There exist an increasing awareness within the scientific community for the need
to deal with the complex dimension of social systems. This paper examines three
approaches to incorporate complexity theory into the practice of social sciences. The first
approach consists of supplementing the modernist program with chaos theory. The
second one proposes a metaphoric application of complexity theory to describe social
systems. The third approach is based on Post-Normal Science. Both the first and the
second try to fit complexity theory into the paradigms used up to now in social sciences.
Although this exercise can provide some interesting methods for understanding of social
systems, it is argued that a fundamental change in the way Western society conceives
science is necessary. Complexity analysis (or synthesis) should not only consist of adding
more or different syntactical rules to the mathematical formal systems used to model the
causal relations perceived in the outside world. Rather, it should imply a generalization of
the scientific formalisms in order to include semantic relations, subjectivity, and context
dependency. Even more, this generalization should go as far as to include into the
umbrella of science a plurality of systems of knowledge in order to better understand the
multidimensionality of social systems. The legitimation of a broader spectrum of formal
systems of representation and communication of reality, will affect profoundly the
collective and individual way in which Western societies perceive the world, and the very
evolution of human beings as species.
Double coupling: modeling subjectivity and asymmetric organization in social-ecological systems.
Social-ecological organization is a multidimensional phenomenon that combines material and symbolic processes. However, the coupling between social and ecological subsystem is often conceptualized as purely material, thus reducing the symbolic dimension to its behavioral and actionable expressions. In this paper I conceptualize social-ecological systems as doubly coupled. On the one hand, material expressions of socio-cultural processes affect and are affected by ecological dynamics. On the other hand, coupled social-ecological material dynamics are concurrently coupled with subjective dynamics via coding, decoding, personal experience, and human agency. This second coupling operates across two organizationally heterogeneous dimensions: material and symbolic. Although resilience thinking builds on the recognition of organizational asymmetry between living and nonliving systems, it has overlooked the equivalent asymmetry between ecological and socio-cultural subsystems. Three guiding concepts are proposed to formalize double coupling. The first one, social-ecological asymmetry, expands on past seminal work on ecological self-organization to incorporate reflexivity and subjectivity in social-ecological modeling. Organizational asymmetry is based in the distinction between social rules, which are symbolically produced and changed through human agents’ reflexivity and purpose, and biophysical rules, which are determined by functional relations between ecological components. The second guiding concept, conscious power, brings to the fore human agents’ distinctive capacity to produce our own subjective identity and the consequences of this capacity for social-ecological organization. The third concept, congruence between subjective and objective dynamics, redefines sustainability as contingent on congruent relations between material and symbolic processes. Social-ecological theories and analyses based on these three guiding concepts would support the integration of curren
Heads of Climate Base Camps
The Heads of Climate Base Camp is a recurring immersive leadership program organized by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and led by Thomas Bruhn from the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS). Launched in 2023, the initiative brings together Heads of Climate from multinational companies for a multi-day, in-person experience designed to strengthen climate leadership, foster peer exchange and deepen collaborative capacity.
Hosted annually in Potsdam, Germany, at RIFS (2023, 2024 and 2025), the Base Camp combines strategic dialogue with experiential learning formats that encourage reflection, trust-building and systems thinking. The program creates a confidential space for senior climate leaders to share best practices, discuss common challenges and co-develop solutions that accelerate corporate climate action.
In January 2026, the concept expanded with the first APAC Heads of Climate Base Camp in Hong Kong.
Ostara
Ostara brings together communities of change-makers to radically reimagine our collective future.
Climate breakdown, ecosystem collapse, and growing inequality are deeply interconnected and systemic. Yet, despite decades of effort, progress has remained incremental.
We create spaces to dream beyond the limits of our current systems, and reimagine the world together. From business leaders, policy makers and scientists, to Indigenous voices, farmers and youth representatives — we convene diverse actors to address entrenched issues and incubate transformative solutions.
What makes our work distinct is how we hold the space between worlds: between inner and outer, Indigenous and Western, human and more-than-human, imagination and action. We draw credibility from decades within established systems while walking alongside those giving form to what is emerging.
FONA-Forum 2024
With the FONA Forum 2024, the BMBF deliberately moved away from the familiar event formats of lectures and panel discussions and turned listeners into genuine participants. The event was designed and implemented in collaboration with the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS).
