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Thomas Coombes

@thehopeguy.eurosky.social
645 followers 902 following 125 posts

I train people in hope-based communication. Writing on hopebased.substack.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Thomas Coombes
Standing Together @standing-together.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Three years ago Yonatan Zeigen’s mother, Vivian Silver, was brutally killed by Hamas in her home’s safe room. It was a moment that split his life into a before and an after.
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Steve Crawshaw @stevecrawshaw.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This is a REALLY interesting piece by @thehopeguy.eurosky.social — about how hope can help change narratives & confront dark politics better than hopelessness & anger. (Some relevance for Burnham’s successes — and Greens — also in UK now.)
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 30/09/2026
so true. Watching Elif Eralp proudly claim the migration background of her family made me feel that you should lean in to whatever the other side are most likely to attack, and in so doing neutralise it.
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 30/09/2026
Thanks Steve. Burnham seems to have taken note of the Greens and followed suit?!
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 30/09/2026
Die Linke's win in the Berlin mayoral elections should be a sign of hope but lots of global politicos seem to be jumping to wild hot takes. This campaign affordability made made affordability an emotionally resonant issue. My break down of their main ad: hopebased.substack.com/p/why-the-le...
hopebased.substack.com
Why the Left wins by telling a Love Story
Breaking down Die Linke’s campaign ad about love and justice
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Reposted by Thomas Coombes
Constance Chucholowski @constance-bln.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
A really smart assessment of the campigning success of die Linke in Berlin by Thomas Coombes hopebased.substack.com/p/why-the-le...
hopebased.substack.com
Why the Left wins by telling a Love Story
Breaking down Die Linke’s campaign ad about love and justice
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 23/09/2026
Bold statement: the rising popularity of birding could be what saves our planet. hopebased.substack.com/p/5-ways-bir...
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 23/09/2026
Its hard to top your pick but when I was young I was obsessed with the Stockholm concerts when he was still touring with Miles Davis
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 30/07/2026
"There is one more major omission in the document, as there is not a single mention of women’s football anywhere across the 25 pages." www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
Fifa’s sales pitch revealed: more tournaments, more debt … but no mention of women’s game
Fifa’s pitch to persuade members to approve sale of World Cup’s commercial rights includes more tournaments, higher ticket prices and debt financing
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Reposted by Thomas Coombes
Women for Refugee Women @4refugeewomen.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
We've joined 200+ organisations with a message for Andy Burnham: 🗣️“Prime Minister, we ask you to reject the politics of division, and focus on what unites us, to build common ground, and to extend dignity, humanity and hope to those who have already endured so much.” @refugeestogether.bsky.social
morningstaronline.co.uk
Burnham told to reject politics of hate and division
 MORE than 200 charities have urged Andy Burnham to “reject the politics of division” and forge a new path for asylum-seekers and refugees in Britain after he becomes Prime Minister today.
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 15/07/2026
England fans: Why does nobody support us? Colonialism was so long ago. Also English fans: Maradona did a handball in 1986!
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 13/07/2026
Here are all the books you need to read about hope, brain science and politics. I have used @bookhive.buzz to create a shelf collecting all the books that inform the hope-based communication approach. bookhive.buzz/shelves/theh...
bookhive.buzz
BookHive | Hope-based
Books that inform hope-based communication
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 13/07/2026
We need to talk about colonialism, but in a way that recognises the agency of today’s players, and people with migration/colonial backgrounds. Otherwise we risk reinforcing colonial ways of thinking (esp categorising people in narrow, inflexible identities). hopebased.substack.com/p/subaltern-...
hopebased.substack.com
Subaltern storytelling
Decolonising communications, the hope-based way
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 13/07/2026
Are footballers the new subalterns? The Right questions where players "are really from". But the Left highlights colonialism in a clumsy way that often insinuates European players are "really from" the colonies their families were born in. open.substack.com/pub/hopebase...
open.substack.com
The Hope Dialogues #1: Reframing the Good Immigrant Narrative
How to say migration is good
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Reposted by Thomas Coombes
Shooti @bambooshooti.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
#ResistanceRoots Until 1971, the prevailing psychiatric and social view framed child sexual abuse as a result of the child seducing the adult or inventing “erotic fantasies,” rather than as exploitation. A landmark 1971 presentation by social worker Florence Rush challenged this thinking. /1
Florence Rush in 1981. The preface to her book, The Best-Kept Secret (1980), is titled “Growing Up Molested.” She was abused as a child, and channeled that trauma along with her work as a psychiatric social worker into her groundbreaking research. Photo credit: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America.
