From knowledge to action – how do we create transformation in society?

Dialogue Forum

8 April 2025, Munich Re, Saal Europe, Giselastraße 21

Since its establishment 20 years ago, the Munich Re Foundation's commitment has been guided by the motto "From knowledge to action". In times of social upheaval and crisis, this motto has lost none of its relevance. What hurdles must be overcome in order to translate knowledge into concrete action for sustainable change? What instruments are available to accelerate the transformation? The panel guests at the anniversary dialogue forum provided answers.

Podium of the Dialogue Forum on 8 April 2025 — Renate Bleich, Chair of the Munich Re Foundation, moderated the panel discussion.

Obstacles on the path from knowledge to action

When it comes to social transformation, one obstacle is that interest groups with the same goal but operating under different conditions for success come into conflict with one another. "In such a complex situation, all those involved are only motivated to translate knowledge into action as long as they do not emerge from the process as total losers," explained Armin Nassehi, Professor of General Sociology and Social Theory at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. This is exacerbated by an intellectual misunderstanding on the part of decision-makers. "We believe that people only need to be given good reasons to act. Empirically, this is not the case." In the sluggish practice of everyday life, disruptive ideas that change lives have little chance of success. Once something has proven itself, it is incredibly difficult to question it with good reasons.

In times of multiple crises, be it the pandemic or the so-called refugee crisis, this inertia in social structures is proving to be an increasingly serious problem, according to Nassehi. The stronger the arguments put forward by experts, the greater the doubts among sections of the public. And the more the elites insist on their view of things, the greater the suspicion among some that something is wrong. Added to this is the fact that society is fragmenting into different spheres of action. For some, economic action is paramount in order to survive in the market. Others need to organise political majorities to improve their own chances of gaining power. "That is why we want a master plan that coordinates the different areas of society. The main problem in our society is that this coordinating body does not exist," says Nassehi.

Making transformation bearable

Another problem is that transformation is understood as a programme for approaching society. "This fails in reality because society is not and does not have an address; it cannot react as a single entity. "The translation of knowledge into action does not work because the desired goal requires different courses of action due to differing perspectives and social spheres. This is where another intellectual misunderstanding comes into play: "Some things that seem necessary to one person based on their knowledge are an imposition to others. This must be taken seriously," demanded Nassehi. The misguided developments in our political system and the rise of populism are an expression of this. "If we do not succeed in making the transformation acceptable from the end user's point of view, we will not be able to answer the question of loyalty."

Some things that seem necessary to one person based on their knowledge are unreasonable to others. This must be taken seriously.

Professor Armin Nassehi

Sociologist at LMU Munich

So how can people be motivated to support the necessary changes? "On the one hand, we need science communication that is easy to understand, and on the other hand, we need more interaction with people to explain to them what is at stake," suggested Professor Claudia Kemfert, Head of the Department of Energy, Transport and Environment at the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin. The consequences of climate change and the threat to our livelihoods need to be presented more widely in the media. Could positive visions of the future help to make climate-related transformation more palatable to people? "I'm not a fan of painting everything in a rosy light," Kemfert admitted. We should do one thing without neglecting the other. We need to lay the facts on the table without spreading fear and panic. Otherwise, we will encourage lethargy, depression, defensiveness and conspiracy theories. "As in any therapy, however, you have to face the facts in order to find solutions," she made clear.

On the one hand, we need science communication that is easy to understand, and on the other hand, we need more interaction with people to explain to them what is at stake.

Professor Claudia Kemfert

Energy economist at DIW Berlin

Transformation through coordination

In order to encourage society, politics and business to take joint action, the organisation ProjectTogether is relying on new coordination mechanisms. "To enable different players to work together, we need broad alliances and a coalition of the willing," said founder and managing director Philipp von der Wippel. One example is sustainable nutrition in large canteens, which is a major lever for greater climate protection: "They serve 17 million meals per working day in Germany and could protect both human health and the health of the planet by adhering to the scientific standards of the Planetary Health Diet," said von der Wippel. However, cost considerations, a lack of knowledge among chefs and the absence of suitable suppliers are standing in the way of this. An alliance for good food culture is providing a remedy. It consists of canteen operators, suppliers, training companies and businesses as customers. This alliance brings together different groups that would not find each other on their own.

