第3章 Preface

第3章 Preface (第1/2页)

HOWCANWEADDRESSourtoughestchallenges?Howcanwebreakthroughourmostentangled,stuckproblems?Howcanwecreatesocialchange?
　　
　　Ihavespentthepasttwentyyearssearchingforanswerstothesequestions.Myworkhasbeentohelpteamsofleaderscometogetherfromacrossagivensocialsystemtoaddressaparticularchallengethatallofthemwanttoresolvebutthatnoneofthemcanresolvealone.Myrolehasbeenasadesigner,facilitator,andorganizerofthesepracticalsocialchangeprojects.Ihaveimmersedmyselfintheseinitiatives,andatthesametimehavepaidattentiontowhatwashappeningaroundandinsideme.
　　
　　Ihavehadtheprivilegeofworkinginthisway,alongsidemycolleagues,withallkindsofteams,onallsortsofchallenges,inallpartsoftheworld.WehaveworkedintheUnitedStates,tomakecitieshealthierandmorelivable;inCanada,toacceleratetheshifttoalow-carboneconomy;inColombia,tocreateequitabledevelopmentamidcontinuedpolarization;inGuatemala,toimplementthepeaceaccordsthatendedthecivilwar;acrossEuropeandtheAmericas,tomakefoodsupplychainsmoresustainable;inIsrael,todealwithwideningculturalandideologicalschisms;inSouthAfrica,toaddresscriticaldevelopmentalissuesinthetransitionfromapartheid;inIndia,toreducechildmalnutrition;inthePhilippines,tounblockapoliticalstalemate;andinAustralia,toeffectlong-delayedreconciliationbetweenaboriginalandnonaboriginalpeople.
　　
　　Theseexperienceshavegivenmeanup-frontviewofthedynamicsofsocialchangeatmanylevels:individual,group,community,society.Ihavebeenamemberoftensofdiverseteams;workingtogetherovermonthsandyears;engagingheads,hearts,andhands.Ihavehadtheopportunitytoparticipateinmuchtrialandmucherrorandmuchlearning.Ihaveworkedsidebysidewithremarkablechangeagents,socialentrepreneurs,andactivists,andbeenabletoobserve,frombothoutsiderandinsiderperspectives,whatworksandwhatdoesn't.Basedonthesefirsthandexperiences,IhavewrittenthisbooktosharewhatIhavelearnedwithotherswhoaretryingtocreatesocialchange.
　　
　　Overthesetwentyyears,Ihavemadetwodiscoveries.IreportedthefirstonefiveyearsagoinSolvingToughProblems:AnOpenWayofTalking,Listening,andCreatingNewRealities.InthatbookIconcludedthatthekeytocreatingnewsocialrealitiesistoopenourselvesupandconnect:toourowntrueselves,tooneanother,andtoourcontextandwhatitdemandsofus.
　　
　　Fiveyearsandmanyexperienceslater,Icanseethatthisconclusionwasright,butonlyhalfright,anddangerouslyso.
　　
　　PowerandLovepicksupwhereSolvingToughProblemsleftoffandreportstheseconddiscovery.Inordertoaddressourtoughestchallenges,wemustindeedconnect,butthisisnotenough:wemustalsogrow.Inotherwords,wemustexercisebothlove(thedrivetounity)andpower(thedrivetoself-realization).Ifwechooseeitherloveorpower,wewillgetstuckinre-creatingexistingrealities,orworse.Ifwewanttocreatenewandbetterrealities-athome,atwork,inourcommunities,intheworld-weneedtolearnhowtointegrateourloveandourpower.
　　
　　

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