The World Economic Forum (WEF), specifically the Global Risks Report 2023 defines a polycrisis as: “A cluster of related global risks with compounding effects, such that the overall impact exceeds the sum of each part.”

Perhaps never in history has there been as much talk about a global polycrisis: the urgency of the climate change reality, poverty and hunger, social unrest, violence, war and the rise of misinformation.

Whilst all of this is undoubtedly true, it is also true that we are connected, have access to knowledge and science and have sufficient resources to redirect our course as humanity. The challenge is one of integration

So what is required to face this multi-headed monster of a polycrisis? We need to adopt some key actions that rely on us becoming more human and more connected to each other than ever before.

1)    Social mobilisation on the issues that matter

Ian Goldman as part of his address at the Southern Hemisphere/SAMEA anniversary breakfast spoke of the need to organise and mobilise socially. We have seen large pro-democracy rallies in the US, marches for Palestine all but shutting down Italy and Gen Z protest movements in Kenya all garnering global attention and pressurising governments to take note.

Mobilisation is enabled by social media and creates the air of empowerment and possibility that is hard to ignore.

2)    An inspired and strengthened network of changemakers

Mobilising is one thing, but enacting change requires evidence, the motivation to gather it, the capability to record and capture it and the opportunity to use it, to quote Ian again.

The people at the forefront of tackling the crisis on the ground need to be both inspired and skilled in order to stay the course. This means organisations need to ensure that their culture adopts a learning and growth mindset. With change happening apace, only agile learning organisations are going to be capable of adapting swiftly enough to function optimally.

“What is also necessary is ongoing collaboration”, says Carrie Ndoka, a Kenyan-based Public Policy and Development Communications specialist and a trusted associate of Southern Hemisphere’s. 

She encapsulated this idea well when she said “ We are now facing issues that are so similar. I could be in Kenya and someone in Tanzania, someone in Nepal, someone in different parts of the world are facing the same issues. For example, we are now facing issues on shrinking civic spaces. We have challenges with economic opportunities, the cost of living is quite high. Social injustice has intensified and particularly because of the political leadership we have and when you look at it, there is no way as an organisation, as a country, you can come up with solutions by yourself.”

3)    A support team of specialists, experts and systems thinkers

Deep specialists can jumpstart programs, those with experience in sustainability, women’s issues, child protection and health issues, to name a few, can help others to accelerate the pace at which they solve problems.

Carrie articulated the importance of a holistic approach when you are working on social justice issues. She believes that it is important that programs cut across and solve for issues of gender inequality, health and climate. Whilst they are all separate and valid in their own rights, they are also all deeply connected and the one can’t be solved well without addressing the others at the same time.

Both area specialists and systems thinkers are needed to achieve this essential, interconnected problem-solving

4)    Harnessing the best of humanity and Artificial Intelligence

AI can be used in evidence-gathering, for interview summations and project co-ordination which frees up time for the people to focus on the human aspects and to lead with purpose and vision. Using AI enables fewer people to get through more work and faster. 

AI also excels at identifying complex, interconnected patterns that define the polycrisis (e.g., how climate change impacts migration, which impacts social unrest). Its predictive and pattern recognition qualities when used correctly can be invaluable. It can process global, real-time data (like climate trends, public sentiment, and economic indicators) far beyond human capacity, providing the evidence needed for strategic, multi-sector solutions.

A note on context is critical – For those of us working in the African context, it is important to remember that AI tends to have a Western or Northern Hemisphere orientation and must be used with this in mind and always overseen by someone that understands the African context to ensure relevance and validity

5)    Connection and co-operation (The Bridge)

The old approach of solving problems in organisational and geographic silos has failed to make headway, cross-border collaboration and tackling multiple issues simultaneously is now mandatory.

Fortunately, technology has enabled cross-border collaboration and learning. Now, those with expertise in emerging and developing markets are able to both teach and learn from those in territories across the globe.

Connection isn’t just sharing; it’s about synthesising disparate data, skills, and perspectives to see the complex web of the polycrisis clearly. The solution to a multi-headed monster must be multi-pronged.

To quote Carrie again.
“I see Southern Hemisphere as a bridge builder. It already has this platform, it has a network of people with different expertise that are passionate, that have the ideas, have the skills and have the experience. If they can continue to strengthen that bridge where we can come together to reflect, to share the knowledge and skills that we have, I believe we can come up with solutions that make sense for what’s going on in Africa and possibly even in parts of Asia and South America.

In conclusion, the multi-headed monster of the polycrisis cannot be defeated by fighting each head in isolation. The environmental collapse, the social unrest, and the economic instability you see in Kenya are intrinsically linked to the crises faced in Nepal or South America.

Connection, cross-borders, and cross-categories is not merely the best way to confront the global polycrisis, it is the only way.

By leveraging digital connection and relationships, we can do more than just mobilise. It is possible to

  • Integrate the evidence gathered by AI
  • Empower the changemakers on the ground with specialist knowledge, and
  • Synthesise local solutions into a global, adaptable strategy.

As Carrie Ndoka points out, the bridge is built. It is now up to all of us, the mobilised public, the inspired changemakers, the specialist experts, and the technology we wield to step onto that bridge. Only by moving together, sharing our burdens and our brilliance, can we transform the daunting reality of the polycrisis into the hope of meaningful, systemic change.

If you are a changemaker ready to step onto the bridge, let’s talk about synthesising solutions today.