it seems to all come down to food and shelter. At this time in the US so many people are facing eviction, millions are at risk to lose their home. Without access to a shower and clean clothes, it is not possible to hold a job.

On average 2 million children face homelessness every year in the US, a number that is bound to increase this year as in fact right now. People who are in such distress have no bandwidth to deal with a climate crisis, they need guidance and support and incentives to adjust, not to forget to maintain a civil society.

Then there is the economic sector, increasingly panicked that there may be changes coming their way which create high risk. It seems the best way to think about all of this may be Donalla Meadows "Places to Intervene in a System". It could be understood as an inverted pyramid, starting with narrative (which we are debating) that requires translation and interpretation in every sector of the system.

Another way to look at the need to communicate across many layers and sectors of society is Spiral Dynamics. In this summary by Beck and Cowan the different communication styles and needs are explained, which also have some correlation with the stages in 'Places to Intervene'.

But in any case we need to protect people with access to food and shelter as a first step. We have significant gaps in our social structures that can best be bridged at the local level, one community at a time, with plenty of assistance and support. Looking ahead, it can only get more challenging.

Can we think of this challenge to transform the economy into regenerative and sustainable as helping people to help themselves?


OGM Belonging and Big Narrative