2021-07-25

Using ‘The Social Code’ to drive the organisational narrative.

During C5 Activity in Gdansk, River//Cities used the opportunity to co-create an organisational narrative.

According to Julian Stodd in the text entitled “The 3 Levels o Narrative: The Organisational Story”: the organisational story is always co-created and should be a meta narrative that shows the organisation is listening to the stories told by communities and individuals at every level.

We (River//Cities) used the opportunity for co-creation and together with Colleagues from Wiener Bildungsakademie during C5 event in Gdansk we practised writing an organisational narrative under the guidance of our Informal Educator, Avril Meehan.

Avril provided us with the following tips concerning using “The Social Code” for this purpose:

  1. Creation myth: describes how it all started
  2. Creed: core beliefs of the organisation, based on shared values and mission. This is why we’re here.
  3. Icons: a sensory shared experience which connects people. This is how we identify ourselves, and each other.
  4. Ritual: shared actions which create order from chaos, break down streams of existence. Here’s how we do things.
  5. Lexicon: a shared language  in-members understand, how we describe ourselves.
  6. Non-believers: an opposition which reinforces the in-group. This is what we are not.
  7. Leader: person, discussion etc. any locus point for people to collect around

Organisational Narrative of The River//Cities Platform Foundation created as the result of the exercise.

We are all single water drops, which are not very forceful by themselves, but when gathered together they form little creeks which flow into bigger rivers with strong currents powerful enough to generate positive energy.

All water drops in a river work together and learn from each other. If there is a obstacle like a rock we flow around it and follow the water drops in front of us.

Through River/ /cities we would like to share ideas, learn from each other and work together to create cultural activities for the better life of people and nature on waterfronts across Europe.

We would like to make a change not only in our neighbourhoods but also in our cities, countries and on a global scale.