Over three days, around 200 thought leaders from science, business, administration, politics, and civil society worked and discussed the following questions intensively in changing small groups.
– How can effective research for sustainability be achieved in a rapidly changing world?
– What does socially effective research mean?
– How does each individual’s research contribute to the sustainability transformation?
FONA-Forum 2024: Ein ko-kreativer Ansatz für Transformation
Das vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung geförderte FONA-Forum 2024 hat mit einem neuen Format experimentiert: Es lud die Teilnehmenden ein, aktiv mitzuwirken, und schuf einen ko-kreativen Raum für lösungsorientierte Diskussionen. In das Experiment sind Prinzipien und Erfahrungen aus der Gestaltung transformativer Räume und aus Dialogprozessen der inter- und transdisziplinären Forschung eingeflossen.
Karpman Drama Triangle
The Karpman Drama Triangle (developed by Stephen Karpman in the late 1960s) describes a dysfunctional relational pattern in which individuals unconsciously adopt one of three roles: Victim, Persecutor, or Rescuer. These roles reinforce cycles of blame, powerlessness and conflict in personal and organizational settings. The model highlights how reactive behavioral strategies—often rooted in early survival patterns—sustain drama dynamics. Transformative approaches such as The Empowerment Dynamic (TED) propose shifting from these roles toward more empowered positions (Creator, Challenger, Coach), fostering responsibility, resilience and healthier relationships.
On the Difficulties People Have in Dealing With Complexity
In On the Difficulties People Have in Dealing with Complexity (1980), Dietrich Dörner shows through computer-simulated experiments (e.g., the “Lohhausen” city model) that individuals systematically struggle with complex systems. Typical patterns include linear instead of systemic thinking, failure to understand exponential dynamics, reduced self-reflection under stress, oversimplified “reductive” explanations, and increased risk-taking. The study highlights how cognitive overload and loss of control can lead to poor decision-making and even socially destructive outcomes.
On the Logic of Failure: Thinking, Planning and Decision Making in Uncertainity and Complexity.
Unlike other living creatures, humans can adapt to uncertainty. They can form hypotheses about situations marked by uncertainty and can anticipate their actions by planning. They can expect the unexpected and take precautions against it. In numerous experiments, we have investigated the manner in which humans deal with these demands. In these experiments, we used computer simulated scenarios representing, for example, a small town, ecological or economic systems or political systems such as a Third World country. Within these computer-simulated scenarios, the subjects had to look for information, plan actions, form hypotheses, etc.
The Patterns of Aliveness Theory.
This chapter argues that approaches to navigating complex world making and transformative change for sustainability are more effective when they are anchored in a profound understanding of life processes. The chapter takes the concept of systems aliveness as a quality element of a pattern approach one step further. It advances 13 propositions regarding essential features of life enhancement in systems that can also inform a better understanding of enlivening human co-creation. The propositions lay the basis for the Patterns of Aliveness Theory, which shows how six essential organizing principles allow life to emerge, thrive, and re-create itself in natural as well as social systems. The chapter suggests that these principles must be taken into account in the practice of leading collectively and shows how they become the foundation of a conceptual architecture for stewarding sustainability transformations.
The new concepts of power? Power-over, power-to and power-with.
The distinction between the notions of power-over, power-to and power-with is gaining prominence in contemporary literature on power. In this article, recent contributions to the study of power will be presented and assessed to provide an overview of the evolving meanings of power-to, power-over and power-with. In particular, we will show that the distinction between power-over, power-to and power-with is no longer interpreted as a dispute about the real meaning of a same concept of power; rather, the three expressions appear to have crystallized and institutionalized themselves into three different, freestanding, concepts.
The systems view of life: A unifying vision.
Over the past thirty years, a new systemic conception of life has emerged at the forefront of science. New emphasis has been given to complexity, networks, and patterns of organisation, leading to a novel kind of ‘systemic’ thinking. This volume integrates the ideas, models, and theories underlying the systems view of life into a single coherent framework. Taking a broad sweep through history and across scientific disciplines, the authors examine the appearance of key concepts such as autopoiesis, dissipative structures, social networks, and a systemic understanding of evolution. The implications of the systems view of life for health care, management, and our global ecological and economic crises are also discussed. Written primarily for undergraduates, it is also essential reading for graduate students and researchers interested in understanding the new systemic conception of life and its implications for a broad range of professions – from economics and politics to medicine, psychology and law.
