S. Waddell
2016
Foundational text
We must and can do much better at addressing issues such as climate change, food sustainability, health, education, environmental degradation, and wealth creation. This book is for people working on these types of issues, with the perspective that we can create a future that is not just “sustainable”, but also flourishing. The challenge is not just one of incremental change, but of transformation – radical change in the way we perceive our world, create relationships and organize our societies. This book approaches these challenges as large systems change issues: issues requiring engagement of many, many people and organizations often globally; issues requiring deep innovation with shifts in mindsets and power structures; and issues that require capacity to work with complexity. Large systems change is presented as a new field of practice and knowledge. After introducing concepts of transformation and complexity, the book presents five case studies of large systems change. These cases and others are referenced throughout the remainder of the book to present large systems change strategy, organizing structures, steps in developing the necessary collective action, tools, and personal guidance for change practitioners.