Inner Activist, a project of Tides Canada Initiatives Society
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: Inner Activist, a project of Tides Canada Initiatives Society.
Life changing opportunity to develop the essential emotional and psychological skills to be a transforming influence in the world.
About You
About You
First Name
Ian
Last Name
Curtin
Twitter URL
https://twitter.com/#!/inneractivist
Facebook URL
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Inner Activist, a project of Tides Canada Initiatives Society
Organization Website
Organization Country
Canada, BC, Vancouver
Country where this solution is creating social impact
Canada, BC, Vancouver
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Vancouver, Coast and Mountains, Vancouver Island, Thompson Okanagan, Northern British Columbia, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Kootenay Rockies, Columbia Basin.
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
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Innovation
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
Social change agents need to develop the emotional and psychological skills to be a transforming influence on the world today. It takes inner strength to get out of the cycle of burn-out, reactive righteousness and hopelessness. It takes commitment to develop the intra-personal, relational, self-care and spiritual skills that make activism effective and sustainable.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The Inner Activist is an innovative adult education initiative serving change makers. We help the people that have chosen to dedicate their lives in spiritual service to others. Our programs are designed to support change makers to be the best they can be, given that they work cross culturally, with limited resources and a constant sense of urgency and overwhelm. We support the spirit of service that brings them to this work and their need to be sustainable for themselves, their organizations and the work itself. We serve the servers.
Founded in 2006, our initial research culminated in a report entitled "Chronicle of Progress", identifying specific service gaps that change agents identified as being critical to their success. Subsequently, we developed curriculum weaving a combination of personal development approaches and practices with a deep understanding of the critical analysis of systemic barriers to social justice, ecological balance and environmental sustainability.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
Our programing consists of a combination of residential and online programs to support change agents. We designed five residential workshops focused on critical needs of change agents including:
• Building Personal Mastery
• Building Strong & Respectful Relationships
• Building Conscious Use of Power
• Building Common Ground and Capacity for Social Change
• Building Sustainability
• Inner Essential cCourse
The cost of the residential programs are out of reach for many change agents, so we also developed the Inner Essential eCourse delivered at a modest cost to anyone who identifies themselves as a change agent. It was designed by highly experienced personal development curriculum leaders with the intention that any change agent could benefit from our concepts in the comfort of their own home. It is a self paced 52 week program that delivers a "mission" each week on a specific topic of relevance to change work.
What are people saying about our programs? "All activists could benefit from an opportunity to shine light into their personal “dark spots” and gain both insights and tools to build genuinely sustainable activist practices." - Deblekha Guin, Executive Director, Access to Media Education Society
"The Inner Activist program builds an environment where you learn practical tools as well as deepen your own emotional understanding of the world you want to live in and see being made possible for everyone around you. It challenges you to be and do better starting by looking at yourself." - Hawa Mire, Executive Director, Leave Out Violence
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
Our peers include Hollyhock, Rockwood Institute, Process Work Institute, Haven Institute, The Work That Reconnects, NVC to name a few. However, our curriculum is unique because it weaves a combination of personal development approaches and practices with a deep understanding of the critical analysis of systemic barriers to social justice, ecological balance and environmental sustainability. This approach arises out of our research which culminated in a report entitled "Chronicle of Progress" (see www.inneractivist.com/inner-resources). It identified specific service gaps change agents believed were critical to their success. Our program continues to informed by prominent activists and leading personal development facilitators who have a lived experience of being a social change agent.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Social Impact
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
THE Inner Activist springs from a heartfelt desire of founder Brad Jarvis to contribute to society. The 50-year-old native of Victoria, B.C., has had a deep interest in the human potential movement and pursued this in a variety of contexts. Knowing his life had been deeply transformed by personal growth experiences, Brad is aware his natural desire to give to others flows from the ongoing resolution of his own inner turmoil. So he asked an important question: could personal growth contribute to the effectiveness of
those already engaged in bringing about change in the world? He had noticed how some activism was carried out by individuals whose personal process and resulting behaviours actually got in the way of the valuable contributions they were trying to make. He believed supporting activists’ to be living example of being the change they want to see in the world would great impact their social change work. And so was born the Inner Activist.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
Inner Activist (IA) programs are a collaborative, innovative curriculum developed by experienced leadership educators and change makers. Together we support the development of transformational change makers committed to a just and sustainable world:
• change makers connected to life-serving goals
• aware of their own behaviours that get in the way,
• compassionate in their actions,
• healthy and equitable in their use of power,
• builders of common ground across difference, and, ultimately
• sustainable in their life and work.
The IA’s programs engage those who aspire to be the change they seek to create. Participants experience this directly as they explore and develop congruence between their inner experience and their actions for change in the outer world.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
To date we've successfully our first 3 modules for a total of over 60 participants. Here is what they are saying about their experience.
"Go get it! It will help you immensely in being more successful in your activist work, projects and campaigns."
Kel Kelly-Founder, Comox Valley Mediation Services
"All activists deserve to be “turned on” again find their hearts and align them with their actions." "Education is the most important thing yours is alive and truly essential to a labour movement that is stale and needs a kick-start." - C. Unsworth, HEU Regional VP, Fraser Valley, Vancouver, BC
"I would recommend it highly" "Stimulating, challenging, relevant and growthful." T. Hackney, VP of Policy, BC Sustainable Energy Ass.
It is extremely important for activists to be self-aware: this is a really good way to achieve more of that self-awareness in a caring and respectful environment. I would highly recommend this program to all change agents!" A. Ahmad, CUPE 4600 Presidident
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
We intend to continue creating a unique program by giving priority to articulating and integrating the most challenging aspects of social change and equity/diversity perspectives into our program.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Continue to attract change leaders to our programs by offering relevant thought leadership through social media and our website
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1
Adopt a strategic timeline for program offerings that maintains momentum/engagement based on a financially viable framework
Task 2
Adopt a strategic timeline for faculty development that maintains momentum and engagement
Task 3
Continue to develop our social media and website blog offering relevant and useful content
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
To govern and operate in line with our Vision and Values through the delivery of relevant/effective programs for change agents
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1
Embed the value, need and importance of financial sustainability in the organization
Task 2
Find additional funding for the next 5 years of the "experimental phase"
Task 3
Create an inclusive and diverse steering committee to advise the organisation
Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
We anticipate connecting with the trend that people are looking to online resources for educational experiences. At present there are few online personal development programs and none offering the specific approach we have taken with our Inner Essentials eCourse. We believe this program is a viable way to access folks who can't afford five day retreats. Through our eCourse they gain access to similar expertise to our residential programs, at fraction of the cost and in the comfort of their own home.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
We have a highly motivated and innovative network of collaborators who fully embody our vision and mission. They demonstrate time and again their commitment and dedication to supporting the work of change agents. This is accomplished largely through living our values every day and practicing the relational skills ourselves that lead to a healthy organization.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
 | 42 weeks ago April Dutheil said: Do you feel your approach reflects, or is similar to values-based leadership? about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 48 weeks ago Ian Curtin updated this Competition Entry. |
| 49 weeks ago Ian Curtin updated this Competition Entry. |
| 52 weeks ago Ian Curtin updated this Competition Entry. |
| 52 weeks ago Ian Curtin updated this Competition Entry. |
| 52 weeks ago Ian Curtin submitted this idea. |
