What is Culture, and why is the Activist its specialist?

How we live is determined, at its core, by how we think. The concepts and ideals we hold dear create the framework for how we act, and our actions perpetuate our ideals. We do this by standing up for what we believe in, by treating others in the ways we believe appropriate, and by discussing with those around us how we move forward. This becomes our culture, and these are different in every society. 

Yet a healthy culture is not one that is dominated by a prevalent mindset, but one that adapts as it comes across new and better ways of being, growing and evolving through education, empathy and awareness, rather than at the mercy of our unconsidered reactions.

Because culture has such an impact on what and how we think, it’s important for us to do our best to remain open-minded. Providing civics education, moving towards ethical fashion, and implementing media watchdogs are three simple ways we can make our culture more supportive toward future focused notions. 

The Activist is the Specialist of the Culture sector because activism is the foremost driver of social and people-focused change in any society. There are lots of well used phrases about our voices being louder together, but the truth is that every great step forward in social change that brought about the end of damaging Practices in the developed world (be it slavery, rights for women or minorities, abolishing child labour, the adoption of the eight hour work day, minimum wage or many, many other examples) were all built on the back of many years of activism, swaying the minds of those who believe that the world can, and should, be better than it is. Did you know that nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change?

It is our hope at SDR that climate activism will one day be added to the list of successful activism that has created worldwide change, and with the response to the IPCC report, we’re already seeing success across multiple fronts.

As with all sectors, of course, Culture cannot work alone. The network of support created by all six sectors is necessary for change.

What We Say Can Change The World

Representing the Culture sector is the team behind the documentary 2040, who not only have supported and encouraged us from very early on in the project, but were also the direct inspiration and seed for Earth Rising.

Without their efforts to spread their message, Earth Rising wouldn’t exist.

This more than anything is proof that no matter who you are or what your message, the society we live in today provides us with the tools to not only reach others with our passions, but also to inspire them to create their own works.

Will Earth Rising inspire other game designers to make sustainable, future-focused and hopeful games? We can’t say for sure, but the possibility is there!

Our game has come a long way since we played with them in February 2020, but their support has been strong ever since, and we’d like to take a moment to thank them for their support, guidance, and for sharing their own research and knowledge they used to make their film with us, so we could make Earth Rising a realistic representation of what the Culture sector needs to function sustainably, and encourage other sectors to transition to a better future.

Before we go, why not read about the incredible journey the Activist went on through their design, and the community driven guidance we received to make them stand for more than we ever expected? It’s all detailed in our blog post: Lessons Learned From The Activist!(coming soon)

Want to read more on the characters of Earth Rising? Click their names below to jump to them!

The Eco Investor	The Grass Roots Politician	The Climatologist	The Ecologist	The Innovator