True Causes
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From one group’s map to connections no single group could draw

True Causes does not ask one large group to agree. Small rooms each build their own causal map; the maps are then folded together, showing what several rooms found independently, what they disputed, and what only one room saw.

The rooms behind these maps are demos, run with stand-ins rather than real people.

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root cause, or a claim several rooms raised link found by several rooms link one room certified disputed⟳ part of a feedback loop

1. One room

11 claims · 9 links

One group, one question: Why do atrocities go unpunished? Each person proposed causes; the group then judged every shortlisted pair, does A significantly influence B?, and kept a link only when three quarters agreed. Deepest causes on the left, outcomes on the right.
Why it matters: a symptom such as warnings came too late is traced back to what produces it, so effort goes to the cause and not the patch. Nobody wins by talking loudest, because every link is voted on separately.

Speaking publicly ends theCLUSTER 1Every state judges the caseby what it costs them⟳Naming it triggersobligations, so it is not…So the organisation that⟳CLUSTER 1The same states arming aparty also vote on…Early warning systemsproduce reports nobody is…So warnings are hedgeduntil they are unarguable,…Acting early is politicallycostly and acting late is…Each summary removes thepart that would require…Evidence is gathered for atrial that may happen in…Warnings were clear monthsbefore anyone acted
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2. One question, several rooms

7 rooms · 38 claims · 35 links

Other rooms asked the same question in their own words, each on its own. Their maps fold into one: a claim several rooms raised independently is drawn once, in green, and a link more rooms certified is drawn thicker. No room had to agree with another for its map to count.
Why it matters: deliberation stops working in one big room, so it runs in many small ones and the maps are folded afterwards. A city can run a workshop in every neighbourhood, a company one in every region, and see which causes all of them found on their own, and which only one did.

Coverage decides which1 ROOMJustice is offered as a1 ROOMA minister will not spend1 ROOMThe same states arming a5 ROOMSSpeaking publicly ends the5 ROOMSWe were warned to be1 ROOMThe alternative to doing1 ROOMEarly warning systems5 ROOMSNaming it triggers5 ROOMSNobody coordinated, so we1 ROOMNobody was ever sacked for1 ROOMThe report was published in1 ROOMWhat we know we cannot say1 ROOMReform of the veto requires1 ROOMThe tools between words and1 ROOMThe people in danger are+27 ROOMSOfficials are advised that1 ROOMEvidence is gathered for a5 ROOMSSo warnings are hedged5 ROOMSSanctions are slow, blunt,1 ROOMDomestic politics decides1 ROOMSo the safest position is a1 ROOMAn ambassador's career is1 ROOMBy the time it is1 ROOMNobody offers the option1 ROOMEvery state judges the case⟳+27 ROOMSSo the organisation that⟳5 ROOMSThe people who decide have1 ROOMEach summary removes the5 ROOMSActing early is politically+27 ROOMSBalance is a property of1 ROOMBeing from here is treated1 ROOMEvery proposal is heard as1 ROOMWarnings were clear months+27 ROOMSWe are asked to testify for1 ROOMOur own organisations are1 ROOMA generation grows up in a1 ROOMNobody came back to tell us1 ROOM
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3. Every question

34 questions · the 36 most connected claims · 74 links

Zoom out once more and questions that look unrelated share causes. Where the same claim was raised under two questions, links certified in different rooms meet at it, and a connection appears that no single room could have drawn, because no room was asked both halves of it: 10 such links here.
Why it matters: problems are handled in silos, housing by one department, hospitals by another, while the same cause may be driving both. Seen together, the few causes that sit under many problems stand out, and those are where one change can help several at once. Every link was still certified by a room; the atlas only joins them where the same claim appears twice.

Staff leave faster than weWhy is the emergency departmenA single wage no longerWhy does a steady life take moThe jobs here do not need⟳Why is there no work here for Beds are full because nobodyWhy is the emergency departmenNobody in a position to hire⟳Why is there no work here for Careers advice is one⟳Why is there no work here for We cannot afford the time it⟳Why do young people leave townBuilding anything takes yearsWhy has housing become so expeEvery state judges the caseWhy do atrocities go unpunisheAlgorithms prioritizeWhy do people like filter bubbPeople want to avoidWhy do people like filter bubbPicks are wrong often enough⟳Why are deliveries late?A short pick is recorded as⟳Why are deliveries late?Empty flats are worth moreWhy has housing become so expePeople avoid the discomfortWhy do people like filter bubbSmall errors are hidden to⟳Why does the depot miss its deFilter bubbles provideWhy do people like filter bubbPeople crave confirmation of⟳Why do people like filter bubbPeople feel good when⟳Why do people like filter bubbPeople prefer comfort and⟳Why do people like filter bubbPeople want to feel validated⟳Why do people like filter bubbThey seek comfort and⟳Why do people like filter bubbRents rise faster than wagesWhy has housing become so expeActing early is politicallyWhy do atrocities go unpunishePeople wait hours in aWhy is the emergency departmenYoung people leave and do notWhy is there no work here for The things that used to be⟳Why does a steady life take moAnyone without them was⟳Why is a secure standard of liAssets rose faster than wages⟳Why does a steady life take moNobody tells you how long theWhy does A&E make people wait People enjoy having their⟳Why do people like filter bubbPeople seek information that⟳Why do people like filter bubbThey provide psychological⟳Why do people like filter bubbPeople feel safe and secureWhy do people like filter bubbThe same patients come backWhy is the emergency departmenPeople seek affirmation fromWhy do people like filter bubb
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What this makes possible

Public policy
Many local workshops on one issue, folded into one map that shows which causes the groups found independently.
Organisations
Teams in different places map the same failure separately; the merge shows if they share a bottleneck.
Across agencies
Groups that never meet map a crisis from their own side; the atlas shows where their causes connect.
Research
Every link, vote count and room is on the record, so a finding can be checked, cited and repeated.

Ready for a real question?

Run a room with your team, your organisation or your community, or several rooms at once. Each builds its own map; the merge shows which causes they share and where they differ.

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