Participants of the “Democratize the Future” program searched for an answer to this question during the second Digital Laboratory – and found it in the domino principle.
Systems thinking doesn’t change everything at once. It helps to identify one leverage point that triggers a chain reaction. Like the first domino tile. Like a snowball that turns into an avalanche.
That’s why in the laboratory we moved step by step:
- What result do we want to achieve?
- Which elements inside the system influence it?
- Which external factors can affect it?
- How do the parts of the system interact with each other?
- And most importantly – where is the point that, with minimal effort, sparks maximum change?
Invited expert Anna Nikolenko-Bayeva, humanitarian project manager at the Stabilization Support Services Foundation, reminded us: without understanding the context, even the best intentions can lead to human rights violations. She emphasized that accountability means making decisions transparently and explaining them to those affected.
After theory came practice. Teams worked on four cases: creating inclusive urban spaces, integrating internally displaced persons into communities, involving youth in decision-making at the level of local self-government, and ensuring access to digital services for older people. The cases were fictional – but ones that could easily happen to real organizations in Ukraine right now.
The homework assignment: build a systems map in your own context and find your leverage point. We’ll share the results.
The program is implemented by the Stabilization Support Services Foundation in partnership with MAD (“Make A Difference”, Sweden) with financial support from the Swedish Institute (Svenska institutet).