strategies for sustaining our work as peacemakers
TRANSCRIPT
Strategies for Sustaining Our Work
Rotary Peace Symposium June 5, 2015
AGENDA
• Who’s in the room?
• Collaborative Leadership
• Authentic Partnerships
• Investment Models for Peacebuilding- Working with Businesses- Social Entrepreneurship
Collaborative Leadership
What does “Leadership” mean to you?
“When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’” -- Lao-Tzu
• Put your mission first, not your organization: forsake control over program implementation, funding and recognition
Egyptian proverb:“The basket that has two handles should be carried by two people.”
• Trust. Not control. Perhaps you feel you need to exert control to ensure quality? You can’t manage for every contingency.
• Spend time to build up relationships, ensure shared values
• More with less! Often don’t need more resources, but rather a better use of existing resources
Collaborative Leadership
Collaborative LeadershipAtti
tudes • Hope that change is
possible• Willingness to
challenge entrenched, institutional power
• Confidence not deterred by criticism or fear of not being liked
• Respect for other points of view
• Transparency – being open and honest when dealing with issues
• Commitment, patience, stamina to engage in a long struggle
Skills • Work with diverse
people and positions• Listen to constituents,
allies and opponents• Maintain a vision and
stay grounded• Identify key actors and
interested parties• Negotiate• Be Flexible• Organizational Skills• Cite technical and
legal information• Communicate
effectively• Build a team• Fundraise or manage
financial information and budgets
Know
ledge • Understand politics
and policy systems• Insights into power
relationships• Be able to identify
who are the actors involved and what are their positions
Building the constituency for change: Leaders are called upon to raise awareness, educate, organize and mobilize those affected by the issues, or interested in it, to get involved and take action.
Cooperation strategies: Leaders must build collaboration between community groups, government institutions, courts and/or business sectors to disseminate information, gather meaningful input and help facilitate transparent and fair decision-making.
Leadership for Change Management
Education strategies: Leaders are building political awareness and raising critical consciousness; they may need to help other groups express themselves, provide information or collaborate in gathering data, analysis, and developing alternatives on policies.
Persuasion strategies: Leaders will have to use information, analysis and citizen mobilization to press for change. This may involve lobbying key leaders and using the media to influence public opinion. Strong communication and negotiation skills and command of technical and legal issues are important.
Leadership for Change Management
• Behaviors – What behaviors of mine do I notice often? What behaviors was I most proud of today? Why? What behavior caused me embarrassment? Why?
• Emotions – What emotional state was most prevalent today? Was I bored today? When? Why? Frustrated? Did I feel angry today? When and why? Do I often feel anxious?
• Thoughts – What recurring thoughts did I observe? What stories did I tell myself? What are their origins?
• Ideas/Concepts – What conclusions have I made about people today? Why do I believe people come late to meetings? Why do I think there is conflict around this issue?
• Judgments/Hot Buttons – What bothered me today? What assumptions do I make about certain groups?
Reflective Practice
• Local/Global/Together
• ‘Authentic partnerships’ are trust-based, mutually enabling, equitable relationships between organizations (Alan F. Fowler, 1998)
• Peace programs are not a one-off project; they should be a commitment to a long-term partnership
Authentic Partnerships
Successful Local
Peacebuilding Organization
Authentic Partnerships
Market-Based
Strategies
Moral & Technical Support
Building Sustainable Capacity
Culture of Change & Conflict
Org’Effectiveness
Components of an Investment Model
Business for Peace
• Businesses think in terms of sustainability, stability and openness for a well-functioning business environment. “Peace” may seem too political or risky?
• The role of business in society is intricately linked with concerns over transparency, equality and inclusion — all drivers of conflict and key considerations in peacebuilding.
• Local and international business leaders will always play an important role in helping to shape attitudes and institutions, and therefore they have a unique opportunity to make a proactive impact on Positive Peace.
Making the case for why it is important for business to get involved:
Opportunity to engage with other stakeholders and within their sector for collaborative planning and greater impact
Jointly clarify how to engage and for what goals
Obtain support to comply with international standards and requirements in their operations
Connect to organizations/consulting companies for support functions(conflict analysis, HRIA, dialogue, community engagement)
Improve reputation/visibility/market shares in the local market
Enhance investors attractiveness
Social license to operate
Long-term Improved Bottom Line
Vested interest in stability/Peace
Business for Peace
Seed Capital Product Development
Bringing Products to
Market
Where can the initial investment come from?- Impact Investors- Social Impact Bonds- Public-Private
Partnerships- Crowd Funding- Traditional
Philanthropy- Community
Foundations
How can Peacebuilder think about their products?- Services (consulting?)- Physical commodities - Technology
What is the value proposition of these services and products?
Who are the clients/customers?- Multi-national
businesses- Local SMEs- General Public- Government
agencies- Foundations/donors- INGOs- Other local CSOs
METRICS OF SUCCESS?
RESULTS -IMPACT ACHIEVED?
WAS THERE PROFIT?
Social Entrepreneurship
https://hbr.org/2015/02/bringing-an-entrepreneurial-mindset-to-the-worlds-failing-systems
http://collaborativeleadership.org/pages/tools.html
http://gpsaknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Navigating-the-Future-Making-Headway-on-Sustainability-for-SAcc-Organizations-GPSA-Working-Paper.pdf
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/09/20/is-social-impact-investing-the-next-venture-capital/
http://www.socialfinance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Social-Impact-Bonds-Snapshot-2014.pdf
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Julia Roig, President
Partners for Democratic Change
202-942-2166 ext. 101
1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW Suite 515, Washington, DC 20036
THANK YOU!