Getting at a complex issue like domestic and sexual abuse and sexual exploitation or disrupting the structures of abuse requires an understanding of how change actually happens. Sagesse has developed a Blueprint for Change that reflects our thinking about the causal linkages between domestic abuse and other issues and what conditions need to be in place in order to create actual change.

What We Know

  • Status quo approaches to address domestic abuse are not effective. Domestic abuse rates are high, yet programs and practices remain static.
  • The intersections of structures of abuse are intrinsically linked to domestic abuse (i.e., sexism, racism, classism, etc.).
  • When people, organizations and systems come together to develop meaningful connections, it sets in motion a process of renewal, restoration and rejuvenation.

What If?

We asked ourselves, what if we facilitate and curate processes of deconstruction and reconstruction, could we effectively disrupt the structures of abuse?

It is this hypothesis that leads our planning and decision-making at Sagesse. The Blueprint for Change connects the dots – and keeps us grounded – around why we choose certain activities and what we are trying to accomplish. It’s bold. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Blueprint for Change