Hospicing modernity: Facing humanity’s wrongs and the implications for social activism
This is not strictly an academic book, but an educational experiment full of dancing stories, metaphors, allegories, creative maps, and exercises that ask you to sit at the limits of our modern desires and imagination. Half-serious warning: don’t read it if you are seeking clear-cut answers, easy solutions or self-validation. Two sample chapters are available here. ISBN: 9781623176242 “Beyond a mere critique of modernity, this is a book written for us as people who struggle with the everyday manifestations of modern power. Clear, creative, and cogent, the work offers cutting-edge philosophy at the same time that it furnishes usable guidance for how to cope with the coming perils of colonialism and capitalism. It’s a book for the future, yet written to meet us where we are at right now as individuals living with trauma and facing ethical dilemmas about what it means to take meaningful actions under conditions of complexity.” — KYLE WHYTE, PhD, George Willis Pack Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan “Asking the question ‘What if racism, colonialism, and all other forms of toxic and contagious divisions are preventable social diseases?’, Hospicing Modernity invites its reader to dare and educate themselves by undergoing a process of self-unmaking. Drawing on and moving beyond traditions of radical pedagogy, such as those inspired by Paulo Freire, the author has created a powerful tool for uncovering, undoing, and recovering from the deadly ways in which modernity also lives and dies as humans experience it subjectively.” — DENISE FERREIRA DA SILVA, PhD, professor at the University of British Columbia Social Justice Institute and author of Toward a Global Idea of Race and Unpayable Debt
Systems Theory, Complexity Theory, and Radical Emergence
Systems theory, complexity theory, and emergence help biologists to understand the evolution of radical
novelty. Together they stretch traditional conceptions of science. This working group begins with the groundbreaking
contributions of Stuart Kauffman, who will be present. We examine these important resources in the biological sciences and
the new vision of the biosphere that they are producing.
Prof. Peter Kruse on Creativity – How It Is Suppressed and How It Emerges Description:
In this interview excerpt, Peter Kruse explains why creativity and innovation cannot be directly produced or commanded. Instead, he frames creativity as an emergent phenomenon that arises from specific systemic conditions rather than from individual effort or top-down control.
A core argument of the talk is the distinction between direct and indirect variables: culture, creativity, and innovation are indirect variables that cannot be managed through projects or instructions. They only emerge when appropriate enabling environments are created. According to Kruse, key enabling factors include diversity, internal tension, networks, and non-linear feedback loops. Systems that are overly harmonious and uniform tend to be stable but unintelligent, whereas systems that allow contradiction, disturbance, and difference can enter unstable phases where new patterns—and thus creativity—can emerge.
Drawing on systems theory, neuroscience, and swarm intelligence, Kruse argues that complex, dynamic problems can only be addressed by systems with an equivalent level of complexity (referencing Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety). He highlights the importance of networking as a way to increase complexity and collective intelligence.
In the final part, Kruse describes three key roles within creative networks—Creators, Owners, and Brokers—and compares their interaction to functional components of the human brain. When these roles are effectively connected, the collective intelligence of the system exceeds the sum of individual intelligences.
The video offers a profound systems-theoretical perspective on creativity, innovation, organizational design, and collective intelligence, making it highly relevant for leadership, management, transformation processes, and social change.
Integration and Implementation Insights (i2Insights)
Integration and Implementation Insights (i2Insights) is a global initiative dedicated to advancing Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S). It functions as a living, evolving toolkit and an open knowledge platform where community members contribute practical tools and conceptual reflections in the form of blog posts. These contributions are curated and stored in an accessible repository, fostering collective learning across disciplines and sectors.
i2Insights aims to strengthen the capacity to address complex societal challenges by improving how diverse forms of knowledge are integrated and translated into practice. It is particularly relevant for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and boundary-spanners working at the science–policy–society interface.
The platform not only features new and highlighted contributions on its homepage, but also maintains a comprehensive archive of posts, alongside updates, statistics, and documented milestones that trace its development. Through partnerships and a global network of i2Insights Ambassadors, the initiative continuously expands its reach and supports knowledge exchange across regions and disciplines.
