“To understand a system, we need to step back and watch how the system behaves. All systems have a structure, and those structures matter.” -adapted from Menendian & Watt
Our deep dive into the ways in which systems function and interconnect began with a thought-provoking presentation by City of Roseville, MN police officer Crystal Jones regarding her perspective on current issues in agriculture. Officer Jones highlighted the ways in which shifting immigration policies throughout the USA’s southern border are changing systems of immigration as a whole–resulting in increased cases of attempted border crossing from Mexico to the USA via Minnesota’s northern border. This concept embodied one of the main learning points from the day–a poignant idea from scientist Donella Meadows proclaiming that, “the function of a system is often not the one we want the system to achieve.”
Officer Jones’ emphasis on the importance of thorough training and accountability in the police force in order to build back community trust after the killing of George Floyd demonstrated her commitment to Zooming Out, a leadership posture that we are beginning to realize can be embodied in a vast number of ways. Officer Jones voiced that many assumptions are made about police officers as a result of past actions, which we can now see creates an opportunity to shift paradigms. By stepping back to look at the bigger picture, we can attempt to understand how one element of a system interconnects to a larger whole. We can find solutions by shifting these connections until we reach a place of greater understanding. As we learned in Sacramento from CALP alumnus David Ogilvie (52), “The magic happens in the middle.”
Systems are structured frameworks or models that shape how society functions. They include cultural norms, institutions, laws, and policies that influence people’s lives and shape the societal landscape. During our visit to the IDEAL Center at the Minnesota Science Museum, we did some experiential activities and then dove into a discussion on systems with Aki Shibata and Travis Sandland. We began with an interactive activity that demonstrated the relationship between system elements, interconnections, and paradigms and how they influence the overall function of a system. Although systems allow us to function together as a society, they can also create inequalities and inefficiencies if they are not designed with fairness and sustainability in mind.
After our group discussion, we had the opportunity to explore the “RACE: Are We So Different?” exhibit, which challenged us to reflect on social, historical, and scientific perspectives on race. This was an eye-opening experience that highlighted the importance of education and driving meaningful systems-level change.
There is nothing more powerful than silence. Silence is not just a sound; it can also be a feeling. How do we address the silence surrounding injustice? Yesterday, Dr. Tyner invited us to step into unfamiliar territory and experience meaningful discomfort, and today we did just that at the George Floyd Global Memorial Pilgrimage. The community that has rallied together in support of their mission has emerged from the stark reality of injustice, inviting us to understand its magnitude and the steps needed to rebuild the right way.
Jeanelle Austin and “Jenny with the freckles” helped us grasp what true community looks and feels like. This community begins each day with a meeting to reiterate their five main values and 24 demands to ensure social justice is upheld. Walking through the Say Their Names Memorial and George Floyd Memorial, we witnessed how the people feel urgency to honor the lives lost, ensuring they hold meaning beyond their end date. Leaders have pooled their individual talents, like fashion and art direction, to create The People’s Closet and unifying street art in order to give back to a community that has suffered traumatic loss. This is the essence of leadership: the courage to address issues at their root and build trust with one another. The shared ideas and sentiments have helped this community heal from within and have inspired a nation navigating similar struggles. The lessons we learned here, through discomfort and challenging experiences, will help us make a meaningful difference at home- both in our communities and in our agricultural industry.
We must ensure history does not repeat itself by discussing how we, as a society, can move forward and support our community leaders who tirelessly advocate for their causes. We are only as strong as our people. As Janelle Austin said, “We have an obligation as neighbors to one another.” We are starting to see how as leaders, we have obligations as well. It is our duty to make ourselves proximate to community issues–so much so that they also become our own concerns–and innovate collectively toward solutions that benefit all.
As we learned at the Science Museum, systems are made of individual elements that are interconnected with each other. When we want to change the function of a system, it is our inclination to start by identifying the dysfunctional element and then modifying or removing it. However, because systems are robust, this approach is ultimately one of the least powerful solutions. The most effective strategy is to focus instead on changing the interconnections between the elements themselves, and then changing the paradigms that inform the function of the system. Although we may not experience the changes we want to see right away, this pursuit is what ultimately drives real, lasting change. We can start that process by considering the connections between what we’ve learned from all the people and places we’ve visited in Minnesota, our own organizations, and our leadership, while taking into account how listening to diverse voices can help us advocate for and bring attention to the issues that weigh on our hearts.
Sincerely,
Linda Torres, Jaime Valdovinos, Megan Bell, and the members of Class 54
