[p2p-research] Fwd: Towards A New Cultural Paradigm... initial thoughts on completely changing the game ; -)

Thu Nov 4 21:19:45 CET 2010

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Suresh Fernando <suresh2323 at gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 1:17 AM
Subject: Towards A New Cultural Paradigm... initial thoughts on completely
changing the game ;-)
To: openkollab at googlegroups.com, envisioning at lists.worklessparty.org,
intention at lists.tribalharmonix.org, movers-shakers at googlegroups.com,
coalition at googlegroups.com, uk-gathering at googlegroups.com

**

Hey Everyone... some stuff I've been thinking about lately... I welcome your
thoughts!! Apologies for the length... I will, in time, do videos to get
this story out in a more digestible fashion. At this point it is important
to me that all that I am closely engaged with understand that everything
that I am working on is a part of a larger fabric...

*Note that this is, at least in part, an attempt to place in context the
profound importance of the systematic evolution tribal culture and
alternative institutional and interaction models!*

*Objective:* This is a call for us to take seriously the need for massive
global systemic change at multiple levels!

*Scope:* The following describes an outline for a book that I am starting to
work on.... nothing more - one that we might be able to co-develop should
there be sufficient interest.

* *

*An Inflection Point In Human History: we are at the Tipping Point*

*Climate Change: a Rallying Cry:* This generation is unique in all of human
history in that it is faced with the greatest challenge ever presented to
our species; that of the threat of climate change. This is a threat that
places our entire species at risk. In and of itself this is remarkable, but
what makes our current situation unique is that we are faced with this
threat in conjunction both with the knowledge of this threat as well as well
as sufficient communication and technological capacity to do something about
it. Yet we dawdle... why is this so?

*What does this tell us about what it is to be human?*

*
*

*Advancements in Communications Infrastructure: *Another important
consideration is that simultaneous with being presented with an
unprecedented global challenge (climate change), we are provided with the
accelerated evolution of a communications and mass coordination
infrastructure (the Internet) that makes possible the coordination of ideas,
will and effort in a manner heretofore not possible at any time in the
course of human history!

*Values Transformation:* For reasons I outline briefly below, western
culture is in the midst of a massive values transformation; one that
questions the current status quo. It questions the ‘Economics Lens’; that
which frames definitions of social good, human welfare etc in terms of
economic concepts (financial capital, GDP, productivity etc.)

*It is the convergence of the above massive shifts in global consciousness
that provides us with an opportunity unprecedented in the course of human
history; an opportunity to reshape everything!*

* *

*The Process of Transformation*

If massive systemic change is to be a possibility, a concerted effort will
be required on three parallel fronts:

*Across organizations and Boundaries:* Between organizations and across
boundaries of various sorts. We need to stitch together a movement, to
connect organizations, groups, projects, people, ideas etc. in a way that
makes it possible to massively mobilize towards better ends.

Revolution requires the centralization of focus; the aggregation of many
around a single idea in a single space! Fortunately in the world that we
live in, space can be construed differently. In fact, in virtual space, it
becomes possible for us all to participate in the same space!

I am working on this with the Coalition of the
Willing<http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-Of-The-Warrior/156574347703364>group
that is mobilizing on the
BetterMeans <https://secure.bettermeans.com/projects/163> platform

*Within Organizations:* We need to build a bridge to mainstream culture by
working with organizations to initiate dialogue and commence engagement.
Since the source of the problem is the Economic Lens, systemic change is
only possible by reframing the value system of those that give voice to the
Economic Lens. I am currently working with some folks to figure out how to
take a systems/network/ecosystem approach into corporate environments.

*Interpersonal Level:* Since value systems become deeply engrained and are
reinforced by the institutional frameworks of which we are currently a part,
a change in psyche is also necessary; one that provides us with the paradigm
and tools necessary to embrace a culture of cooperation, selflessness,
community and the proliferation of love.
It is for this reason that I am giving voice to the Warrior
Paradigm<http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-Of-The-Warrior/156574347703364>.

* *

*The World Today*

Western culture is pervaded by a deep sense that something has gone wrong.
We are beset with a deep sense of unease...

This is just an intuition, but finds its basis in the problems and
associated discourse arising from, at the least, the following.

   - Climate change
   - Massive economic disparity
   - Species extinction
   - Financial collapse
   - Global conflict, terrorism etc.
   - Unhappiness and alienation of western workers
   - Lack of confidence in democratic processes as evidenced by little
   interest in the political process.
   - Many of the problems identified have been present for generations, what
   makes the current context unique is that we now realize that some of what we
   held as sacrosanct might not be so.
   - Capitalism is not the best mechanism to allocate capital if a broader
   value set is considered
   - Unfettered technological progress is not, in and of itself, something
   to be lauded.
   - Globalization and the free flow of capital across the globe might not
   be the best way to go

There is a sense that we have been duped.

