Hello 

We are so excited to announce the launch of our newest mini course at the Ayni School, called Movement Ecology. This self-paced mini course on Movement Ecology  is an introduction to understanding the many different strategies that arise when we are faced with creating social change.

While many of us are working hard to create the conditions for social movements where there is collaboration across groups and organizations, we at the Ayni Institute believe that collaboration can only happen when we are clear on the differences between the strategies that live in them. This means that we can only have ecological thinking/action in social change if we know what makes the parts of the movement different in relation to one another. 

We call these multiple strategies Foundational Theories of Change and we believe that the key to power that many of us are working hard to harness is found in their collaboration. 

In this mini course we dive into the strengths and weakness of each Foundational Theory of Change, and provide answers to some of the common questions that come up when we’ve previously shared the framework:

• Which Theory of Change do I spend most of my time working in?

• What is the role of each Theory of Change within the context of the larger movement?

• How can we relate and support other Foundational Theories of Change?

• How can we build a culture of interdependence and embrace multi-strategic movements?

It is our hope that this mini course can provide a framework to start thinking differently about our organizations and how they relate to others, within an ecological framework. With this understanding, we can increase collaboration across our movements and harness the true power of Movement Ecology. 

In reciprocity,

Carlos Saavedra

P.S. - This mini course is an expanded excerpt from the Social Movements Course. It has been reformatted and repurposed as a standalone mini course which we will continue to add material and content to in the future. If you have already purchased the Social Movements Course, this course will be offered to you free of charge.