CAMDEN IMAGINES PARTICIPANT BLOGS

Moving from Imagination to Activism: generating and transforming good ideas into affirmative impactful actions — by Emma Le Blanc

Emma Le Blanc

This blog is part of a series written by the participants of the Camden Imagines programme. This eight week training introduced council officers and public servants to the skills of collective imagination and horizontal leadership to empower them to become agents of change in the borough.

Emma has been working with Good Work Camden as a Job Hub Adviser for five months now. Good Work Camden helps residents gain employment, training and education and promotes their employability skills. It is part of the Inclusive Economy department. Emma enjoys the role it offers a chance to help residents to improve their confidence, economic well-being and life chances.

My role at Camden Council

My name is Emma Le Blanc and I work as a Job Hub Adviser with Good Work Camden (GWC). I work with residents who are unemployed and employed. I help them to gain access to education, employment, training, and self-employment. For those who are employed I help them with their career transitions, career progression and development, and lots more. Additionally, I give the residents on my caseload careers advice and guidance so that they can explore their options and make the right career decisions for themselves and their families. A large part of my role involves supporting residents who have complex and or multiple barriers i.e.: poverty, mental health, chronic physical health conditions, disabilities, substance misuse, domestic violence, debt, caring responsibilities, being out of the labour market because of childcare commitments, long-term unemployment, learning difficulties, etc. As a Job Hub Adviser it is important for me to support residents to get their core needs met by signposting them to internal services and external organisations because if this is not done, they will understandably not have the right circumstances, mindset, and motivation to effectively job search let alone sustain a job.

The Three Pillars of the Camden Imagines Programme

The Camden Imagines programme has three main pillars that interlink: 1) future generations, 2) the more-than-human-world and 3) ancestors. It develops and promotes a deep respect and reverence for these areas which informs and guides Imagination Activists’ mindset, philosophy, and practice (Tickell, 2020 and Macy and Brown, 2021).

1.Future generations: Focuses on earth’s future descendants or children and young people currently in our society and community who will be tomorrow’s adults (Tickell, 2020 and Macy and Brown, 2021).

To me this means that we must keep future generations in the forefront of our minds by ensuring that the decisions, policies, and actions we take now place them at the heart of everything we do.

2. The more-than-human-world: Pertains to our biosphere and its non-human inhabitants i.e., fauna, flora, rivers, oceans, lakes, forests, mountains and animals and our relationship and interactions with them (Tickell, N.D. and Macy and Brown, 2021).

To me this means understanding that we have no future as a human species if we continue to: disrespect, exploit, and destroy mother nature. Also, we must comprehend that our existence is interdependent on the more-than-human-world. If we want the future generations to inherit a life sustaining planet and decent future, we must be custodians and not destroyers of our earth which must be mandated at local, regional, national, supranational, and global levels.

3. Ancestors: Relates to the social, historical, cultural, economic, political and environmental legacy that our ancestors have collectively bequeathed to us which is good (e.g. indigenous peoples respect for mother nature and their cultural traditions, practices, folklore, magic, religions, and philosophies) and bad (e.g., the Spanish Inquisition, Transatlantic Slave trade, The French Revolution, The Opium Wars, World War I, World War 2 and the Holocaust, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, The Vietnam War, Apartheid in South Africa, the Cold War, the Chernobyl disaster, the climate emergency etc.) (Tickell, N.D; Macy and Brown, 2021 and Carrington, 2018).

To me this means that as a human species we must learn from humanity’s collective history and past errors to guarantee that we do not repeat the same abhorrent actions which consign our brothers and sisters locally and globally to suffer: wars and conflicts, genocides, subjugation, enslavement, theft of indigenous peoples’ ancestral lands and natural resources, oppression, pain, torture, misery, racial & religious injustice, poverty, economic disadvantage etc. Additionally, this also includes the damage that we perpetrate against the more-than-human-world for pecuniary gain which has resulted in habitat loss, extinction of 60% of animal species since the 1970’s, a dramatic reduction in biodiversity, made people worldwide climate refugees, the climate emergency etc. (Macy and Brown, 2021 and Carrington, 20218) etc.

The Camden Imagines Programme & its impact on me

The Camden Imagines training programme has helped me to be more introspective, contemplative, reflective and creative. It has prompted me to utilise my imagination more in my personal and professional life. I have generated some imaginative ideas about how the Good Work Camden service can be more innovative in its service delivery for the benefit of our residents. I am proud to say that I am an Imagination Activist which means that I am learning to develop and harness my imagination for social good and transform it into constructive, empowering, and effective action.

Moral Imagination describes Imagination Activists as:

“An activist powered by imagination, and the vision and the tools to make the world better for everyone (Tickell, N.D.)”

