Beyond the Charter: The beginning of

the middleDr Trevor Hancock

Professor and Senior ScholarSchool of Public Health and Social Policy

University of Victoria

The end of the beginning?“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Winston Churchill10 November 1942

We have a new CharterBut so what?What are we to do with it? What next?What lies beyond the

Charter?

The beginning of the middleWe are now starting the

‘middle’ – putting the charter into policy and practice

We are a long way from the ‘end’ healthy universities and colleges . . . and healthy people in healthy communities and societies in a healthy world

The middleThis is not about health promotion IN universities and colleges

This is about making universities and colleges fully health-promoting institutions

But we know they are a long way from that!

Unhealthy universities and collegesWe have heard many examples of ways in which universities and colleges are unhealthy◦Unhealthy buildings◦Environmentally unsustainable ◦Socially isolating, unsupportive, stressful◦ Inequitable◦Unhealthy organisational culture –

hypercompetitive, lacking compassion etc “we are not promoted for being healthy” –

Lancelot Mui This is not acceptable, it has to change

This requires institutional transformationThis is no small taskWe either have to transform the system or replace it with another

BUT its bigger than that!Universities and colleges are part of a larger academic system . . .

. . . that is part of a much larger social, cultural and economic system

We have to transform it all!

More ‘P’sWe have heard many

wonderful examples of policy and practice

More ‘P’s for Mark to add to his list!

The Charter also has its 3 ‘P’s◦“the well‐being of people, places and the planet are interdependent”

But I have even more ‘P’s to add, starting with . . .

Profound questionsPurpose◦What business are we in?

Profit◦What should we gain from universities, from education and from research?

Passion◦What do we really care about? What are we prepared to pour energy into? What is worth fighting for?

Purpose“Our purpose is to be the best

human being possible” – Evan Adams

So the purpose of the university (and the wider society) should be to enable people to be the best human being possible

Its all about human development◦Humane◦Equitable◦Sustainable

Human development – it’s more than healthHow would we define full human development?HappyHealthyUsing their intelligenceInnovative, creative and productiveCaring, supportive, compassionate Tolerant, respectful, peacefulLovingand more . . .

“We should be preparing students for the work of the world, not the world of work” – Jonathan Porritt, 2012

ProfitFor what shall it profit a university, if it shall gain the whole world, and lose its own soul?

(with apologies to Mark 8:36)

What is our bottom line?The economy?◦Is GDP our measure of success?◦Is that our purpose in life?

Or is it people? “the human person is the central subject of development”

Declaration on the Right to Development

UN General Assembly, 1986

Community capital

Social Capit

al

Financial

Capital

Built Capital

Human Capital

Natural Capital

21st century capitalismREAL capitalists increase all five

forms of capital simultaneouslyUniversities need to become REAL

capitalistsThis means they need to ◦Divest from the old economy Start with fossil fuel divestment

◦Invest in the new sustainable, equitable human development-centred economy

◦Take funds only from the new economy

Charter – Shared Vision“Health promoting universities and collegesstrengthen the ecological, social

and economic sustainability of our communities and wider society.”

If we believe this, we have to transform not just universities and colleges, but society as a wholeUniversities and colleges have a

duty to transform the world

Passion and transformation"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead Transformation takes more

than head work, it has to be heart work and gut work

We have to be passionate about this

How do we get there?Address Mark Dooris’ 8 ‘P’s

Multiple transformational roles

The Hummingbird storyIt’s a sailing trip!

Reject 1. Project-ism2. Politeness3. Playing it

safe4. Power

relations5. Playing the

game6. Positioning7. Pathologisati

on8. Parochialism

Enact1. Change organizational

culture 2. Be honest, even blunt3. Challenge the status

quo 4. Challenge power 5. Disrupt the game!6. Situate the university

in its community and the world

7. Keep it salutogenic/restorative

8. See the big picture

Transformational roles –James Robertson, The Sane Alternative, 1978

Demolition role: Speed the breakdown of the old system, by helping to make it inoperable and destroying its credibility

Opposition role: Oppose proposals for change which would lead society in a hyper-expansionist or authoritarian direction

Reforming role: Trying to improve the old system, by . . . making it better and stronger . . . to avert the breakdown of

the old

Construction role: Creating and developing the growth points for a new society

Liberating role: Liberate themselves and others from their present dependence on the existing system of society

Decolonising role: Working to ensure that the old system breaks down as painlessly as possible . . . managing its collapse

Enabling role: Helping other people to take more control over their own lives

Lifestyle role: changing their personal way of life, and helping other people to change theirs

Metaphysical reconstruction role: The paradigm shifters, the ideological revolutionaries . . . exploring and communicating new concepts of power, wealth, work, growth, learning, healing etc.

Strategic role: Recognise that all these different sorts of people will contribute positively to the transformation of society . . . make sure the transformation . . . is a widely understood, widely shared process of conscious evolutionary change

Those whose contribution to the transformation will be negative or neutral Reactionary role: Refuse to

countenance the breakdown of the old system . . . will try to suppress the activities of the people listed above

Pessimistic and cynical role: Having themselves failed in their own attempts to change society in one way or another are confident that no one else will succeed

Academic role: Humble (or superior) observers of what is happening; they enjoy talking about it, writing about it and scoring points off one another about it, but they don't want to take part

Routine practitioners' role: People who just want to get on with their own lives in whatever circumstances happen to exist

The hummingbird story

Wangari Maathaihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw

Hold on to a big vision and take incremental steps

Mark DoorisIt’s a bit like sailing . . .