For the third edition of Convene Circle and par of Systems Thinkers series, we have been in conversation with knowledge broker and new Convene collaborator Mariëlle Karssenberg, from the Netherlands Food Partnership, on how dialogue can accelerate the co-creation of critical partnerships to go beyond discussion, towards action.

Mariëlle provided insights about a wide range of topics, nourished by the NL-CGIAR partnership event that was co-curated by Convene and the Netherlands Food Partnership. She talks about the role and impact of dialogue, and how partnerships are essential to tackle the world knottiest challenges.

In times in which our challenges are interconnected, our methods have to adapt.

The food system is related to the climate emergency, the consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic pushing Sustainable Development Goals on the backseat of many agendas while the current war in Ukraine is not just threatening our security and values, but also highlighting the vulnerabilities in the food system.

“We are living in a reality that's incredibly complex, and I think we're just recognising the dimensions of the complexity of the situation”.

Mariëlle emphasises that partnerships are crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and for “reaching “the scale that we have to make an impact on if we want to have a chance.”

Accelerating action through partnerships across different sectors, who often haven’t worked with each other yet or are still hesitant to work together, requires showing up and leaning in to sometimes challenging conversations. It requires deliberate dialogue. That’s often where the role of a neutral partner is vital.

These partners should not only be able to curate and create space for dialogue, but will also be able to take a step back from the discussion at hand. As Mariëlle observes, “A good understanding of each of the partners involved is essential to build a common agenda that's the groundwork for the partnership to further build upon”.

Interview and article by Marius A. W. Goesser

Video key points:
00.10 Introduction

04.22 How can dialogue bring civil society, knowledge institutes and private and public sectors together for collaboration?

06.32 How can knowledge be turned into policy-relevant, impactful, action-led solutions?

10.06 What is essential in building effective partnerships that accelerate deliberate dialogue?

12.06 Why are partnerships critical in accelerating
action towards the sustainable development goals?