Peace and Justice through Proximity
​Proximity is about learning to get closer, see closer and be closer to self, others, and the organizations we belong to. There are many reasons why humans naturally choose to remain less self-aware, distanced, and safe. Creating proximity means intentionally fostering opportunities for human connection and belonging. Nearness brings knowledge of each others stories, experiences, and perspectives that can humanize and provide context for our decisions and ways of being. Creating proximity within intentionally restorative workspaces can lead to workplace connections that promote greater empathy, communication, and collaboration. Leaders who maximize human potential, promote healthy relationships, and set clear expectations for how to resolve conflict achieve higher business outcomes. We work with leaders to help shape organizational culture and enhance institutional effectiveness by inviting everyone to participate to their fullest potential.
How do we Create Proximity?
We believe that peace and justice is best fostered at the intersection of Restorative Practices, Social Justice, and Intercultural Understanding.
​Restorative Practices provide the tools for strengthening relationships and repairing harm when it happens.
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Social Justice addresses the organizational structures and societal conditions that cause systemic harm.
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Intercultural Understanding helps us develop the skills to listen respectfully and communicate effectively across cultures and complex lines of difference. ​
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Together these components provide a comprehensive framework for co-creating more just and peaceful organizations where skills are developed that allow us to feel more connected to ourselves, to each other, and to our organizations.
What is proximity and why does it matter in the pursuit of peace and justice?
Proximity, as the definition suggests, is nearness. Creating proximity is about how nearness to self, others, and the organization can enhance employee wellbeing and institutional effectiveness. Proximity happens with and without conscious intention. Our brains are wired to organize ourselves and others in our environments according to power, affinity, and status. When leaders create proximity, we take responsibility for the way systems and structures enhance or inhibit employee relationships and wellbeing. Proximity matters because through sustaining systems that promote learning to get closer, see closer, and be closer to ourselves, others, and the organization, we can develop greater empathy, communication, and collaboration leading to more effective business outcomes.
Does the proximity principle work the same way across cultures?
Yes and no. Everybody's brain is hard-wired to survive, no matter where you come from or what era you evolved in. Survival strategy means that we naturally associate with people we perceive to have like interests and identities; birds of a feather flock together, as the saying goes. Across every culture, people tell stories that shape our ideas about who belongs in and who should be kept out. However, proximity principles as they relate to power distance and who is allowed near, and what nearness means, vary widely across cultures. Spaces also have different meanings across cultures including who gathers, where we gather, and the purpose of gathering. The proximity principle in relationships also varies across cultures. Some people find it odd and uncomfortable to share personal stories with their colleagues while others are naturally more willing, and even eager to do so. Everybody's different, and being near feels different for everyone. That's why developing Intercultural Understanding and a respect for and appreciation of difference is so important.
Can proximity cause harm?
Yes! Any time we choose to get closer, see closer, and be closer we create new possibilities of conflict and harm. Physical, emotional, or spiritual self-examination can be painful, but reflection and praxis that challenges our programming creates the awareness we need to learn and grow. Inviting people to get closer to each other without creating intentionally safe-er spaces and providing the tools for strengthening relationships and repairing harm can cause further mistrust and distancing. Promoting proximity with well intended diversity efforts without dedicated commitment to dismantling systems of oppression can cause more harm. That's why we seek to nurture connections at the intersection of restorative practices, social justice, and intercultural understanding.
When is proximity not enough?
Sometimes "getting proximate" to the lived experiences and perspectives of others is not enough to shift mindsets in ways that create more inclusive organizational cultures. The kind of proximity promoted through insincere diversity efforts, also called "body integration" or "tokenism," is not enough to foster authentic, identity affirming human connections.That's why we acknowledge diversity in organizations as a fact: people with a wide range of identities and beliefs are already working together in close proximity. Developing awareness of Intercultural Understanding and the hidden aspects of the "cultural iceberg" as well as understanding social justice and the structural elements that inform power dynamics are critical for bringing people who work closely together into more balanced, symmetrical relationship dynamics that honor and value the unique contributions and wellbeing of everyone. Creating proximity among people who are already close together requires shifts in mindset, understanding, and committment.
Joys and Challenges of Creating Proximity for Peace and Justice
How does co-creating peace and justice enhance organizational effectiveness?
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Organizational cultures that maximize human potential achieve higher business outcomes
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Organizational cultures that promote healthy relationships achieve higher business outcomes
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Organizational cultures that are diverse, inclusive, equitable, and just achieve higher business outcomes
Proximity as a Design Principle
In visual design, the principle of proximity establishes intuitive connections between different parts of a composition. Because the brain perceives elements that are close to each other as related, designers, teachers, and leaders can use the proximity principle to convey information, strengthen healthy connections, and create a more cohesive organizational culture. Proximity in design applies to diverse elements - in paintings, elements could include line, color, texture, shape, and form; or in graphic design: headings, body text, graphics, images, illustrations, icons; and in a workplace: space allocation, teacher's lounge, team dynamics, and even Steve Job’s principle of the water cooler, which encourages informal encounters among employees that lead to innovative and creative ideas. The placement of people and elements within a space communicate both subtle and overt messages about its purpose and who belongs.
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Our brains make thousands of decisions every day, many of which aren’t obvious to us. Proximity relies on the brain’s capacity for quick decision-making. It can often override other design principles or aspects of visual processing. That's why creating proximity can be useful for overcoming deeply rooted implicit biases, or assumptions that we make about each other informed by stereotypes or fear and perpetuated by distance and othering. Each member of the organization makes meaning from proximity intuitively, and meaning-making shapes organizational culture. Leaders can co-create more just and peaceful organizations when there is alignment between the organization’s mission and core values and the way people, systems, and structures within an organization experience proximity with one another.
“There is power in proximity.
When you get proximate to people who are suffering, you can wrap your arms around them, and you will be empowered with the belief that you can change the world. This will allow you to change the world.”
-Bryan Stevenson
