The 'Everyone Can Flourish' vision: Linking inner and outer transformation through systematic policy integration

The “alla kan blomstra” (“everyone can flourish”) vision is a framework adopted by Åland’s government that attempts to institutionalize integrative inner-outer transformation within governmental structures, policies and operations. It aims to merge conventional external approaches (e.g., traditional ecological services and technologies) with inner-led change (e.g., addressing collective perceptions and value systems that underly today’s polycrisis). This research specifically looks at the efficacy of this framework through a survey and interviews with key stakeholders within Åland’s community to analyse how these inner transformational aspects are being mainstreamed in decision-making, roadmaps or statuses of long-term initiatives at the governmental level. Our results show that there has been great success in adopting the framework across the Åland government and its policies, but issues remain surrounding the intention of decisionmakers and whether or not they are instituting policies based on inner transformational considerations or if they are a by-product of other processes. Communication has been identified as a key barrier and driver surrounding how consensus is created that translates into external financial and political long-term collaboration and investment. We conclude with a discussion on the key features of a comprehensive approach to inner transformation and its systematic institutionalisazation that is required to achieve long-term change.