To enable different players to work together, we need broad alliances and a coalition of the willing.

Philipp von der Wippel

CEO & founder of ProjectTogether

Another area of activity for ProjectTogether is the Welcome Alliance, an alliance of civil society organisations, foundations, government institutions and companies. The aim is to achieve humane, needs-based and sustainable integration of migrants. The idea is that instead of having different points of contact for housing, work or language courses, Welcome Centres offer everything from a single source. "This requires coordination. The core of our work is to learn in practice how this coordination works best and where cooperation makes sense," explained von der Wippel.

Strategies against slowpokes

However, politics remains the linchpin of social transformation, even though it is often hesitant to implement the necessary changes. According to Kemfert, this is not due to a lack of knowledge. "Politicians are often very well informed. But we must not forget that there are path dependencies, economic interests and interdependencies, which is why certain things are not being addressed," she explained. Many people in the general population are also aware that there is no way around social transformation, for example with regard to climate change. "But there are naysayers who spread conspiracy theories, are fed by disinformation campaigns and flood social networks with them. We need new strategies to counter this," Kemfert is convinced. She is thinking of powerful information campaigns that may not reach climate sceptics, but will reach the large silent majority of people. "Politics and science, both of which are under fire, must counter this and network to defend themselves together."

"We must ensure that the gap between politicians‘ expectation-raising announcements and concrete action does not become too wide," added von der Wippel. Otherwise, the so-called middle ground of the population will also become more susceptible to conspiracy theories. "In my opinion, every law should be accompanied by a consistent implementation process that precisely defines the tasks of the actors at the various levels."

Simplify bureaucratic processes

Could reducing bureaucracy help accelerate transformation processes? Nassehi was sceptical. "Bureaucracy is not an end in itself, but fulfils an important civilising function in our society." Only legally binding regulations would enable everyone to assert their rights regardless of their status. However, consideration should be given to simplifying processes, for example by reducing the number of platforms used for communication between citizens and local authorities. Nassehi also has a clear opinion on disruption as an accelerator of transformation processes: "This is an ideological concept in which the actors only think about the consequences and the associated costs later," he criticised. History has shown that sustainable change tends to take place in evolutionary processes.

In view of multiple crises, social transformation is undoubtedly a necessity. It will change our lives enormously, demand a lot from us and unsettle many people. However, it is also clear that in our complex and dynamic world, there are neither exact instructions nor guarantees for successful change processes. This makes it all the more important to keep an eye on social cohesion and take people's concerns seriously.

Looking back on 20 years of foundation work

At the beginning of the dialogue forum, the chairwoman of the Foundation Board, Dr Doris Höpke, looked back on 20 years of the foundation's work. Having extensive knowledge also entails an obligation to share it and translate it into responsible action. This idea was at the forefront when the Munich Re Foundation was established. "Munich Re has extensive knowledge of risks and catastrophe prevention. The aim of the foundation is to use this knowledge to improve the livelihoods of people at risk who are unable to protect themselves," explained Höpke.

Munich Re has extensive knowledge of risks and catastrophe prevention. The aim of the foundation is to use this knowledge to improve the livelihoods of people at risk who are unable to protect themselves.

Dr Doris Höpke

Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Munich Re Foundation

From the outset, the focus was on concrete action, such as the fog nets in Eritrea and the flood warning system in Mozambique. Knowledge transfer and networking were further pillars of the foundation's work, which led to the establishment of the Chair for Social Vulnerability at the UN University in Bonn. And the first Microinsurance Conference (now the International Conference on Inclusive Insurance) was launched, which has developed into a globally recognised platform for knowledge exchange and networking. "Much of what we did at the beginning has proven its worth and has been complemented by flagship projects such as the RISK Award," says Höpke. As with other projects, the success of the award is due in no small part to the establishment of partnerships, with Munich Re remaining the foundation's most important partner as its founding donor. It provides its knowledge as a permanent donation, so to speak. Höpke made it clear: "The challenges and hurdles are growing, but so is our knowledge. In this respect, I am confident about the future work of the foundation."

Video recording of the Dialogue Forum (panel discussion)

Language: German

Munich Re Foundation

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