Indicators of Progress
Our progress toward a just and sustainable community creates shifts or changes in four areas:
- Shifts in Collective Identity and Action: Social change has begun when groups are able to impact the political and economic decisions that affect their lives. Collective identity and action demonstrates a community’s voice and power. Headwaters looks to organizations to engage community members and deepen and strengthen their involvement in community affairs.
- Shift in Engagement and Sustained Interaction: Lasting change requires having the power and the unified organized force to shift political and social agendas. To demonstrate these shifts Headwaters supports collaborative and collective efforts that unite and expand social agendas.
- Shifts in Institutions and Policy: Progress toward social change can be observed in changes in rules, laws and practices. To bring about social change Headwaters supports efforts to change, reform and transform existing policies and institutions.
- Shift in definitions or framing of issue: Transformative change comes about when our society understands and acts within a new paradigm or worldview. To bring this about, Headwaters supports organizations that are shifting cultural beliefs, norms, traditions and practices that shape political meaning.
