CatalYsing The critical conversations

Who we are

Critical Conversations Association is a collective of individuals, organisations, and institutions willing to launch and sustain the critical conversations about exponential population growth and untethered consumption that are the root cause of our environmental crises.

Our MISSION is to use the catalysing power of the arts as the key to unlock these sticky and difficult conversations about exploding population and untethered consumption on a finite planet facing climate change.

Our VISION is a nation of courageous young people emboldened to lift their heads in active hope, join with others, reclaim their power, make every choice count, and see their future with new eyes.

‘No magic bullet …can save us from population explosion, deforestation, climate disruption, poison by pollution, and wholesale extinction of plant and animal species. We are going to have to want different things, seek different pleasures, pursue different goals than those that have been driving us and our global economy.’

Joanna Macy - Environmental activist and author

Our approach

Stories and theatre for transformation

From ancient times to the present, storytelling has been humanity’s most powerful tool for making sense of the world. At Critical Conversations, we believe that stories have the potential to drive deep, lasting change, especially in addressing environmental and social challenges.

We use theatre and the arts to foster discussions that ask questions, challenge beliefs, and connect with the emotions of our audiences. By addressing tough subjects like climate change and population growth, we open new perspectives that encourage empathy and engagement.

Provoking Thought: We focus on questions, not answers.
Challenging Beliefs: Our stories disrupt the status quo.
Creating Emotional Connections: We move from intellect to emotion, connecting with audiences on a deeper level.

Through this emotional engagement, participants are pushed to their “edge”—the place where transformation begins.

Empowering the next generation

Our work with young people encourages them to question the world around them. By developing their critical consciousness, they start to understand their role in shaping the future. Our theatre programmes guide youth to recognise their power as storytellers and solution-makers, helping them realise that the answers lie within themselves.

“Imagination is everything. It's the preview of life's coming attractions”

Albert Einstein

Camping with communities

To deepen our connection with the communities we serve, we live among them during sessions and trainings. Our team travels with everything needed to camp in the field packed into a trusty Population Conversation branded Toyota Hillux. The team uses tents and bedrolls on the ground, and sets up a communal kitchen where cooking duties are shared. During multi-day trainings, the team and participants all stay together in a camp site, or in local rented accommodation (for example, the Saparingo-Naretoi Women’s Group manyatta rentals).

This immersive experience allows us to learn and understand new local stories, cultures, and traditions, adding to our bank of stories and enriching our work.

Core principles of Critical Conversations

Active Hope

Inspired by the teachings of Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, we practice “Active Hope,” a mindset that empowers us to respond to global crises with resilience and creativity.
Active Hope has four stages:

Gratitude: Recognising the abundance of gifts we already have.
Honouring Pain: Validating our emotional responses to planetary challenges.
Seeing with New Eyes: Envisioning the positive impact we can have.
Taking Action: Translating vision into meaningful change.

Children by choice, not chance

Unplanned pregnancies can have significant impacts on the parents and their children. We advocate for informed choices, ensuring that every child is welcomed into the world at the right time, with the resources to be nurtured in a safe and supportive environment. We believe that age-appropriate comprehensive sexual education and guidance, starting just before adolescence, are essential foundations to ensure young people have the tools to plan and create the families they can nurture.

Interconnectedness

We live within an intricate web of life, and everything we do impacts that web. Interconnectedness is the idea that everything is linked together and that changes in one part of the system effect the other parts.

In a healthy, interconnected system, humans and nature thrive together.

This belief in interconnectedness drives all of our work – the health of our families and our communities depends on the health of our planet.

Ubuntu

The African philosophy of Ubuntu—“I am because we are”—underpins our values. Utu-Ubuntu speaks to the interconnectedness of individuals with their community and their surroundings.

However, we choose to take it one step forward, recognizing that ‘we are only well when the earth is well’ and that as humans we cannot separate our future from the future of the planet.

Reminding us that our survival hinges on protecting nature so that nature can protect us.

Grounding & breath

We start every meeting and engagement with grounding – a practice of sinking into the present moment. Whenever possible, we take off our shoes, connecting our bodies to the Earth’s natural electric charge, breathing deeply, and practicing mindfulness or prayer. When we connect to the earth beneath us, we find the balance we need to face the emotional turbulence of our more difficult discussions.

Seventh Generation Thinking

Our work is inspired by the Iroquois wisdom of Seventh Generation Thinking, a concept that encourages decision-making with long-term perspective. It urges us to make decisions today that account for the needs of future generations – which often means taking less now so they may have enough in the future.

Each decision should be evaluated by how it will impact the world seven generations from now.

Through our programmes, we help young people connect with their ancestors, honour long-term thinking, envision themselves as ‘good ancestors’ and so take responsibility for shaping their future and that of their descendants.

Meet the Team