Bridging divides in times of polarization

At the start of December, the editors of the US dictionary Merriam Webster chose ‘polarization’ as the word of 2024. They defined polarization as “division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.”

Just a few days prior to the announcement of the word, we had the privilege to host  a partners meeting of the Nelson Mandela Project for Social Change. Overcoming polarization and fragmentation is in fact at the core of the initiative, which brings together the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) and seven universities from around the world. During two days, and in the presence of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, we discussed the WHY, WHAT and HOW of strengthening social cohesion and the ability to collectively work toward social justice in the context of divergent development narratives.

Grounded in the UN’s Pact for the Future, with this project we aim to build capabilities to bridge societal divides and advance multilateralism through joint opportunities for reflection, learning and knowledge sharing.

So, what do we mean by “capabilities needed to advance social change”? Let’s start with the basics: for purposes of the Nelson Mandela Project, social change is a process of transforming patterns of thought, behaviour, social relations and institutions with the aim of more equitable, inclusive and peaceful societies. Social change leadership refers to action taken at the individual, institutional and societal level, aiming at inducing social transformation. Social change leadership is context driven, value-based and adaptive, taking into account influences and interests of different actors.

Building on Nelson Mandela’s legacy, social change leadership is characterized by an ability to bridge divides and work toward reconciliation. It is not the leadership of a single man or woman, but the ability to federate, build a common vision and aggregate the knowledge and skills of the collective. The capabilities to advance social change are the skills, mindsets and attitudes that allow people to focus on communalities, rather than on differences; to build relations and consensus, rather than insisting on an absolute truth. This evolution of interaction requires an awareness of counterincentives, power dynamics and interests that pull toward particular interests, as well as an ability to navigate them in ways that focus attention on our common humanity and advance wellbeing for all.

Echoing the necessity to counter the centrifugal forces pulling societies apart, the 2023/24 Human Development Report explores ways in which we can mobilize action to globally address shared challenges in an intensively polarized world. The report advocates for an agency-centred vision for development and calls on all states to “shape agency-centred policies and institutions, anchored in human development and guided by human rights, the protection of the planet and institutions that liberate us from dysfunctional stasis, that better respond to and empower people, and that free us all from rigid and divisive zero-sum narratives about ourselves and each other.”

Thus, acting for social change requires individual and collective agency, based on a shared vision and an understanding of how to shape environments that allow others to develop a sense of self-worth and self-knowledge (also known as ‘power within’[1]), combined with the belief that change is possible.

In fact, in a speech given during a Nelson Mandela Foundation dialogue evening, the Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga reminded us of the importance of being able to imagine the change we want to see, especially when the current situation seems unsurmountable and there seem to be no good examples or role models. She also quotes Nelson Mandela as saying that "those who can't imagine change reveal the deficits of their imaginations, not the difficulty of change."[2]

In this sense, developing social change capabilities demands individuals to ‘unlearn’ as much as to learn. Lifelong learners need to acknowledge and deconstruct long engrained cognitive biases, stereotypes, and prejudices. Instead of engaging in a game of ever more fragmented identities along national, religious and ethnic lines, we need to focus on common endeavors and the necessity to find collective solutions on the one planet we have, including by facing uncomfortable truths about the factors that led to the inequalities we witness around the globe.

Besides tackling the development of individual knowledge and skills, the Nelson Mandela Project for Social Change also focuses on the role of collectives, whether from the perspective of social movements, cultural diplomacy or strong and accountable institutions. This requires an ability to engage stakeholders, deal with conflict and build consensus, as well as strategic communication and advocacy skills. Zooming out to explore bigger picture issues requires addressing complexity through systems thinking, foresight, and the use of digital innovation for good.

The uniqueness of this endeavour lies in the collaboration of a UN learning and training institution with seven universities from around the globe, bringing together a diversity of perspectives and world views that challenge the dominant development and leadership paradigms.

Over the coming months, we will jointly roll out a series of opportunities for knowledge sharing and learning to bring together social changemakers and share good examples of social change initiatives bridging divides. As learning and training institutions our focus lies on ways to build capabilities and inspire change, in line with Nelson Mandela’s motto that

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”

Stay tuned!

[1] The concept of ‘power within’ is referenced among other sources in Lisa VeneKlasen and Valerie Miller’s publication “A New Weave of Power, People and Politics: The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation (2002, page 55)” where they describe four ‘expressions of power’, stemming from gender theorists before them, including ‘power within’, which is described as a prerequisite for the ability to associate with others to drive social change, based on an individual sense of self-worth and self-knowledge. References to the concept can be found among other sites at  https://www.powercube.net/other-forms-of-power/expressions-of-power/ (retrieved on 12 December 2024).

[2] Tsitsi Dangaremba: “The Bonds that Bind Us: Remembering Madiba in a Time of Global Fracture.” 5 December 2020. Address: The Bonds that Bind Us: Remembering Madiba in a Time of Global Fracture – Nelson Mandela Foundation retrieved on 13 December 2024)