EP.05 – The Science of Paradigm Shifts–Perspectives On a New Future for Civilisation

Carlos Alvarez Pereira is a member of the Club of Rome and president of the Innaxis Foundation. In this podcast, Carlos talks about the Emerging New Civilization Initiative (ENCI) within the Club of Rome towards holistic thinking and more positive outcomes for the future. He discusses a new outlook for humanity based on making human well-being compatible with a healthy biosphere and points out at the importance of changing the basic metabolism of societies as the material foundation for systemic change.  On raising awareness, Carlos talks about the role and achievements of the Club of Rome in the past 50 years, and also the shortcomings as seen in the unsustainable paths of our current development models.  Addressing the scientific theory of paradigm shifts, he explains how interdependence is the single most importance piece we need to build upon. According to Carlos, the process of transformation and reconnecting with our own capacity for system thinking will not happen in isolation or from a purely individual perspective.  As he explains, transformation can best happen in the collective perspective and in grasping complexity in the interaction with others in ways that enable societies to behave differently.  In our discussion, Carlos highlights the need to create spaces for people to use their capacity to think in systems: "Cities are very peculiar places because in the most extreme manifestations, they are designed for only one species while anywhere else on earth there is place for not one but multiple manifestations of life”–explain Carlos.