Navigating a World of Chaos

The overwhelming increase in disasters and humanitarian crises is affecting the fabric of human interaction worldwide. The social contract describes an implicit agreement wherein individuals surrender certain liberties to safeguard their natural rights and preserve societal order. The stability necessary for social actors to reach such an agreement is rapidly evaporating, and the negotiations to reach a consensus about the type of society we want to live in do not follow a stable pattern anymore. From the pervasive uncertainty and stress emerges a pressing need for heightened collective consciousness and collaboration among governmental bodies, civil society, and businesses. The opening section delves into the global response to escalating uncertainty and chaos, highlighting the pivotal role of the social contract. It underscores the contemporary trend toward bolstering resilience in the face of mounting disasters and crises. The chapter then introduces the theories of “convergence” developed by Fritz and Mathewson in 1957 and “emergence” developed by Dynes in 1970. These are two complementary theories conceived by disaster scientists to describe the influence of the social contract. Together, they explain post-disaster human behavior within a community and the mobilization of external actors toward affected communities. I use them to explain the materialization of the new social contract that demands the enhancement of systems to safeguard humankind and the environment and investment in disaster risk reduction (DRR). These interconnected systems and sub-systems, such as emergency management and humanitarian action, are shaped fundamentally by the convergence of value systems that wield profound influence over the trajectory of businesses.