A visionary community leader and co-founder of Civic Square, Immy Kaur, joins us on this episode, to drive home some ground breaking thoughts on systemic transformation in our everyday living.
With deep insights drawn from over a decade of experience, Immy challenges conventional thinking about organizing at scale and highlights the urgent need to reimagine how we live, work, and relate to one another.
Touching on the power of unlearning assumptions about systems and authority, she simplifies it for us stating, "we as people build our systems and processes, and to change them, we don’t need permission."
Known for her ability to connect systemic thinking with tangible, participatory action, Immy Kaur helps us visualize how neighborhoods are a strategic site for change—"big enough and small enough" to demonstrate value creation, while fostering agency in communities.
In this episode, she explores critical themes like the fragility of existing systems, and why outdated economic models require a shift. Drawing from frameworks like Doughnut Economics, she unpacks how local, modular prototypes can demonstrate pathways toward systemic change.
She takes us through rethinking value and metrics beyond financial systems, prototyping of modular solutions to tackle systemic lock-ins and so much more.
Tune in and discover how we can reimagine everything through participatory systems to navigate the complex challenges of our times.


Key Highlights
👉 Neighborhoods are strategic sites for change as they are small enough to demonstrate deep systemic transformation while being large enough to inspire scalable solutions.
👉 Unlearning systems is the first step to fostering collective agency and unlocking new possibilities for civic innovation.
👉 Effective transformation requires balancing systemic redesign, practical action, and radical imagination.
👉 Material scarcity and ecological limits become opportunities for creativity, pushing us to innovate within planetary boundaries.
👉 Organizations and communities must rethink value, moving beyond financial metrics to embrace multi-capital approaches that prioritize social, environmental, and care-based economies.
👉 Genuine change involves shifting agency to communities, empowering them to co-lead their transitions and transformations.
👉 Modular, tangible prototypes can demonstrate what systemic alternatives look like, enabling practical steps toward change while inspiring imagination.


Topics /chapters
(00:00)		The Power of Making and Remaking - intro
(00:49)		Immy Kaur’s introduction
(02:34)		Immy Kaur’s Journey and Building Civic Square
(21:53)		What defines a civic body?
(32:49)		New frameworks, metrics, and institutional forms  for creating value
(47:50)		New Upcoming Collaborations and Institutional Agremeents
(58:03)		Breadcrumbs and Suggestions

Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: ⁠https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/kaur-immy⁠

Episode recorded on Nov 12, 2024

Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠

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Music
Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠blss.io/Podcast-Music

#111 - The Power of Making and Remaking with Immy Kaur

The dialogue centers on solutions-focused, community-driven responses to global challenges like climate change, social unrest, and rapid technological advances such as AI. Key initiatives discussed include the creation of vibrant community hubs called Living Unity Innovation PODs or #StoryPODs, which serve as centers for healing, education, cultural preservation, digital access, and climate resilience. These hubs blend ancient wisdom and modern tools, connecting youth and elders, and support programs such as after-school dance (as in Oakland), indigenous partnerships (like in Kenya), and Canadian demonstration projects (e.g., in Markham).

A recurring theme is the ethical alignment of AI: moving from abstract digital ethics to “measurable digital alignment” rooted in community-defined values. The Virtual Voice of Community Network (VCN) and projects like #Winalto aim to make marginalized voices central in data collection and AI training, ensuring AI systems promote justice, plurality, and real-world benefit—particularly through initiatives like AI for Peace Labs.

Youth leadership and intergenerational learning are emphasized, along with global bridge-building via forums (like the Canada Global South Ideas Forum) and initiatives such as Pedal for Peace and Climate Smart Corridors. The dialogue references indigenous frameworks (e.g., “dish with one spoon”), radical inclusion, and pluralistic governance as foundations for a regenerative, globally connected future.

From Local Hubs to Global AI: Building a Regenerative Future (Unity Net Initiatives & Community Voices)

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