Getting With the Flows

Listen to Curtis Ogden, the facilitator and creator of our upcoming course Energy Systems. 

A transcribed version:

For a number of years now, I have been supporting network approaches to social change, network formation and development at regional, state, and local levels focused on food insecurity, health equity, environmental conservation, and regional economic development. While there have been promising advances made in many spaces and places to build trust and connection as well as alignment around shared goals and identity, significant change has been slow to come.

While I know it's important to be realistic about time, I keep feeling that there is a missing link between the work of so-called network development and what is often held up as the goal of system change.

Increasingly, I find the stated goal of system change a bit too big, too abstract. Change from what to what for the sake of what and whom. Personally, I'm more interested in looking at the work of system change as being about engaging with living systems as neighbourhoods, communities, local economies, and democracies so that they're more equitable, health promoting, and selfrenewing. Arguably, many of these systems that change agents are focused on now are in a state of crisis or impending collapse.

As I hear more talk about the need to come together to connect and collaborate across boundaries, I keep wanting the conversation to get to another step.

Instead of saying that we are here to build networks to work on those systems, I want more people to realise that the networks that we are creating are part and parcel of those systems. That is neighbourhoods, communities, economies, political and health systems are also networks or networks of networks. They are patterns of connection and of flow. They're characterised not just by elements such as people that are in relationship, but also by the resources that move through the channels of relationship, money, information, nutrients, etc.

And this is key to the vitality of the system in question. When we realise this, it takes us into the realm of what we call energy system science and the idea that working on the patterns and quality of connection and flow can create new systemic possibilities.

If you're interested in exploring this further, consider joining us for the second offering of energy system science and practise for just and sustainable communities.

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