O&P - Sustainable Development Issue

This journal seems to me to be answering the question: What can we do when we don't know what to do? We know we have to do something but it all seems so overwhelming and complex and impossible.

I remember an article from ages ago about the greatest creativity being at the edge of chaos where an optimal blend of diversity (as much knowledge as possible), connectedness (for greatest exchange) and bandwidth (for high quality information) can apparently enable the 'emergence' of a new order to arise spontaneously, without external design.

We must keep examining the issues and engaging with each other, working to enhance these three qualities, resisting the urge to turn away, looking for emergence.

When I don't know what to do, if I'm working on diversty, connectedness or bandwidth, I believe I am making a contribution.

Staff Values as Enablers for Change - "Sustainability" Volunteering
Charles Ainger and Wendy Pickford write about nurturing the wanting in people to do the right thing. They present some ideas for enabling the wanting to be manifest, to be seen, to join up and make a difference - in different ways. (Enhancing diversity).

My Practice is my Strategy - Values in Organisations
Cathy Rozel Farnworth, Barun Gurung and Janice Jiggins tell an accessible story of influencing in organisations. They reminded me of Herb Shepherds "Rules of Thumb for Change Agents" (Stay alive, Don't work uphill, etc.) optimistically reminding us we should not underestimate our own ability to influence.

Sustainability demands the spread of insight, changes of heart, one heart at a time. An article about communicating for changes of heart. (Enhancing ... connectedness? Or bandwidth? Or both?)

Sustainable Development - Dialogues and Definitions
David Fell and Oci Stott offer an exploration of what we are speaking about. We must keep speaking about what we are speaking about and what we mean by it. It's so obvious (to me ... I think) that our prevailing world view is flawed. If we keep talking and comparing what we see, we will start to see more clearly and increase our chances of moving more quickly in a good direction. (Enhancing bandwidth.)

Developing Strategic Capacity to Respond to Climate Change
David Ballard seems to be offering different yard sticks, different ways of making our situation explicit, perceptible ... so we can see and start to understand our disconnects. If we can see them we can work on them instead of stumbling over them in the dark. (Enhancing connectedness).

"Being the Change" for Climate Change Leadership
Penny Walker lays down a challenge to maintain our gaze and examine our impacts rather than look away,(enhancing connectedness).

Human Systems Intervention and The Natural Step
Jenny Sardone and Magdalena Szpala, two people from different disciplines (?), different worldviews (?) found themselves looking at the same situation and discovered they could enhance each others approaches. (They expanded diversity.)