The fragile state we’re in

“We, like lace, make up the very fabric of society, the tapestry of togetherness that consists of holes, but also of threads that tie us together until the end of time. The more we embrace our fragility and shared sufferings, the more boundaries we overcome, until the light can’t help but pour on in.” 

– Kayla Severson

This content-packed edition of Jericho Notices celebrates recent work with clients and communities, helping them navigate fragility and achieve meaningful change, in search of the common good. It’s about a 4-minute read (unless you hit the links!).

If you like what you are reading and are interested in working with Jericho, please drop us a mail.

The Caring Society

Capturing the purpose of Jericho’s most recently launched coalition with Grant Thornton, this article by Alex Khaldi is a call to re-think, re-design and reclaim the meaning of Adult Social Care for the 21st century. The initial roundtable discussion, marking the first step in the Caring Society programme, highlighted the challenges facing future funding, the role of the state and how we prevent the obstacles faced from stifling “imagination, reflection and critique” in this growing sector.

Future of Retail

In conversation with Jericho Partner Matthew Gwyther, Justin King, ex-CEO of Sainsbury’s and Vice Chairman of Terra Firma, expressed similar fragility sentiments regarding the vulnerabilities of UK retail. Justin argues that there needs to be a reset in the power dynamic between landlords and retailers and sensible, long-term conversations taking place – or we risk this issue becoming a “tipping point” in the plight of the UK High Street.

The complete discussion can be listened to in two parts below:

Fragility & Future of the Professions

A roundtable discussion convened by Jericho and investment bank Stifel in late October discussed a confluence of recent factors that have “crystallised fragility” in Professional Services, including an explicit and growing lack of trust in experts and underlying concerns regarding the structural stability of capital law firms. The next events in the series are imminent – do get in touch if you would like to be involved.

Whether in the Professional Services or in PR (“an industry, never a profession”), Robert Phillips expresses the need to “welcome dissent into the heart of the decision-making process”. In a recent podcast interview for the Holmes Report, Robert argues that the PR industry “designed, historically, to enforce either the black or the white” is no longer fit for purpose in a world of “infinite shades of grey”. In a subsequent article for PR Week, Robert takes issue with the abuse of the word “progressive” by PR firms selling “fake purpose” instead of working to achieve meaningful societal change.

Jericho’s commitment to bringing dissenting voices to the table – discussed in Robert’s article – is exemplified by its long-standing work, in partnership with KPMG, on Responsible Tax. The “vulnerable, dissenting, accountable, co-produced” approach has helped create robust principles and policies outside the usual echo chamber – outcome examples can be found in the collaborative publications ‘Responsbile Tax and the Developing World‘ (2017) and, most recently, the ‘What to Tax?‘.

Listen to Robert’s full interview on the importance of Responsible Tax as a benchmark model for Responsible Business below:

And, for the latest thinking on Responsible Tax, check out this piece from KPMG’s global Head of Tax Policy, Chris Morgan.

Theories of Change – Free Markets & The Bureaucratic State

Jericho partner and Chair of good society pressure group, Compass, Neal Lawson has been working on a new theory of change based around fresh forms of collaborative action. 45 Degree Change is bottom-up meeting top-down; the vertical state and horizontal newly emerging social, economic and political practices:

Over the next few months, Compass and Rethinking Poverty – a legacy project of the Webb Memorial Trust – will start to explore this meeting point between the state, local and national, and new bottom-up initiatives to overcome the fragility of our currently highly centralised state, representing the “fault-line through which a new society can and must be born”. Neal has been instrumental in developing a similar Theory of Change for business – a Jericho commitment.

Future of the Charitable Sector – and the end of austerity?

The Caring Society initiative is the eighth major coalition in Jericho’s short history – following in the footsteps of Responsible Tax, Future of Work is Human, Moving the City for Good, London Ideas, and others. The ninth programme, run on behalf of John Lyon’s Charity, is set to launch in early 2019, focused on charity and philanthropy and their relationship to the state – and asking, in the first, instance, what the “end of austerity” really means for young people and frontline children’s services?

We are currently building the initial community to tackle the issue and develop dynamic new ideas. If you would like to get involved, please get in touch. Lynne Guyton, JLC CEO, sets out some of the arguments and a framework for what lies ahead in this important piece.

… And, Finally….

The Future of Work is Human initiative continues to flourish. The latest in a series of events asked whether robots are actually good for our economic health. The Future of Work is Human Literary Festival takes place at Southwark Cathedral on January 29 2019. Space is limited and tickets are going fast. If you would like to join in, please drop us a line.

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Please do reach out if you would like to participate in one of our programmes and coalitions – or build a new one; contribute to an article or podcast; or if you are interested in developing a new communications and content strategy for your organisation, based on Jericho principles, and a belief that there is always a better way.

 

Rebecca Perrin

Programme Executive & Content Manager