System Stabilizers: Islands of Coherence in a Turbulent World - What Holds When Everything Else Breaks?

In a world far from equilibrium, systems driven solely by growth tend

toward collapse. Drawing on the insights of Gregory Bateson, Donella

Meadows, and Humberto Maturana, this presentation explores how

systems can regain stability through balancing feedback loops, the often-

overlooked forces that restore coherence.

We will examine how meaningful change arises not only from new

strategies or technologies, but from reconnecting lost information,

rebuilding relationships, and reinforcing reciprocity. We will also reflect

on why change so easily disappears, and how it can be sustained by

embedding it in durable patterns, narratives, and culture.

Through practical examples, conversation and interactive exercises, we

explore how to recognize and connect “islands of coherence,” and how

these small practices are already shaping a larger living pattern.