By streamlining administrative processes and fostering community-driven authorship, i2Insights sustains a collaborative and accessible environment. In doing so, it contributes to building shared methodological foundations for transdisciplinary research and implementation practice worldwide.
On Warriors and Heroes – Group Dynamics at the UN Climate Conferences
This blog analyses the role of psychosocial group dynamics in negotiations at UN Climate Conferences, based on participant observation at COP28 and interviews with negotiators. It examines how formal and informal negotiation settings shape communication, emotional dynamics, and power relations, using the metaphor of “warriors and heroes” to describe defensive and cooperative negotiation styles. The authors argue that the quality of negotiation outcomes is closely linked to the quality of interaction and call for improved facilitation, group-dynamic competence, and relationship-building formats to support more inclusive, trust-based, and effective climate negotiations—particularly for less-resourced delegations.
Safe Spaces in Unsafe Environments – Facilitating Dialogue and Reflection at the UN Climate Conference
This blog presents insights from designing and facilitating spaces for dialogue and reflection at UN Climate Conferences. Drawing on experiences from the Co-Creative Reflection and Dialogue Spaces (CCRDS) hosted at COPs, the authors show how relationship-building, embodied practices, and reflexive facilitation can foster trust, mutual learning, and constructive exchange across diverse stakeholder groups. The article offers practical lessons on transdisciplinary process knowledge and highlights the importance of relational and facilitative approaches for collaboration in politically contested and high-pressure settings.
COP28 in Dubai: Greenwashing or Genuine Ambitions?
This blog reflects on the tensions and contradictions experienced at COP28 in Dubai, asking whether the conference marked a genuine turning point in climate ambition or largely reproduced patterns of greenwashing. Drawing on participant observation, the authors examine the contrast between official commitments to climate action and the host country’s resource-intensive development model, as well as the ambivalent messages conveyed through the conference’s imagery and discourse. The article situates the COP28 agreement within broader debates on fossil fuel phase-out, innovation, and planetary boundaries, and argues for transparent, evidence-based approaches to assess the credibility of climate commitments and rebuild trust in global climate governance.
Organizational Transformation in the European Commission
This blog explores organizational transformation within the European Commission, focusing on emerging participatory leadership practices and new approaches to collaboration in political administration. Drawing on an exchange between the TranS-Mind research group and the European Commission’s Centre for Organisational Transformation, the authors reflect on how rigid administrative structures can be reshaped to better address complex sustainability challenges. The article highlights the role of dialogue, co-creation, and capacity building in fostering healthier, more resilient, and adaptive work environments within large public institutions.
Fear and trust in UN climate policy at UNFCCC COP27
This blog explores the role of fear and trust as inner dimensions shaping communication, agency, and collaboration in UN climate policy, using COP27 as a case study. Drawing on research and practical experience from the Co-Creative Reflection and Dialogue Spaces (CCRDS), the authors examine how political spaces can be designed to consciously address emotions, values, and worldviews that are usually sidelined in formal negotiations. The article argues that engaging with fear and trust through reflective and dialogic formats can strengthen collective agency, improve the culture of communication at UN Climate Conferences, and support more transformative approaches to climate governance.
Confronting fears – Strengthening trust
This blog introduces the Co-Creative Reflection and Dialogue Space (CCRDS) at UN Climate Conferences as an experimental format to address fear, mistrust, and emotional overload in climate negotiations. Drawing on experiences from COP24–COP26 and preparing for COP27, the authors reflect on how consciously designed spaces for dialogue, reflection, and co-creation can strengthen trust, agency, and collaboration among diverse stakeholders. The article highlights the importance of engaging inner dimensions such as emotions, values, and mindsets to improve the culture of communication and support more transformative approaches to global climate action.
On the culture of untapped potential
This blog offers a critical reflection on the communication and working culture at UNFCCC COP23, based on participant observation in the Bonn Zone. The author describes a prevailing atmosphere of consumption, superficial networking, and one-way knowledge transfer that, in his view, leaves much of the conference’s collective potential untapped. At the same time, the article points to emerging alternatives—such as dialogic and participatory formats like the Talanoa Space—and argues for a fundamental shift toward more reflective, interactive, and co-creative modes of engagement to better address the challenges of climate change.
