Presencing the Future of Democracy and Governance

A Special Themed Issue

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47061/jasc.v6i1.13060

Keywords:

awareness-based systems change, democracy, governance, polycentricity, post-multilateralism, relational governance, social movements

Abstract

This editorial introduces the special themed issue Presencing the Future of Democracy and Governance by situating the contributions within a wider condition of institutional rupture, democratic fragility, and contested governance futures. Drawing from debates on post-multilateralism, polycentric governance, social movements, and awareness-based systems change, the editorial examines how practices of relational governance, collective sensing, embodied learning, democratic experimentation, and transformative facilitation are emerging under conditions marked by fragmentation, uncertainty, ecological crisis, and declining trust in established institutions. At the same time, it reflects critically on the editorial task itself, asking how journals and curatorial spaces participate in shaping the conditions under which new forms of practice and inquiry become perceptible, intelligible, and sustainable. The editorial closes with a vignette from the Santa Marta Process for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, offering a concrete example of attempts to create dialogic and participatory conditions for transformative multilateralism in a time when inherited governance architectures are increasingly under strain.

Author Biographies

Oliver Koenig, Bertha von Suttner Private University St. Pölten

Professor for Inclusive Education and Inclusion Management at the Bertha von Suttner Private University St. Pölten (Austria)

Eva Pomeroy, Presencing Institute

Research Lead, Presencing Institute

Megan Seneque, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University; Presencing Institute

Visiting Fellow at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University; Presencing Institute

Otto Scharmer, Sloan School of Management, Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT); Presencing Institute

Senior lecturer at the Sloan School of Management, Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT), and co-founder of the Presencing Institute

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This visual was created for the core team meeting of the Innovative Dynamic Education and Action for Sustainability (IDEAS) Asia Pacific program which was attended by colleagues from the Presencing Institute circle in Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Singapore, and Japan. This moment captures the determination of the facilitators who will position themselves on the edges of the system to become the safest container for participants consisting of three sectors (business, government, and society) to co-create better business and a better world especially for Asia Pacific. The colors used represent the spirit of deepening learning and understanding the future, while blue serves as a neutralizer.

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Published

2026-05-31

How to Cite

Koenig, O., Pomeroy, E., Seneque, M., & Scharmer, O. (2026). Presencing the Future of Democracy and Governance: A Special Themed Issue. Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change, 6(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.47061/jasc.v6i1.13060

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): Special Themed Issue: Presencing the Futures of Democracy and Governance

Section

Editorial

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Copyright (c) 2026 Oliver Koenig, Eva Pomeroy, Megan Seneque, Otto Scharmer

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.