Local wisdom as a basis for change

How do you work together on societal challenges that are so complex that no one can solve them alone? This was the central question during *Lokale Wijsheid* (Local Wisdom), which took place on Monday 24 August at De Kasteelvrouwe in Groningen. During an interactive knowledge carousel, people from different backgrounds, with diverse areas of expertise and interests, came together to exchange knowledge and experiences and reflect together on how to create change.

Participants were invited to see their differences not as an obstacle, but as a source of innovation. After all, everyone brings their own perspective, knowledge and experience. By bringing these perspectives together, new possibilities for recovery and transition can emerge.

The afternoon centred around three themes: Symbiosis, exploring the competences needed to bring about transitions; BUFFER+, focusing on the restoration of the peat landscape and new perspectives for the region; and De Grote Systeemwissel, exploring how to work towards sustainable local communities. Participants moved between different tables, engaging in discussions and exploring what is needed to address complex challenges at a local level.

Complexity calls for collaboration

Anu Manickam, associate lector in the Region-to-Region for Regional Resilience (R2R4RR) research group, sees one clear common thread running through the different parts of the afternoon: complex societal challenges require a different way of working.

“Complexity means that you have to look very carefully at the context. What developments are taking place? Which factors and interactions reinforce a problem, and which could actually help to reduce it?” Anu explains.

According to her, change starts with recognising this complexity. When you discuss an issue with different groups, it becomes increasingly clear that it cannot be solved from a single perspective. “At some point, you realise: you cannot tackle this alone as a single organisation or from within one policy area. You need each other.”

This ties in directly with the underlying principle of local wisdom: every local context is different and therefore requires solutions that fit that specific environment. “Every local context shapes how a societal challenge develops. That means you can only work in a context-specific way. For that, you need the people who are part of that context, with their own knowledge and experience. The possibilities are also found within that context.”

No One Solution Fits All

According to Anu, this is also where an important pitfall lies. When faced with complex challenges, we are often inclined to come up with one solution and then apply it in different places. But what works in one environment may not work elsewhere.

That is why experimentation is important. “We need to experiment, see what works and what doesn’t, and then adjust together.” According to Anu, small-scale experiments can ultimately contribute to broader system change. Not by trying to define everything in advance, but by creating room for learning and adaptation.

Existing systems can also stand in the way. Anu points to fragmented policies, poor coordination, existing structures and limited access to knowledge and resources. Organisations and professionals also often operate from within their own roles and interests, while societal challenges require collaboration across these boundaries.

''De Grote Systeemwissel'' as an Underlying Principle

This way of thinking also forms an important basis for De Grote Systeemwissel, the book Anu co-authored with Karel van Berkel. During the afternoon, the book was not treated as separate from the other topics, but provided an underlying perspective for the way participants approached the challenges.

The focus is not only on understanding how complex systems work, but also on the question: what can we do ourselves to enable change? Who do we need to make that happen? Which structures support change, and which ones hold it back? And what new forms of collaboration are needed?

These questions came together literally around the tables during the knowledge carousel. Participants brought different perspectives to the discussion and explored possible interventions. Not from the assumption that there is one ready-made answer, but by jointly exploring what is possible in a specific context.

From Local Knowledge to Change

For Anu, this local knowledge is a particularly important strength. “Every context has its own possibilities. If you include the knowledge and experience of the people who are active there, you get a different picture of what is possible.”

This also means that system change is not solely the responsibility of policymakers or administrators. Education, government, businesses and civil society organisations all have a role to play. By connecting these different roles and perspectives, Anu believes there is more scope to make meaningful change.

At the end of the afternoon, Johan Brongers, director of Tintengroep, delivered a keynote on how an organisation deals with complex challenges in practice. This provided a bridge from theory and collective exploration to a concrete example from practice.

For Anu, the most important outcome of the afternoon is ultimately the realisation that complexity is not something you need to solve before you can begin. It is the starting point from which you need to work. By bringing different perspectives together, taking local knowledge seriously, and creating space for experimentation and collaboration, small steps can ultimately contribute to broader change.

Karel van Berkel also sees local communities as an important source of change. Many societal challenges ultimately come together in villages and neighbourhoods, where people experience their consequences in their daily lives. At the same time, this is also where solutions can emerge.

As an example, he mentions a village shop in Sauwerd that is largely run by volunteers. For Karel, initiatives like this demonstrate what is possible when people work together towards a shared interest.

According to Karel, these local examples can inspire people not to simply wait and see what happens at national or European level, but to take action themselves. Sometimes change simply starts close to home: with people taking collective responsibility for their surroundings.