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The Global Systems Review Issue 14  March 2010

The Global Systems Review is a periodic e-newsletter that explores critical world issues through the lens of whole systems thinking.

In this Issue:

In Celebration of Emergence – As systems break down, what is breaking through? How Vision, Heart, and Hope are being born in these times.

In Celebration of Emergence, Part II – Meet some of the special people and programs bringing Vision, Heart, and Hope into our lives.

In Celebration of Emergence
Louise Diamond, Ph.D.

Emergence is one of the most important, and in some cases least understood, dynamics of living systems. It refers to a point of instability when agents in a system interact with each other in unpredictable ways, resulting in a new coherence and new forms.

That a number of national and global systems have reached this point of instability is a given. As things break down, new forms are breaking through. Like the daffodil shoots rising up out of the last snows of winter, there is new birth arising through the frozen ground. And because systems seek the best fit with their environment, what is being born on the planet in these days is what best aligns with the realities of our times – that is, a recognition of our interconnectedness.

I recently spent three days in a gathering with 150 people who share a passion for interconnectedness. They were all grantees or friends of Kalliopeia Foundation, whose mission is to honor the unity at the heart of life's rich diversity. The conference theme was Emergence, and I had a powerful experience there of that-which-wants-to-be-born in our country and in our world in these times, through the microcosm of those in attendance.

I had the privilege to witness the emergence of Vision, Heart, and Hope.

Vision. There is growing among us an understanding of what it means to be truly inter-related. We understand that this dynamic works vertically (for instance, the link between body, mind, and spirit) and also horizontally (between individuals and groups). We also understand that we are interconnected across time (for example, historical wounds live on for centuries, and what we set in motion today will affect many generations into the future); across scale (individual, local, and global); and also across species (between humans and other living beings).

Thus, for instance, there were a number of people at the gathering who work in prisons, bringing poetry, art, dance, or meditation to the inmates and staff; and some who work in schools to foster children’s creativity, emotional intelligence, and inner knowing. There were people and programs dealing with inter-religious dialogue and inherent spiritual wisdom; with trauma healing for soldiers and abuse victims; and with social healing between communities gripped by violence.

There were many Native American wisdom keepers there, reminding us all to think of the consequences of our actions seven generations into the future, and affirming what is perhaps the most significant element of a new vision – that we are a part of, not apart from, a living planet. That link between humanity and the natural world was a major theme at the conference, whether talking about food, water, creation stories, or nature’s laws.

So what is the new vision that is emerging? President Obama said it frequently in his campaign: We’re all in this together. We’re now understanding that ‘all’ means much more than just the globalization of the economy, or the building of strong local communities. We are creating a world where connections across every conceivable dimension are what matter – connections that promote the best, the wholeness, of who we are as individuals and as communities and nations; connections that allow us to treat one another with dignity and respect; to look at ‘the other’ and see ourselves; to walk differently upon the earth.

Heart. This new vision involves one more element that is not often spoken of in the halls of government or the forums where decisions that affect us all are made, and that is the element of the heart. At the gathering, and hopefully in our world, what we saw was an opening of the heart: a heart-centeredness that turns connection into relationship; gives rise to compassion, empathy, and love; and acknowledges the sacredness of this vast web of life in which we exist - not at the center, in control, as many have believed, but simply as a unique part of the larger whole.

Heart-centeredness is about caring that others have what they need to live well. It is about building trust and building bridges and building coalitions to guarantee that well-being for all. It is about touching and awakening our deep inner wisdom – through contemplative practice, through stories, laughter, and the arts.

Once again, President Obama has led the nation to a consideration of re-connecting with the heart, when he announced that in his search for a new Supreme Court Justice he was looking for someone with empathy. Many ridiculed this, as if the heart and the mind are two entirely separate phenomena. What emerged in this gathering – and, I suggest, what is emerging in our world – is the realization that the two are indeed not separate but woven inextricably together.

This emergence of heart-centeredness has profound implications for how we address some of the critical issues facing us in these times. Whatever our religion, if our hearts were open to the interconnectedness and sacredness of all life (including animals and plants and the earth herself), we would make the eradication of poverty, violence, oppression, injustice, and environmental destruction the core focus of our policies and activities. We would make it a priority, as those at the conference are doing, to develop new approaches to money, to agriculture, to energy, to education, to health, to the natural world, and to those who have been marginalized, abused, or wounded in our communities.

Hope. I left this gathering feeling great hope for our planet. Although 150 people is hardly a scientific sample, it was enough to show me the energy, enthusiasm, and yes, the heart-fullness of those who are not lamenting the breakdowns so much as contributing to the breakthroughs. What I saw and heard at this event was a different kind of surge – a surge of innovation and possibility.

I witnessed those who are reaching into the vast pool of potential to give birth to that which will heal and nurture, that which will bring sanity and clarity, that which will honor and respect, that which will solve and resolve, and that which will create a new path for humanity. And I know that for each person present, there are thousands more around the globe engaged in a similar journey. What is emerging, finally, is a longing for wholeness of people and planet, translated into concrete and creative action.

In Celebration of Emergence, Part II
Louise Diamond, Ph.D.

In these turbulent times, with crises, broken systems, and urgent challenges facing us from every direction, this gives me hope and makes my heart sing.

Here are links to a sampling of the exceptional people and programs I met at the Emergence gathering.

Mark Gerzon writes in Kosmos journal about what it means to be a global citizen. www.kosmosjournal.org/kjo2/library/kosmos-articles/globalcitizens-1.shtml

Ed Tick shares his experience of healing PTSD among our returning soldiers. Read some of his articles here: www.soldiersheart.net/resources/articles.shtml

The 13 Indigenous Grandmothers carry the wisdom of the living planet and remind us to walk with every step a prayer. Learn more at www.grandmotherscouncil.com

Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons convene a yearly gathering of Bioneers, the leading-edge social and environmental innovators discovering new ways to partner with the natural world. Learn more at www.bioneers.org and connect.bioneers.org

Leslie Neal brings the arts to incarcerated women, men, and youth for self-discovery and empowerment. Go to www.artspring.org to be inspired.

Nipun Mehta has a unique take on charity, or what he calls the ‘gift-economy.’ Check it out at www.charityfocus.org.

Penny Livingstone teaches sustainable living through a whole systems approach to permaculture. Click here for more: www.regenerativedesign.org.