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There are important emerging challenges to the basic notions of the modern state and global world order by the decentralised and global movements for gender equality, diversity, and individual freedom. These movements are wide and diverse but are captured by the fourth-wave feminism, which is an intersectional feminism enabled by social media and online activism (as with the Arab Spring, the Pussy Riots in Russia, Femen movement, the #metoo campaign, and now in Iran, the Women-Life-Freedom revolution). The fourth-wave feminists seek to challenge the notion of a single, universal "women's experience" and address systemic injustice and inequality. The movements are also intersectional with others seeking accountability, transparency, correcting generational wrongs, healing trans-generational trauma, ecological injustices, and protections of rights of minorities. These challenges reflect a desire to create a more equitable and just society, and show a trend towards alternative ways of thinking to find more meaningful and fulfilling ways of living in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Broadly speaking, we are witnessing the intensification of two major global tensions: one is driven top-down from existing sources of political and economic power, focusing on exploiting governance failures and private interests for new economic opportunities rather than addressing the root causes of sustainability issues, while the other is a bottom-up, community-driven movement seeking new disruptive ways to address common challenges and create change. Despite social rifts and a lack of resilience in the economy, people are coming together and seeking new collective approaches and solutions to enable well-being and health for individuals and society, as well as achieving greater harmony with natural ecosystems. New technologies can empower decentralised communities, but there are also concerns about increased authoritarianism in controlling access to technology and the overarching power of science and technology to influence freedom, well-being, and human rights. There is a growing movement advocating technology-for-good and science-for-good approaches to create transparency and rein in the centralised authority of specific interest groups. There are many new possibilities to self-organise and recreate new communities at the local level, to build greater resilience and aims to develop food and energy sovereignty, stronger communities through co-living and co-working design of places and spaces, repopulation of rural areas, and use of Technology-for-Good such as platforms or distributed ledger technology (DLT). Local mayors and regions are also responding to citizen’s demands, with innovative institutional reforms through decentralised organisations to develop and share best practices.

Figure 4. Three Horizons model adapted from International Futures Forum’s work, with Horizon 3 depicting the profound innovation pathway. Source: Daniel Christian Wahl.

One relevant approach as an examples of how the shifting organisational theories are enabling new communities to emerge, supporting new ways to drive change has emerged out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) School of Management (SLOAN), which emerged some 20 years ago as a Spin-Out called the Presencing Institute. Presencing Institute, led by Otto Scharmer, a Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), developed Theory-U as a framework for leading change and profound innovation, now called the U-School for Transformation[xi]. Profound Innovation is also aligned with the International Future Forum’s Three Horizon’s model, with adaptation by Daniel Christian Wahl’s work showing the transition to a viable regenerative future[xii] (detailed explanation of Three Horizon’s is provided by H2Uni [xiii]) deep transformation.

Theory-U is based on the idea that individuals, collectives and organizations have a "presencing" ability, to sense the deeper reality of issues and create a different future based on that deeply perceived reality. Theory-U proposes that effective change and innovation require a deep understanding of one's inner self, as well as the wider social and systemic context in which one operates, as individuals and collectives. The approach aims to activate and scale what is called ‘Awareness-based systems change’, which is an action research approach that views consciousness, as in a heightened state of awareness, being the key leverage point for societal transformation.

Consciousness in this context can be explained as looking beyond what is seen on the surface, to go deeper into the reality that is presented, so that a new reality can emerge, once we open our Mind, our Heart and our Will to facilitate such emerging realities - through a practice known as ‘Presencing’. By collectively engaging in Presencing, we can develop ‘action-confident’ communities, who by working Theory-U are able to co-design, prototype, test and develop new solution which will address root societal challenges. As such, Theory-U serves as a framework for collaboration and engagement using awareness-based and contemplative practices. It can help groups sense more deeply into team dynamics, and organizations engage in purposeful planning, prototyping of projects and initiatives, and aligning such actions with a deeper purpose.