Resilience an introduction and promoting a culture

Resilience - an introduction and promoting a culture that

supports itThe second RNIB contribution

Resilience - types• Two types of resilience - both taken from studies

of the natural world• One - the time taken for a system to return to

equilibrium (stability) following a disturbance event - concerned with dynamics close to equilibrium

• Two - the amount of disturbance that a system can absorb before changing to another stable regime - concerned with dynamics far from steady state

• many other definitions exist too

Like sustainability it’s a storyline

• Joy Division

Joy Division, an influential cult band Ian Curtis the charismatic lead singer committed suicide and New Order emerge from the remaining three members to become a highly successful indie and genre defining band

Two relevant definitions

• The magnitude of disturbance that can be absorbed before the system changes its structure by changing the variables and processes that control behaviour (Gunnderson and Holling, 2002)

• The capacity of a system to experience shocks while retaining essentially the same structure, function, feedback and therefore identity (Walker et al, 2006)

Images of resilience - to discuss or dismiss

In Japan buildings are built with elastic foundations to survive earthquakes

Manchester United - bouncebackabilitySome countries have it too - Poland

Some characteristics ofhuman resilience

Our bodies already embrace resilience - but some people are more resilient than others

Some key characteristics of resilient organisations

• Knowledge in common• Sense of purpose - meaning• High levels of social capital• Improvisation - space for reflection and

swapping of roles• Preference for paths and not strategies, that

work well over a range of scenarios• Not about resource optimisation but about

factoring in risk• Open to criticism

Why is it important?

• High impact events previously considered low risk and of low prevalence are now the norm

• These events interlink and make other supposedly unlikely events more likely

• In a globalised society these events are happening with increased frequency and magnitude

• These events impact disproportionately on organisations and people with little capacity to adapt - the poor but not always the poor either

What are these events?

Lehman Brother's employees Clean up at the Gulf of Mexico

People evacuating Fukushima Employees exit Woolworths

More momentous events are happening now

Since July 29th $4 trillion dollars have been wiped of share prices

How bad can things get - we need to know?

Disability and resilience• Austerity measures likely to have the effect of

reducing both benefits and in response to tighter labour markets possibly support too - note the capping of the Work Programme

• Possible focus on young and non-disabled but this ignores the economic and social contribution of disabled people both real and potential

• Resilience is a human quality transferable to organisations and systems, reaping its benefits depends upon better understanding of all people but especially the disabled who have had to find new ways of doing things others take for granted

Disability resilience network• Values - inclusive of all• Membership - open to all who promote the

network's values and purpose

Our purpose: - • 1) a society that utilises the experiences, abilities,

skills and other attributes of disabled people

2) to better understand resilience and the transfer of its qualities into other systems and organisations, to the advantage of all but especially disabled people

• 3) to promote that understanding to all and especially decision makers

Our offer

• Disabled people have potential and experience to contribute towards other people and organisations becoming more resilient

The artistry of resilience• Miro's "The Reaper" and Picasso's "Guernica"

Miro and Picasso sought to put their talents at the services of society, we want others to do so too

"something inside so strong" - Labi Siffre

• Brothers and sistersWhen they insist we're just not good enoughWhen we know betterJust look 'em in the eyes and sayI'm gonna do it anyway

Something inside so strongAnd I know that I can make itTho' you're doing me wrong, so wrongYou thought that my pride was goneOh no, something inside so strongOh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong

Allowing disabled people, to paraphrase the

words of Ian Dury, to be magnificent

Our invitation

• First - to join the network

• 2) to help us in the research

• 3) to promote the network and our learning

• 4) to use the cultural norms of positive, resourceful, creative, tactile and humour to inspire others to join the network

• Lastly it’s a network - we only supply the theme you are the characters so you can shape, paint, express and tell the story as we expand

Our next steps

• Study tours of projects that embody principles of resilience especially those focusing upon employment

• Thinking zone publications

• Fringe conference at the Welfare to Work Convention in the summer of 2012

• Foster collaboration and take these ideas into as many forums as possible

Thank you

• philip.connolly@rnib.org.uk or 0207 391 3266

• andrew.kaye@rnib.org.uk