Sensemaking is the process by which people give meaning to their collective experiences. The media landscape has complexified in recent years, especially with the rise of social media. Much of the information sphere has taken on a post-truth character and the constant bombardment of sensationalized disinformation has led to an increasingly polarized world and fraying of the socio-cultural fabric. We see this happening within the US and other Western democratic countries and at the global scale as well.

How do we make sense of news and information and how do we make rational and prosocial decisions in public life, both individually and collectively? In this event, we will consider the processes and frameworks that we might use to make sense of current events of national and global significance. We will consider how to conceptualize political and economic issues though an integral lens. Facilitators Brandon Nørgaard and Marty Behrens will give a brief presentation on these matters and then the event will move into collective sensemaking, wherein participants will be invited to offer reflections, ideas, and questions.

MEET THE FACILITATORS

Brandon Nørgaard

Brandon is a co-founder and research director at the Enlightened Worldview Project (EWP) and a graduate student studying wisdom design at the California Institute for Human Science (CIHS). His main areas of interest are integral theory, metamodernism, bildung, phenomenology, psychology, and social science. Brandon is working to bring integral practices to the community level and to metamodernize legacy institutions.

Marty Behrens

My work is rooted in the belief that our shared intelligence holds the transformative power needed to address the pressing crises of our time. Human connection is a profound force that drives societal growth and transformation, reminding us of our fundamental interconnection. After a career in technology with companies like Microsoft and Sony and founding a successful data analytics company, I transitioned to creating tools that cultivate collective intelligence and wisdom. I now lead a startup, Local Sense News, and write a Substack called Reinventing US, where I explore politics, transformation, and my forthcoming book.