| | | Newsletter & General Systems Bulletin: December, 2024, Vol 3:12 | | |
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| | | In this Edition Message from the President. Conference News. Programme of Mini-Symposia. News from the Board of Directors. Members' Initiatives and Perspectives. SIG News. News from the Book Club. Systems Events. Members' Publications. New Members. Readers' Letters. To contribute to any of these, please see the details at the end of this newsletter. |
Message from the President Firstly, thanks to everyone who has been supporting the mini symposia talks. We have been continuing to run some sessions at the much earlier Saturday time to support a broader audience in Asia/ Pacifica. Feedback on the quality of the sessions continues to be good and personally I’ve been finding these very rewarding towards outreach and collaboration. Guest attendees, new to the ISSS have been very positive about the richness of conversation with our members and other guests. https://www.isss.org/mini-symposiums-public/ |
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| | | More about the conference in 2025 and our preparations will be forthcoming soon. Gary | | |
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| | | Conference News International Society for the Systems Sciences, 69th Annual Conference. | | |
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| | | • Collaboration is being arranged with the University of Birmingham and other organisations with a systems emphasis. • The proposed dates are 11th to 15th July, 2025 and there will be morning sessions only on the 15th. Conference facilities include the main assembly room and four breakout rooms. • There are several hotels charging $150/night or less within 15 minutes walking distance of the conference venue. • Conference fees are currently being agreed. Online attendance and one day passes may also be available, but the details are currently being firmed up. • Volunteers are needed to help with the operation of any online setup at the venue. Please contact Jennifer Makar at ad...@isss.org if you are able to help. • Registration will open on 1st January, 2025, or thereabouts. This promises to be an outstanding conference. So, please put the dates in your diary and give it your full support. John
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| | | Programme of Online Mini-Symposia | | |
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| | | We are posting the events also on Facebook and Linkedin. If you do use these or other platforms then please help us by sparing a ‘like’ or reposting on other social media. Gary | | |
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| | | News from the Board of Directors
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| | | ISSS Past President, Prof Roelien Goede, director of the Unit for Data Science and Computing at the North-West University (NWU), has been awarded a B1 rating by the National Research Foundation (NRF). This is in recognition of her contributions to critical systems thinking and its applications in information systems and information systems education. The B1 rating acknowledges researchers whose work is of high quality and has significant impact, affirming their international standing. More information at: https://news.nwu.ac.za/nwu-academic-achieves-b1-nrf-rating-research-systems-thinking |
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| | | Members' Initiatives and Perspectives
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| | | Systems World Congress, 2000 | | |
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| | | A set of VHS tapes from the ISSS Annual Meeting and the Systems World Congress in Toronto 2000 recently surfaced when Rob Young and Luke Friendshuh helped Len Troncale collect archives from Len’s time as Executive Director of SGSR and then ISSS. The VHS tape were digitized and sent to Peter Tuddenham. He has edited the videos into discrete presentations and put them on the ISSS YouTube channel. There 36 videos in the playlist for Toronto 2000, which can be found at: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfIfuelQHqR9Sa56yzp_Lt5SafmXVeJvz&si=6swbWSzGvGiF0thg Speakers include the 2000 ISSS President, Peter Corning, Anatol Rapoport, Eric Chaisson, Stanley Salthe, Brian Swimme, Harold Linstone, Len Troncale, Ray Ison, Humberto Maturana, Jerry Chandler, Enrique Herrsher, George Klir, Gerald Midgley, Mike Jackson and many more. The book "Understanding Complexity" is mentioned in my conversation with Peter Corning. Many of the topics in these videos are as relevant today as they were 24 years ago. Peter Tuddenham | | |
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| | | Existential Wellbeing There is an interesting article by Timothy Yu and Paul Wong in Academia, entitled "Existential wellbeing may be of utmost importance to many people", that addresses some of the concerns I have about the modern practice of positive psychology. The link is: https://www.academia.edu/2997-9196/1/3/10.20935/MHealthWellB7416 The article describes the concept of existential wellbeing (EWB). Unfortunately, the language used in existentialist philosophy, i.e., “suffering”, “the dark side of life”, etc. does not exactly encourage further exploration. So, I prefer to use more emotionally neutral language like “contra-satisfiers”, “unsatisfied needs”, etc. Nevertheless, the principles are the same and the paper makes some important points. Firstly, we experience many contra-satisfiers in life, and the popular practice of positive psychology neglects the personal growth, resilience and meaning that we achieve when we overcome them. A more holistic approach to wellbeing would include a recognition of this. Secondly, positive psychology predominantly reflects Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies which limits its global applicability. Whether these societies actually are “weird” is a matter of opinion, of course, but the point is a good one. Finally, the authors feel that the development of a more holistic approach to wellbeing can lead to a state of inner peace, joy, and harmony derived from overcoming life's challenges and fulfilling spiritual needs for faith, hope, and love. Certainly, it is true that many religions provide satisfiers for otherwise unsatisfiable needs such as: the avoidance of death; the need for meaning and guidance in life; and relief from our ultimate state of isolation. The downside, however, is that a dogmatic obedience to the “will of God” as practised by some Abrahamic religions in some nations can reduce a society’s adaptability to changing circumstances. In conclusion, the authors believe that: 1. EWB can provide a framework for addressing existential suffering, offering tools to find meaning in the face of mortality. 2. EWB can help in enduring life’s challenges with dignity and positivity. 3. EWB is particularly relevant for younger generations facing mental ill-health crises and societal challenges, offering a pathway to resilience and hope. John Challoner | | |
