LC 00233

We live in a complex world that seems to become even more complex due to man-made and natural, large-scale disruptions such as globalization, climate change and robotization. There are no easy answers to handle this complexity. The root causes are often not well understood, let alone that it is easy to find ways to make progress when it is not clear in what direction people should be heading. These large-scale disruptions are beyond the control of ordinary citizens, yet they do interfere with the mundane challenges found in local communities, such as independent living for elderly people, loneliness, and local climate change countermeasures; all of which are complex challenges in their own right. We have no other option but to adapt to new circumstances. Because no one has a monopoly on wisdom and we cannot assume that a single person can steer us away from the cliffs, we have to find ways to address challenges collectively. And although the challenges we face may be global, we can face them by starting out locally with relatively small initiatives, which can then evolve into larger movements. In order to do so, we have to reconstruct shared meaning to agree on the direction we should take. In retrospect, not every initiative and/or direction taken will prove to be right. But ‘mistakes’ are also something to learn from. The point is, we got to move.