1.3 Introduction to Unit 1: What kind of change are we talking about?

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A woman protesting the dire circumstances after Moria camp, Europe's largest refugee camp on the island of Lesbos in Greece, burned down in 2020.
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A photograph of a woman holding a sign at a protest. The sign reads "We are human."

A woman protesting the dire circumstances after Moria camp, Europe's largest refugee camp on the island of Lesbos in Greece, burned down ...

In this first unit of the course, we will look at different ideas of what change is and what it means for people and communities. We will explore the role of changemakers in making change happen and will hear from a range of individuals who are active in resisting attacks on their rights, or the rights of others, and bringing about change in different ways and in different contexts.

It will be important to think about how the perspectives presented are similar or different to your own experience and understanding of change. We hope that you can bring together your current understanding with some new perspectives as you think about change goals you have for yourself and for your own community.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you will:

  • identify the underlying assumptions about ourselves, about others, and about what change is and how change happens
  • understand the different forms and drivers of change
  • recognise the planned and unintended consequences of change.

1.2 The course ahead

1.4 Understanding ourselves