Resources

Lines in the Mind, Not in the World by Donella Meadows

The earth was formed whole and continuous in the universe, without lines.
The human mind arose in the universe needing lines, boundaries, distinctions. Here and not there. This and not that. Mine and not yours.

That is sea and this is land, the mind thinks, and here is the line between them. See? It’s very clear on the map.

But, as the linguists […]

read more

The Power of Paradox by Robert Hanig

I recently had the opportunity to reflect on a long-term leadership and change intervention with an international finance and development institution I have been involved with for the last 15 years.

What makes this story so compelling is the fact that this institution grew not only in size, scope, stability, and operating results during a time of unprecedented global economic turmoil and […]

read more

The Art of Systems Thinking in Driving Sustainable Transformation

http://gu.com/p/3b5fv/em
Changing systems, and helping multiple stakeholders find a common vision, requires expertise and a deft touch

Jo Confino
Guardian Professional, Monday 15 October 2012 11.52 EDT

Creating systems change: it is important to develop a vision of a positive future.

Photograph: Alamy

Systems thinking may represent the next phase in the evolution of sustainability, but it is not an arena for corporations to enter […]

read more

Transformation in the Heart of the City

by Beth Heller, former Senior Director of Education and Strategic Planning at Urban Ecology Center

Standing in the heart of the city, images from 10 years ago popped into my mind. Back then this was a place with dilapidated buildings void of people, trees and flowers. Access to residential neighborhoods to the north and south was severed by grinding traffic on […]

read more

Fishery Causal Loop Diagram

View the pdf of The Causal Loop Diagram 
This fishery causal loop diagram reveals one way of seeing the system of fishery and ocean conservation, the theory of change of various interventions and how they interact with each other. By making each stakeholder’s mental model explicit, it enables people to understand each other’s perspective, examine one’s underlying assumptions about the change […]

read more