Stay cool, reflect, and be true to your humanity.
December 20, 2024 - "Remember, the obstacle is not in the way - it is the way"
End of year 2024 - December 20, 2024
Dear friends, colleagues, and partners,
As the year winds down, I wonder what truly slipped through our grasp. What lingered in the margins, unnoticed, while the headlines blared on? Beneath the surface of daily events, the deeper currents of change - the fractures and shifts that shape our world - continued to move, often out of sight and out of mind.
One theme stood out for me this past year: the collision of thermodynamics, debt, and ecology. (Read the Deeper Dive #4, free access) At first glance, these concepts might seem worlds apart and reserved for experts. But their tension - between the physical limits of energy and resources, the financial systems we’ve built, and the ecological systems we depend on - is impossible to ignore. This collision is more than an academic exercise; it’s a fundamental reckoning. Whether 2025 will be the year we (all) confront it remains uncertain, as doing so would inevitably challenge the way we have lived for decades. Do we have a choice?
But not all stories are hidden in shadows. This year, the growth of prosilience.ch stood out as a beacon of progress. What started in 2022 as a platform for sharing insights on water-energy-food security has evolved into a thoughtful space for reflection. Simply compare the early thinkletters with the latest one... ;) With a growing readership of 1,132 (counting ;), it remains modest but promising - a curious community dedicated to questioning assumptions and engaging with complexity. That’s my goal, at least. To everyone who has been part of this journey - thank you.
Switzerland’s supply chains also found their way into my work this year. Collaborating with Procure, the Swiss Supply Chain Management Association, I explored maritime security and the cascading challenges of the polycrisis on supply management aside from organizing networking events. This reinforced my belief in the necessity of foresight and adaptation - principles that also guide my involvement with Swissfuture - the leading network of Swiss futurists - as a board member. Read my interview here.
Meanwhile, my role with LEAP (Laboratoire Européen d’Anticipation Politique) and the Global Europe Anticipation Bulletin (GEAB) deepened. Since 2006, GEAB has been offering a European perspective on the global systemic crises, and I’ve seen how its insights can change the way we understand our world. Bias aside, if you haven’t explored it yet, now is the time with a special subscription offer (€190 instead of €240 via this special link). Your call.
Not all lessons came from analysis. Some came from play - specifically, a serious game called “Preparing for the Polycrisis,” which I co-developed with my long-time colleague Fabienne Goux-Baudiment. This isn’t a game in the traditional sense; it’s a tool for exploring the cascading impacts of decisions in a complex world. It’s perfect to be used in boardrooms and classrooms alike.
Finally, in early 2025, with my colleague Marie-Hélène Caillol, President of LEAP, we will launch a new initiative on the multipolar century. The spoiler: “On November 9, 2089, our descendants will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall …” Stay tuned.
The path forward feels as uncertain as ever as we turn the page to a new year.
And so what?
Uncertainty and the unknown should not be a barrier but an invitation.
To everyone who has joined me on this journey - simply thank you.
Wishing you a joyful festive season.
Stay cool, reflect, and be true to your humanity.
With best regards.
#Systems Thinker #Strategic Facilitator #Change Enabler #ND
Founder of Futuratinow et Prosilience
Associate at Yonders
Board member of Swissfuture