Relational Leadership as a Leverage Point: a Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Climate-Related Transformation in Business
This blog explores relationship-oriented leadership as a powerful lever for climate-related transformation in business. Using the Head of Climate Base Camp as a case study, it illustrates how transdisciplinary collaboration, trust-building, and reflective dialogue can enable leaders to activate individual, organisational, and systemic leverage points for sustainability transitions, bridging research and practice.
Psychology in China
In this podcast episode of ChinaConnect – Your Guide for Research and Transfer, we speak with Dr. FANG Man, psychologist and psychotherapist trained in China and Germany, about the evolution and practice of psychology in China. With over 20 years of experience, she shares insights into the field’s development—from early Western and German influences, through disruption during the Cultural Revolution, to today’s efforts to localise psychological theory and practice.
The discussion explores how cultural factors such as “face,” relationships, and harmony shape the expression of psychological distress, as well as the integration of Western clinical methods with traditional Chinese practices like body-based therapies and TCM. The episode also addresses rising mental health diagnoses among young people in urban China and ongoing debates around medicalisation. Drawing on her work in trauma and disaster response, Dr. Fang compares strengths of emergency psychological support systems in China and Germany.
Zubizarreta-Ada, Rosa
Rosa is currently a Senior Fellow at the Research Institute for Sustainability. The larger vision that calls her, is a world where humanity has developed immunity to divide-and-conquer tactics, through widepread literacy in “the Listening Arts”, including mediation, facilitation, conflict de-escalation, and conflict transformation. She sees a strong synergy between developing wide-spread lay communities of practice in these areas, and also, honoring the work and ongoing learning of professional practitioners.
Sustainability Leadership
The book shows how SMEs can master their company’s sustainability transition with the help of sustainability leadership. Companies and organizations are facing new challenges – old leadership and management patterns no longer fit. As a manager, it is not always easy to keep your bearings in the face of great complexity and uncertainty and to harmonize your own sustainability strategy with the needs of employees and external stakeholders.
Using practical examples and concrete tools, the authors demonstrate a holistic and integrative leadership approach to how managers of medium-sized companies can successfully anchor sustainability in their company. Particularly noteworthy: this could be the birth of “Entrepreneurship 2.0”. It is based on the often deep roots of the company and new, innovative perspectives. Interviews with business personalities provide inspiration and insights into their experiences with the sustainability transformation.
Grand Theory of Societal Advancement
Grand Theory of Societal Advancement
A comprehensive theory, a historic echo of our first version of civilization formed from the Neolithic package of upgrades. Comprised of specialized works from a broad spectrum of fields of study and independent researchers. The overarching goal of GTSA is to provide humanity with the necessary tools and systems for enhanced global cooperation, innovation, and unity, particularly in navigating the challenges of the 21st century and the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is a major adaptation in our evolutionary journey of civilization:
a. Civilization 1.0: Marked by the stability and developments of the Neolithic Package, representing the dawn of structured human society.
b. The Industrial Age: Characterized by significant technological and industrial advancements.
c. The Great Acceleration: A period of rapid development with both benefits and challenges, marking a significant leap in human capability and impact.
d. Civilization 1.95: Defined by persistent crises, highlighting the need for a significant shift in societal management.
e. Civilization 2.0: The ultimate goal of GTSA, aiming for enhanced societal functioning and problem-solving.
Boa Foundation
We work in alliance with indigenous communities to preserve and protect sacred land, culture, and ancient wisdom. We support projects including strategic land buybacks, restoration of native ecosystems, cultural exchange, and sustainable living solutions.
Our planet is a miracle. Life has evolved for millions of years, creating a rich and diverse ecosystem, an intricate web where all life can thrive. The climate crisis is the result of a deep man-made imbalance on the Earth. Our species has been extracting, producing, and polluting without much consideration for other forms of life, even our own. This imbalance is a symptom of our alienation from natural rhythms, cycles, and systems, and our lack of a caring relationship to our world. This also manifests in ever-increasing crises in mental health, breakdown of communities, and auto-immune diseases being diagnosed at alarming rates. The Boa Foundation works together with indigenous communities worldwide to address these issues holistically, supporting both cultural and natural diversity, and the healing of our selves and the planet.
