Foundational perspectives on systems practice for professions

Abstract The 2023 meeting of the International Society of Systems Sciences was held in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The venue provided a suitable milieu for discourse on systems practice for professions. Surrounded by evidence of complexities of development, indigenous communities and nature, scholars shared their practices. It surfaced that systemic practice is guided by systemic methodology which in turn is rooted in specific frameworks of understanding. In a sense, it is unexpected that a meeting, focusing on practice, evolved into a discussion about worldviews and perspectives. This special issue attempts to represent the sense of belonging inspired by unity through diversity experienced by the participants of the meeting. This editorial reflects on the papers in terms of their frameworks for understanding, methodologies used, and their areas of application. African perspectives are explicitly included to celebrate the situatedness of the meeting. The issue showcases how systemic practice brings hope for improvement to various problem situations.