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Date: Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:25:40 -0700
From: Lynette <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: Gaian transformation & system dynamics
To: •••@••.•••
Suggest you refer to the writings in Alternatives to
Economic Globalization: A Better World is Possible
A Report of the International Forum on Globalization
This group includes Maude Barlow, Walden Bello, Tony Clarke,
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, David Korten, Vandana Shiva and
others.
They are positing in this book what people are discussing on
this forum- a return to the local.
Lynette
-----------
Dear Lynette,
Thanks for the reminder. Here's their website:
http://www.ifg.org/programs/alternatives.htm
There weren't so many advocates for localism when liberal
democracy and Western prosperity were in their heyday.
Globalization has brought the reality home to us... the
consequences of living under centralized political and
economic systems. When it comes to 'programs' for society, a
local focus is making sense to more and more people. My own
contribution to this paradigm shift is to help develop an
understanding of the political dimension... the community as
the fundamental unit of political sovereignty in a stable,
decentralized world system.
cheers,
rkm
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From: "Richard Clark" <•••@••.•••>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: Gaian transformation & system dynamics
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 07:49:40 -0700
X-Priority: 3
Hey Richard, it was great to rediscover you writing and hear
from you again. I shared one of your essays with my buds at
cafe.utne.com, and they were impressed too. I will give
careful attention to the article you just sent me and will
probably have some comments.
Best regards,
Richard Clark
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Date: Tue, 02 Sep 2003 09:49:38 -1000
To: •••@••.•••
From: Claudia <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Re: Gaian transformation & system dynamics
At 10:36 PM 9/1/03 +0100, you wrote:
> I think it is important to focus on that moment-of-
opportunity, that moment when a successful movement brings
about the fall of the current elite establishment. When that
time comes there will be many immediate problems to deal
with, and it would be wise for the movement to already have
some idea of where it's going, what kind of structural
changes make sense if we want a sustainable, democratic
society.
We are used to a global, complex and interconnected system-
tho its existence has been very short and it depends upon
the destructive practices we abhor.
The moment-of-opportunity you mention will probably be
created by disasters, plagues, and the collapse of global
systems. Only local systems are likely to survive. In such
a scenario, who will preserve knowledge? How will widely
dispersed like-minded people be able to help each other?
Intentional communities with viable agriculture and a solid
knowledge base might be an interesting place to start. How
they might defend themselves from ideologues and tyrants, I
can't say. In the meantime I've found myself alert to news
of communities where good practices are not smothered by
conflict or apathy; where diverse personalities manage to
work together; and where authoritarianism is actively
resisted. If history is any guide, artists and outcasts
usually are the first to find these locales.
Claudia
---------
Claudia,
As you quoted above, the 'moment of opportunity' I refer to
is a moment achieved through the actions of a 'successful
movement'. The moment you refer to - 'created by
disasters...' - would be a very different kind of moment.
Perhaps such a moment could have a favorable outcome, but I
doubt it.
Lots of people seem to have a romantisized notion of what
'collapse' would be like, something based on the Roman
Empire collapse or sci-fi movies. To get a more realistic
idea, think about what happens to a modern nation which is
under attack in warfare. People may be starving, but what
food there is goes to the military and leadership
infrastructure. Command-and-control persists. In the sci-fi
movies, we always see survivors in an empty world. In
reality the post-collapse scenario would include the
National Guard. Food would be confiscated & distributed
according to centralized priorities. Those who starve would
those who are considered expendable.
Intentional communities are appealing to many of us. I've
got many friends who have lived in such communities at one
time or another. From what I've observed, people are
attracted to these communities because they are seeking a
'new life' -- either to find new companionship or to
connect their life style with their ideals. They are usually
in a position in life where they don't mind leaving their
current circumstances behind them. This is fine for some,
but most of us have ties with family, jobs, friends, and
community that we aren't particularly interested in leaving.
And many who move into such communities leave again after a
while.
My own interest is more in ordinary communities, communities
based on place. When I wanted a 'new life', I chose a town
in Ireland. Compared to the suburbs and cities in
California, Wexford has a strong sense of community identity
and 'belonging'. It comes from the place, the history, and
the connections between people and families. Intentional
communities typically have an even stronger sense of
community identity because they are relatively small and the
members were drawn there by the shared focus of the
community. I'm interested in how community identity - and
empowerment - can be encouraged in ordinary communities.
rkm
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From: "Leonard Rifas" <•••@••.•••>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: RE: Joanna Macy: The Great Turning
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 20:08:11 -0700
We celebrate this, for example, in the Council of All
Beings. In that reverent and playful community ritual, we
step aside from our human identity to speak on behalf of
other life-forms.
I participated in a Council of All Beings led by Joanna Macy
at an Interhelp conference in Redwood City, California in
the mid-1980s. I have often remembered it, and remain
grateful for that experience.
Regards,
Leonard Rifas
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Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 16:38:52 +0200
To: •••@••.•••
From: •••@••.••• (Christoph Reuss)
Subject: Re: [MAI-NOT] Break in 9/11 coverup
Cc: •••@••.•••, •••@••.•••
Michael Meacher wrote:
> [The Wolfowitz paper] also hints that the US may consider
developing biological weapons "that can target specific
genotypes [and] may transform biological warfare from the
realm of terror to a politically useful tool".
It is interesting that a former Blair minister points this out. There's
a theory that Dr Kelly died because he knew too much about
the U$raeli development of "weapons of RACE destruction"
against Palestinians/Arabs. Looks like a number of
microbiologists and other armaments industry staff already
had been suicided for the same reason...
