This is an intermediate course in the Co-creating Social Architecture Series.

There are many movements and organizations, often pushing to influence society in opposing directions. How do we come together to shift culture and systems in meaningful ways? When there is so much polarization and fighting, how do we find a shared purpose and decide on strategies that support the health of the whole?

In this course, we’ll explore the difference between cohesion—where groups of people think the same, usually with simplified and dogmatic versions of the “truth,” because it benefits them to belong—and coherence—where diversity and complexity are welcomed and feedback loops keep us grounded in reality, often focusing on compassion, fairness, and harmony with nature.

We will explore processes for how the whole system can come together for healthy dialogue and meaningful action. We will focus on a multi-stakeholder process with coherence at the center of its philosophy called Meshworking.