« You cannot cross large rivers without building bridges »
- Matshona Dhliwayo
Transition Bridges Project
Systemic mediation to meet today's polycrisis
A time of great transformation requires new collaborative leadership.
The great rivers to be crossed in our time are gigantic in scope. We are facing a polycrisis: climate change, the loss of biodiversity, inequities, systemic discrimination and exclusion, an aging population, the erosion of democratic processes to name only a few.
The bridges built now must connect a desire for transformation with systems and structures which, today, struggle to work in harmony. Some systems require care, others have reached a tipping point, while still others no longer work at all. The desire for transformation and the need to take action nevertheless exist within our coalitions, organizations, citizenry, companies, governments, foundations, NGOs, and universities - but this potential needs to be channeled strategically so that collectively we can build a regenerative future.
Humbly and in alignment with existing systems approaches, systemic mediation offers a mindset, a practice, processes and tools for building the necessary bridges. Fostering the core competencies necessary for the emergence of this vital role is one of the main focuses of the Transition Bridges Project.
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This initiative is above all an invitation. We believe in the power of collaboration and the potential for synergy that can be fostered between people working to change the world, as well as those who need a helping hand. Your input, expertise and passion are needed to build these bridges. Together, let's tap into an essential inner purpose, develop skills and tools to support this action and channel our desires for transformation to give them the direction they need.
The notion of systems mediation is a concept, a hypothesis to be tested. After many conversations with practitioners interested in systems change from a variety of backgrounds, here is a preliminary attempt at a definition.
« Systemic mediation is the practice of acting as an intermediary between different actors, scales or systems to facilitate dialogue, reach mutual understanding and resolve conflicts. It supports interventions carried out at various levels - individual, organizational, systemic and cultural/metaphysical - where mediators can help identify common interests, encourage collaboration and negotiate agreements that can contribute to the development of resilient and regenerative communities. They play a crucial role in promoting collaboration within complex socio-ecological systems. »
A Multidimensional approach:
« What must be changed must first be faced »
- James Baldwin
Areas of Work
We are exploring eight "Areas of Work" (AOW) that we envision in the realm of systemic mediation.
These AOWs are more than theoretical concepts; they are practical avenues where the principles of systems mediation can be applied to address specific types of challenges and opportunities.
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Each AOW represents a unique type of situation or context where systems mediation can play a transformative role.
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(Please note that this list of Areas of Work (AOW) is not exhaustive, but a preliminary list that we are still developing).
System Hospicing &
Embracing Endings
System Orchestration &
Balancing Power Dynamics
Linking the Niche to the Regime (Geels Model perspective)
System Composting &
Fertilizing the Future
Managing the decline of outdated or unsustainable systems. This involves processing grief and letting go. It can also include reframing the notion of decline from being an end to being a part of a continuous emergent evolutionary process (Two loops model of the Burkana institute).
Once systems have been hospiced, follows a phase of composting. This can include asset repurposing and transformation as well as catalyzing new regenerative growth from old foundations (Two loops model of the Burkana institute).
Managing and balancing power dynamics within transitioning socio-ecological systems. Mapping and navigating stakeholder interests in new systems in order to maintain an equilibrium throughout systems evolution and transformation.
This is the process of bridging the gap between small-scale, often radical innovations (the niche) and dominant societal systems and structures (the regime). It involves not just the introduction of new ideas or technologies but their integration into the broader socio-ecological landscape.
Linking the Regime
to the Landscape
(Geels Model perspective)
Mediating the Transition from Joint to Shared Intentionality
Inner Work
Mediating the Transition from Individual to Joint Intentionality
This step involves tapping into macro-level dynamics, such as global sustainability or quality of life goals to orient local urban development strategies, thereby shaping and being shaped by the wider socio-ecological landscape.
Collective action stems from more than just aligning individual goals. It involves embracing a collaborative mindset through mediation that requires a fundamental change in mindset, emotional engagement, and the way we perceive our interconnectedness. The mediator's role in fostering a collaborative mindset is multifaceted, involving breaking down conditioned, fragmented thinking and nurturing a sense of community and shared purpose.
While joint intentionality focuses on aligning individual intentions for a common purpose, shared intentionality transcends this by creating a collective vision that embodies a unified purpose and direction. Shared intentionality is also the birth of a new culture within the socio-ecological transition; it involves a profound unification of individual and group aspirations into a collective vision, embodying its own signs, symbols, norms and rituals.
It is a practice which addresses transitional and transformational challenges at the individual and relational scales. Each one of us, by nature of being human, carries particular sensibilities, capabilities, or gifts that are as much ecological as they are social. Discovering such gifts invites a journey to source. In doing so, we ourselves find our true centre and become centered in the world. This is the heart of inner work for change, and can include supporting people as they process grief and healing, weaving their way back into healthier and generative relationships. This includes the exploration of trauma-informed practices like somatics and bodywork, and rethinking our relationship to the more than human world, in order to identify different ways of being in the world.
Transition Bridges Project is designed as an opportunity to work together. This site is a way of connecting the idea of systems mediation with other practices that already exist at different scales. If you are interested in this approach, or in any of the four dimensions mentioned above, we invite you to join the conversation.
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An invitation
Action on a systemic scale can only be achieved through widespread collaboration. If you'd like to take part and be kept informed, please sign up!
« The key to solving complex, systemic, long-term problems across sectors and levels is to address them together. »
- Christian Bason
Some thoughts
This website is accompanied by the publication of blog articles allowing content to be added on a regular basis. The articles will be published in French or in English or translated into both languages.
The stewards
Louise Adongo
Patrick Dubé
Lara Evoy
Stéphane Guidoin
Maryam Mohiuddin Ahmed
Jean-Noé Landry
The stewards
