Systems change addresses the underlying causes of societal issues, transforming structures, policies, mindsets, and relationships to create lasting, sustainable solutions instead of just treating symptoms. It involves understanding the interconnectedness of our systems, identifying “levers” where change can have the greatest impact, and working collaboratively to shift norms, power dynamics, and resource allocation towards new, fairer outcomes. Scaling deep and restorative approaches to systems change acknowledge that in order to create long lasting change, we need to bring healing and restoration into our systems change work.
The Clare team has been learning about the Haumanu framework which is an emerging approach to restorative systems change that draws from mātauranga Māori and Western knowledge. It incorporates insights from Theory U, Thomas Hubl’s work on healing collective trauma, and from the wisdom passed down from our collective tupuna or ancestors. Haumanu means to restore and rejuvenate, and the approach provides a conceptual framework, a process method and practices to address collective trauma as it arises, and to redesign our systems from a place of mauri ora (wellness and wholeness).
The Haumanu framework (developed by Louise Marra, Tuihana Ohia and the team at the Centre for Social Impact) brings restoration into the work of systems change, changing the way we work, relate, design and learn together.