Can system thinking and illuminating our utopias, lead to positive change?
I dream of a better world and keep thinking about what could help me get there.
Don’t forget to dream! Utopia in a world full of crises.
I like having utopias — dreaming, imagining the world in a more positive way. More positive than I sometimes perceive it at the moment. There are many crises that are somehow all intertwined in a complex way — and you can tell that it puts a strain on people.
Especially in a society like this, utopias can be important to cause a change. History shows this. Sometimes it was impossible to imagine something until someone had a utopia, expressed it and it slowly took shape. An example of a pronounced utopia that changed a problem for the better is Martin Luther King, who fought for equal rights ( “I have a dream,… “). So I hope that we don’t hide our dreams, ideas and fantasies and keep them small, but speak them out loud, visualize them and show them!
“I have a dream! “
We can be held back by thinking “it won’t change in my lifetime anyway” or “I’m so small and the world is so big, what can I change”, which makes it easier to resign ourselves. But if we zoom out a little, look at world history from a slightly greater distance, then we realize that change takes time, but that it happens. If we don’t even start looking for solutions, if we don’t realize a dream, nothing can change for the better. Our own lives are short compared to the lifetime of this planet, but they are an important little cog in the process of change. And every cog counts ;-)
Learning to understand systems. The complexity of our time.
If we look at our world as a system, we realize that we live in a very complex system.
What do I mean by complex?
Taking climate change as an example, we can see that there is not just “one solution”. Everything has become incredibly complex, everything is somehow connected and as an individual you feel helplessly at the mercy of it all.
An insane flood of information doesn’t make it any easier for us to decide what we could and would actually like to do. A problem of “too much”, an oversupply of options — time is running out. The complexity overwhelms us.
It can help to understand what different types of systems there are and to slowly get to grips with such a complex system. To get to know it.
Here is an overview of the different systems:
There are simple systems, such as the problem 1+1=2 or a simple pancake recipe.
There are also complicated systems where you have to put in a little more effort, think more deeply about something or be an expert to solve a task. But it’s manageable. You can identify a clear problem, analyze it and then solve it.
With complex systems, things aren’t very clear-cut, there are different interrelationships that you can’t even necessarily recognize, such as an ecosystem or the challenge of climate change. A greater willingness to experiment is required here and it is not a given that a solution will be found immediately. It can also help if you don’t try to solve the problem on your own but network with others to get a better overview.
Chaotic systems can be emergency situations and crises, for example. In the event of flooding, it is important not to think about it for too long, but to react and act quickly.
Of course, this doesn’t provide the solution to what we can do best in such a complex system, but I think it’s nice to first become aware of this.
Illuminating positive change. Positive news inspire and give hope.
The 2 Loop Model shows quite well how complex systems change.
The model shows the current, dominant system, which works well for some, but is slowly falling apart.
This is followed by the new, emerging system, which is gaining more and more influence. This is the system of our utopias that we can imagine and create.
At various points in this process there are different actors, such as the pioneers who arrive with a new idea, but also the “hospice workers” who safely accompany the change.
In order to promote and stimulate change in systems, it helps to identify pioneers, connect them with each other and provide them with the necessary resources.
At the top right of the diagram, we see the task “Illuminate”. This group helps to illuminate the work of the pioneers and their initial successes, the positive development of the change, for example to report on it.
It is important to network in order to try out the new system, test it, develop it further and spread it so that a new safe system can be created.
The moment I understood the “Illuminate” task in the 2-loop model was an “ah ha” moment for me as a photographer. This is exactly where I see myself, my job is to “illuminate”. My own work has gained even more value for me because I can now better classify myself and have realized how important this task is.
This is also the reason why I started this Plu.Zine blog. I want to use visual storytelling to highlight positive change and help my utopias come to life.
By the way! I first learned about the topics of “System change” and the “2 Loop Model” at the “Eco-System Training for regenerative transition” at Southern Lights on the Peloponnese. Maybe you can also figure out what is your task in this process. I’m sure that will make your work even more meaningful.
What am I leaving behind in this world for future generations?
With our dreams, ideas and actions, we leave something behind in this world. We contribute a little bit, as a small cogwheel. Maybe we will never get to see our complete utopia ourselves, but it motivates me to try at least a little bit so that future generations and other inhabitants of this planet can also benefit from it and we have at least thought of them.
Text & visualisations: Jessica Morfis
Sources:
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/utopien-visionen-fuer-eine-bessere-welt-100.html
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/berkana-two-loop-model-quick-introduction-accessible-systems-proud/
