Creating
Positive Change: There Is No Beginning Too Small
by Anne Firth Murray
Have you ever had the feeling while reading
a newspaper, listening to a lecture, or sitting around a dinner table
talking with friends about current events, that “Something ought to be
done about that”? Or perhaps you have felt appalled by an injustice of
some sad event and thought, “What is to be done?”
Some events, especially those at the global
level, seem insurmountable -- poverty, injustice, and environmental
degradation, for example. And even in our local communities, we seem beset
with problems -- destructive behavior, a lack education in the arts,
cruelty to animals -- that may make us feel upset.
Such shock or sadness about the state of
the world or even everyday problems signals our recognition that things
can be otherwise. Differences can be made. Hope persists. Recognizing a
problem and feeling that things can change is the beginning of change
itself.
If you have had this experience, you can be
part of the change; you can dream and develop a vision and a plan of
action. Gandhi wrote that “we must be the change we wish to see,” and
I agree. He meant, I think, that we must embody the change itself, but I
would add that we must dare to dream of change for the sake of the world.
In this short article, I would like to share with you how I came to
believe this idea. I hope the story will be helpful to you as you address
issues that upset and concern you in your community and in the world.
Briefly, here is what happened to me: Back
in 1987, I began to dream of creating an organization that would help
women around the world be strengthened and empowered. The idea became a
passion, and I worked with others to put together The Global Fund for
Women, which grew from the seed of an idea to a fully developed
organization, now about twenty years old and the largest foundation in the
world working to support the human rights of women. In other words, from a
dream came the reality.
In the course of developing The Global Fund
for Women, I came to know that the way an organization does its work is
more important than what it does. I also learned that there can be some
definable steps toward effecting change. First you must dare to dream of
positive change and then clarify that vision. Try to be as clear as
possible about what you hope to do and why. As you dream of creating a
program or an organization that will “change the world” at whatever
level you may wish to work, people may suggest that you are being
“unrealistically idealistic.” Never mind; that may be a good thing.
Major change seldom occurs without seemingly “unrealistic” ideas. Your
dream will act to galvanize others. My dream of getting money directly
into the hands of grass-roots women around the world in respectful,
trusting, and flexible ways inspired a good number of people. My
experience urges you to let yourself dream and then clarify the vision.
Very soon, however, our dreams must be
turned into reality if we want to see real change. Here is a quote from
the Baha’I writer, Abdu’l-Baha, which I like very much: “What profit
is there in agreeing that universal friendship is good, and talking of the
solidarity of the human race as a grand ideal? Unless these thoughts are
translated into the world of action, they are useless. The wrong in the
world continues to exist just because people talk only of their ideals and
do not strive to put them into practice.” In other words, as you seek to
make change, you need to take very specific actions to give reality to
your dreams.
I found that a good beginning is to meet
with others, even two or three friends, and talk about your vision for
change. Begin to write down your ideas. Decide to meet again to figure out
how to proceed. Take on different responsibilities for the program or
organization -- deciding when, how often, and where you will meet and what
specific programs you will undertake. One or two of your friends will
begin to think about writing a brochure or a statement of the vision and
purpose of your enterprise. Another will begin to think of sources of
money, including your own donations, if your activities are going to
require funds (for publications, advertising, travel, or whatever). Begin
as volunteers until you truly find that you need to hire people to run the
project.
Most important, be clear about your vision
and purpose. If people say that your dream is too big or that it
“can’t be done,” try not to be brought down by such negative
thoughts. Instead, address the central issue that they raise and think
positively about whether or how to address their criticisms; it may be
necessary to avoid negative people for a while. Giving reality to a dream
can be hard work, and one doesn’t want to be burdened with negativism.
Make a note of constructive criticism for future reference; in the
beginning, your ideas for change need to be nurtured. At this time of
beginnings, think not only of what you want to do but the way you want to
do it: what is the nature of the program or organization that you want to
build? Do you want it to be an “idea factory”? If so, be sure to seek
out people very different from yourself to ensure that they will bring in
perspectives that you will not think of. Do you want it to be a calm and
gentle place? If so, think of ways that your group can set in place
processes that allow people to feel safe and calm. Are you working on
issues of social justice? If so, make sure that your everyday practices in
the group recognize and respect differences and that the day-to-day work
practices are based on respect, trust, and compassion. The medium is the
message: the way you do your work is more important than what you do.
I suppose that these thoughts on the very
beginning of change may seem very simple. They are. But they will get you
started to create change. There is no beginning too small.
Based on the boo
k
Paradigm Found. (June
2006; $14.95US; 1-57731-533-2) Copyright © 2006 by Anne
Firth
Murray
. Reprinted with permission of
New World
Library,
Novato
, CA. www.newworldlibrary.com
or 800/972-6657 ext. 52.
_____________________
Anne
Firth Murray, a New
Zealander, attended the University of California, Berkeley, and New York
University, where she studied economics, political science, and public
administration, with a focus on international health policy and women's
reproductive health. She has worked at the United Nations as a writer, has
taught in Hong Kong and Singapore, and has spent several years as an
editor with Oxford, Stanford, and Yale University presses.
For the past twenty-five years, she has
worked in the field of philanthropy, serving as a consultant to many
foundations. From 1978 to the end of 1987, she directed the environment
and international population programs of the William and Flora Hewlett
Foundation in California. She is the founding president of The Global Fund
for Women, established in 1987, which provides funds internationally to
seed, strengthen, and link groups committed to women's well-being. She is
currently a consulting professor in the human biology program at Stanford
University.
Ms. Murray has served on numerous boards
and councils of nonprofit organizations, currently including the African
Women's Development Fund, Commonweal, GRACE (a group working on HIV/AIDS
in east Africa), the Hesperian Foundation, and UNNITI (a women's
foundation in India). She is the recipient of many awards and honors for
her work on women's health and philanthropy, and in 2005 she was among one
thousand women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Ms. Murray has one
daughter, who is an attorney in California, and two grandchildren. She
lives in Menlo Park, California.
To learn more, please visit www.paradigmfound.org.