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 06/07/2026
𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞: 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. hopebased.substack.com/p/how-can-ho...
hopebased.substack.com
How Can Hope Compete with Fear?
The Future of Social Change Communications
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 02/07/2026
Do NGOs need to hire creators? Or do more offline? Or create content labs? Come join us to talk about the future of social change communications. w/ @dantelicona.com and Valeriia Voshchevska from the Shape Change agency. What else should we be asking?
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 29/06/2026
If I use my hope muscle, this is the person I want to be the next President of France.
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 23/06/2026
and the absence of anyone willing to say that European community is a good thing....
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 23/06/2026
The We Belong campaign mobilised sports stars and young people to break through Murdoch press and fake news. hopebased.substack.com/p/we-belong-...
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 23/06/2026
10 years ago, I awoke to the sinking feeling of #Brexit. Could the referendum have been different? I tried to imagine an alternate history where there was a campaign "for" Europe -> Project Hope. It's based on an actual EU campaign from 2009 in Ireland called We Belong.
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 22/06/2026
I'm having fun with @bookhive.buzz. I've made a shelf with all the books that inform hope-based communication. Get your dose of hope here bookhive.buzz/shelves/theh...
bookhive.buzz
BookHive | Hope-based
Books that inform hope-based communication
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 22/06/2026
Thank you for introducing me to wonderful new rabbit holes to explore!!
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 22/06/2026
Your guide to serious politics: Migration: major problem demanding extreme measures. Climate change & unprecedented heatwave: 🤷‍♂️
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 22/06/2026
I don't understand why Keir Starmer didn't succeed. He was tough on migration. My understanding from centrists was that adopting right-wing positions on migration is political dynamite?
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lott @lott24m.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Ukraine under Russian Invasion is still able to launch a mass gathering celebrating Pride. Look at the Giant Trans Flag.
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Reposted by Thomas Coombes
Sherif EA @sherif.mu.social · 22/06/2026
What do you think?
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 22/06/2026
This is very nerdy but how about a "what Im reading" tab?
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 22/06/2026
Like Pastor Niemoller said: "First they came for the socialists....and then they became reasonable and left everyone else alone."
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 22/06/2026
Sadly, yesterday's elections in Colombia mean this old post about responding to populist election victories is relevant again hopebased.substack.com/p/hope-is-ha...
hopebased.substack.com
Hope is Hard - How We Respond to Defeat
5 steps for clarity, strategy and resistance after elections.
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 19/06/2026
"trusting people and places to do what is right for themselves" is a great definition of organising (as opposed to mobilising people by telling them what is right).
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 19/06/2026
Seeing fascists celebrating extremist migration policy in the European Parliament this week has me thinking of Hannah Arendt and The Origins of Totalitarianism. medium.com/@the_hope_gu...
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Reposted by Thomas Coombes
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Key findings include - Half of Muslims surveyed experienced prejudice last year (a third did so online) - 6 out of 10 people support action to tackle anti-Muslim hostility - 1 in 6 people hold sweepingly hostile attitudes towards Muslims, while a third have negative views bsky.app/profile/brit...
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 15/06/2026
Watched my adopted team the Netherlands play a godd game against Japan last night. Meanwhile, just 23 miles away, the US govt has people in concentration camps. As football fans we can do something. Go here letthemgo.us#top and follow: @anatosaurus.bsky.social #LetThemGo
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Reposted by Thomas Coombes
Anat Shenker-Osorio @anatosaurus.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Near every stadium where fans are cheering, families are held captive simply for who they are. Find out more - letthemgo.us
"World Cup Stadiums and the Immigrant Detention Camps Nearby." Map of US depicting stadiums for FIFA World Cup 2026.
