A note about systematic change

A colleague recently told me about the governing structure of a controversial indigenous people’s movement in Mexico. The anecdote helped me see systematic change in a new light. Thought I’d share it in case it’s useful to you, too.

Representatives from different communities are elected to a governing council. The council meets semi-regularly to make decisions that impact the larger group. A position on the council does not pay. It is considered a high honor.

Literacy is not required to be a representative. This reflects the larger group’s value of community participation and direct action. Anyone a community deems fit to represent them is fit, regardless of their formal education. So what happens when written documents have to be reviewed during a council meeting? The documents get read out loud.

Yes, the council meetings last that much longer. That’s what systematic change looks like. The governing structure responds to the needs of those present. Not vice versa.

I used to think systematic change was change made to the parts all at once. Now I see systematic change as an incremental, iterative process, where you make sure your values are present at every step in the system.

I think this idea applies to many different parts of society, especially those parts that benefit from the participation of the community.

Thank you for reading.