Six ideas that I have generated which can be converted into action to transform Good Work Camden’s service delivery

1. Embedding Imagination Activism- Weaving the principles, philosophies, spirit and practice of Imagination Activism into the Good Work Camden service offer like we do strength-based coaching: by promoting our residents’ skills, goals, and strengths. In our Initial Assessments and Action Plans we can ask our residents questions to fire their imaginations and help them to see that we value their hopes, dreams, passions, and aspirations. Also, it involves working collaboratively with residents in an imaginative and creative way. This will help residents to imagine and take action to make their dreams, ambitions, and goals a reality. This requires that residents and staff lead and participate in designing what this looks like.
2. Involving residents more- Ensuring that our service’s design and delivery corresponds with the needs of our residents. Therefore, it is advisable to ask our residents how they would like to be involved more with GWC? For example, we could create a ‘Good Work Camden Service User Forum’ which would be representative of Camden’s diverse population to promote our residents’ perspectives, priorities and needs and therefore inform and guide service design and delivery. Or we could have residents who are Good Work Camden Employment Champions promoting our service to other residents who have not registered with GWC and who go out into the community informing them of their experience and why it is beneficial to engage with our service. Additionally, regular focus groups are important to find out what issues are important to our residents therefore our service delivery should be responsive to this.
3. One with nature-Is a coaching programme for residents in the great outdoors it merely takes what we do in the office or community co-location venues and transplants it into green spaces. However, it is helpful to make this programme consistent with nature-based coaching philosophies and methodologies. We have many green spaces nearby e.g., Camley Nature Reserve, Calthorpe Community Gardens, Gospel Oak Park, Regents Park, Hampstead heath etc. This will improve residents’ connection with nature, help them to focus, be mindful and promote their health and well-being.
4. Powerful You-Is a Domestic Violence (DV) Employability Empowerment Programme run in conjunction with Good Work Camden, services users who are survivors of DV and Camden Safety Net. To promote resident’s empowerment, confidence, power and autonomy and financial independence.
5. Opportunity Camden- Is a formal work-experience and or work-shadowing programme created, facilitated, and brokered by Good Work Camden enabling our residents to gain access to a structured, relevant, and up-to-date work experience in different Camden Council departments which align to their career goals.
6. The Camden Business Pledge- Is a borough wide initiative to create greater access to good quality employment opportunities for our residents to engage in and benefit from the local economy. According, to the ‘Camden Business and Employment Bulletin’ it states that Camden has the second highest number of businesses following Westminster and is the third highest in the UK (Camden Council, 2022). Camden has a local labour market which is overrepresented by SMEs with less than 10 employees. However, 185 businesses are classified as large businesses and they have 250 or more employees. Although, they account for less than 0.5% of the business in Camden the annual turnover of these large businesses exceeds £1 million or more (Camden Council, 2022).

Therefore, there is a robust case for ensuring that local people benefit from the wealth generated by large businesses that operate in Camden. The large businesses in Camden are in a great fiscal position and they have a corporate social responsibility and Equalities Diversity & Inclusion obligation to give back to the local community. They can do this through: developing in person or virtual work-experience and work-shadowing for NEET young people and adults, providing traineeships and apprenticeships, providing scholarships, sponsorship and bursaries, establishing career mentoring programmes to individuals who are interested in their particular sector, devising and delivering information sessions about how residents can get into their specific sector and by providing well-paying jobs and secure jobs from entry level to senior leadership roles.

Finally, we all have the capacity to ‘imagine’ and become ‘Imagination Activists’ to make our: homes, schools, workplaces, local communities, societies, and world a better place for everyone to not merely survive but to thrive. So, what are you waiting for?

Jane Goodall the famous primatologist and environmentalist says that:

“We could change the world tomorrow if all the millions of people around the world acted the way they believe (Goodall, N.D).”

References

1. Tickell, P. (2020) A Manifesto of Moral Imagination. Available at:<<https://www.moralimaginations.com/read-our-manifesto>> (Accessed: November 2nd, 2022)
2. Macy, J. and Brown, M. (2021), (7th Ed.), Coming Back to Life, New Society Publishers.
3. Carrington, D. (2018). Humanity has wiped out 60% of animal populations report finds. Guardian News. Available at:<<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/30/humanity-wiped-out-animals-since-1970-major-report-finds >>
   (Accessed: November 2nd, 2022)
4. London Borough of Camden Council, (2022), Camden Business and Employment Bulletin.

This blog is part of a series written by Camden’s Imagination Activists as part of their Imagination Activism programme called “Camden Imagines”. To read the other blogposts in the series, please visit this link.