Come and knock on my door

Posted by: Lulu Kitololo

Last night, I attended an event hosted by Groundwork North London to present the results of an 18 month green behaviour change project that Futerra had collaborated on. Targeted towards Islington residents living in social housing, the campaign involved Green Champions from within the community knocking on doors, spreading the message and encouraging people to pledge to take action.

The Champions were there to share anecdotes from their door-knocking and stressed that, contrary to what we might think, more often than not, people were actually happy to have somebody knocking on their door. And it got me thinking, when is the last time somebody unexpectedly knocked on my door (without a copy of the Watchtower in hand!)? How isolated and consumed with the rat race have we become that neighbourly thoughtfulness and spontaneity is rare and even sometimes regarded as a nuisance!

It got me wondering – how do you get people to engage in collective action if they are resistant to the idea of coming together in the first place?

As if to answer this, this morning I found the following quote in a report from 1995 World Bank Conference event entitled, The Self and the Other: Sustainability and Self-Empowerment:
“Ultimately, the essence of development is how individuals function in social groupings to improve their welfare without harming the environment, their neighbours, or the opportunities of their children. It is how the self, more secure in its self-knowledge, can constructively relate to the other to build better tomorrows.”
— Ismail Serageldin

Indeed, so perhaps changing the world starts with getting people to love themselves… and their neighbours.

1. doug said on 22 May 2008 10:49:54
   
   Great blog and great reading skill. I've always found the World Bank stuff quite dry. It reminded me of a quote I saw at the Venice Biennale years ago. I don't know why it stuck. Possibly because I have hidden socialist tendencies or maybe because it was written in red neon lights. 'did private property create crime. Does anonymity negate responsibility?' deep huh? I hate to mention it but Seth Godin also has some interesting things to say about accountability and privacy especially in relation to the internet. Maybe we should start a meet your neighbour campaign?
2. Ed Gillespie said on 23 May 2008 08:44:38
   
   It's true! Saving the world really does start with loving yourself...(well, ending war does at least) http://www.masturbateforpeace.com/
3. Alistair Macdonald said on 23 May 2008 09:04:16
   
   Couldn't agree more - but let's not love ourselves in a Thatcherite manner (or the blind-inducing suggestions above - well, not too much)! more like dismantle belief systems, vision quests and re-channel the everlasting fountain of love away from religious, sporting and celebrity heroes back into ourselves and only then should we let it out again as a wholesome and healing light....peace man!

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