Mid Sweden University

Indigenous systems offer a unique perspective on sustainability and regeneration, emerging from a profound understanding of the intricate relationship between humans and the environment. At the core of indigenous cultures lies a way of being in respectful reciprocal relationships with the living.  

Right relations can then be seen as “an obligation to live up to the responsibilities involved when taking part in a relationship—be it to other humans, other species, the land or the climate”. Being in right relationships does then reach into a way of being based on an underlying mindset and awareness. It can therefore be seen as a vital and profound input, inspiration, and foundation for the regenerative transformational change ahead regarding humanity, organizations, and society.  

The need for such input is also currently stressed within the initiative and framework of inner development goals (IDGs). It is a framework that acknowledges that modern humanity seems to lack the inner capacity to deal with our increasingly complex environment and the challenges connected to caring for and sustaining life on this planet (https://www.innerdevelopmentgoals.org/ ). In response to that, the IDG framework raises the importance of developing our abilities to relate to and care for others and the world. One of the most foundational shifts highlighted in the IDG framework is the notion of developing our “inner compass”, that relates to “having a deeply felt sense of responsibility and commitment to values and purposes relating to the good of the whole”. 

The purpose of this paper is to explore and propose how the development of ‘being in right relationship’ and the ‘inner compass’ in the IDG framework might be facilitated by generative questions in appreciative inquiry interview guides.      

This is a conceptual paper, focused on exploring and proposing generative questions to be used within Appreciative Inquiry Interviews. It is an approach that acknowledges the power of questions as fundamental for facilitating change. More specifically, when discussing generative questions in relation to appreciative inquiry, research propose that the generativity of the questions increases if: 1) they are surprising; 2) they touch people’s heart and spirit; 3) talking about and listening to these stories will build relationships; and 4) the questions force us to look at reality a little differently.  

As a result, the paper presents a practical output in terms of questions and question guides for appreciative inquiry interviews aimed to facilitate reflection, learning and transformation towards ‘being in right relationship’ and the ‘inner compass’ in the IDG framework.   

The abstract contributes and relates to leadership development and building capability for continuous improvement and transformation in relation to all of the SDGs. The abstract also relates strongly to the main topic of the conference, as it addresses and elaborates on the destroyed relationship of modern humanity and the notion of sustainability and regeneration as a way of being in right relationship, as practiced by indigenous communities since millennia.   

The paper is submitted to Track 10D and contributes with new insights about Indigenous Systems and Sustainability.