Dal Fiore, Filippo
Dr. Filippo Dal Fiore holds a PhD in Economics from the Free University of Amsterdam and teaches
at the Master’s and MBA level at the University of Bologna.
After working for 10 years in the field of technological innovation – predominantly running applied research projects and a spin-off venture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Filippo realized the need for a deeper exploration of issues of ethical business and mindful leadership. Today these two topics are the subject of his teaching at the University of Bologna and consulting at the Great Place To Work Institute.
Filippo’s major intellectual challenge is related to inter-disciplinarity, specifically on how to de-ideologize social sciences and use common sense for social scientific research. In this respect, Filippo has always tried to beat the path of a polymath, taking on different research topics, balancing research with practice, experimenting new pedagogical approaches
Little Treehouse
Little Treehouse is a non-profit organization founded in 2013 to support initiatives focused on human rights, environment protection and communities in need with a primary focus on youth and future generations.
Our lean structure and committed team provide us with no additional costs, allowing us to allocate approx. 100% of funds directly to our projects.
Little Treehouse’s goal is to provide continuous support to our projects, not limited to financial relief. We believe that hands on means of support such as regenerative work, personal commitment and emotional care create strong connections, and lasting and self-sustaining change for good.
TES Academy – International Academy Environment and Sustainability
In order to shape a sustainable future, we need people on all levels from local to global who are capable of implementing transformation processes for the environment and sustainability. Also, developing structures and networks of such people that deal with sustainability challenges in different contexts and with different knowledge are essential.
The TES Academy addresses these actors and accompanies them to jointly identify and address topics of transformations that have a high potential to increase their implementation by international knowledge exchange and joint learning activities across countries.
Fackenthal, Jeremy
Jeremy Fackenthal is an independent filmmaker and NGO director. After completing a PhD in Philosophy of Religion and Theology from Claremont Graduate University, he began using his philosophical background beyond the academy to raise questions and craft narratives. In recent years, Jeremy’s work has included video content produced for clients and shorter independent documentary projects. Jeremy most recently served as Managing Director of the Institute for Ecological Civilization, and he is currently exploring new nonprofit possibilities that wed sustainability and storytelling.
Wuppuluri, Shyam
Shyam Wuppuluri is an independent researcher working in the domain of foundations of sciences and philosophy. He has long standing interest in the interdisciplinary approaches to sciences, deep ecology and sustainability. He is the recipient of prestigious Albert Einstein Fellowship 2021 from the Einstein Forum at Potsdam & Caputh and is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
As a primary editor, he has edited various highly interdisciplinary volumes to disseminate and address the issues underlying the foundations of sciences by gathering world’s leading scientists and intellectual leaders including Noam Chomsky, Sir Roger Penrose, Sir Martin Rees, Daniel Dennett, A. C. Grayling, Nicholas Humphrey, Gregory Chaitin, Gerard ‘t Hooft, Ian Stewart, Barry Mazur, Stephen Wolfram, Paul Davies, Tyler Burge, Doron Swade, Julian Barbour, Newton Da Costa, Francisco Antonio Doria, Reuben Hersh, Nicholas Maxwell and many others.
the school of nothing
the school of nothing is investigating the realm of nothing.
As an applied research project it develops and implements artistic and scientific interventions in the public space and open performances | workshops for people being interested into exploring the qualities conntected to nothing, e.g. nothingness, silence, emptiness, darkness, pause, serenity, Lassenskraft, waiting, withdrawing, contemplation, doing nothing, leisure
The Communities of Practice Playbook
Working through communities of practice has never been more encouraged in organisations than it is now. Better gathering, sharing and using of data, information and knowledge in public organisations such as the European Commission are essential to deliver integrated policy work and overcome silo mentalities. This is highlighted explicitly in European Commission President von der Leyen’s work guidelines stipulating transparency and the ambition to become a digitally transformed, user-focused and data-driven administration. Communities of practice are an excellent instrument for fostering collaboration among internal and external stakeholders: they can bring groups with different knowledge perspectives together and can strengthen their capacity to work and learn creatively together. Thus, communities of practice harness the collective intelligence in organisations and help improve performance.
