According to Julian Baggini, complaining is one of the most human things we do. In fact, Baggini, a writer and a philosopher, has written an entire book devoted to the art of the constructive complaint designed to bridge that gap between how we think things are and how we think they should be. In honor of International Ombudsman Day on 10 October, this article explores how the ombudsman role has grown to help visitors assert themselves and address constructive complaints.

The ombudsman role evolved organically and arose through a subsequent meeting of different cultural influences. In his book, The Medici Effect, Frans Johansson posits the idea that breakthrough innovation occurs at the intersection of different fields, ideas, people and cultures. Examining the history of an ombudsman illustrates Johansson’s maxim. An intersection of cultures led to innovations in the field of handling grievances that gave rise to the ombudsman profession.

It is widely known that the ombudsman concept, in its modern form, derives from Sweden. Few know, however, that the idea grew from dynamics that Johansson describes. As human beings, we find ourselves often particularly preoccupied with concepts of justice and fairness. Throughout the course of history, human societies have endeavored to create mechanisms to address grievances.

In fact, individuals with a grievance that seek to confront authority often end up as catalysts for positive change. Lung stones, vilification trees, and petitioner’s drums represent ancient examples of early systems for redress. Soon administrative structures – be they governmental or organizational – developed to offer grievance mechanisms. As they proliferated, these structures often became impersonal and unresponsive to underlying needs of individuals. As the methods of redress grew, the individual and their grievances often remained frustrated. The ombudsman concept arose to address this gap.

King Charles XII of Sweden developed the idea but only after having been exiled from Sweden. He eventually spent over a decade as a guest of the Ottoman Empire. During his stay, he observed Ottoman administrative mechanisms of redress that he eventually adapted when he created the first ombudsman office in Sweden. Today, people are often unclear about an ombudsman’s role because so many modern variations of the role exist with approaches quite different from its 18th century origins. As the role proliferated, it also changed. The 19th century witnessed the dramatic expansion of Ombudsman offices after the creation of the Swedish model. The 20th century continued this trend but added an interesting twist. In North America, the ombudsman role emerged late in the 1960s during a period of tremendous social turmoil. Amidst a growing demand for protections of citizen’s rights, and for mechanisms by which people could address maladministration, the ombudsman concept was adopted to fit this context. The most notable change in this process involved adding elements of conflict resolution to the role. Soon, US federal agencies and intergovernmental organizations modified the ombudsman model to suit their contexts combining elements of the original model with those developed in North America. The UN Ombudsman and Mediation Services (UNOMS) has been part of this evolutionary progression.

This progression continues; the Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Service (UNOMS) is rooted in the history of the profession while continuing the tradition of intersectional creativity. For example, UNOMS remains anchored to the principles of the office (confidentiality, impartiality, independence, and informality) first conceived in the 1960s. And yet, UNOMS has also been one of the first ombudsman offices to deploy a decentralized structure around the globe creating offices in New York, Santiago, Entebbe, Goma, Nairobi, Geneva, Vienna, Beirut and Bangkok. Today, as it refines the services provided to its constituency, UNOMS strives to help stakeholders and visitors alike embrace the nobility of conflict. The handling of a constructive complaint requires a particular mindset and a very specific set of skills. The mindset necessary to address constructive complaints rests on the notion of dignity. Because dignity is enshrined as a foundational UN value, UNOMS, alongside others, now uses this concept as a lens to view our workplace relationships. This, however, is not enough. It also requires a specific set of skills to implement the mindset. The skills necessary rely on a combination of influences from psychology, conflict resolution, neuroscience, and linguistics.

At its noblest, a complaint lies at the center of our efforts to create a better, more just world. On the other hand, an ill-founded complaint can fuel a culture of blame, eroding responsibility, and the ability to handle life’s uncertainties. Consequently, UNOMS continues to find new ways to help visitors address constructive complaints by drawing on the UN’s rich mix of ideas and cultures.