We're living through a polycrisis—climate change, inequality, migration, polarization—all interconnected and seemingly insurmountable. But what if the solution isn't top-down policy or technological fixes? What if it's about transforming how we see ourselves: from passive consumers to active citizens?

👉 Find the full playlist of episodes HERE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO6l9CNQoSFdYrSofAAHBcTdsnpYk8iYg ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ruth is a UK-based social innovator and community builder, best known for founding The Canvas Café—a not-for-profit, vegan café and creative venue in Shoreditch, East London (2014–2022). The Canvas became a vital safe space, offering free meals to disadvantaged and homeless locals and hosting up to 60 free community events per month. When the pandemic forced The Canvas's closure, Ruth channelled her commitment into broader grassroots activism. She now serves as Programme Manager for the charity Community Organisers and oversees the growth of the Humanity Project, a bottom-up popular assembly movement. Ruth is also a mother of two young children, and her work remains rooted in the belief that humans are amazing when given the space and opportunity to connect and collaborate.

Today, expect to learn :

• Why we've evolved from subjects to consumers but struggle to become citizens.
• How disconnection breeds fear, division, and the crises we face globally.
• What happens when you create spaces that transform consumers into active community members.
• Why assembly culture and deliberative democracy might be our path forward.
• Why people will want to contribute when given the right environment.
• What it means to build "spaces" that aren't just physical but emotional and conceptual.
• How to overcome the anxiety and fear that keeps us isolated and passive.
• Why small acts of connection can build the "muscle" needed for larger civic engagement.
• How grassroots movements like the Humanity Project are creating bottom-up change.
• What it looks like to participate in popular assemblies and citizen-led democracy.
• Why we need to stop waiting for systems to solve problems and start acting as citizens ourselves.

W H A T T O D O N E X T :

GUEST LINKS ~

WEBSITE: https://thecanvascafe.org

LINKEDIN: https://linkedin.com/in/ruth-canvas-cafe

COMMUNITY ORGANISERS: https://communityorganisers.org.uk

HUMANITY PROJECT: https://humanityproject.uk

HOST LINKS ~

WEBSITE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sevenjacobs.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

SUBSTACK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sevenjacobs.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

SOCIALS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mainpage.me/seven.jacobs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

SHOW LINKS ~

WEBSITE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sevenjacobs.com/lost-and-searching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@lostandsearchingpodcast

ALL EPISODES (Spotify): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/lostandsearching

ALL EPISODES (Apple): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lost-and-searching/id1771369908⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

SOURCES & JARGON BUSTER:

● Polycrisis: Interconnected global challenges that cannot be addressed in isolation

● Citizens' Assembly: Representative group of citizens convened to deliberate on public issues

● Third Places: Social environments separate from home and work, vital for community building