The ICA Global Archives is a repository documenting decades of the work of the Ecumenical Institute (EI) and the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) — and the historical mission and methods developed since the early 1960s. From that material, a clear picture emerges of a disciplined, participatory, human-centered approach to societal change that is remarkably relevant to this rapidly shifting world.
Here are five core pieces of wisdom for thoughtful, sensitive, and responsive people and movements today to draw from this body of work:
- Change is social and structural and personal
The ICA archives show that real change happens when people understand their own inner orientation and how it connects to collective action. ICA’s work includes spirit re-motivation, inner life, and imaginal education alongside community development and facilitation. This reflects a deep conviction that personal transformation and social transformation are inseparable.
Application today: In a world of systemic shocks (AI, climate, fracturing institutions), any movement grounded only in strategy will lack staying power. Lasting change overlaps inner values with outer action.
- People hold the intelligence of their own future
One of ICA’s fundamental approaches — made explicit in the Facilitation Methods Collection — is that groups already contain the wisdom needed for their own growth. These methods are designed to draw out that intelligence through structured dialogue, not impose solutions from outside.
Application today: Rather than defaulting to hierarchical, top-down solutions, communities and movements can liberate collective intelligence — especially useful in contexts where uncertainty is the norm and no single answer exists.
- “Changing the image changes the action”
This phrase — which appears throughout ICA archives and writings — captures a powerful insight:
The ways people imagine a situation shape how they respond to it. It is about imaginal education — cultivating new ways of seeing that open possibilities where previously there were only problems.
Application today: With global narratives dominated by fear, fragmentation, and competition, a shift in how people frame crises can actually unlock new, more creative and collaborative responses. This extends beyond optimism — it’s about clarity of vision.
- Structural reformulation is necessary alongside practical action
ICA’s archived collections are organized around three strategies:
- Structural reformulation — rethinking the systems that govern life,
- Contextual re-education — helping communities redefine their understanding of conditions,
- Spirit re-motivation — renewing commitment and inner resilience.
Application today: Addressing complex global issues (e.g., climate change, inequality) cannot rely solely on tactical fixes. It requires structural redesign in how organizations make decisions, how communities relate to resources, and how values guide choices.
- Conscious facilitation and participation are tools for democracy
ICA’s archives document methods of engagement and facilitation that have been applied in citizen participation, community development, and even nation building around the world. These are not abstract ideals — they are practical tools for collective action.
Instead of defaulting to adversarial politics or technocratic expertise, ICA’s approach assumes that:
- Inclusivity increases legitimacy
- Participation builds ownership
- Dialogue enables shared understanding
Application today: In a moment when democracies are under strain and polarization is high, learning how to facilitate meaningful participation — rather than merely win arguments — may be one of the most valuable forms of social wisdom.
Bonus insight: history matters as memory for the future
The very act of preserving archives — stories, methods, memoirs, case studies — reflects a commitment to learning from experience rather than repeatedly reinventing the wheel. The ICA archives make that memory accessible to people in different places and times.
Application today: With rapid change, losing memory is a huge risk. Movements today can benefit from historical consciousness — keeping institutional and social memory alive even as circumstances evolve.
In summary
The ICA Global Archives point to a participatory, human-centered, reflective model of social change that insists on inner clarity, collective intelligence, and structural awareness as essential complements to action. This set of practices and values helps bridge:
- individual transformation and collective power,
- local context and global learning,
- imagination and social responsibility.
These insights are not just old ideas revisited — they are frameworks adaptable to the complexities of the 21st century.