Holding Hands Doughnut

Overview

This tool is designed as a reflective activity for individuals. If desired, it can be shared as part of a group too.  The aim is to introduce people to the Doughnut, its boundaries, and when it is in balance. It doesn’t require any specialist props, or previous knowledge about Doughnut Economics.

Who is it for?

 It can be done anywhere. It can be done at any time, but it comes really well as a reflection exercise before or after the Hello Doughnut! learning tool sessions. 

How long does it take?

Between 10 to 20 minutes. It allows for flexibility so you can adjust as per your needs!

How many people is it for?

This activity is designed for groups between 15 and 30 people

What materials do I need?

Nothing!

Acknowledgements

This activity was inspired by an activity created by Nina Lillelien from Volden Skole, Tønsberg, Norway.

Preparations

Consider how you want to introduce the activity.  

Welcome and Introductions
If you are a facilitator in an education setting using this exercise as part of a lesson, start by welcoming everyone, then give an overview of the lesson and how it fits in the context of the class’ learning journey. If you are a facilitator using this guide as a workshop, start by welcoming everyone, introducing yourself and giving an overview of the activity. Then, depending on how much people know each other, invite the participants to introduce themselves in whichever way you feel is appropriate. There are many wonderful ways to do this that help people feel safe, included and welcome. See seedsforchange.org/resources for examples.

Step by Step - 5 to 7 year olds

Step one - welcome, let’s make one big perfect circle - how perfect can we make it? 

Step two - make the Doughnut and introduce the idea of what it is all about: Yes we are going to create a doughnut… and here’s how:

Step three - Let’s create a circle of hands. Let’s take a step further and further but try to hold on to each other. What’s happening? How does it feel? Are you now just-touching fingertips? [ask children to shout out and the facilitator can amplify words/ideas being shouted out].  This circle represents Earth’s, our planet's boundaries and its limits - where we don’t put much pressure on the planet - boundaries identified and defined by clever Earth Scientists -. If we go beyond the planetary boundaries it's like going through the ceiling - it breaks, which means that we go beyond a healthy limit and are putting too much pressure on the planet; risking everything that supports our life on this planet.

Step four - Now drop your arms. Let’s create a circle shoulder to shoulder - keep inching in until you can’t go any closer unless someone will buckle. What’s happening? How does it feel? [ask children to shout out and the facilitator can amplify words/ideas being shouted out].  ... this circle represents the Social Foundation identified by very clever people - and it represents the essential needs and its limits where everybody should be to live a happy life. No one around the world should be in the ‘hole’. But billions of people are still falling short on these needs, the essentials of life.

Step five - So let’s come back to two boundaries. Standing together. Here we all are - bounded by two sets of limits, essentials for a happy life(walk in, inching towards each other = small circle) and healthy planetary boundary (walk out, holding hands towards the big circle). 

Step six-concluding insights. Getting into the doughnut means living within the doughnut-shaped space. The space between the planet boundaries(open up arms to signify outer circle) and the limits where everybody should have the essentials of life (hug yourself to signify the inner circle). We want to be in the yummy part of the doughnut, the space in between the two circles, is the fair space for all. It's the delicious perfect balance! Where no one is in the hole -making sure everyone has what they need to live happy, and we don’t go overboard - like using too many resources or harming the environment; we protect all living things on the planet.

This is what the Doughnut is all about! 

**If running this activity after Hello doughnut! Learning tool session, link this concluding part to what was discussed during the lesson

Step by step - 8 to 11 year olds

Step one - welcome, let’s make one big perfect circle - how perfect can we make it? 

Step two - make the Doughnut and introduce the idea of what it is all about. Yes we are going to create a doughnut… and here’s how. We’ll go round the ring calling out a pattern: planet - people - people (you can sing or express as you like!). If you say ‘people’, take one big step in. Demo with the first few, then it runs… 

Step three - Big circle group: let’s create a circle of hands - these are the Planetary Boundaries and their limits - where we don’t put much pressure on the planet, identified and defined by clever Earth Scientists -. Take a step further and further but try to hold on to each other. What’s happening? How does it feel? Are you now just-touching fingertips? [ask people to shout out and the facilitator can amplify words/ideas being shouted out].  If we go beyond the planetary boundaries it's like going through the ceiling - it breaks, which means that we go beyond a healthy limit and are putting too much pressure on the planet; risking everything that supports our life on this planet.

Step four - Small circle group: let’s create an inner circle shoulder to shoulder - keep inching in until you can’t go any closer unless someone will buckle ... this is the Social Foundation identified by very clever people - and it represents the essential needs and its limits where everybody should be to live a happy life. No one around the world should be in the ‘hole’. What’s happening? How does it feel? [ask people to shout out and the facilitator can amplify words/ideas being shouted out].  But billions of people are still falling short on these needs, the essentials of life.

