Strategic Field Mapping Workshop | Democratic & Climate Resilience in Times of Polarization
About the session
Climate and biodiversity transformation requires long-term cooperation, public trust, functioning democratic institutions, and the ability to make difficult collective decisions.
Yet many societies are experiencing increasing polarization, declining institutional trust, political fragmentation, disinformation, and rapid technological change — including the growing influence of artificial intelligence on information environments and public debate.
These developments raise fundamental questions: How can societies maintain the capacity to act collectively? How can democratic institutions, civil society, and other organizations strengthen trust and cooperation across differences? And how can ambitious climate action remain socially supported and democratically legitimate?
This facilitated workshop explores the intersection of democracy, climate transformation, and psychological resilience.
Drawing on psychological and systems-oriented perspectives, participants will examine the human and institutional conditions that enable democratic societies to navigate conflict, uncertainty, and transformation: trust, identity, belonging, perceived fairness, collective agency, dialogue, emotional resilience, and democratic participation.
Rather than focusing on individual communication campaigns or political positions, the workshop takes a broader systems perspective on how organizations and institutions can strengthen democratic resilience while advancing climate and biodiversity transformation.
What to expect
A facilitated, participatory small-group online workshop focused on:
mapping psychological and institutional challenges at the intersection of democracy and climate action,
identifying how polarization, distrust, and disinformation affect collective action,
exchanging experiences across civil society, public institutions, research, and philanthropy,
exploring enabling conditions for democratic cooperation and societal resilience,
and identifying promising areas for future collaboration and practical interventions.
This is not a panel or presentation-based event.
Themes explored
democratic resilience and climate transformation
trust in institutions and democratic legitimacy
polarization, identity, and societal fragmentation
disinformation, AI, and changing information environments
social cohesion, belonging, and perceived fairness
dialogue and cooperation across political and social differences
collective agency and democratic participation
emotions, uncertainty, and psychological resilience
public support for long-term transformation
institutional capacities to navigate conflict and change
psychological infrastructure for democratic and climate resilience
Who this is for
This session is designed for:
democracy and civil society organizations
climate and biodiversity NGOs and networks
foundations and philanthropic organizations
public institutions and policy practitioners
think tanks working on democracy, governance, and societal resilience
researchers in psychology, political science, democratic governance, and behavioral science
organizations addressing polarization and disinformation
dialogue, peacebuilding, and social cohesion practitioners
youth and community representatives
organizations working on climate engagement and democratic participation
We aim to bring together diverse perspectives from organizations working on democratic resilience, climate action, and the psychological conditions of societal transformation.
If you or someone else from your organization would like to join, please request participation here in Luma.
What you will get out of it
Participants will leave with:
a deeper understanding of the psychological connections between democratic resilience and climate transformation,
language to identify underlying barriers to trust, cooperation, and collective action,
insights into how polarization, identity, emotions, and perceived fairness shape societal responses to transformation,
a collective systems map of key challenges, enabling conditions, and possible intervention points,
and new connections across organizations working on democracy, resilience, and climate action.
The workshop will also help identify promising areas for further collaboration, practical experimentation, and potential joint initiatives.
Format
Facilitated strategic dialogue & systems mapping workshop
Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours
Participants: Approximately 12-18, curated small group
Location: Online via Zoom
About ClimateMind
ClimateMind is a psychological infrastructure organization working on the human dimensions of climate, biodiversity, and societal transformation. We explore how psychological and organizational factors — such as trust, identity, emotions, resilience, cooperation, and collective agency — shape our ability to navigate change and turn ambitions into meaningful action. Our work combines psychological science with practical approaches to strengthen collaboration, decision-making, and implementation across sectors and institutions.
More details: climatemind.de/en.