Heidenreich, Marie
Marie Heidenreich is heading the SynCom Office. SynCom is the synthesis and communication platform for the Helmholtz research field ‘Earth and Environment’.
SynCom aims to synthesize research results and to build bridges across various disciplines in a cross-center and interdisciplinary manner.
Functioning as an interface between science and society, SynCom supports evidence-based climate and environmental politics by delivering practical know-how to stakeholders and politicians.
Bruhn, Isabella
I am writing this text about myself and it is not exactly easy.
The most amazing compliment ever, was given to me by my teacher Gary Friedman who said he had never seen such integrity.
It is a very special and no light compliment but I handle it with great respect and care.
It describes how I try to approach my clients as they offer me their trust in the midst of their life crisis.
So with the appreciation of their confidence in me, I try to stay respectfull and be honest about myself. I keep them informed, I share my intuitions, I hold but do not control, I do not manipulate by using methods, and I try to envision their system outside in and inside out.
I love life, I love this world, and I deeply believe in the inner strength of our eco system.
I am mother of 2, an occasional farmers market apple seller to get some balance in my work life, a gardener and very happy about my bicycle :)))
Choutko, Alexandra
Fear & Trust in Climate Communication
It’s astonishing thesis forming the current discussion about climate communication.
Kurt, Hildegard
I am an independent cultural researcher and author, actively engaged in research, teaching and lecturing in Europe, the UK, Korea and the USA. My thematic focus includes art and sustainability, culture and sustainability, aesthetic education, social sculpture and intercultural dialogue.
Center, Athena
We are a center bridging science, business, and “ancient wisdom” from different traditions to bring sustainability and equality to the (business) world.
Institute for Ecological Civilization
Core Belief
The present trajectory of life on this planet is unsustainable, and the underlying causes of our environmental crisis are inseparable from our social and economic systems. The massive inequality between the rich and the poor is not separate from our systems of unlimited growth, the depletion of natural resources, the extinction of species, or global warming. Social and environmental movements require an orientation that is neither too narrow and short-term, nor too abstract and long-term to offer concrete guidance. Formulating the requirements for the flourishing of life in all its forms ― an ecological civilization ― will provide the roadmap that leaders need and will ground a hope that stimulates the necessary reforms.
Vision
EcoCiv works internationally to design and scale solutions toward long-term sustainability, focusing on water, economies, and human communities. We conduct research, convene experts, and facilitate the quest for solutions. We then help implement solutions through engagement at both the local and global levels: multi-sector teams in city or regional “hubs,” combined with online forums for building networks and disseminating solutions. Other activities include consultations, think-tank gatherings, and policy engagement. The goal is to develop collaborations among government, business, and civic leaders and among scholars, activists, and policy makers.
Working at the intersection of theory and practice, we amplify narratives of hope that motivate, guide, and direct. As humanity works its way from social and environmental threat toward an ecological society, only the transformative vision of a positive new story will suffice. Where hopelessness arises, we call others to join us in walking toward ecological civilization, one step at a time.
(Taken from: https://ecociv.org/our-mission/)
Spirit of Humanity Forum
A global platform for leaders and change makers
To offer a global platform for leaders and change-makers seeking to contribute towards a lasting transformation in the world in which core human values such as love, respect, solidarity and compassion become integrated in our decision-making and relational processes, enabling systemic change in organisations, communities and nations. This is part of our ‘duty of care’ for the Earth and for Humanity at large.
Specking, Heiko
specking+partners advises on sustainability issues, and engages with corporations, charitable structures, wealthy individuals and their families. In this respect we support the enhancement of responsible behaviour both for business related and personal activities. As an independent Swiss-based company, we ensure that value-based practices can become part of the DNA of a project or an organization.
Together with our clients, we build long-term, holistic strategies for responsible engagement, philanthropic activities, sustainable investment and social entrepreneurship. We then work to support implementation of their strategies and to realize the desired impact.
Fostering Reflection, Dialogue and Collaboration among Actors at the UN Climate Change Conferences, IASS Policy Brief
Creating space for reflection and dialogue: Examples of new modes of communication for empowering climate action
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” This quote by Albert Einstein highlights our need for new formats of communication to address the knowledge-action gap regarding climate change and other sustainability challenges. This includes reflection, and communication spaces, as well as methods and approaches that can catalyze the emergence of transformative change and action. In this article we present and reflect on experiments we carried out at international climate negotiations and conferences.
