“I hear courage and it makes me feel more courageous and want to do more”, shared one participant in the last Flamingo Collective global community gathering.
January 2026 arrived in a flash and, paradoxically, passed just as quickly, yet it seemed to linger. The new year has only just begun, and already it feels as though more has happened in the world than one can possibly absorb — from the streets of Minneapolis, where people gather to sing together and protect their neighbors from the brutality of U.S. immigration forces, to the ongoing wars and fear that continue to tear the world apart. At times, weeks felt like months, so intense and relentless were the events unfolding. And in the midst of it all, the Flamingo Collective held our community call on January 15.
Our gathering ended with a simple truth: humanity moves people; stories and images move people. So we came together to share them, and in doing so, to strengthen our community spirit.
Looking Back and Looking Forward
We began by reflecting on the past and turning our gaze toward the future, focusing on active hope and celebration. Through a storytelling session, we highlighted powerful stories of transformative change — the kind of meaningful work that is happening all around us, yet rarely makes the headlines.
We asked ourselves:
– What creates a tipping point? What conditions make change possible?
– What holds us back?
The responses were honest and layered. Crisis. Fear.
And yet, we are also moved by solidarity and our shared humanity — by the power of stories and images. We challenge ourselves to remain open to one another, even when it feels difficult. We recognize the need for new ways of organizing: not only reacting to what happens around us, but building from a place of empowerment and intention.
Scarcity — Structural and Embodied
Across our organisational development work, the language of scarcity is ever-present.
Scarcity of funding, political space, time, and capacity. But what we are noticing is that scarcity is not only structural — it lives in the body. Leaders are carrying exhaustion. Teams are holding uncertainty. Organisations are processing loss while still delivering.
Protecting energy is becoming the most important leadership work.
Bulgaria: a Case of Desperation and Hope
Massive, peaceful anti-government protests erupted across Bulgaria in response to the proposed 2026 budget that raised taxes and increased the salaries of the security apparatus followed by the resignation of the government.
Bulgaria faces entrenched corruption and state capture, with political power concentrated in the hands of a few elites. The media landscape is highly concentrated and often controlled by oligarchs or state-linked entities, leading to self-censorship and limited independence. Freedom of speech suffers as a result, with Bulgaria ranking 70th out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index and 25th among EU nations. Civil society remains active but struggles to influence policy.
Against this backdrop, in December 2025, Bulgarians took to the streets in unprecedented mass protests—36 years after the fall of the communist regime—against corruption, state capture, and the arrogance of mediocre politicians who, without any scruples, treated the people as if they didn’t matter. What made these protests even more remarkable was the presence of Generation Z, joining in large numbers for the first time. And for a change, this was not only in Sofia, but across the whole country.
People Continued to Share Stories of Inspiration.
‘I participated in anti war marches in 2003 on Iraq but our government still went in. I was inspired by the Bulgarian story because it shows that it is still possible to deliver change. I’d lost hope in marches and petitions and actions like that.’
‘These things take time and never end’
‘They are waiting for us to be tired’
‘Marches are not just for impact, they also have an effect on people that is powerful: you get hope from protests because you’re not alone, because there are many courageous people willing to give up their time and get out there and even take risks. I heard a man at the Red Line protest in Brussels last June on the phone to his friend in Paris and he was saying ‘You wouldn’t believe how many white people have come out in Brussels for Gaza’. He had tears in his eyes.’
Moving Forward
Beyond the feelinghe togetherness, the aliveness, we take with us the useful reminder to:
- Start Small: Begin with intimate circles—singing circles, discussion groups—where people who care can find and support each other.
- Build Solidarity: Embrace shared values like “My voice, my choice,” and learn from movements abroad, like Belgium’s diverse anti-austerity efforts.
- Draw Inspiration: Take courage from symbols and stories—like the card that opened the conversation, representing courage, trust, curiosity, and the Celtic goddess of life.
- Celebrate Differences: Recognise that it’s our differences that make communities strong and beautiful.
Because even in times of limited funding, imagination and co-creation remain powerful resources.
We’d love to hear from you:
Join the conversation in our next COMMUNITY MEET-UP!