Eco-strengths
Source
Laura Ducastel, Sabrina Tacchini
Introduction
“Eco-forces in Action” is a cooperative game that encourages players to explore their personal and collective strengths to contribute to contemporary socio-ecological challenges. It aims to connect self-knowledge, agency, and world transformation, by identifying how our inner resources can become levers for engagement.
Character strengths refer to a “family of positive traits, reflected in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Parks, 2004). Unlike other personality traits or qualities, the characteristic of character strengths is that they are morally valued and embodied by actions or institutions across all cultures. Another essential distinction of these strengths is that they must bring pleasure or energy to the person when they have the opportunity to use them. Otherwise, it is not a strength!
Based on the typology of 24 character strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004), the game “Eco-forces in Action” highlights individual and collective human strengths that enable work towards addressing the socio-environmental challenges of our era, described as the “Anthropocene.” The eco-forces have been adapted by researchers and psychologists Laura Ducastel and Sabrina Tacchini to actively confront socio-ecological transformations and to act together sustainably, while finding enjoyment in the process.
Objectives
By the end of the activity, participants will be able to:
- identify their personal strengths (eco-forces);
- understand how these strengths can be mobilized to address socio-ecological issues;
- strengthen their sense of agency;
- imagine concrete, individual, and collective actions;
- connect their aspirations to a broader contribution to the world.
Required Resources
- “Eco-forces” cards (or adapted list of strengths)
- “Action!” cards (optional)
- Paper and pens
- Group discussion space
Activities
Individual Use
- Review the deck of cards and identify the strengths that characterize you by classifying them into 3 categories: whether this eco-force corresponds to you “a little,” “a lot,” or “not at all.”
- Take the “a lot” pile and select only 3 to 7 strengths (usually 5), then identify the contexts where these tend to be concretely expressed.
- To go further, you can practice consciously using one of your signature strengths daily and in a new way.
Collective Use
- Identify an issue, a project, an intention, or a problem that your group (permanent or temporary) would like to address.
- Together, identify one or more signature strengths (1 to 3 per person) for each group member.
- Using the “Action!” cards, see how these strengths, when combined, can be concretely expressed for the project or intention you have chosen.
- Exchange ideas and co-construct possible actions.