Can we think of a way to unlock the potential in people and places?
"… the world is a complex, interconnected system of systems or set of nested systems … [this means] that a deep understanding of the behaviour of these systems … is crucial for beginning to solve these pressing systemic problems." Design for Life, Section I.
There is no panacea. If we want to move from reactive crisis management to proactive re-imagining of the future, then we need to explore methods and tools to make sense of the systems we inhabit and continually construct.
This workshop will offer an overview of systems thinking and complexity sciences and what they might bring to coping with uncertainty and understanding the changes happening in the world. One area of great interest in systems thinking is that of intervention – what, how, when, where and why should we change anything? If we wish to unlock potential, then we should start with understanding the systemic nature of the actuality and capabilities of people and place and then explore the potential to change things, to create a good future – within the context of the many transitions that are happening in the world.
This session will be led by Ian Roderick, Director of the Schumacher Institute, an independent think tank for environment, social and economic issues. He is also a co-founder of the charity The Converging World, which is tackling climate change by planting trees and building a wind farm in India. He has a first degree in Mathematics and an MSc in Operational Research and an MSc in Responsibility & Business Practice. He was President of the UK Systems Society from 2005 to 2008.
This event will set the scene for a follow-up event co-hosted by our Fellows Systems Network to explore the role of systems in our developing Design for Life strategy.
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