Discovering the Hope Model

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Why Hope, Why Now?

‍In a world increasingly shaped by crisis, fragmentation, and uncertainty, the Beyond Lab asked a provocative question: Are we shaping the future, or merely managing the collapse of the present? The Hope Project is a response to this moment, arguing that hope is not a soft or passive feeling but a strategic tool for systemic transformation. It can offer clarity amid complexity and act as the invisible social glue that reconnects us to purpose, action, and each other.
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What Is the Hope Model?

‍The Hope Model is the result of extensive research spanning political theory, affective sciences, social psychology, history, permaculture, and more. It maps how individuals can regain agency through collective action, offering a new way to understand and practice hope as a dynamic process.

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The Hope Model in Brief: From Challenge to Transformation

A Systemic Shift: The model begins with the identification of a systemic challenge, deep-rooted, recurring issues within a social system that generate harm. The innovation lies in how the model addresses not only technical but emotional dimensions of these challenges.

Affective Scaffolding At the heart of the model is "affective scaffolding", the emotional and relational support needed to hold difficult conversations and nurture trust. This foundation enables two critical forms of identity work:

• Recategorization: Building a new "we" among people with different roles and perspectives.
• Decategorization: Honoring individual experiences without erasing difference.

Solidarity and Alignment Affective scaffolding gives rise to two essential processes: emotional solidarity (shared investment in each other’s struggles) and cognitive alignment (a shared sense of what is happening and what needs to change). Together, these conditions foster collective intelligence and unlock imaginative capacity.

Systemic Ambition and Action Imagination leads to systemic ambition: the willingness to challenge and redefine the boundaries of our systems. When this ambition takes root, it generates actionable solutions at three levels:

• Individual: Personal shifts in perspective or communication.
• Internal: Group-level changes in structure or dynamics.
• External: Actions that influence systems and structures beyond the group.
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Applying the Model

‍While the methodology phase is still in development, the Hope Model has already informed several Beyond Lab initiatives:

• Beyond Action Platform: A participatory space featuring a magazine, podcast, and creative challenges for diverse contributors.
• Narrative-based Podcast (soon to be launched): Highlighting change-makers' life stories to inspire collective reflection and action.
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What's Next? ‍

The next phase will focus on formalizing the Hope Method, turning the model into a practical toolkit for negotiations, policy-making, organizational transformation and more. Trainings and workshops are also being planned.

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Final Thought

‍Hope, as the Beyond Lab reminds us, is not about denying difficulty. It is about facing it with honesty, empathy, and care, and still choosing to imagine and build something better. In the words of Albert Camus:

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer."

Stay Connected

‍Explore the Beyond Action platform, read the magazine, or contribute your own perspective.