This Independence Celebration has been difficult. Unlike previous years, I had a hard time finding inspiration for the future of my country. Instead, I think I felt frustrated at how deeply engrained our governance challenges are. I have, however, found meaning through reflection about the nature of transformative change. One thing for sure is that change is not a simple, neat process. It is messy, complicated, and continually happening. And importantly, it requires patience.

I started a job with the government that shows the messiness of good governance and the country’s decentralisation system. Unfortunately, I think I underestimated the nature and extent of the challenge. I joined with a naive perception of the nature of the PNG State and a backpack full of ‘academic theories on transformative systemic change, developmental leadership, thinking and working politically, you know, all the dev speak’. 

I came from the CSO space, outside the Government system, where it was very easy to be critical and cynical of any efforts ( or lack of) made without fully understanding the nature and the context of the problem. However, working within the government system has allowed me to be exposed to the same problem from a different vintage point. 

My brain has been working in overdrive, trying to make sense of the challenges that I encounter daily. I want to think that I am a Systems Thinker ( or at least try to be). I relate to Danny Burn’s description of the term as someone who ‘takes into account the whole whilst seeking meaning in the complex patterning of interrelationships between people and groups of people and the structures they are connected to.

Thinking systemically about a problem means to think firstly about the people involved, their agency and motivation ( or lack of) for change, the relational dynamics of the process, meaning how they, as agents, work with others and finally, how all this works within a structure. I have learnt that central to this process is understanding how power works and operates within the system.

For now, I am constantly asking myself these questions when I encounter a challenge at home, work or in my community:

• Why is this happening?
• What can be done to fix the problem?
• What can I do? ( what is in my power?)
• How can it be effectively solved? ( focus on process – how you do something is just as important as the outcome)

There is so much power in recognising and taking action no matter where you are in life. Big change starts small, do not let the weight of your challenges weigh you down. If you can do something then do it!