Two Inconvenient Women

The concept of social contracts in modern culture came through the work and philosophies of folks such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau as a way of communities agreeing to behave and trust in collective ideals. Whilst intentions may be valid, the structures of this imposed model of organising communities falls down when trust is broken - and we're finding ourselves in that state of collapse in many countries and societies around the world. Which has the potential to open up different ways of belonging and living alongside one another - ways that come not from an imposed and centralised narrative, but that actually work within the contexts and communities we live in. In this week's episode we talk about the impact of the social contract falling away, and the reneging of social promise in many parts of our societies. We discuss where trust comes into the equation and explore models across our human story that shine a light on more robust and localised ways of building resilient and healthy communities. During the conversation we reference the following:The Social Contract - Jean-Jacques Rousseau (PDF)Local Futures (website and movement)The real Lord of the Flies - Rucker Bregnan (article)Beyond Civilisation - Daniel Quinn (PDF)Transforming Leadership - online short course (website)

Many organisations and governments work within a strategy of Futures Thinking - a strategic concept to make predictions and pathways for probable and plausible futures. Yet how useful is this when the variables around us are changing so rapidly? And how plausible can any strategic planning be within structures only designed with short-term foundations? In this week's episode we explore the future (sort of) and whether we have any capacity to predict anything. We talk about the role of presence in enabling us to be rooted in the here and now, rather than living in the past or future; explore the concept of seven-generational thinking; think about the limits our future is being given as we flounder with some of the systemic challenges on a national and global scale and reflect on why it can feel both terrifying and liberating to 'let go' of knowing and start to sense our way forward instead. In this week's episode we reference the following:Berkana Two Loops model of systems change (framework & website)Berkana Institute (Website)Meg Wheatley (website)Imagination Activism - Phoebe Tickell (Website)Futures Thinking - UK Government (Website)Imagination Taking Power - Rob Hopkins (website)

We are living in increasingly turbulent times and the shockwaves as old systems fall apart are starting to impact ever more people. Whilst we talk a lot in this podcast about why systems are changing and about the healthier systems waiting to emerge, it feels important to keep talking about the pain and discomfort of this 'in between part' as things fall away and new things arrive. Pressures of daily life mixed with increasing levels of geo-political unrest and extreme weather events is beginning to take its toll - on the nervous systems in particular. Being brave and resilient - and optimistic - whilst navigating turbulence can feel a real struggle. And yet the capacity of human resilience and strength to weather storms is humbling.In this podcast we explore the tension between discomfort and creativity; between growth and fear; light and dark and how turbulence can be a crucible for maturity. As well as sharing our own experiences of navigating complex times, we talk about the nervous system regulation and structures to support individual and collective resilience to allow us to be strong and weather storms as they come, growing in strength together.In this episode we reference the following:Everything we teach should be different from machines - Jack Ma, World Economic Forum (short video)Think like a tree - Wired Media (short video)Attached - Amir Levine, Rachel S. F. Heller (book)Learning for Life - ThoughtBox (Free learning resources)

In many modern cultures, we find ourselves spending ever more time indoors, sitting down and separated from nature - both the nature within us and the nature all around us. At the same time, we're drawn to want to spend time outdoors and in natural environments, and we have a deep sense of ease when connected to nature. So why is it so hard?In this week's thow-back episode, we explore the inconvenience of nature connection in a modern world and the many ways that our ways of living keep us in separation - sometimes isolation - from the natural world. We explore the impact of a sedentary, indoor lifestyle on our physical, emotional and spiritual health; explore how connecting to nature is infinitely good for our holistic wellbeing - as well as supporting the health of the natural world in return - and reflect on the many different ways to welcome more nature connection into our lives and learning spaces.In this episode we reference the following:Time in Nature report - Eden Project (website)National Trust nature connection report (website)Green Social Prescribing - NHS (website)Harmony - HRH Prince of Wales (Book)The Harmony Project (website & learning resources)Soil & Public Health - Soils Association (website)Guide to forest bathing - Forestry England (website)

