ImagineImagine ChicagoChicago understand imagine create TenTen YearsYears ofof ImaginationImagination inin ActionAction Imagine Chicago Ten Years of Imagination in Action Written by Bliss W. Browne and Shilpa Jain with contributions from Diana Tatarchuk and Yasmeen Basheeruddin and a forward by Melinda Fine Published by Imagine Chicago, 35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1545, Chicago, IL 60601 September 2002 in conjunction with Imagine Chicago’s 10th anniversary celebration and conference honoring Imagine projects on six continents With special thanks to the W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation and the Surdna Foundation, whose generosity made this publication possible Portions of this document may be reproduced with the source and authors acknowledged. For more information, please visit www.imaginechicago.org or contact Bliss Browne at [email protected] imagine… creative civic connections 26 Table of Contents Imaginative Parents: Gerardo and Agustina imagine… a movement 2 Making Civic Connections Imagination as a Social Movement Expanding Urban Imagination with Museums What Is a Possibility Publication? Getting the Word Out on Imagination More Than Words… The Generative Powers of Civic Dialogues Bringing the Inside Out… Invitational Questions Power of Two A Mother’s Story imagine… positive possibilities 32 A City of Friends Weaving Visions into Realities Key Organizing Principles A Wish Invitational Questions Storytelling for Imagination A Good Story! imagine… an inspired future 8 Accelerated Learning Challenging Questions Open Space Technology A Conversation with the Future Organizational Challenges How To: Appreciative Inquiry Questions Funding Partners in Mission Tim’s Story: The Melody of Life Renewing Education Youth: Focus on the Future Living from the Inside Out Assessing Intergenerational Inquiry Invitational Questions Building Blocks to the Future Invitational Questions imagine… the power of place 40 Revealing the City to Itself imagine… choosing hope 18 Chicago’s Exquisite Corpus Freeing the Spirit of Hope and Imagination The Headless Dancer Sharing and Sustaining Hope Learning Parks of Possibilities Hope Rocks Redefining Imagination Resources Dream Tree of Transformation Imagine Englewood if… Hope in Shackles: Challenges Your City’s Learning Ecologies Invitational Questions ABCD and Mental Mapping Sacred Spaces, Public Places imagine… citizen leadership 22 The Whole-Sense City Stretching the Boundaries of Citizenship A Shared Language of Imagination Citizen Leaders Program Invitational Questions Tina’s Story Every Block is a Village imagine… a vital network 48 Meeting the Challenges imagine… your next steps 49 Invitational Questions Marstin defines justice as “fundamentally a matter of who is included and whom we can tolerate imagine... neglecting.” Imagine Chicago believes that the city’s vitality depends on creating an economy Imagination as a the organic sprouting of Imagine initiatives on in which everyone’s contribution is valued. A six continents. While each self-organized Social Movement movement of imagination is necessarily inclusive: Social Movement Imagine effort is distinct, since it is responding Each and every human being possesses the All around the world, people are coming together to its own unique context, all the efforts reveal enormous gift of imagination. No matter what in their localities to imagine and create new a few common convictions: that human beings institutional authorities like the media, market possibilities for their collective future. Despite can unite around shared meaning; that each or schools tell us, imagination (like learning) is their differences in age, background and person’s contribution is vital to a flourishing neither a commodity nor is it scarce. In fact, the perspective, what they share is a faith in community; and that creating a culture of public movement relies upon the power of our community and in its civic spirit, the idea that learning and civic engagement that connects collective imagination. Our tremendous human together, using our minds, hearts and hands, we generations and cultures is at the heart of self- diversity — the variety of dynamic identities we can help to shape the world we live in. and social transformation. These beliefs translate possess — is vital for both the conversations Powerfully, perhaps unknowingly, they are the into positive and inspiring images, ideas and and the actions of creating a positive future. The leadership of a new movement — a movement actions. greater the diversity of the people involved, the of social imagination. stronger the movement of imagination, and the What makes imagination so important today are more likely a balanced and just future for ‘Imagine’ — the word itself — calls us to connect the same factors that challenge it. Violence and ourselves and our children. to potential, wonder, the power and the beauty terror, massive inequalities, the widespread of the unknown. It arouses within each of us destruction of nature, the alienation of human Like imagination itself, this movement has not feelings of hope and opens a limitless space of beings from each other and from themselves, been planned or controlled, nor can it be. Rather, creativity and possibility. Imagination is the realm the extinction of diverse languages, cultures and it is part of a growing culture of civic spirit of the future, utterly democratic, not determined ways of meaning-making, the colonization of manifesting itself in a variety of forms: eco-cities, by current arrangements. As a movement, images by mass media: these forces threaten intentional communities, learning cities… People imagination draws upon peoples’ deepest urge human society, human sensitivity and human all over the world are forming vital connections to be connected and to contribute to a larger sensibility at an unparalleled scale and pace. between being, thinking and doing, in order to purpose. It brings people together meaningfully When Imagine Chicago was gearing up in 1993, support a more just present and future. to talk and listen with one another, to share Yankelovich Associates reported that 85% of their personal and collective aspirations. Such Americans had lost confidence in the future. We invite you to be a co-creator communion is generating the energy and Even citizens of the world’s superpower feel of this movement, to uniquely commitment required for transforming dreams victimized and lack confidence in their leaders. contribute your talents to into realities. The existence of injustice offers a constant inspiring a collective imagination a Imagine Chicago sees itself as a catalyst in this invitation to work towards justice. Ronald that enlarges the human spirit. movement, one of the sparks to light the kindling already in place in peoples’ minds and spirits. Our work over the last ten years has supported movement 2 curiosity curiosity curiosity Words that Frame the Movement of Imagination curiosity curiosity A Possibility Publication Words have the power to both destroy and heal. joy joy joy What you are holding in your hands is a possibility joy joy publication. It operates on many levels at once: When words are both true and kind, they can change our world. creativity creativity creativity First, it shows you what has been possible. It - Buddha creativity creativity serves as a documentation and celebration of Imagine Chicago’s work, as well as the work of other Imagine Throughout this publication, you will notice that we are using a power power power projects and like-minded organizations and efforts. power power different kind of language to share ideas about human beings and communities. Words like ‘problem’,‘need’, ‘lack’, ‘illiterate’, Second, it shows you how it can be possible. It ‘uneducated’, etc. do not appear in our vocabulary. Rather, you will offers a series of tools and resources for those of you find a repertoire of other words: ‘hope’, ‘possibility’, ‘create’, ‘power’, interested in carrying forward, strengthening, or ‘relationships’, ‘connections’, ‘imagination’,’commitment’. (You’ll even connection connection connection connection connection launching your own contribution to the Imagination discover some words in different languages, from different contexts, movement. which capture these aspects of the human spirit.) relationship relationship relationship relationship relationship Third, this publication asks you what else is possible? At Imagine Chicago, we are convinced that our words will (and do) Throughout it, you will find a number of questions, to shape our thoughts and actions. They will either expand our minds invite you to think, partner, and create with us, on evolving and hearts to collectively dream and to actualize our shared dreams, visions visions visions the Imagination movement further and forward. or they will make us feel inadequate, unworthy, and incapable of visions visions realizing our full human potential. Language is necessarily interactive; In all of these ways, this publication is meant as an it is grown and enriched by the kinds of contacts we make as inspiration, to awaken or energize your appreciation for interdependent human beings. If what we say is what we see, then the power of possibility and its vital role in nurturing simply by altering our words, we may uncover entirely different hope, action and commitment in all of us. worlds — dynamic new possibilities of being, relating and living together. Language therefore is more than just a medium of spirit spirit spirit spirit spirit transformation