See http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/peace/aug03/msg00009.html
Chris
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From: "Stephen Verbit" <•••@••.•••>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: RE: A break in the 9/11 cover up?
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 16:45:38 -0400
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
Importance: Normal
Cancun diary
Wednesday September 10, 2003
The Guardian
· Michael Meacher, the former environment minister, has been
refused admission to the talks by the WTO despite being
invited to meetings with the Mexican government and
international consumer groups. The embarrassed WTO denied
that he was a security threat and admitted that an error may
have been made. "We have never heard of him, but we question
whether he is a bona fide journalist," said a spokesman. Mr
Meacher was furious: "Let's just say that my opinion of the
WTO is not high right now."
Retaliation from the establishment?
Stephen Verbit
Law Offices of Stephen Verbit
235 North University Drive
Pembroke Pines, Florida 33024
Ph: (954) 965-8350; Fax: (954) 241-6947
<>www.verbitlaw.com
--------------------------------------------------------
From: "Val Eade" <•••@••.•••>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: Another connection
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 08:32:48 +0800
Dear Richard,
Thought I'd forward this on to help with the unified field
of transformative energy that is growing and growing. Val
from Australia
The Collective Wisdom Initiative - and Deepening Democracy
Dear friends,
I want to alert you to the appearance of a very intriguing
and aesthetic new website by The Collective Wisdom
Initiative http://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/
This initiative was born out of a team of spiritually
oriented folks curious about the mysterious potential of
groups. Funded by the Fetzer Institute they set out to
understand how it is that ordinary people in properly
convened groups can tap into levels of collective
intelligence and spiritual wisdom far beyond what one would
expect from the individuals involved.
---<snip>---
I came to think of them as the spiritual cousins of Sandy
Heierbacher of The National Coalition for Dialogue and
Deliberation http://www.thataway.org , that open-hearted
networker of all who respect powerful conversation. Like
Sandy, these Fetzer folks see the big picture and want to
help the field of collective wisdom deepen and grow to
achieve its full potential. So they have designed a website
to help practitioners, students and the curious public
fathom this potential, find each other, and share their
discoveries along the journey.
---<snip>---
The whole enterprise is a remarkable adventure and I
encourage you to spend some time exploring it. In
particular, I want to alert you to a seed paper by Rosa
Zubizarreta, my friend and colleague -- and the passionate
midwife of my book THE TAO OF DEMOCRACY
http://www.taoofdemocracy.com. Rosa's paper brilliantly
weaves interactive spirituality into a vision of deep
democracy. Given our shared history and many conversations,
her vision naturally overlaps with -- and deepens -- mine.
But it also has a glowing integrity of its own, and I really
enjoy the thought of you discovering its gifts. Below is an
excerpt from her essay, just to give you a taste.
And if you'd like to get to know some of the many people in
this field, check out the list of hundreds of names
(including Rosa's and mine) at
<http://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/files_people/
_people_list.ht>http://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/
files_people/_people_list.ht m and read our responses to the
questions the Fetzer folks have asked us about the field and
our work in it. Then, if you find yourself feeling at home,
consider submitting your own answers to those questions and
becoming part of the expanding seed-sprout these innovators
have planted, soon to blossom for the good of the world....
There's a tremendous amount of juicy material available on
this site (as on Sandy's). Enjoy it, and join the energy.
There is so much to
do, so much to learn, so many truly fine people to journey with....
Coheartedly,
Tom
_ _ _ _ _
From:
http://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/papers/zubizarreta_democracy.htm
Deepening Democracy: Awakening the Spirit of Our Shared Life Together
by Rosa Zubizarreta
While there are many worthwhile efforts to address the
problems we are facing, something seems to be missing in
much of the conversation about democracy. There is often a
disquieting sense that the problem goes much deeper than we
may realize. Too many of us are not finding ourselves moved
by well-intentioned efforts to "reform" our political
landscape, much less by "politics as usual." There seems to
be a much deeper hunger for meaning, a sense that our
political and economic system needs to be renewed at a much
more fundamental level than many suggested reforms might
address.
We know that "without a Vision, the People will perish." Yet
in modern times our political system has become so
disheartening to so many, that the very idea of democracy
seems to have lost its power to inspire us. Our
participation in the creative process of envisioning and
actualizing our collective future has been reduced to
selecting a candidate from a limited number of options, and
our imaginations seem to have withered accordingly.
At the same time, we know that every challenge offers the
gift of opportunity. If we wish to renew the radical and
revolutionary sense of relevance that democracy once
inspired in the hearts and minds of so many people, we may
need to ask ourselves fundamental questions about what it
means to be human. As we search for a way through our
current political crisis, we may find ourselves questioning
our understanding of the Universe and our role within it.
Looking deeply at the challenges of the present moment may
turn out to offer some insights into the next steps of our
evolutionary unfolding....
[She then proceeds with a detailed description of the
revolution in thinking and institutions that can take us
through that unfolding, concluding with this hope:]
May we all help midwife, as gently and effectively as
possible, a future filled with blessings for everyone.
________________________________
Tom Atlee * The Co-Intelligence Institute * PO Box 493 * Eugene, OR 97440
http://www.co-intelligence.org * http://www.democracyinnovations.org
Read THE TAO OF DEMOCRACY * http://www.taoofdemocracy.com
Please support our work. * Your donations are fully tax-deductible.
--
============================================================
"...the Patriot Act followed 9-11 as smoothly as the
suspension of the Weimar constitution followed the
Reichstag fire."
- Srdja Trifkovic
There is not a problem with the system.
The system is the problem.
Faith in humanity, not gods, ideologies, or programs.
_____________________________
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