(Taken from www.ingentaconnect.com/content/oekom/gaia/2021/00000030/00000003/art00010;jsessionid=bc027khsn74t1.x-ic-live-02)
Connecting to Change the World: Harnessing the Power of Networks for Social Impact
Something new and important is afoot. Nonprofit and philanthropic organizations are under increasing pressure to do more and to do better to increase and improve productivity with fewer resources. Social entrepreneurs, community-minded leaders, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropists now recognize that to achieve greater impact they must adopt a network-centric approach to solving difficult problems. Building networks of like-minded organizations and people offers them a way to weave together and create strong alliances that get better leverage, performance, and results than any single organization is able to do.
While the advantages of such networks are clear, there are few resources that offer easily understandable, field-tested information on how to form and manage social-impact networks. Drawn from the authors’ deep experience with more than thirty successful network projects, Connecting to Change the World provides the frameworks, practical advice, case studies, and expert knowledge needed to build better performing networks. Readers will gain greater confidence and ability to anticipate challenges and opportunities.
Easily understandable and full of actionable advice, Connecting to Change the World is an informative guide to creating collaborative solutions to tackle the most difficult challenges society faces.
(taken from https://islandpress.org/books/connecting-change-world)
Co-Creative Reflection & Dialogue Space at UNFCCC COP
The IASS first hosted a Dialogue and Reflection Space at the climate conference in Katowice in 2018. The space attracted participants from a diverse range of professional backgrounds, countries and age groups and offered a safe space for discussions in smaller groups as well as in-depth conversation and reflection in the midst of this major event. Many of the participants praised the space for providing a supportive setting that generated valuable insights.
“The space provides a setting for genuine encounters that inspire creative thinking and broaden perspectives. The delegates to the conference bring a substantial and diverse potential with them, but opportunities for genuine exchange are often few and far between. The Dialogue and Reflection Space provides a framework for cooperation in which new ideas and effective strategies can emerge. This is an important contribution to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement,” says IASS researcher Carolin Fraude.
Over the course of the two-week climate change conference, the IASS will be offering “Learning Journey” workshops twice daily. The two sessions, which can also be attended separately, build on each other and feature a co-creative approach spanning three phases in which the following three questions are addressed:
1) Why does a culture of cooperation need to be cultivated and developed further at the COP?
2) What culture do we need to make the COP more effective?
3) What can we do to promote this culture?
The programme at the space will be supported by a research team from the IASS in collaboration with colleagues from Chalmers University of Technology, Lund University and the University of East Anglia.
The results will be published on Twitter and a blog. The programme also includes unstructured time for personal conversations and diary-keeping.
Invitation_R&DSpaceInvitation_RDSpace2019Concept-note_RD2019
Milton, Mark
Founder and Director of the Swiss-based foundation Education 4 Peace (E4P)
Created in 2002, the Foundation works internationally to promote the incorporation of skills in self-awareness, deep listening, and mastery of emotions into the educational curriculum of youth, including sports education. His earlier experiences first as a volunteer and then as director of an organization that operates hotlines for emotional support and suicide prevention and his successful career as a business consultant specializing in communication, marketing and organizational development have greatly contributed to the work of E4P. From 2001-2010, Mark was chairman of the International Federation of Telephone Emergency Services (IFOTES), with 600 centers in 28 countries. He initiated many activities to promote listening skills, as well as the first international congress on the theme of Emotional Health in 2007, co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO). He has led the E4P’s groundbreaking work with international and national football federations to officially introduce self-awareness, teach listening skills and empathetic communication that pave the way for resilience and relational consciousness. He is the co-author of Master of your Emotions and Football, a Path to Self-Awareness.
Rössig, Wiebke
Dr. Wiebke Rössig
Leitung Experimentierfeld für Partizipation und Offene Wissenschaft
E-Mail: wiebke.roessig@mfn.berlin
Tel: +49 30 889140-8676
Anmeldung zur Experimentierfeld-Infomail
Museum für Naturkunde
Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung
Forschungsbereich Museum und Gesellschaft
Invalidenstraße 43
D – 10115 Berlin
www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin
https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/de/museum/austellungen/experimentierfeld