Building collective organising and social change through individual empowerment
the short version
We are an emotion-centered community engagement organization focused on bridging the gaps between arts, culture and climate action.
the long version
The sword fern collective is a community-based group that focuses on mobilising collective climate knowledge in a hopeful and compassionate way.
sword fern collective aims to advance climate justice by sparking dialogue and providing people with the tools to discuss climate issues and ideate climate solutions in their own communities.
The collective is led by Paige Hunter, Victor Yin, and Erica Binder: three youth who bonded over their shared passion for climate action, art, and dialogue.
Our mission
To establish a baseline of climate knowledge, but also a baseline of our own selves, for boundaries, empathy, compassion, justice, and emotional literacy in order to address wicked problems.
To give people the capacity to do things themselves and self-organize.
To help people talk about climate change in a hopeful way.
Our guiding values
Being engaged
we love what we’re doing
We feel passionate about our work. And if not, how can we get back in there? If we’re not inspired by this work, we need to re-evaluate. If we don’t feel capable, we shouldn’t do something. Are we taking on too much? Are we being asked too much? Are we asking for help?
Community
we share and cooperate generously
We recognize our position in a global interconnected web of relationships. We are active in a community of climate education, we avoid silos, and we participate in information and knowledge sharing. Whatever we do should feel cooperative and collective. We share what we’ve learned, and opportunities that come our way.
Balance
we give ourselves permission to step away
We allow ourselves time to process and think. We gives ourselves time to exhale and inhale, and time for living. We recognize the capitalist pressures to spread ourselves thin, so we make rest a priority. We avoid burnout. This shouldn’t feel like an office but rather a passionate purpose.
Boldness in vulnerability
we allow for mistakes
We encourage failure and use it as a learning opportunity. We must fail to grow, and if we’re not failing we’re not moving the dial and still keeping ourselves sheltered. We need to challenge big hegemonic systems that need to be challenged, and that requires vulnerability. We need to move forward and act, not just pop in and educate. Vulnerability involves risk and uncertainty, and making mistakes and failing is a part of that.
Patience through abundance
we are compassionate
We are doing this for the first time. We are also going to experience people who are doing work for the first time, so we need to allow us and them space to grow and the time to do it well. We are not in a rush to get things done or be right, we are intentionally coming from an abundance of time in order to do things right.
Joy and hope
we make space for vulnerability
Joy and hope are the emotions that will drive our messaging, our personal motivation, and all that we do. Joy is rarely accomplished without hardship, vulnerability, and struggle. Hope is necessary to drive action.