The fourth principle of systems thinking framework builds on the prior notion that work is necessary to drive events by adding that energy, unlike work, is exogenous to the system, originating from outside the group or structure in question. In human rights, this principle helps explain why even sustained internal efforts may fail to produce change unless supported by external forces. For example, systemic policing practices, rooted in historical, legal, and cultural systems, have long been challenged by internal actors such as civil rights organizations, affected communities, and progressives. However, these internal efforts often require an infusion of external energy to shift entrenched dynamics. The global response to the murder of George Floyd in 2020 illustrates this well. While years of grassroots activism laid the groundwork, it was the international outrage, transnational protests, media amplification, and global political pressure that injected the exogenous energy needed to propel systemic policing reforms into mainstream discourse. This principle reminds us that human rights change often relies not only on local work but also on the ability to harness energy from outside the immediate system, whether from global human rights bodies, international movements, or broad public solidarity.

See, Applying the Principles of Systems Thinking Framework to Human Rights