the yeast strategy relational research © 2014. the yeast strategy what are we trying to achieve?...
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The Yeast Strategy
Relational Research © 2014
The Yeast Strategy
What are we trying to achieve?
1. To love our neighbours (Matthew 22:39)2. To prepare the way for the Kingdom3. To demonstrate the presence of the Kingdom
Engaging in Social Transformation
Why is it difficult?
• ‘Christophobia’• Competition from
other ideologies• Knowing where it is
possible to make a difference
Relational Research © 2014
The Yeast Strategy
• Ideas go viral• Work below the radar• Focus at the organisational level
Relational Research © 2014
What is Relational Thinking?
Relational Thinking is a social philosophy based on Judaeo-Christian values which seeks just and close relationships for community harmony and personal wellbeing. (Seek the ‘shalom’ and prosperity of the city Jeremiah 29:7)
Relational Research © 2014
What is Relational Thinking?New categories and new language
Note link to:• Directness• Continuity• Multiplexity• Parity• Commonality
Relational Research © 2014
Wider context of the yeast strategy
Challenges Facing Europe
• Ideological• Demographic • Economic• Political• Technologies
The Ideological Challenge: How we see life
• Financial lens• Environmental lens• Individual lens
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Demographic Challenges
Lithuania Romania Italy Germany Switzerland Self-sustaining population
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
Number of children per adult woman (TFR)
Self-liquidating nations
Family instability
Relational Research © 2014
Demographic Challenges
1 500
Growing wealth and income differentials Economic Challenges
Economic Challenges
UK France Portugal Italy Spain Greece0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
18%23%
35%
43%
54%58%
Levels of Youth Unemployment (Ages 16-24)Source: Eurostat
Debt as percentage of GDP
Economic ChallengesDebt as Percentage of Tax Revenue
France
Germany
UK
Spain
Italy
Greece
0% 80% 160% 240% 320% 400% 480% 560%
205%
207%
249%
268%
317%
497%
Source: IMF, Eurostat
Financial Stability
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Economic Challenges
ExxonMobil Shell Walmart Stores
Austria Denmark Greece0
100
200
300
400
500 $491 B$478 B $476 B
$415 B
$331 B
$242 B
Revenue of corporations and GDP of countries in Billions of US$
IMF, 2014
Economic ChallengesSize of multinationals
Election turnout % in the 2014 European elections Political ChallengesDisengaged voters
UK
NL
FR
AV
DE
ES
IT
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Election turnout % in the 2014 European elections
Political ChallengesIdentity Politics
Technological Challenges
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The changing world of work
Technological ChallengesIndividualistic (de)vices
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Key Elements of the Yeast Strategy
Transform:• People’s thinking• The Church• Organisations
Transform people’s thinking
• Perspective (e.g. Fall --> Rupture)• Language (e.g. Rights, Development, Consent)• Priorities (e.g. Work-Life Balance)• Forgiveness (e.g. in Families)
Transform the Church
How?
• Priorities• Training• Practice
Transform Organisations
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• Schools• Companies• Finance• Hospitals• NGOs
Schools
• New Goals• Curriculum• R parents/school• R between pupils• R teacher/pupil• R skills assessment
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Schools
• New Goals• Curriculum• R parents/school• R between pupils• R teacher/pupil• R skills assessment
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The individual
What does it mean to graduate?
Place of Pupils?
We worry a good deal about this…
…and education that looks like this
There is a greater worry…
Questioning the system
• How do we arrive at our values?• How do we refresh our values in a world that
is structured in such way that it erodes or demolishes such values?
• How do the systems we create, alter from the systems we criticise?
Schools
• New Goals• Curriculum• R parents/school• R teacher/pupil• R between pupils• R skills assessment
Relational Research © 2014
Parents
True parental engagement happens on two levels:
• with the school and• with the child in the home.
Parents
Parents
Schools
• New Goals• Curriculum• R parents/school• R teacher/pupil• R between pupils• R skills assessment
Relational Research © 2014
Teachers
Schools
• New Goals• Curriculum• R parents/school• R teacher/pupil• R between pupils• R skills assessment
Relational Research © 2014
Students
• Positive peer to peer relationships impact on a student’s academic and non-academic performance in secondary education.
Students
Positive peer interaction correlates well with:1. student motivation;2. student engagement;3. and academic outcomes.
Students• to better understand and
promote positive relationships within the class, year group and in the school community more broadly;
• to encourage fellow pupils to treat each other with greater respect.
Teachers and Students
What students tells us…
“The relationships amongst each other in this class depend entirely on who’s taking the lesson…If the teacher is good – we tend to get on”
We’re better together….
Transform Companies
From shareholders to stakeholders
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Company
Suppliers
Customers
Staff
Community
Shareholders
Transform Companies
Figure 1. The capital supply chain for equity in listed companies
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Transform Companies
No absentee landlords
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Transform Finance
• Use of capital to build relationships• New organisations to promote local
investment• Involvement of savers/investors• Wider home ownership (spreads wealth)• Shared equity to avoid mortgage debt
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Financial initiatives by ChristiansPast & Present
• Building Societies• Housing Associations• Credit Unions• Jubilee 2000 • Allia• RISER (Relational Investment for a Shared Equity Residence)
• Family Associations
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Transform Healthcare
• Health for self or relationships• Better relationships between key groups
• Clinicians/managers• Doctors/nurses• Doctors/patients• Hospitals/communities
• Illness prevention
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Transform NGOs tackling poverty
• Redefine poverty• Measure and manage key relationships e.g.–NGO/welfare recipients–Donors/NGOs–NGO/NGO
• Assess R outcomes (e.g. micro-credit)
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A Relational Society
What would it look like?• Public commitment to develop healthier
relationships• Strong family commitment, low marriage
breakdown, time spent with children• Business sector characterised by SMEs funded locally• Schools and universities with relational goals,
structures etc.• A health system that recognises the link between
spiritual, relational and physical health• National assessments of relational well-being
Relational Research © 2014
The Role of EEA
• To help churches understand that Christianity is all about relationships
• To encourage churches to consider the Relational agenda for church life
• To provide training in Relational Thinking for church and national leaders
• To support Christians seeking to bring Relational values into organisations