Step five - So let’s come back to two boundaries. Standing together. Here we all are - bounded by two sets of limits, essentials for a happy life(point small circle) and healthy planetary boundary (point big circle). Now I invite you to drop your arms, step out of the Doughnut shape and start moving around the space. Now take a brief moment to think about “something in nature that you love and hope to never lose” (1 min; e.g. beach, waves, trees, bees, pets, etc) - invite a few to shout out their reflections. Now reflect on “something that you are grateful for” (1 min; e.g. my grandma, yummy breakfast this morning, teachers, etc) - invite a few to shout out their reflections.  Now reflect on “a gift, a magic power, that you bring to this world- be it a talent or skill or idea or experience - that can help bring everyone into the doughnut” (1 min; e.g.  ). Ask for a few reflections from the group.

Step seven-concluding insights. On first seeing the doughnut people sometimes say but I don’t like boundaries I want to break right through them. Some boundaries are indeed for breaking through - unkindness, discrimination, unjust laws - but many boundaries exist to protect the health and life of delicately balanced environmental and social systems of our world. The yummy part of the doughnut, the space in between the two circles, is the fair space for all. It's the delicious perfect balance! Where no one is in the hole -making sure everyone has what they need to live happily, and we don’t go overboard - like using too many resources or harming the environment; we protect all living things on the planet. This is what the Doughnut is all about!

**If running this activity after Hello doughnut! Learning tool session, link this concluding part to what was discussed during the lesson

Step by Step - 12 to 18 year olds

Step one - welcome, let’s make one big perfect circle - how perfect can we make it? Let’s marvel at the power of humans to self organise…

Step two - make the Doughnut and introduce the limits. Yes we are going to create a doughnut… and here’s how. We’ll go round the ring calling out a pattern: planet - people - people (you can sing or express as you like!). If you say ‘people’, take one big step in. Demo with the first few, then it runs… 

Step three - Big circle group: let’s create a circle of hands - these are the Planetary Boundaries and their limits, identified and defined by Earth System Scientists-. Take a step further and further but try to hold on to each other. What’s happening? How does it feel? Are you now just-touching fingertips? [ask people to shout out and the facilitator can amplify words/ideas being shouted out].  If we go beyond the planetary boundaries the ecological ceiling breaks and fragments, which undermines the life-supporting systems of the planet bringing unknown collapse. 

Step four - Small circle group: let’s create an inner circle shoulder to shoulder - keep inching in until you can’t go any closer unless someone will buckle ... this is the Social Foundation and it’s inner limit, crowdsourced from the UN Sustainable Development Goals so everyone around the world has a claim to these. What’s happening? How does it feel? [ask people to shout out and the facilitator can amplify words/ideas being shouted out].  But billions of people are falling short on these needs, the essentials of life - not one dimension being met by all.

Step five - So let’s come back to two boundaries. Standing together. Here we all are - bounded by two sets of limits, social (point small circle) and ecological (point big circle). The yummy part of the doughnut, the space in between the two circles, is the fair space for all. It's the delicious perfect balance! Where no one is in the hole -making sure everyone has what they need to live happily, and we don’t go overboard - like using too many resources or harming the environment; we protect all living things on the planet… Now I invite you to drop your arms, step out of the Doughnut shape and start moving around the space. Now make pairs and reflect on “a natural that you love and hope to never lose” (2 mins each; raise hand return to plenary) - move around and form a new pair…  now reflect on “something that you are grateful for that enabled you to be here today that not everyone has the privilege or opportunity to have” (2 mins each; raise hand return to plenary) - move around and form a new pair… now reflect on “a gift that you bring to this work - be it a talent or skill or idea or experience or question - that can help bring us into the doughnut” (2 mins each; raise hand return to plenary). Ask for a few reflections from the group.

Step six - limits unleash creativity. Lastly I invite three people to share a reflection - it could be an observation, a new insight, a question, an aspiration…. And— the rule is that in order to speak you have to take a lap of the inside of the doughnut - imagine what a rare opportunity that is! To run around in the safe and just space for humanity! (And of course you can walk if you prefer). So when people raise their hand to speak, they either walk or run right round the ring of the doughnut in order to get to share - 3 people come up to share an insight.

Step eight - concluding insights. Getting into the doughnut means living within the doughnut-shaped space (point space between each circle) that is both ecologically safe and socially just – a space in which humanity can thrive. Feel the tension of this dynamic and also the possibilities…On first seeing the doughnut people sometimes say but I don’t like boundaries I want to break right through them. Some boundaries are indeed for breaking through - the glass ceiling, racial segregation, unjust laws - but many boundaries exist to protect the health and life of delicately balanced biological and social systems. How can we work in ways that innovate within these boundaries? This is what the Doughnut is all about! 

**If running this activity after Hello doughnut! Learning tool session, link this concluding part to what was discussed during the lesson