In this Systems Thinkers interview, Chartered Coaching Psychologist and HR Consultant Natasha Vorrasi explores the underestimated role of space and place in shaping dialogue and collaboration. She highlights the importance of being intentional about the dynamics we bring into conversations—how our strengths, identities, and roles influence whether we speak up, hold back, or dominate a discussion.
At COP16 in Cali, the brilliant Hugo Rivera Mendoza talked passionately about bottom-up approaches and the importance of making space for often unheard voices if we're to meet the ambitions of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
With #CBDCOP16 reconvening in Rome on 25 February these voices must be at the heart of the global negotiations.
Oliver Oliveros is another of our Montpellier Process champions. His message from the biodiversity COP16:
"If we truly want to transform the system, we need to move beyond our echo chambers and engage with organisations, people, and stakeholder groups we don’t typically interact with—even when it means navigating uncomfortable situations where the outcomes are unclear."
Amada Lucero Lara representing the Pastos Indigenous Peoples Community highlights the importance of honouring all forms of knowing, including local, ancestral and traditional knowledge by placing them on equal ground.
We met Andrés Tombe, member of the Misak Indigenous peoples community at the COP16 Montpellier Process use case dialogue hosted by Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Andrés emphasizes the importance of not just listening to but actively including and engaging Indigenous peoples’ communities by co-creating spaces for dialogue.
Meet Ana María Quiroga Arcila & Greici Parisoto, our Systems Thinkers from the Montpellier Process Feed-Care-Protect Global PhD Platform of this year’s interview series at the Biodiversity COP16 in Colombia.
Meet Fabrice DeClerck, one of our Systems Thinker for this year’s interview series at Biodiversity COP16 Colombia. We asked Fabrice to share his thoughts on the role of deliberate dialogue at COP16 and how we can ensure that the full diversity of voices, particularly from underrepresented communities, are genuinely included as drivers of change.
In the tradition of our System Thinkers series, this year at COP28, we’ve invited some of our Systems Thinkers to tell us about their hopes, frustrations and insights around the quality of dialogue at COP.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Namukolo Covic, CGIAR’s Regional Director, East and Southern Africa to dive into the complexities of integrating Deliberate Dialogue into organisational change and the importance of flexibility and collective momentum to execute collaborative action as a team.
What are the roles and impacts of deliberate dialogue in 2022? Watch highlights from our conversation with Sébastien Treyer of Institutional Convener, IDDRI
We created space for conversation with Knowledge Broker and new Convene collaborator Mariëlle Karssenberg, on how dialogue can accelerate the co-creation of critical partnerships to go beyond discussion, towards action.
In this interview, Charlie explores how looking at societal challenges, both within our work and our personal lives, with a lens of optimism, brings immense value to driving systemic change.
Maria Itria Ibba and Francisco Piñera, researchers at CGIAR CIMMYT and emerging thought leaders in the wider food systems transformation space, reflect on the value of community to achieve collective change, as well as the importance of young voices.
A.G. Kwarma, from Solutions from the Land, talks to re-framing our mindsets so that we are pouring into a glass half full, not half empty, with knowledge and intelligence, to power the ‘renaissance of agriculture’.
Anotinette Vermilye, co-founder of She Changes Climate, calls for bold initiatives to provide the equal representation of men and women across all levels in the climate conversation and negotiations.
Lloyd Day, Deputy General of Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA) gives his take of the first Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas Pavilion at a COP and highlights the importance of ensuring the voices of farmers are continuously and actively involved in climate negotiations.
