Introducing The Rethink: ASRA's new blog series

We recently posed two questions to our network members: Which systemic risks should we prioritize, and who needs to act?

While these questions are day-to-day considerations for many of our network, revisiting them together helped us both gauge sentiments about the year ahead and tap into our collective wisdom. The responses confirm a tapestry of interconnected challenges: 

  1. Political instability looms large, with rising nationalism and populism seeking to undermine global cooperation 
  2. Economic uncertainties persist, from volatile markets to sovereign debt crises
  3. AI risks the reshaping of social dynamics and information flows
  4. Public health threats remain ever-present, including the growing risks as bird flu cases rise.

Climate finance and urban vulnerability add to this complex picture—not as abstract threats, but inherently imposing tangible limits on how communities can respond worldwide to the risks we face. These insights echo the metaphor of the gray rhino—a glaring, obvious threat that we’re prone to ignore until it tramples us. The challenge is to refocus our gaze and confront what’s in front of us before it’s too late. 

So who must do this? Who needs to act? When asked about key actors, our members’ responses highlighted most of the usual suspects: international organizations like the World Bank, IMF, UN agencies; central banks such as the European Central Bank; financial experts adept at navigating complex, interconnected systems; and government bodies “willing to listen” at all levels; and, local communities.

This emphasis on a multitude of actors highlights a deeper shift in how we must approach risk. If all actors are to play a central role in addressing systemic risks, then we must rethink how decisions are made and whose voices shape the responses. Indeed, listening is more than passively hearing concerns on the future; it’s about creating space for dialogue and moving from mere awareness to genuine empowerment. 

Our research tells us that whole-of-society processes are central to understanding and responding to this polycrisis moment. This is grounded in a growing body of research and the evaluation of experiments that show us that when citizens engage in informed deliberation—whether through large assemblies or citizen juries—they make thoughtful, risk-conscious decisions that align with scientific consensus and contribute to long-term resilience. Yet, too often, “solutions” are delivered top-down, bypassing the individuals and communities most affected by current and future crises, missing opportunities to engage those with lived experience of these challenges. A systemic approach demands systemic inclusivity.

In today’s polycrisis moment, the path forward isn’t just about identifying risks—it’s about challenging our thinking about “how things are done” and strengthening the processes that allow us to confront challenges effectively, together. 

For the rest of 2025, ASRA will invite network members and our partners to share their thoughts in a year-long blog series “The Rethink.” Through blogs, Q&As, video interviews, and more, we’ll explore critical questions such as:

  • How are traditional approaches to risk evolving or how do they need to evolve? 
  • How have global risks been tackled through collective action before, from smallpox eradication to ozone layer protection, and what can we learn from these processes?
  • What does “good” look like when it comes to responding to systemic risk? 
  • What practical pathways exist for implementing systemic approaches across scales—from local to global?

If you’re ready to challenge outdated methodologies, embrace innovative approaches, and commit to the public good for all living beings on this planet, get in touch. We have an exciting calendar of content and events planned—including our symposium “Currents of Change: New Horizons in Systemic Risk” in June—to help us start to radically rethink risk and chart a better future where all people, societies, species, and ecosystems thrive.

Stay tuned for updates and get in touch if you want to find out more: hello@asranetwork.org 

Ruth