Bending the Bow: How Ordinary People Spark Visionary Social Movements

Humanity is on a centuries-long trajectory towards sovereignty and self-determination for all beings. This evolution is based on the conviction that all life is sacred, that all beings are interconnected, and that a better world for each person is possible. But it is not an easy road. Big shifts disrupt the status quo, and can awaken fear and resistance. All great social change requires visionaries: brave and outspoken leaders who can stay committed, stable, supple and joyful while working towards great social change. Bending the Bow tells the stories of early activists in eight of the great social movements- people far ahead of the general population in their ability to sense a needed change. Christine highlights the common attributes, beliefs and skills these people possessed. It looks at the underlying structures that helped their visions to achieve lift-off. It considers another essential element of this work as well: the “pod” around each movement’s charismatic leader, as well as the common roles and structures that must be filled for a movement to achieve lift-off. It looks at the arc of change across generations.— I Am More than My Race: Angelina Grimke and the Early Abolitionists— I Am More than My Ethnicity: Clyde Bellecourt, Dennis Banks, Russell Means and the American Indian Movement— I Am More than My Gender: Lucretia Mott and the Early Women’s Movement— I Am More than My Religion: Sophie Scholl and the Nazi Resistance— I Am More than My Sexual Orientation: Harry Hay and the Sexuality Freedom movement— I Am More than My Age: Florence Kelley and the Children’s Rights Movement— I Am More than My Capacity: Ed Roberts, Judith Heumann and the independent living movement— I Am More than My Species: Steven Wise and the Animal Rights MovementGreat things are possible when we work together, on the basis of a deep conviction that all life is sacred, that we are all interconnected, and that a more just world can happen now.