We all know the current system of predatory capitalism is not fit for purpose.  We don't (yet) all agree on how to fix it, but for sure, no problem is solved from the mindset that created it.  So how do we begin to compost the debris of the failing system to grow something constructive, generative, connected communities that can act as a bridge from where we are towards that future we'd be proud to leave behind? James Lock is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of<a href="https://weareopus.org/"> Opus Independents Ltd</a>, a not-for-profit social enterprise, working in culture, politics and the arts. Opus works to encourage and support participation, systemic activism and creativity with project strands that include Now Then Magazine &amp; App, Festival of Debate. Opus Distribution, the River Dôn Project and Wordlife. I met James and other members of Opus in Sheffield last summer when we were all part of the Sheffield Social Enterprise Network summer conference and I was really blown away by their understanding of systemic thinking, by their absolute commitment to total systemic change and by the flexibility of their thinking. Here were people who were taking the concepts that we talk about and making them real, amongst real people in a real place.  So we agreed that we'd talk first to James for an overview of what Opus is and does, how the thinking comes together and how we can each take ideas from here and scale them up and out in the places we live. Clearly each city, town, village, street is unique, but some principles are universal and I think we can all learn from the ways James thinks about things as he strives to create the bridges towards a new system. LinksOpus <a href="https://www.weareopus.org/">https://www.weareopus.org/</a> Festival of Debate <a href="https://festivalofdebate.com/">https://festivalofdebate.com/</a> Opus 2024 Report <a href="https://www.weareopus.org/opus-annual-report-2024">https://www.weareopus.org/opus-annual-report-2024</a> Opus on LInkedIn <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/opusindependents/?originalSubdomain=uk">https://www.linkedin.com/company/opusindependents/</a> Fairness on the 83 <a href="https://fairnessonthe83.nowthenmagazine.com/">https://fairnessonthe83.nowthenmagazine.com/</a> Citizen Network <a href="https://citizen-network.org/">https://citizen-network.org/</a> Dark Matter Labs Cornerstone Indicators <a href="https://darkmatterlabs.org/initiatives/cornerstone-indicators">https://darkmatterlabs.org/initiatives/cornerstone-indicators</a> Plum Village podcast w Kate Raworth <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mindful-economics-in-conversation-with-kate-raworth/id1579910767?i=1000669364849">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mindful-economics-in-conversation-with-kate-raworth/id1579910767?i=1000669364849</a> James is Co Founder &amp; Director at <a href="https://weareopus.org/">Opus</a>Co Founder of <a href="https://nowthenmagazine.com/">Now Then Magazine</a>Co Founder of the <a href="https://www.ubilabnetwork.org/">UBI Lab Network</a>Co Founder of <a href="https://festivalofdebate.com/">Festival of Debate</a>Co Founder of <a href="https://www.foundationsearth.org/">Foundations Earth</a>Co Founder of <a href="https://www.theriverdon.org/">The River Don Project</a> Voluntary Roles: Social Entrepreneur In Residence at <a href="https://www.shu.ac.uk/">Sheffield Hallam University</a>Advisory Board Member on SYMCA <a href="https://www.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/explore_local-nature-recovery-strategy"> Local Nature Recovery Strategy</a>General Secretary of the <a href="https://www.ima.press/">Independent Media Association</a>South Yorkshire Soci

Accidental Gods

Another World is still Possible. The old system was never fit for purpose and now it has gone - it is never coming back. We have the power of gods to destroy our home. But we also have the chance to become something we cannot yet imagine, and by doing so, create a future we would be proud to leave to the generations yet unborn. What happens if we commit to a world based on the values we care about: compassion, courage, integrity? What happens if we let go of the race for meaningless money and commit instead to the things that matter: clean air, clean water, clean soil - and clean, clear, courageous connections between all parts of ourselves (so we have to do the inner work of healing individually and collectively), between ourselves and each other (so we have to do the outer work of relearning how to build generative communities) and between ourselves and the Web of Life (so we have to reclaim our birthright as conscious nodes in the web of life)? We can do this - and every week on Accidental Gods we speak with the people who are living this world into being. We have all the answers, we just lack the visions to weave them into a future that works. We can make this happen. We will. Join us. Accidental Gods is a podcast and membership program devoted to exploring the ways we can create a future that we would be proud to leave to the generations yet to come. If we're going to emerge into a just, equitable - and above all regenerative - future, we need to get to know the people who are already living, working, thinking and believing at the leading edge of inter-becoming transformation. Accidental Gods exists to bring these voices to the world so that we can work together to lay the foundations of a world we'd be proud to leave to the generations that come after us. We have the choice now - we can choose to transform…or we can face the chaos of a failing system. Our Choice. Our Chance. Our Future. Find the membership and the podcast pages here: https://accidentalgods.life Find Manda's Thrutopian novel, Any Human Power here: https://mandascott.co.uk Find Manda on BlueSky @mandascott.bsky.social On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandascottauthor/ On FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/MandaScottAuthor

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