theological formation process and advocate for social justice”. 3) Respect “Deepen our commitment to respect the dignity of every person with a preferential option for the poor and marginalised”. 4) Safety and Well-being “Ensure accountable and integrated systems that prioritise the safety and well-being of those we service and those we work alongside”. 5) Sustainability “Strengthen organisational and financial sustainability”. I look forward to sharing progress against this new plan, to achieve our Mission: “Through the Mercy tradition to recognise the rights of adults, children and older people with a disability and to assist each person achieve their life’s ambitions in a connected and meaningful way”. Together we grow.

🌟 Big Win for the Right to a Healthy Environment! 🌟 I am thrilled to share some groundbreaking news from Hawai’i that underscores a significant milestone in environmental law and youth advocacy. Last week, a youth-led case, Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, became the first settlement in a constitutional climate case that mandates the systemic decarbonization of a state transportation system. This landmark victory not only reaffirms the right to a clean and healthful environment but also sets a precedent for the global community. It demonstrates that with political will and leadership, states can adopt realistic plans and pathways to achieve zero emissions in their transportation sectors, serving as a blueprint for decarbonizing other sectors. Key Highlights of the Agreement: Harm: Climate change impacts amplify annually, and children are uniquely vulnerable to its consequences. Rights: The right to a clean environment includes a life-sustaining climate system, with the State obligated to protect air and other resources. Science: The State commits to reducing GHG emissions from transportation using the best available science, targeting atmospheric CO2 levels below 350 ppm this century. Action: The Agreement commits Hawai’i to creating a carbon-negative economy by 2045, establishing a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, reforming HDOT’s budgeting, and creating a new leadership unit for policy implementation. Youth Involvement: Youth plaintiffs will have a seat at the table, with HDOT providing them with opportunities for feedback and input. More on the case can be found here: Press Release on Navahine Settlement -OCT/EJ - FINAL (squarespace.com) In the coming years, Our Children'sTrust Trust, Earthjustice, and climate experts will advise Hawai’i on their path forward, ensuring the terms of the Agreement are met. Youth Plaintiffs will play a crucial role in shaping policies, and communities across Hawai’i will hold their government accountable, embracing a fossil-free, electrified future. Congratulations to colleagues for their amazing work in getting the right to healthy and clan environment getting recognition in national jurisdictions! Over the last months, ARTICLE 19 has joined a coalition that is advocating for the recognition of the right in Europe through the adoption of a protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights. Stay tuned! #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateAction #YouthAdvocacy #Decarbonization #NavahineSettlement #CleanEnvironment #Hawai’iLeadership

📖I’ve been delving into the profound insights of adrienne maree brown’s “Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds”. This book is a beacon for those seeking to understand and implement transformative justice. Too often, transformative justice is used to describe tinkering to make harmful systems a little less harmful in a way that reinforces those systems. Transformative justice is not about superficial changes or a throwaway line; it’s about undoing and shifting power dynamics at their core. Here are some key takeaways from the book that resonated with me about transformative justice : "Transformative justice, in the context of emergent strategy, asks us to consider how to transform toxic energy, hurt, legitimate pain, and conflict into solutions. To get under the wrong, find a way to coexist, be energy moving towards life, together."  . "Transformative Justice: 1-   Acknowledges the reality of state harm. 2-   Looks for alternative ways to address/interrupt harm, which do not rely on the state. 3-    Relies on organic, creative strategies that are community created and sustained. 4-   Transforms the root causes of violence, not only the individual experience." “One core practice of resilience is transformative justice, transforming the conditions that make injustice possible. Resilience is perhaps our most beautiful, miraculous trait”  “Transformative Justice Safety, Healing, and Agency For All 1-   Safety, Healing, and Individual Agency for Survivors. 2-   Accountability and a transformation for people who harm. 3-   Community action, healing, and/or group/org accountability. 4-   Transformation of the social conditions that perpetuate violence” If you’re interested in transformative justice, I highly recommend this book. It’s a deep dive into how we can create a more just and equitable world. 🌍 #TransformativeJustice #EmergentStrategy #adriennemareebrown"

Sustaining efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism is bolstered by community partnerships, funding found in diverse sources & supportive state policies.   Join Attendance Works for AAC Webinar #4: Sustaining Success: Investing in Showing Up to discuss how to utilize these elements: https://rb.gy/o4h22   

Last year at the B Corp Champions Retreat in Philadelphia, our Principal Creative Director, Jay Wall RGD, sat alongside panelists Annie Korver, MBA, GCB.D and Karen Restoule, as they discussed ways in which businesses can show up in the space of Truth and Reconciliation. “As part of our Truth and Reconciliation Action plan, we have ways to measure progress and check in regularly on that... and then when we come up toward the end of 2023, we’ll be looking at, ‘OK, what’s next in our cycle? What have we learned? Where have we stumbled? Where are we really inspired and what are the next opportunities?'" As the year slowly begins to wind down, our team is starting to think about the next iteration of our Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan, and how we can learn, grow, and commit to continuous change.

New programme alert! We're thrilled to launch our brand-new "Inclusive and Participatory Methods for Policy Making" programme this July. Inclusivity can sometimes take a back seat in policy discussions, with more immediate concerns such as economic stability, national security, and geopolitical interests taking centre stage. But a lack of emphasis on inclusivity is short-sighted: it can lead to policies that are ineffective, discriminatory, or even harmful to marginalised populations, exacerbating social exclusion and widening existing divides. We're hoping to change that by helping policymakers explore strategies and frameworks to incorporate inclusivity into policy formulation. We'll go through participatory methods and techniques that enhance stakeholder engagement and encourage community participation, and help you navigate real-world case studies of inclusive policymaking in action. Under the guidance of expert facilitators, participants will also take on a personalised project that will enable them to address specific challenges related to inclusivity in policymaking using theoretical and practical learnings from the programme. We hope you'll walk this new path with us. Check out the programme here: https://lnkd.in/gje5WZwt

30 years after first become aware of sustainable development as a long-term societal and environmental concept, it’s encouraging to see some national leadership in this space, with the UN and others sitting up and taking a real interest. #sustainabledevelopment