What sort of learning do we need to support young people with in a rapidly changing world? What does it mean to be a life-long-learner? What qualities of learning do we all possess? What is 'unlearning' and how might it be a vital form of our own growth? What is spiral-learning and how does this shape the way we grow in the world? What if learning was as much about the why and the how as it is about the what?In this week's episode we dive into the qualities of learning; from pedagogy to process and practice. In particular we talk about the newly launched 'Learning for Life' programme for educators which helps young people make sense of the world they’re growing up in by seeing how it all fits together. Developed over the past decade, these learning resources are built around a simple idea: instead of leading with content, what if we allow learning to be shaped by a pedagogy which inspires critical, curious and compassionate learners. We are gifting all of these materials, shared freely under a Creative Commons Licence and intended for use and adaptation across a range of educational settings for all ages - children and young adults alike. In this week's episode we reference the following:Learning for Life - ThoughtBox (website & resources)Futures of Education - UNESCO (website & report)Times Education Commission - The Times (PDF report)Human Flourishing Report - PISA (PDF report)Rebooting Education Report 2023 - Reboot the Future (PDF report)The Future of Education & Skills 2030/2040 - OEDC (website & report)School Report – Pearson - Pearson Education (PDF report)

Holly and Rachel are away this week, so we're re-sharing an episode from this time last year on the inconvenience of systems change.Systems thinking isn’t just a concept—it’s how life works. Every action, choice and relationship is part of something bigger. So why do we resist seeing the connections? In this episode, we explore what it really means to understand the world as an interconnected whole. It’s not about learning a framework, it’s about shifting how we see, think and act. This conversation explores what happens when we start noticing the patterns we’re part of—and begin to change them.

Singing is a deeply healing and cathartic experience for humans - mentally, emotionally, neurologically and spiritually. It is a primal quality we all possess, and something that has formed an innate and constant part of human culture since the dawn of our species. Singing is a birthright, yet many of us have been told that 'we can't sing'. We often mention singing on this podcast as both Holly and myself (Rachel) are members of our local choirs. Both of us have had very different routes into singing - and perhaps represent some of the different ways that singing has shaped - or absented itself - from our lives.In this week's episode we dive deeply into the many different ways that singing is good for us - from the way it makes us feel, to how it helps soothe our nervous systems, to how it helps forge our connection to others and the wider world. We explore some of the science of singing, the qualities of song in different cultures; the resonance of singing in harmony with others and dabble a little in the profound and extraordinary mystery and magic of where and how music shapes the entire universe.In this episode we reference the following:Wednesday Lunchtime Fun Choir (event / website)The Universal Frequency (website)How flowers talk to bees - David Attenborough (video)Harriet - biopic of Harriet Tubman (film trailer)Spirituals - protest, sacredness and song (website)

There has been a lot emerging in the media recently about countries making decisions to ban social media for under 16s. Australia has been leading the way in this movement, with many other countries now passing legislation through government and widening the public discourse. So why social media? Why 16? Why now?In this week's podcast we begin to untangle many of the complexities that living in an online world is having on our mental, physical, emotional spiritual and social health, in particular how it is influencing the development of children and young people. Drawing wisdom from the depth research of social psychologists such as Jonathan Haidt (whose infamous book The Anxious Generation is waking up millions to the 'disconnection epidemic') we wrangle with some of the questions, complexities, possibilities and opportunities of shifting ourselves away from the trappings of an online world and 'rewiring ourselves' back into healthier connections.In this episode we reference the following:The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Haidt (book)The Social Dilemma - Exposure Labs (Film / documentary)No rush to ban social media - Sonia Livingstone (LSE article)How a handful of technology companies control billions of minds - Tristan Harris (TED talk)Is Social Media making us less social? ThoughtBox (inquiries for 5-18 year olds) **COMING SOONDigital Literacy - Ditch The Label (Lesson resources 13-16 years)**We will be releasing our full Learning for Life resources for free in mid-February- keep an eye on the ThoughtBox website for more details: www.thoughtboxeducation.com