Understanding the Need for Systemic Change

What does it mean to change a system (economic, political, religious, educational), a pattern of thinking, or a way of behaving and communicating?

First of all it requires an awareness of the underlying drivers of that system or way of thinking. From awareness can arise an inquiry into the degree of usefulness of that system. But relevant change comes through connecting the dots to understand the assumptions that influence the workings of a system.

For example, to truly understand the impacts of deep water oil drilling in the arctic one would also have to understand the impacts such drilling could have on climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. To begin to change any system that is no longer useful (one that serves humanity and the environment) one would have to understand the causal nature of how ideologies shape the very existence of those systems. Here I draw the link between mindset (assumptions, ideologies, beliefs), behavior and the way systems operate to determine external outcomes or context.

Let's use the system of the industrial growth economy as an analogy. By purely observing changes in climate one can conclude that man-made global warming stems from a belief in economic growth (driven by the extraction and exploitation of abundant, cheap fossil fuels) in service of GDP (the measurement countries use to determine the outlook of economic growth).

As far as I can see there are 3 major factors at play when it comes to the need for a new economic system. One, the rise in overall temperatures and extreme weather patterns (climate change). Two, the gap between rich and poor continues to widen (inequality). And three, the cost of living continues to escalate to the detriment of people's well being (peak debt). One can therefore determine that the system of economic growth doesn't serve all of humanity in the least. In fact, it serves continuous inequality and planetary destruction at the benefit of 1% of the population.

Is it not time we discovered a new system to take us into a more abundant future? What about building a system that doesn't destroy all in its wake purely to uphold the profit by any means necessary motive? Is this not just a story we've been told to believe by those in power, the masters of mankind, blind to their own self-righteous indignation?

So what could a new, more abundant system look like? Well, it could be a system that better understands the connection between people and planet. Or it could be a system based more on local communities and local economies. This way people wouldn't have to rely on other countries to service their needs (or exploit their resources). It could be a system based on reduced carbon emissions. Or it could be a system based on cooperation and collaboration instead of competition, scarcity-based thinking and the need to amass more wealth. The possibilities are endless.

However, if there's no realization that our current economic system (one based on GDP and exponential growth on a finite planet) is broken, or at-least damaging to the health and well being of people and planet alike, then the opportunity for something better falls by the wayside.

I think true, far-reaching systemic change is a dual process. On the one hand you have a breaking down of the old system through the questioning process. And on the other hand you have a coming together of communities to understand what the new system could look like. This is where we all have an integral role to play.

How can we utilize our unique skills and talents to build this more authentic, collaborative, connected way of working for a better future? A future no longer based on the ideology that I'm separate from you, and you're separate from me, and we're separate from the planet. But rather a future that combines and works for the betterment of all.