- Mark Parker is a community organiser in the London Borough of Southwark. I am just setting out on the journey toward becoming an effective organiser and this is a place for me to reflect on the experience and what I am learning. I hope you will join in and offer your thoughts, so that we can turn my comments and ideas into a conversation.
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Recent Posts
Author Archives: Mark Parker
Stories that really count
Last time, I explored three narratives that are currently being propagated across the UK, giving the powerful and influential opportunity to construct a debate that favours their interests. This week I want to explore how organisers can take action through … Continue reading
Posted in Democracy
Tagged collective identity, Common cause, culture, emotion, frames, heroes, human scale, myths, organisers, testing, values
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Posting this week
I’m sorry to say that due to losing broadband connection at my home, I am unable to post my normal blog this week. I hope to be able to return next Wednesday if I can obtain connection again. In the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Lies, Lies and Damned Narratives
In this series on the nature and value of public narrative to community organisers, we have reached a stage where we can move on to look at the wider implications of storytelling. In the early parts of this overview, we … Continue reading
Posted in Democracy
Tagged ageing, austerity, benefit fraud, dementia, dependence, hero, neoliberalism, oppression, poverty, scroungers, skivers, Story Wars, strivers
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The Imperative of Now
Over recent weeks, we’ve been looking at storytelling and its place in community organising. As we arrive in the New Year, its time to finish outlining the approach to organising developed by Marshall Ganz of Harvard University. We have seen … Continue reading
Posted in Democracy
Tagged frames, leadership, Marshall Ganz, myths, practice, Story of Now, taking action
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Taking a break over Christmas
I want to wish all my readers a very happy Christmas and fantastic New Year. I hope you get the ideas, dreams and stories for Christmas that you deserve and that you get your community organised in the New Year. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Formed by Our Story
I have been writing about storytelling and the importance of narrative to our lives for five weeks now. I have pointed to the importance of the way we frame our narratives, what memes we use to draw on wider cultural … Continue reading
Posted in Democracy
Tagged belonging, challenge, choice, hope, identity, inspiration, motivation, origins, outcome, public narrative, role of organisers, Story of Us, storytelling, values
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