Diverse Thinking
We give voice to diverse thinkers. Those who take the time to think about the world around them and to articulate their thoughts through articles. The many subjects our members have written about in the past are included in our archive of articles. We also share links with other collaborators and interesting sites. If you would like to publish an article here contact us.
The Common Man & a Global Power Shift
Dr Claudius Van Wyk considers how an appropriate civil society formation might contribute to a better future.
Can we learn the lessons to become a more civil society?
Esther Ridsdale looks at the lessons from the Brexit referendum and how we can practice 'being civil society' in the ways we work together and a Civil Society Forum project to experiment with this.
Organisational Structure & Culture for Living Systems Leadership – Navigating with the Astrolabe
Dr Claudius van Wyk
Community engagement in the social ecosystem dance
Eileen Conn explores the dynamics of community engagement and how this contrasts to the dynamics in traditional hierarchical organisations
Brexit and beyond
Wilja Witcombe gives her perspectives as a foreigner
4 Pillars of Neo-Liberalism
Joshua Malkin puts forward the proposal that neo-liberalism is dead and explores the notion that the new political spectrum is not between left and right but between Love and Extractive Power .
Trustees - The future of business?
Patrick Andrews tells of the origins of trusteeship & ponders on how this could help us address key organisational challenges in ways that create 'future fit' organisations.
A stance on elections, bombings, fires, mortgages and voting for security
by Esther Ridsdale
The New Compass - Earth Economics and the vertical political spectrum
Joshua Malkin explores the politics of wellbeing and how we can take sustainability to the next level.
Beyond the Gentleman's agreement
Dr Claudius Van Wyk explores how we can get real in sustainable collaboration.
Photo by jesse orrico on Unsplash
Lessons from Neuroscience
Barry Mapp explains how an understanding of neuroscience can provide helpful learning on how we as individuals can flourish. It also provides profound and exciting revelations on how we can adjust our ways of thinking and working to better serve the common interests, wealth and wellbeing - and build a world where all can flourish.
Where now for governance? From Ant Hills to the Arab Spring
Tim Harle draws on insights from nature and complexity science to explore the future for governance
Rosa Zubizarreta in flow
Dynamic Facilitation - Post workshop reflections
Alison Thorpe shares reflections on after a CSF workshop Dynamic Facilitation by Rosa Zubizarreta & Andy Paice (written for her 'Focussing' colleagues)
Defining Civil Society: The Ground that is Necessary for Wellbeing to Flourish
by Joshua Malkin
How organisations can better serve the common interests
James Quilligan, Chair of the Global Commons Trusts & Centre for Global Negotiations outlines some steps that can be taken to adapt our ways of organising to better serve our common wellbeing.
Creating generative teams - The Star Model
Past president of the Institute of Human Dynamics, Sally Gritten explains 5 factors that contribute to generative (or fruitful) teams.
If it’s not about being in control, then what?
Esther Ridsdale writes
World
challenges addressed
Future Thinking
Here are some topics that have been explored within the forum:
The art of collaboration. Multiple sessions with guided exploration including practical exercises with Prof John Carlisle, international authority on collaboration and win-win approaches to management.
Using collaborative networks to stimulate & support transformation.
‘Responding to the Riots’ Forum: What can we do to address the underlying causes of the riots? In partnership with Initiatives of Change, Cordoba Foundation and Burning2Learn
Improving service to customers whilst reducing costs. Method in the face of Madness. Including explanation of the approach used to address threats faced by Advice Centres by Steve Johnson, Chief Exec of Advice UK
How can we adjust our organisational models & practice to better serve our collective interests? With keynote insight from James Quilligan, radical economist and Chair of Global Commons Trust. Part of Quilligan Series on ‘Steps towards a commons-based economy’. In partnership with the Gaia Network and Working in Trust.
What needs to be done to adjust our business (organizational) models, systems and ways of working to increase collective impact & better serve the common interests, wealth & well-being of all? Including 5 short presentations introducing useful approaches.
Re-imagining Commissioning; using a simplified version of ‘Syntegration’; a method (drawn from complexity science) for bringing together lots of different perspectives to address a problem.
Managing complex delivery (non-hierarchically); Introducing an approach to designing non-hierarchical structures to organise & generate synergy within and between organisations (building on the Viable Systems Model)
Interesting Links and other Collaborators
Sarah Farrugia, a longstanding collaborator with Civil Society Forum, brings her thoughts together on Advocateur - she focuses attention on areas of change and transformation that impact in simple ways. Her knowledge and insight will appeal to the pragmatist who wants to get involved in active citizenship in their local neighbourhood.