Report from Rethinking food out now

Rethinking food was Flare’s second foray into a radical collective reimagining of an essential part of life. In a world where systems of food production, distribution and consumption feel much too big for ordinary humans to influence, we took 90 minutes to drill down to what matters most: what we need and want from them and how we can go about obtaining it. 

In this 2nd Rethinking dialogue, we were thrilled to find that once again, the vision and aspirations we have in common surface of their own accord, when we come together as equals, with courage and honesty.

Find out about the Rethinking method and how we can achieve the things we need, under four key headings: 

1. Food as justice
2. Social and cultural norms
3. Heritage, connection and expression 
4. Food as choice

Download the full report here.

Flare founder Andreea's Masterclass at the BMW Foundation's week of Equity, Diversity and Belonging

Andreea, our President and Founder, gave a Masterclass and live Q&A on the future of progressive politics, culture wars, identity and a new language of change. Take a peek and let her know what you think.

Flare hosts Rethinking food at BMW Foundation’s week of Equity, Diversity and Belonging

How do you see food? What does it mean to you? What kind of food do you want and need? Are you getting it?

Flare hosted a workshop at the BMW Foundation's week of Equity, Diversity and Belonging where we asked ourselves just that. And what came out of that 90 minute discussion was a shared desire for our food system to be fair, sustainable and allow us to connect. 

We unpicked everything from food poverty, to power, social and cultural norms around food and the way we produce and consume it. It was very clear that the food system is not working as it should right now.

Through personal stories we came up with radical visions to improve our status quo. From soil enrichment programs, to inviting everyone else on the call for a communal dinner, small steps to a new world began. And what a new world – one in which food was equitable, just, nourishing, sustainable and connected people. One in which the relationship between producer and consumer was fair, and in which everyone had access to a healthy diet. 

It may seem sometimes like another future for food is impossible, but once you talk about it, it doesn’t seem so impossible after all.

Flare’s proof of concept: nurturing collective visions of a radically better future

We’ve learned a lot in two years of experiments in hope. This report sums up our dialogue method and some of our most valuable – and surprising – conclusions. 

When we first started out it would have seemed inconceivable to think football could be the medium that crystallises our philosophy and calls to action. Back then our focus was more firmly on political division, most obvious to us around specific political issues that polarise opinion. Two years on, we’ve learned that the collective moral narratives that are the heart of change emerge more readily in the spaces of our private lives, where we are our true selves.

Here are some of our conclusions from practice:

1. Authentic connection around a collective good is essential. In other change models, like campaigning, “designated” spaces for dialogue are created around issues of contention. This often excludes and divides. Our model shows that for change that is embedded across society, we need to get real.
2. Demonstrating congruence with the change we want to see. We model authentic behaviour and ensure true equality of voices, as two examples. This mitigates mistrust and powerlessness that diminish collective confidence in the possibility of change. Put simply, if we want change, we have to demonstrate we ourselves are capable of living change.
3. Genuine, unguarded exploration of emerging ideas, even when they can be perceived as unrealistic or overly radical. Put simply, if we want change, we have to facilitate truly open processes, even when it feels risky to do so.

Click to download the report:

Re-conceptualising public goods though dialogue. Enter “Rethinking football”

Flare’s working hypothesis is that collective narratives of the sort that are needed to re-shape our post-Covid world emerge most readily in the private, informal realm, where people connect authentically around things of shared value. This is why our experiments take place in real-life spaces, rather than policy conference rooms or around campaigning soap-boxes.

We are especially proud of Rethinking football, the project we have been building over the last few months with SOAS at the University of London and Football for Peace. The project helps participants re-conceptualise football as a collective good, over which they have agency and which they can shape positively.

We bring together people from all walks of life and give them an opportunity to reflect on the future of the game. We come together as equals, whether we’re big football names on the pitch or living the highs and lows in front of our TV screens. 

Rethinking football officially kicks off at the end of February 2021. Tell us why you love football and what should be different about the game, by getting in touch at team@rethinkingfootball.org. You can download the project flyer here.

Join players, clubs, leagues, federations, journalists and other fans in one of our exclusive, informal online dialogues. You will get to shape the future of football – and probably that of society too.