Questions as a Lighthouse

Abstract

This is a personal welcome to the potential contributions of this new journal to the development field based on my professional experience and what we have learned at Purpose&Ideas, the organisation I belong to. I have worked for the past 20 years in the field that promotes a better interaction between evidence and policy, along with think tanks, national and international NGOs, universities and government agencies, mostly in developing countries. Throughout all this experience, I arrived at the conclusion that development initiatives that have prioritised rational approaches to change have failed to solve complex problems. It is time to further inquire on new approaches that increase the potential of mind by integrating the body and heart in the way we collectively frame our problems and co-create the solutions for a more sustainable wellbeing of communities. However, to tell others (donors, clients, strategic partners, etc.) why and how we could work differently and from our inner source is a highly challenging task. We believe the path would be smoother if we were able to count with more evidence that sustains awarenes-based systems change tools and approaches. This journal could become a lighthouse in the way forward.

Keywords

• wicked problems
• complex problems
• integration of mind
• heart and body
• inner source