Julia Roig: Play, Power, and Paradigm Shifts: The Art of Weaving a Just Future

Feb 13

Julia Roig: Play, Power, and Paradigm Shifts: The Art of Weaving a Just Future

In this episode, Kristine sits down with Julia Roig of The Horizons Project to explore how “weaving” is the secret sauce to effective partnering, organizing, and collaborating. And in this moment, it’s what will help us sustain our movement and save democracy. They dive into the power of connection, the role of courageous action, and why play is essential in serious work. If you're looking for inspiration, fresh strategies, and a reminder that joy fuels resilience, this episode is for you!

Key Takeaways:

Sometimes weaving looks like an artist at a loom, other times it’s more like a spider drifting and connecting between nodes. All of it suggests gathering ideas and inspiration from multiple sources.
Play, joy, and creativity are not distractions but powerful tools for sustaining activism and deepening relationships.
Courageous action must be both local and relational, focusing on repairing divides rather than reinforcing them.
Organizing across networks instead of within silos is key to countering authoritarian threats and strengthening democracy.
Large-scale change happens when people intentionally listen, bridge divides, and create spaces for new possibilities.
Resistance and bridge-building are not opposing forces—they must happen together to create lasting transformation.
Today’s political moment is a chance to build new coalitions, disrupt complacency, and inspire broader participation.

"I truly believe that whatever movement we’re building right now, it has to be reparative. We’re repairing society at the same time that we’re building this future democracy that we want." — Julia Roig

"You’ve got to build trust in order to perhaps even be a provocateur in some of the spaces. Because I think some of the weaving work really entails a lot of provocation." — Julia Roig

"We are hospicing a dying way of life while we give birth to a new way of being in the world." — Julia Roig

More about Julia Roig:

Julia Roig is the Founder & Chief Network Weaver of the Horizons Project, with over 30 years of experience in democratic change and conflict transformation. She spent 14 years as President and CEO of PartnersGlobal before launching the Horizons Project in 2022 to focus on peacebuilding, social justice, and democracy in the U.S. As the architect of groundbreaking research on Narratives for Peace, she collaborates with philanthropists, nonprofits, and movement leaders to integrate narrative competency into social change efforts. With fieldwork in over 50 countries, she previously served as Country Director for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative in Serbia and spent five years in Colombia specializing in community justice. Julia also holds trustee roles with the Othering & Belonging Institute and the Alliance for Peacebuilding.

Connect with Julia Roig:
Website: http://www.horizonsproject.us/

Email: julia@horizonsproject.us

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/horizonsprjt/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roigjulia/

Connect with Kristine:

Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/