Module 4.1. Key Concepts

Successful locally led action will holistically engage the complex, multidirectional interactions between climate, peace and security.

Module 4.1 addresses :

This module will help users:

• understand different forms of power and the value of collective action
• appreciate the importance of a shared vision for effective action planning
• articulate a theory of change for their LLACPS intervention

Valuing the power and potential of collective action requires understanding various forms of power.

‘Power’, in its generic sense, refers to the capacity to bring about a particular outcome – that is, to make something happen. International relations theory generally distinguishes between ‘hard’ power (i.e., material capabilities and tangible tools such as money, technology, and physical coercion) and ‘soft’ power (i.e., control over interactions, narratives, and perceptions).

But these categories should not be considered as absolute black-and-whites: in reality, capabilities and agency are very complex. Individuals and groups often have more power than they might think, especially relationally. Ideas of hard and soft power, for example, do not adequately account for ‘people power’ – the accomplishments that communities working together can achieve. Recognising multiple forms of power, and encouraging diverse individuals and groups to see and value their unique capacities, is an important part of intersectional justice.

Feminist author Amy Allen presents an alternative framework for understanding power, identifying three ‘forms’:

• power-over: the ability to limit other actors’ choices, through mechanisms such as constraint and control;
• power-to: the ability of an actor to attain an end, demonstrating their empowerment and capacity; and
• power-with: the ability of a group to work together to attain an end, exerted via collective action and cooperation.

The concept of “power-with” emphasises that collective efforts create an influence greater than the sum of individual actions. When a large group of people marches together, the impact is greater than each marcher’s contribution; there’s a unique power generated through their unified action.

Through community organising, people with common interests come together to take collective action, and their power is magnified as a result of this cooperation. Community organisers strategically build solidarity between individuals and groups, helping them find shared goals and work collaboratively to achieve them. Collective action techniques require a fair bit of facilitation, but expand the power base and support a conflict-sensitive approach. Understanding the various forms of power and coalition building can enable more effective action implementation and increase your chances of achieving project goals.

Understanding people’s hopes and dreams is an important component of productive community engagement. And while effective facilitators will have previously identified community members’ issues and needs during the initial phases of LLACPS, making those goals explicit – and highlighting the overlaps between different groups’ desires, can serve to cement a shared identity among diverse actors during the action planning process.

Building a shared vision is about understanding “why”. Why are we engaging in locally led action on climate, peace and security? What, when all is said and done, are we trying to make happen? Answering these questions collaboratively will create a ‘North Star’ – a shared reference point that everyone is navigating by, ensuring that individual and collective decisions all head in the same direction.

Having a shared vision that is explicitly named and widely known can provide diverse community members with a source of shared passion, building cohesion and encouraging collaboration. During moments of internal tension, the shared vision becomes a place to return to, to remind all parties of common ground and collective desires. If uncertainty arises about how to react to an incident during project implementation, determining whether a proposed response ‘gut checks’ positively with the shared vision can support decision-making under pressure.

Another benefit of collective visioning is its affective nature. Many tools in programme design are quite technical, delving into the nitty-gritty of action planning. But it’s emotion and aspirations for a better future that will motivate continued involvement and action. Identifying and centring the collective vision can infuse technical processes with a sense of hope, creativity, and inspiration. As stated by the Transition network:

We don’t need to look far to find big challenges facing us now and in the future. Many people can’t rely on the basic things we need for a safe and happy life. Our seas are polluted and nature under threat. Thinking about how to respond to the changing climate, inequality and uncertainty can be overwhelming.

Yet many people have a strong desire to be part of making change and building something better. What if…we could reimagine our future as thriving, fairer, more resilient, more connected? How could that vision help us to move forward and take practical action towards a better future?

A Theory of Change (ToC) refers to “the process and product of developing an explicit account of how and why an intervention is expected to achieve its intended outcomes and goal, based on outlining a set of key causal pathways arising from the activities and outputs of the intervention (whether at the program or project level) and the assumptions underlying these causal connections”. Theories of Change can help inform the development of a LogFrame as well as guide MEAL design (see Unit 6).