Over the course of 2022-23, the School held an inquiry with ten practitioners from diverse lineages from around the globe to explore the multiplicity of systems practice. The learnings and wisdoms from these conversations shaped Stepping into Systems, a series of three short films introducing key concepts of systems change: What are systems and what is systems change?; The importance of systemic worldviews; and Working systemically for transformation.
To honour the generosity of the practitioners and their wisdoms, we are bringing together an accompanying blog series, as well as the original transcripts and recordings of our dialogues. We hope this resource adds depth, colour and texture to the learnings found in the films.
The blogs
The dialogues
Ana Lucia Castaño Galvis in conversation with Rodrigo Bautista
Ana Lucia Castaño Galvis is the co-founder of Arare Co., an organization that fosters regenerative development of primary production systems in Colombia and Mexico.
This conversation takes us from Ana Lucia’s Latin American system change lineage, to how kinetic sculptures might express systems change.
Ben Haggard in conversation with Saskia Rysenbry
Ben Haggard is Faculty at the Regenesis Institute and a contributor to the School of Systems Change. Ben specialises in a holistic, systems-based approach to understanding and building upon the complex human, natural and economic relationships that create and sustain the vitality and viability of a place.
In conversation with Saskia, Ben tells the story of his becoming as a systems practitioner, his understanding of living systems - and all the beauty that can come from letting go of a mechanistic view of the world.
Constança Belchior in conversation with Saskia Rysenbry
Constança Belchior is a facilitator and designer of innovation and systemic change with a background in natural sciences and sustainable policy making. She is co-founder of Lúcida, a change management organisation guided by a living change perspective.
In this dialogue, we flow between places, pasts and futures: from Constança's home in Lisbon, to her scientific training as a biologist, to how her growing venture might support regenerative practice in Portugal.
Eruera Tarena in conversation with Saskia Rysenbry
Eruera Tarena is Executive Director at Tokona Te Raki, Māori Futures Collective in Aotearoa, an indigenous social innovation lab housed under the mana of Ngai Tahu and based in Otautahi/Christchurch.
In this beautiful conversation we talk about how the Māori worldview is shaped by interconnection and interdependency, where natural landscapes are ancestors, about the future making space in Aotearoa, and more.
Habiba Nabatu in conversation with Anna Birney
Habiba Nabatu is Director of Practice at Lankelly Chase, a charitable foundation working to improve the quality of life of people who face severe and multiple disadvantage. She supports pioneering people and communities to nurture the ideas and relationships that can help improve the way we all approach social disadvantage.
In this conversation we explore how we can come closer in relationship to our beyond-human kin, and the limits of systems change from a Euro-American lineage.
Juanita Zerda in conversation with Rodrigo Bautista
Juanita Zerda is a director at the Collective Change Lab. Over the past two decades Juanita has supported public and private funders and social sector organisations in refocusing strategy and implementing change efforts. Her present work is rooted in advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles and practices.
In this dialogue, we explore the family as a metaphor for systems and systems change, plus a powerful example of how healing circles are creating ripples of change at two community organisations in the USA.
Lauren Hermanus in conversation with Sean Andrew
Lauren Hermanus is a sustainable development researcher and practitioner with 12 years of experience spanning the public and private sectors and academia. She is founder and director of How We Adapt. Where she works on issues of just transition, climate resilience, sustainable development, and the adaptive and anticipatory governance that underpins these dynamics.
In this rich conversation, we discuss systems change as a set of interlocking processes and the need to resist a mechanistic way of thinking about systems.
Maya Narayan in conversation with Saskia Rysenbry
Maya Narayan is the co-founder of Holon Perspectives, a Mumbai-based consultancy, founded with a mission of developing the systems thinking ecosystem in India. She facilitates systems change workshops to better equip organisations and individuals, with tools and frameworks for solving complex problems.
In this conversation, we explore systems change through the lens of everything from Jenga to social entrepreneurship and ecosystems to personal power.
Melanie Goodchild in conversation with Anna Birney
Melanie Goodchild is an Anishinaabe (Ojibway) systems thinking and complexity scholar. She is part of the faculty at the Academy for Systems Change, the Presenting Institute’s u-school for Transformation and the Wolf Willow Institute for Systems Learning.
This dialogue explores Melanie’s lineages into systems practice, along with the Anishinaabe concepts of anishinaabe gikendaasowin, our original ways of knowing and gidinawendimin, that we are all related.
Tatenda Nzingha Mazowe in conversation with Anna Birney
Tatenda Nzingha Mazowe is a media and wellness entrepreneur who has over 10 years' experience in the social justice sector. Within her community, Tatenda is known as a Mhondoro (a practitioner of the sacred healing arts and initiate into the Southern African mystery schools). She is a published author and founded Oshun Rises as an institute that contributes to the development of research and knowledge(s) on Africa, ancient wisdom, and wellness as well as non-Western healing arts.
In this dialogue we discuss how Tatenda, as a South African healer and wellness practitioner, navigates healing justice and the themes of transpersonality, transpersonal phenomena, human beings and communities.
Thanks
Thanks to all the systems practitioners we interviewed for this series: Ana Lucia Castaño (Mexico), Ben Haggard (US), Constança Belchoir (Portugal / Brazil), Eruera Tarena (Aotearoa New Zealand / Maori), Habiba Nabutu (UK / Uganda), Juanita Zerda (US / Colombia), Lauren Hermanus (South Africa), Maya Nayaran (India), Melanie Goodchild (Biigtigong Nishnaabeg and Ketegaunseebee First Nations / Canada) and Tatenda Nzinga Muranda (South Africa / Zimbabwe).
We acknowledge and appreciate those who contributed to the delivery of this project: Anna Birney, Katie Slee, Rachel Taylor, Rodrigo Bautista, Sarena Chan, Saskia Rysenbry, Sean Andrew, as well as the wider School of System Change Enabling Team whose work supported this series: Clara Hesseler, Mairi Lowe, Raphaël Lachiver and Rowan Kinchin.
