Human rights through whole-systems change
DAY ONE: Wednesday, January 13
The case for change: Understanding the world we have inherited
Guiding question: Why do our systems repeatedly produce problems that we already know how to prevent?
Day One presents the evidence. We examine the structures, incentives, and assumptions behind today’s interconnected challenges, then introduce practitioners developing alternatives.
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
10:00 AM
30 min
The case for a world that works for everyone
Mobilized News + Jack Healey, Human Rights Action Center
Establish the purpose of the experience, the human rights framework, and the need to connect knowledge with action.
Takeaway: What we’re doing, why it matters, and how everyone can participate.
10:30 AM
45 min
The world we inherited: Why systems fail
Explore how inherited economic models, policies, institutional incentives, and extractive practices contribute to recurring crises.
Connect the dots between environmental degradation, inequality, health, and human rights.
Takeaway: Understand the difference between treating symptoms and changing root causes.
11:15 AM
45 min
Human rights: The operating principles for a better world
Jack Healey
- Explore how universal human rights provide a framework for evaluating the systems we depend on.
- How do housing, food, health, water, education, democracy, and environmental conditions affect human dignity?
Takeaway: A human rights framework that can be applied to every subsequent session.
12:00 PM
Break
The Exchange opens
A 30-minute networking and exploration break featuring project demonstrations and opportunities to connect.
12:30 PM
45 min
Health: What if we prevented disease instead of only treating it?
Proposed featured practitioner: Dr. Michael Ozner
- Explore the evidence for cardiovascular disease prevention, including nutrition, lifestyle, clinical care, and environmental influences.
- Examine which interventions have demonstrated results and how prevention can become more accessible.
Takeaway: Practical, evidence-based prevention strategies and the policies that can support them.
1:15 PM
45 min
Food, land and water: Can we regenerate the systems that sustain life?
Proposed practitioner: Allan Savory, alongside independent researchers and working land stewards
- Examine regenerative agriculture, soil health, biodiversity, water stewardship, and food security.
- Compare practical approaches, documented outcomes, and unresolved scientific questions, including debates around holistic grazing.
Takeaway: Understand how to evaluate land restoration claims and adapt practices to local conditions.
2:00 PM
Break
Projects in action
A 15-minute intermission highlighting short demonstrations from participating initiatives.
2:15 PM
45 min
Energy, materials and the circular economy
- How do we move from extractive, waste-intensive systems toward cleaner energy, durable products, reuse, and resource recovery?
- Feature implemented projects in clean energy and circular production, including their costs, benefits, and limitations.
Takeaway: Examples of how communities and businesses are redesigning energy and material flows.
3:00 PM
45 min
Justice: What if the system focused more on prevention, accountability and restoration?
Proposed participants: Restorative justice practitioners, formerly incarcerated leaders, survivors and community organizers
- Investigate the underlying causes of incarceration and compare conventional, preventive, restorative, and community-based approaches.
- Examine evidence for reductions in harm, recidivism, and disparities.
Takeaway: Identify approaches communities can explore while protecting survivors’ rights and public safety.
3:45 PM
45 min
The connections: How one problem becomes another
- An interactive systems-mapping demonstration connecting the day’s presentations.
- Follow how food affects health, energy affects the environment, economic policy affects opportunity, and information affects collective decisions.
Takeaway: A shared map of root causes, reinforcing feedback loops, and potential intervention points.
4:30 PM
30 min
Day One closing: The evidence and the opportunity
- Summarize the strongest findings, distinguish demonstrated solutions from emerging possibilities, and identify the unanswered questions.
- Invite participants to select a challenge they want to address on Day Two.
- Takeaway: A clear understanding of the challenges and a personal starting point for action.
What participants leave with after Day One
- A clearer understanding of interconnected problems, a map of their root causes, examples of practical responses, and one issue they want to help address.