This book investigates how to build a narrative for progressive social change. It asks a central question: What would it take to create a society that delivers flourishing lives for all? Drawing on extensive original research conducted in the UK and internationally, the book examines how, in a time of global permacrisis, no convincing plan has yet emerged to prevent a slide into dystopia or to create a positive vision for collective wellbeing. While governments around the world appear to have run out of ideas about how to build a good society, people and organisations across civil society are actively developing them. This book describes their efforts and outlines how their work can contribute to meaningful systems change.
Chapter 1. People can change history.- Chapter 2. The failure of the progressive story.- Chapter 3. Telling a new story.- Chapter 4. The Changemakers.- Chapter 5. The emerging story.- Chapter 6. Come dancing with systems.- Chapter 7. Action.
Barry Knight is a social scientist and statistician, and visiting professor at the University of Staffordshire, UK. He advises the Global Fund for Community Foundations, serves on the board of Compass, and writes a regular column in Alliance Magazine. He has published several books on topics such as poverty, civil society, community development, and democracy, including Rethinking Poverty: What makes a good society?, as well as articles on economic development, crime and delinquency, family policy, children s services, peacebuilding, voluntary action, civil society, and philanthropy.
