Module 7: Building a wellbeing economy movement
Networks of wellbeing economy champions
The emerging system is often championed by pioneers who experiment with new practices. These pioneers may be people or organisations who have left the legacy system to discover new ways of working, or they may advocate for new ways of working from within the legacy system.
Connecting pioneers together creates a stronger movement. When groups of pioneers form networks and communities of practice, they build relationships, learn from each other and create new ideas and practices. This is at the heart of the WEAll hubs and Doughnut Coalitions that are popping up all around the world.
These local networks of changemakers play a crucial role in driving systems change towards a wellbeing economy. By operating at the local, regional and national levels, they are able to address specific economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by their respective communities. This localised approach allows for tailored strategies and solutions that align with local contexts and needs, while still working towards the broader vision of a global wellbeing economy.
Network coordinators play a central role
A skilled network coordinator or coordination team often plays a central role in bringing together local networks of change makers, by:
organising network meet-ups and events
looking after the bigger picture, strategy and action plan of the coalition
identifying and fostering the requirements for successful collaboration, including the need to reduce power imbalances and making sure that the network remains an open network of collaboration.
Watch the story from the Amsterdam Doughnut Coalition, who bring together stakeholders from civil society, government and businesses to jointly work towards creating an economy in service of life. In this video, Rosa Tibosch, coordinator of the Amsterdam Doughnut Coalition, and Froukje Anne Karsten, Programme Lead Circular Economy for the Amsterdam City Council, both share their valuable reflections on what has worked, what has been challenging, and next steps forward.
