Unit 8: Challenges

María Esther Argueta, a leader in her community’s Civil Protection Commission, takes part in an earthquake emergency drill in Carolina, Santa Clara, El Salvador.

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María Esther Argueta, a community leader, speaks in to a megaphone.

María Esther Argueta, a leader in her community’s Civil Protection Commission, takes part in an earthquake emergency drill in Carolina, ...

Well done for getting to the final unit of this course. We hope, from what you have learned from the content and from each other, that you are ready to continue to the next phase of your journey as a changemaker.

During this course we have looked at the different ways that change happens and the different strategies we can use to bring about change for people and the environment.

Believing that positive change can happen through the actions of people, holding that hope in your mind and being able to communicate it to others as a changemaker is a characteristic that can be cultivated over time. Besides having hope, a changemaker needs to be grounded in reality and fully aware of the challenges they face, both personally and in the external world.

In this unit we will hear from changemakers about how they have dealt with various challenges and gone on to achieve change – whether small, incremental or significant. This should help you think through some of the challenges you may have and how you might tackle them.

They will also share what keeps them going and continues to motivate them which we hope will inspire you on your journey.

When we are trying to generate change in complex systems there are many other factors that could be helping or hindering our progress. This can make it difficult to know if what we are trying to do is really working and if we should continue. In other cases, we might not be able to see much immediate progress because some changes need longer to become reality. In these cases, it helps to identify what other (smaller, intermediate) changes we would expect to see, which could give an indication that we are on the right track. It is vital to celebrate these small successes along the way to keep you and your allies motivated as change can be a long road.

Maximise

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The graphic depicts eight equal-sized circles. At the centre is circle one and the seven other circles orbit around this central circle. Arrows point between the central circle and the outer circles. In the central circle it says Unit 1 understanding ourselves and our own assumptions. The outer circles have the following text. Unit 2 understanding context and how change happens. Unit 3 systems and power. Unit 4 collective action, changemaker characteristics. Unit 5 influencing, power mapping, partners and allies. Unit 6 influencing strategies, messaging and stories. Unit 7 campaigning tactics, action plan, risks. Unit 8 reflection, adaption, overcoming challenges. The Unit 8 circle is coloured green and all the other circles are coloured blue. This emphasises that you are on Unit 8 of the course.