Transition

The New Normal is what we will perceive as the normal way of working, investing, producing, caring, after the transition has taken place, around 2025. The New Normal ways will be quite different from what we nowadays accept as regular or 'normal'.  

We are transitioning to systems approaches and holistic, integrated, circular ways of producing. We transition from mineral energy to renewable energy, from a capitalist economy to a circular economy, from industrial agriculture to agro-ecology, from sectoral to integrated policies. In short, we move into an ecological society.

Books  that describe (the need for) our transition to an ecological society are from all times. Murray Bookchin wrote Toward an ecological society even before Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962). In 2017 Fred Magdoff and Chris Williams wrote Creating an ecological society; toward a revolutionary transformation. According to commentories: building blocks for a soci-ecological revolution; a road map to a sustainable future. A summary of their book you'll find in my blog Creating an ecological society. 

The Spiral Dynamics concept shows us clearly how - worldwide - we move up the spiral to an ecological society. From the blue and orange memes, symbolising hierarchic and profit-driven societies, to an ecological, synergy and value driven society, represented by the yellow meme. Some organisations are already moving up further, to the turquois holistic level. There we know that we are interdependent, worldwide.

Wim Zweers, a Dutch philosopher, sees the transiiton process inour changing  attitudes towards nature (1996). We move from a top-down, hierarchical  attitude (we 'own' and 'organise' nature) toward a partner-of-nature attitude, in which we respect nature as the complex system that we are part of. Steering and organising production processes with this partner attitude is like sailing a small boat on the ocean, recognizing that we are dependent on natural forces and resources. 

How to deal with such transitions? Since the outcomes of such transition processes are not foreseeable yet, it may make us feel insecure. Some try to fight the change, sticking to their stakes. However, life now is about dealing with uncertainties. The solution is in moving along with the transition, use the opportunities that present themselves and choose an itinary that is at the same time good for you and for the planet. Tho Ha Vinh tells us about the art of doing things that really matter: "This paradigm shift has to do with re-defining what we mean by development."

Learn from the blogs and articles on this site which organisations already made the turn, and join them! Learn about new concepts, be open to synchronicity and go with the flow.

Play a more active and decisive role in the transition with your organisation? As a catalyst for sustainable change I can facilitate your transition process.  Hire me as a consultant to guide or facilitate you in the process.