🌱 Planting the seeds of resilience for systemic change 🌱
The second half of 2021 provides an opportunity to readjust our trajectory towards systemic change.
2020 tested our resilience, urging us to rethink the way we live, work, create and behave. It has also shown how quickly we can change our behaviour if we really want to. As we step into the spring of 2021, we inevitably have a lot of hopes and expectations. But we may also be questioning our responsibility of designing our world for both ourselves and future generations.
As we gain clarity on the deeper issues and wicked problems at hand, we are also beginning to see the need for systemic change. 2020 marked the decade of global systemic transformation that is required if we aim to achieve our goals (SDG’s, carbon emissions) by 2030. So what do we need to focus on as we step into this year?
Times of disruption represent opportunities for reorganization and it is in these times that we should be learning how to be resilient and planting the seeds of a sustainable future. For this, we might also consider asking how does nature embody resilience? C. H. Holling, the pioneer of resilience theory in ecology, defines ecological resilience as the resilience to often chaotic disruptions that natural systems have to endure. As we begin to design our future, we must ask ourselves, what makes natural systems so resilient?
3 key qualities of ecological resilience
Resilient systems leverage decentralized networks (decentralization and interconnection)
Putting all our energy into single points of impact not only limits the positive potential but also increases the risk of collapse. Decentralization of the systemic networks ensures that not all elements of the system will be impacted regardless of where the disruption hits.
Resilient systems leverage redundancy of components and relationships
Having backup components helps ensure that in case of failure of one component, others can take their functional place. It helps the continuation of the larger system even when some elements might be lost.
Resilient systems leverage diversity
It honours the understanding that not all strategies will flourish or work. Having variation in strategies guarantees that some strategies will work while others may not. Yet, the integrity of the whole system will not be compromised. A forest will naturally strive for diversity and within that diversity, thrive.
As we take on some new challenges, let’s consider how nature could inspire us. We invite you to plant the seeds of resiliency by joining us for our next cohort of Inspired by Nature. We can’t wait to meet you.