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| | | General systems concepts do not always use the term "Systems" Dear ISSS members and colleagues, General systems concepts have been presented, from 1956 to the present, in many other contexts outside of SGSR / ISSS, IFSR , and similar systems communities. In several, while sending the same essential message, the vocabulary did not use the term "systems" at all. One was written circa 1992 and copyrighted with the Patent Office that year in anticipation of publication as "Understanding the Integral Universe". Ultimately, it was not published in print as anticipated, but rather, in 1996, was posted on the internet and is currently still online at https://www.ceptualinstitute.com/, the "Integrity Paradigm". The full website was as an agora. In ancient Greece, an agora was a public open space used for assemblies and markets. Thus, the website was not and is not limited to only one hypothesis or model, coordinating the many levels and processes of existence, nor demanding that only one expressive description of the relations is acceptable (e.g., Mathematics versus vernacular descriptions). The Genre Section and Mindways Section make that clear. The site is extensive and worth exploring at some point. General System Theory has the potential to be the most important expression of human sentience, superior to other scientific accomplishments, to artistic creations, and possibly on a par with (although not competing with or replacing) spiritual beliefs and enlightened practices. However, with advances in AI, cybernetics and complexity science dominating our attention, that is difficult to appreciate right now. You are not being asked to agree with every detail the welcoming Homepage. Only to consider that General System Theory is a conceptual vantage point of considerable importance. On reading the website content, consider afresh what you and your friends, peers, colleagues and even family have committed your intellectual and visceral sensibilities and lives to. Is it as natural to your "being" as every breath you take? Afterwards, the next 25 years of this century offers you the opportunity to share your perspective and re-invigorated efforts. Very best Holiday and New Year wishes from: James (Jamie) Rose | | |
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| | | | Did You Know ISSS Has a Dialogue Group?Yes, it’s true! The group formed in 2021 after the annual conference and has been meeting regularly ever since. It was an off shoot from the 2021 session “Intentional Dialogue as a Means to Perspective Transformation” convened by Marty Jacobs, when participants asked if they could continue the conversation. Since then the group has discussed various topics related to dialogue, such as how we manage our roles in dialogue, the social context of dialogue, power and dialogue, negative views of dialogue, and the role of silence in dialogue, to name a few. In addition, several group members have presented on work they are doing or introduced members to various methods and techniques for engaging people in dialogue. We have also read relevant articles and discussed them, and all of this done through a systems perspective. The group has been open to both ISSS members and non-members, and we recently decided it was time to make a more formal announcement about the group and encourage more people to join us in our conversations. We meet on the second Tuesday of the month from 5:00 - 7:00 pm Eastern time. If you’d like to join the group, please email Marty Jacobs at marty.ja...@gmail.com, and she’ll add you to the email group. Our next meeting is December 10. Please join us! Marty | | |
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| | | News from the Book Club
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| | | The book club will be meeting on December 19 from 12:30-2:00 pm EDT. We will be discussing Parts V & VI of Steps to an Ecology of Mind by Gregory Bateson. We also voted on a new selection of books, and the winners are:- Seeing: A Field Guide to the Patterns and Processes of Nature, Culture, and Consciousness by our very own Lynn Rasmussen (starting in January 2025)
- Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene (Experimental Futures) by Donna J. Haraway (starting in May 2025)
- The Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions - and How The World Lost its Mind by Dan Davies (starting in August 2025)
Reading assignments will be posted on the book club web page. If you’d like to be included on the book club email list, send your email to Marty Jacobs at marty.ja...@gmail.com. Please join us for a great conversation! Happy reading! Marty | | |
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| | | Forthcoming Systems Events | | |
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| | | Invitation to Online Event on Systems CollaborationFrom: Gary Smith, President, International Society for System Sciences (ISSS)
Date: 19th October 2024
Subject: Invitation to an Online Event: Exploring Collaboration in the Systems Community Dear systems representative, The International Society for System Sciences (ISSS), in conjunction with the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR), is delighted to invite you to a special online event aimed at fostering collaboration across the diverse global systems community. This event will be held on 5th of December at 7pm uk time and will provide an opportunity to explore how we might collectively advance systems thinking and practice across various fields. Event Overview:
The session will begin with a 10-minute presentation where I will outline the ISSS strategy and vision for building a global systems community, in conjunction with the IFSR. This will be followed by a 20-minute talk by Mark Enzer, OBE, titled "Towards a Shared Understanding of Systems Thinking in the Built Environment." Mark’s presentation will focus on practical collaboration in the strategically important context of the built environment, offering a tangible example of how systems thinking and collaboration can drive transformative change. After these brief talks, we will hold a roundtable discussion, providing time for reflection, exchange of ideas, and identification of opportunities for further collaboration among participants. Event Goals:
Familiarize participants with ISSS and IFSR’s strategy for fostering global systems collaboration.
Highlight practical examples of systems thinking in collective action, particularly in the built environment. Facilitate a dialogue on potential opportunities for further exchange and collective action. We are excited to bring together diverse representatives from the systems community and look forward to your valuable participation. A calendar invitation is attached. Warm regards,
Gary Smith
President, International Society for System Sciences (ISSS) | | |
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| | | Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies (HSSS) 20th. National & International On-Line Conference (20HSSS) In collaboration with Lab. of New Technologies & Distance Learning, University of Ioannina, Greece. https://confe.hsss.eu/ Systems Approach for Innovative Entrepreneurship, 11th. - 14th. December, 2024 On behalf of the Scientific Committee of 20HSSS, we are pleased to invite you to submit an Extended Abstract of about 300 words for the above On-Line Conference. Submit the Extended Abstract through https://confe.hsss.eu/abstract-submission-2/ and be sure that you select (click) your Participation Type Please submit your Abstract up to the 10th of November 2024. Yours sincerely, The HSSS President,Professor Nikitas Assimakopoulos, University of Piraeus, Greece. The Chair of the Scientific Committee, Professor Jenny Pange, University of Ioannina, Greece. | | |
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