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Recomplexualisation

  • Words

    Nik Baerten

  • Images

    Benjamin Sporken

recomplexualisation (noun), the – the act of recomplexualising. a branch of democratic systems design, originated in the early 2020’s as an antidote to the rise of populism and the oversimplification of complex problems, rendering complex societal issues insightful in a manner respectful of their inherent complexity.

“Genk, June 25, 2042

As I entered the building of the municipal services I was referred to the office of the Chief Recomplexualisation Officer. Her room was right next to the mayor’s. After years of denial, politicians, policymakers and civil servants had finally recognised the need to invest more directly into the design of instruments and systems enabling citizens to understand and engage with the ever-increasing complexity of societal challenges, stimulating them to take on a broader and more active political role in their local neighbourhood assemblies. The move had been long overdue, ’complicated’ and ‘complex’ had been mixed up for ages, ‘simple’ solutions had all too often proved ‘simplistic’ or ‘simply disastrous’.”