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 15/06/2026
“Yeah, to be kind and welcoming to refugees and people who’ve had to migrate here,” adds Jacob, who is in year 6." The deep truth we need to hear can be expressed so simply by a child. Wish more stories like this were published. Thank you @ellencph.bsky.social observer.co.uk/style/featur...
observer.co.uk
How York’s ‘school of sanctuary’ welcomes asylum seekers ...
Fishergate primary is one of more than 1,000 schools committed to helping those who have fled their homes. Pupils, parents and teachers reveal what makes it special
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 11/06/2026
As the World Cup kicks off, I caught up with my old boss @osamabhutta.bsky.social to reflect on human rights strategy, #Qatar2022 and alternatives to "name and shame" hopebased.substack.com/p/world-cup-...
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 09/06/2026
Right-wing trolls found my video about hope-based migration storytelling! If its triggering them, that tells me its the right direction. www.youtube.com/watch?v=53SU...
youtube.com
Shift 3: How to change the narrative on migration
YouTube video by Thomas Coombes
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 09/06/2026
"You can make life better if you have more time to spend with family or in nature". This is exactly the kind of messaging that comes out of hope-based workshops on topics like corporate justice or gig worker rights.
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Reposted by Thomas Coombes
Omar Waraich @omarwaraich.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
As antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate flare across the west, Jewish and Muslim communities are being pitted against each other. If these hatreds rise together, feeding on conspiracy theories and the politics of fear, they cannot be defeated apart. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Anti-Muslim hate and antisemitism are twin crises. We must confront them together | Binairfer Nowrojee
The two hatreds have rarely been seen as related dangers. But they overlap even as Muslim and Jewish communities are pitted against each other
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 05/06/2026
So glad to see this articulated.
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 04/06/2026
Even if migration was not being weaponised by populists, we would still have the same task: a world without refugee camps is a world where societies are open and welcoming. Here's a 3 step strategy for a hope-based migration narrative. hopebased.substack.com/p/a-hope-bas...
hopebased.substack.com
Three things migration campaigners can do right now
A hope-based strategy for migration
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 27/05/2026
Introduce yourself with 10 bands/musicians you've seen Roy Hargrove (Quintet, Big Band, RH Factor - all of it!) Jon Batiste Robert Glasper The Verve Ben Harper John Legend Bobby Watson Noel Gallagher's High-Flying Bird Adele (early days!) Dave Matthews Band
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Sherif EA @sherif.mu.social · 17/04/2026
Yesterday Bluesky went down. @eurosky.social servers worked but we couldn't communicate as we don't have an app. Our next step is to build everything we need to operate without Bluesky. We're raising €100,000 to build a European app backend supporting 100k+ users. Let's do this fund.eurosky.tech
fund.eurosky.tech
Accelerate building an independent European social web
This week Bluesky went down. This is why our vision for a fully independent European social web matters. You are the first users of Eurosky. You are the community making this vision a reality. We are ...
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 20/05/2026
Had to get a cheeky post about Arsenal and hope out there today #coyg open.substack.com/pub/hopebase...
open.substack.com
What supporting Arsenal taught me about hope
What organisers can learn from sports' fans
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 17/05/2026
Where the EU's new campaign falls short and how to fix it. hopebased.substack.com/p/accepted-c...
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 28/04/2026
"When I think of Ghana, I do not think of a foreign country. ... Kofi is not just my friend. In the deepest sense of what it means to be African, he is family. And I am asking you, as one African to another, to protect him." @ngarek.bsky.social hopebased.substack.com/p/dear-mr-pr...
hopebased.substack.com
Dear Mr. President
An open letter about human rights from a Kenyan to the President of Ghana
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Thomas Coombes @thehopeguy.eurosky.social · 18/04/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/learningengl...
bbc.co.uk
BBC Learning English - The English We Speak / Live rent-free in one's head
What or who do you think about all the time?
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Christine Do Phan @christine-ishr.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Very honoured to have contributed to this piece! Thank you @thehopeguy.bsky.social !
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