2. Possibility thinking (Life's Lottery)

·29 min·2 clips

Jenny and Glyn ask if we can shift from breakdown to breakthrough in addressing disadvantage over the next 10 years.

This episode features hosts Jenny Whelan and Glyn Davies of the Paul Ramsey Foundation in conversation with systems thinker Charlie Ledbeater. They explore new mindsets for addressing social disadvantage and systemic change. The discussion is framed by the context of the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption. Charlie Ledbeater's intellectual work began with analyzing the consequences of the British welfare system for individuals. His thinking evolved to focus on systems change and possibility thinking. The hosts position the current moment as a potential shift from societal breakdown to breakthrough. They reference Ledbeater's work with diverse global organizations like UCL's Institute for Innovation and Public Policy. His collaborations also include Denmark's Rockwell Foundation and Australia's Centre for Social Innovation, TACSI. A central theme is the need for immense imagination to identify new possibilities post-pandemic. Ledbeater argues that traditional, deficit-based policy approaches often entrench the problems they aim to solve. He advocates for methods that build on community strengths and assets instead. The conversation suggests that crises like COVID-19 force a re-examination of how society, government, and business interact. This rethinking is presented as a necessary precursor to meaningful systemic innovation. The episode is educational and conceptual, driven by a forward-looking and optimistic tone. The style is conversational but intellectually rigorous, aiming to stretch the listener's mindset. This episode would appeal to policymakers, social innovators, and anyone interested in post-crisis societal redesign. Listeners seeking highly practical, step-by-step guidance or current event analysis might find it too abstract.

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