The Week

We need mass mobilization to solve the climate crisis. The Week sets out to ignite the broad middle audience in Europe and in the US: the majority of the population who are aware, concerned, and/or alarmed, but are not yet truly engaged, regardless of their political alignment or location. But how do we break through the usual fear, apathy, or numbness? How do we engage beyond the usual suspects? The classic playbook “Give people the facts and they will wake up and act” doesn’t work.

The Week’s approach is based on recent insights in the psychology of climate change, as well as research on past movements that successfully broke through a grim status quo. The heart of The Week is a three-session experience over the course of one week (hence the name) in a small group–friends, family, coworkers, schoolmates, or worshippers. During each session, the group watches an episode of a powerful documentary together, carefully scripted to unlock emotional reckoning and spark vulnerable and profound group conversation (for which we provide extensive guides).

The Week was created by Helene Gerin and Frederic Laloux. In a bit more than a year, with just a prototype and word-of-mouth promotion, 700 people had organised group screenings and conversations in Europe and the United States. Now the final movies and experience are out and you can organise a group easily on www.theweek.ooo.