Everything Is Possible

I have another story to share with you today, but rest assured, it does not involve a horse drive. ;)

Here we go:

For more than 50 years, beginning in the 1960s, Colombia endured a savage civil war, mainly between the government and FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a far-left guerrilla group. The government desperately wanted to end this civil war, but didn’t know how to penetrate the radical zealousness of FARC and reach its guerrilla fighters. So the government turned to Jose Miguel Sokoloff, a Colombian ad man who ran an advertising agency, and asked for help. 

Sokoloff embraced this challenge, both personally and professionally, and thought about the best way to connect with guerrilla fighters. He landed on Christmas. Why? Because Christmas makes everyone nostalgic.

Sokoloff and his team launched Operation Christmas in 2010. That December, the team found tall trees in strategic pathways of the jungle and covered them in Christmas lights. When guerrillas approached these trees, a big sign would light up. It read: “If Christmas can come to the jungle, you can come home. Demobilize. It’s Christmas. Everything is possible.”

Operation Christmas worked. About 330 guerrilla fighters – 5% of all soldiers – left FARC and returned home.

For Christmas 2011, Sokoloff and team initiated Operation Rivers of Light. The team had learned that guerrillas traveled mainly via Colombia’s rivers – highways of the jungle – and so they created thousands of plastic balls that glowed in the dark. They filled these balls with gifts and letters from villagers, pleading with FARC soldiers to come home, and released the balls into the rivers. This effort was a success, too, and more soldiers gave up their guns.

A couple years later, in 2013, Sokoloff and his team were still at it. This time, they tracked down 27 mothers whose sons and daughters were fighting for FARC. They collected photos from these mothers – photos of the guerrillas as babies, as children. These photos were enlarged, placed on trees in the jungle, and tagged with a message that read: “Before you were a guerrilla, you were my child. Come back this Christmas. I’m waiting for you.” Even more FARC soldiers de-mobilized and came home.

In total, throughout the period of these campaigns, about 17,000 guerrillas left FARC and returned home.

Beginning in 2015, FARC began peace negotiations with the Colombian government, and in 2016, a peace treaty was signed.

*****

I love this story. I love it for its power and creativity and compassion.

This story highlights the brilliance of human-centered design, empathy, and innovation in resolving complex issues. Jose Miguel Sokoloff and his team used the emotional power of Christmas and personal connections to demobilize thousands of guerrillas, ultimately leading to a peace treaty. 

To me, this story shows that by focusing on the human element and thinking creatively, we can create profound change and inspire others to do the same. When we seek to understand needs, emotions, and aspirations, great things can happen.

It’s a powerful reminder that with compassion and ingenuity, anything is possible.

With love and appreciation for a really good ad campaign,

Sarah

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💡AN INNOVATIVE FOUNDATION COMMITTED TO SOCIAL CHANGE

I have a confession to make: I am obsessed with the Ford Foundation and its President, Darren Walker.

Several years ago, I ran into Darren in a Detroit hotel elevator lobby. I fan-girled hard and managed to blurt out, “I love following you, Darren!” (Which in hindsight, probably/definitely sounded creepy.)

But the Ford Foundation is just amazing. Case in point: Their new interview series with celebrated author and New York Times columnist Charles Blow, “Ideas at Ford With Charles Blow.”

The premiere episode, in which Charles discusses how to create an equitable future for women’s athletics with sports icon Billie Jean King and Clara Wu Tsai, owner of the New York Liberty, Brooklyn Nets, and Barclays Center, launched July 2. View the 30-minute conversation or read the transcript on Ford Foundation’s website.

Future episodes will dive into the most complex social justice issues of our time – and also explore solutions.

🎽DON’T SKIP ‘SPRINT’

I invited (forced?) my family to watch ‘SPRINT’ with me on Netflix…and safe to say, everyone enjoyed it! ‘SPRINT’ is a sports docuseries following some of the world’s top sprinters – their relationships, rivalries, training, races, and more. Just six episodes long, it’s really good – and I love how it brings Track & Field a bit more mainstream. 

Spoiler alert: A second season of ‘SPRINT’ is coming following the Paris Olympics. (Insert fist pump here.)

💘NONPROFIT LOVE

After experiencing early childhood trauma, Becca Stevens decided her life’s purpose would be to open a long-term sanctuary for survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. 

In 1997 in Nashville, she opened the first home for five women, offering housing and healing services at no cost to them. A few years later, Becca saw that the women were making great strides in recovery, but struggled to become financially self-sufficient because of employment barriers.

So, in 2001, Becca launched a program making candles and body balms, and the first Thistle Farms social enterprise was born.

Now, Thistle Farms is an award-winning nonprofit social enterprise – with a global network – that provides women survivors with free housing, healthcare, counseling, and job readiness training for two years.

Check out this amazing community and the meaningful gifts for sale on their website.