Systemic Reconnections to Ensure Life on Earth
Text by Ranulfo Paiva Sobrinho, PhD. A.k.a.: Vagabond Master
Systemic reconnections to ensure life on Earth, henceforth systemic reconnections, are systemic analytic and creative-pragmatic processes focused on solving some of the problems negatively affecting the life of human and non-human beings and ecosystems.
We will detail each of the parts that characterize systemic reconnections: first, the systemic analytic process; then, the pragmatic, creative one.
The analytic systemic process
The analytic systemic process involves analyzing a problem as a system, i.e., identifying both the connections among the parts and the feedback mechanisms that cause the problem.
Systems are parts that interact to fulfill one or more functions in specific contexts.
Why is it important for systemic reconnections to involve a systemic analytic process? Because human beings live within larger complex systems whose behavior is nonlinear dynamic.
The human body, a business, the world economy, the climate, a forest, mangroves, oceans, the Internet are examples of dynamic nonlinear complex systems.
In these systems, an action or several actions may generate unpredictable reactions regarding their intensity, the time and space in which they manifest, and how they interact with other systems.
The parts that form these systems create networks that run flows of materials, ideas, money, information, and — as it became evident this past year — viruses lethal to human health, such as COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic created an example of dynamic nonlinear complex systems. The actions that enabled the spread of the virus caused unpredictable reactions in several countries’ health, educational, and economic systems. The spread of the virus occurred through the interaction of several systems, such as terrestrial, aerial, and maritime transport, human interactions, and contact with contaminated areas.
The creative-pragmatic process
A creative process implies that people must think outside the box to find potential solutions to interest problems.
A pragmatic approach involves selecting among the possible solutions that are feasible considering the restrictions inherent to the context in question.
An example of systemic reconnection in economics is Muda, a social currency developed with the use of blockchain and adopted by a community of artists and other professionals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
During the pandemic, artists in Rio de Janeiro lost jobs since events that involved agglomeration were canceled. Some people decided to think outside the box to seek possible solutions. One of the solutions implemented was the creation of the complementary currency. Through the use of Muda and with the support of philanthropic organizations, artists and other professionals maintained their economic activities and minimized the negative effects of the pandemic. You can find more information about Muda here (in Portuguese).
Systemic reconnections beyond the pandemic context
Beyond the already mentioned examples of systemic reconnections in the context of the pandemic, there are others. In agriculture, professionals are rescuing, improving, and adopting agricultural practices that restore and/or conserve soil and ecosystem biodiversity, ensuring a healthier agricultural production. Examples of such practices are found in regenerative agriculture, organic agriculture, and biodynamic agriculture.
Systemic reconnections also involve human beings at the individual level, considering cognitive, physical, and emotional aspects.
Human beings have developed sets of ideas that resulted in economic systems, technologies, cultures, and mindsets. Some of these ideas also created health issues, spiritual disconnection, and other negative side effects. Fortunately, some ideas and practices may help people reconnect with themselves, others, and especially non-human beings' lives.
Systemic reconnections imply decision-making.
We must always make decisions regarding which actions to take. Such actions may result in the reconfiguration of parts that make up a system or create a new system when the previous one fails to fulfill its objectives.
For example, regarding several countries’ educational systems, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the adoption of online learning, adding new parts to existing educational systems, and subtracting other parts (such as in-person learning), even if for a limited period of time. In some cases, this new component's addition led to changes in other systems, such as transportation, leading to less traffic, noise, and air pollution.
The same can be said about other sectors the pandemic has affected, such as food systems. The adoption of delivery systems by restaurants and grocery stores has increased in many places resulting in changes in the kinds of professionals and jobs needed.
To make decisions regarding actions that may alter a part of existing systems or create new systems to achieve specific objectives is part of systemic reconnections.
In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actions mentioned previously sought to ensure human lives preservation.
It is not always easy to decide, especially in new contexts, such is the case in a pandemic. A big part of the difficulty resides in the presence of uncertain behavioral variables and lack of knowledge. In this sense, the process of systemic reconnection entails the acquisition of knowledge that enables us to make decisions in different contexts.
Contexts matter
Systemic reconnections involve considering contexts in which problems are embedded and the understanding that solutions that work in one context may not be replicated in other contexts.
Sometimes, a solution involves reconnecting parts of the system in a similar way to the original structure. It is necessary to reconnect parts of the original system with new components in some contexts, creating hybrid systems. In other cases, it is needed to connect parts differently than in the original system, creating a new system.
Systemic reconnection in Cambiuu
Cambiuu is a new kind of university intentionally created to develop and share the knowledge that helps social entrepreneurs to build collaborative businesses committed to solving key environmental, social, and economic problems.
Systemic reconnection is part of Cambiuu’s DNA. The collaborative businesses Cambiuu apprentices will build will result from systemic reconnections that aim to support life.
To this end, Cambiuu apprentices will access knowledge that will enable them to:
- Better know themselves and reconnect with their values,
- Recognize and understand the behavior of dynamic nonlinear complex systems to improve their ability to make decisions when dealing with these systems,
- Co-design and co-create collaborative businesses through systemic reconnections.
How may you be a part of systemic reconnections?
If you liked these ideas and want to learn more and/or collaborate, please get in touch. You may also visit Cambiuu and subscribe to our News.
