Emergent Literacies, Cartographies and Ecologies for World-Making

Abstract

This editorial of the Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change reflects on the themes of Emergent Literacies, Cartographies, and Ecologies for World-Making. Against the backdrop of widening societal ruptures and the rise of authoritarianism, we draw on diverse lenses to shed light on our current moment. We observe how crises accumulate and normalize, embedding themselves within everyday routines, and how the rupture of transformation crises can be seen as the amplification of dynamics already embedded in ordinary life. As current systems collapse, we find ourselves on new territory where the methods and frames for sense-making and systems change action haven’t quite caught up and we ask, within this context, what is ours to do? From that line of inquiry, the editorial also reflects on the emotional and relational process of creating this issue—and collectively making sense in tumultuous times—acknowledging the tensions and contradictions inherent in navigating awareness-based systems change. Doing so emphasizes for us the importance of relational accountability, attentional care, and first-person awareness in bridging divides and fostering plural, just futures.