Civity recently engaged in a thought-provoking discussion on the role of relationships in systems change with PACE (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement).
In collaboration with thought partner and Civity supporter John Esterle of The Whitman Institute, Palma and Malka wrote “It’s All About Relationships: Systems-Based Changemaking.” The essay was published by PACE on its blog, and PACE also hosted a webinar featuring the co-authors along with three PACE members who shared how a relationships-and-systems approach underlies their grantmaking.
Civity has, from the beginning, taken a systems approach to social change.
In complex adaptive social systems, such as our communities, our nation, and our world, it is the interactions of the people within them – our relationships – that create the system’s energy and character. The challenges and injustices that we see and experience are created by us – all of us.
Civity responds to systems problems with relationship-centered systems strategies. Civity helps organizations and community leaders build the relational infrastructure for a culture of solidarity and belonging, which also lays the groundwork for policy change.
“It’s All About Relationships” highlights key aspects of Civity’s work:
- Civity Centers Relationships for Systems Change
An understanding of social systems led Civity to put relationships at the center of our work. - Civity Relationships of Respect and Empathy Ground Resilient Social Systems
Healthy relationships lead to resilient systems with equitable policies. - Civity’s “Putting Difference on the Table” Draws on System Diversity
System diversity is a source of resilience and strength. Putting difference on the table helps people “see” each other in their full complexity and humanity. - Civity’s Focus on Relationships in Systems is Empowering
Systemic racism and other systemic injustices can feel overwhelming – too big for any individual person or action to make a difference. But in systems, change happens from the bottom up. - Investing in Relationships is a Sea Change for Philanthropy
As philanthropy increasingly adopts a systems-based frame for addressing the intractable problems that face us today, the importance of investing and being in relationship comes into focus. In a systems world, investing in relationships – with our attention, our intention, and our resources – is essential.
We close the essay by saying:
“For us as a society, as funders, as people working to make our communities stronger, more resilient, and more just — the paradigm shift to understanding our societies as complex adaptive systems is a challenge — and an imperative. Yet a deep understanding of systems themselves shows us the way. In complex adaptive systems, the macro emerges from the micro, and the interactions between and among individuals drive small- and then medium- and then large-scale transformation.
It’s all about relationships.
It’s all about relationships.
It’s all about relationships …”
You can read the essay here and view the PACE webinar here.