All civilizations come, at some time, to a crashing halt. We can wait for
the implosion or start charting a better course.

In the following, I propose to introduce a few ideas for consideration...

*The New Paradigm: a techno-cultural reordering*

There is no doubt that we are in the midst of a radical shift. This shift is
very wide scope and will impact all phases of human life. It finds its roots
and genesis, however, in the emergence of a new communications paradigm.
This change in the communications paradigm has implications for the very
nature of interaction as it modifies the notion of space, the boundaries of
communication, the capacity to communicate, the nature of knowledge, its
structure etc.

Here are a few areas where I see lots of work being done. They key will be
find ways to piece all of this together.

*New Perspectives*

A systemic approach to the relationship between organizations, projects,
people etc. This is the move away from a  perspective rooted in
individualism and fragmentation. It is the explicit realization that we
belong to an interdependent system; that we are fundamentally connected. As
such, why can we not develop our infrastructure and support models to
reflect this reality?

This is the basis for the notion of an
ecosystem<http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc4gbgsj_1480ns63fcdp>that I
have developed and the Ecosystem
Pooled Funding Model<http://www.slideshare.net/sureshf/ecosystem-social-ventures>
.

*New Economic Models*

   - Alternative currencies
   - ·         Local
   - ·         Virtual
   - Alternative Financial Models
   - ·         Ecosystem Pooled Fund
   - ·         Chris Cooks work, for example

*New Interaction Models*

   - Open infrastructures
   - Interoperabilithy
   - Peer Production
   - Collective Intelligence
   - High visibility
   - Mass collaboration
   - Strategic Confluence

*Values Transformation*

   - Sustainability
   - Holism
   - Healthy lifestyles
   - Return to Nature
   - Cooperation
   - Collaboration
   - Openness
   - Transparency

*Renewed Spiritual Context*

Western culture has lost any sense of the sacred or the divine. We have been
consumed by materialism and have lost touch with ourselves, our community
and any deep sense of higher purpose.

This, however, is beginning to change. The roots of this change can be found
in a new generation of ‘hippies’ or counter-culture revolutionaries. They
find their roots in a wide range of disciplines. They are artists,
musicians, open source computer programmers, permaculture enthusiasts,
social activists etc.

In many ways it is a techno-social revolution that we are seeing emerge. One
that is driven by values transformation as well as sense that much is
possible if we focus on community formation and coming together in different
ways.

*New Communal Models*

   - ·         Localization
   - ·         Intentional Community

*New Organizational Models*

·         Open Organizations

   - Open
   - Transparent
   - Highly scalable
   - Permeable Boundaries

·         Cooperatives: new form of value exchange

·         Tribes: new form of institutional model that accounts for our
‘humanness’

*The Old Paradigm*

*Misguided Values*

*Economics is the lens:* Human welfare equivalent to GDP growth

   - Humans are commoditized in the work world: are merely ‘workers’.
   - Workers are gauged on ‘productivity’.
   - Organizations are evaluated based on ‘efficiency’
   - Progress is equivalent to technological advancement and the ability to
   control our environment
   - Progress is equivalent to the advancement of financial/material
   capability
   - The result of the Economics Lens is that we have institutionalized the
   following values
   - Individualism
   - Greed
   - Competition
   - Hierarchy

*Specialization, personal identity and the fragmentation of Western Culture*

*
*

The Economics Lens is the result of a long historical process the result of
which is the transition from hunter-gatherer communities to agrarian society
to industrialization. This process lead to the invention of money. This, in
turn lead to the need for people to specialize; to develop a trade that they
can exchange in return for money.

Specialization now becomes a requirement for survival. Specialization thus
results in a change in the nature of the relationship between personal
identity and community.

Personal identity takes on a greater level of importance; at the expense of
community.

The culmination of this process is that Western culture is highly
fragmented. The importance of personal identity in conjunction with
individualism, greed, avarice and the like has lead to the creation of walls
around ourselves. This has been reflected in the very nature of the
communities we develop. We now have much less of an emphasis on living in
community, deeper levels of connection with more people etc.

*Outdated Institutional Models*

Corporations, societies, charities etc.

   - ·         Are not appropriate for networked world where information
   flows freely across boundaries
   - ·         Have fixed boundaries. What is needed are organizations that
   have more permeable boundaries
   - ·         Clearly demarcate the scope of ‘work’ as being distinct from
   ‘play’. This is to say that it is assumed that when one is working, it is
   with a co-worker and not with someone you love. The distinction between work
   and play is clear.

*Spirituality*

Largely missing from Western culture

* *

*Tribal Models*

*I close this piece with a brief discussion of tribal models because I
believe this is the model that that provides the best opportunity to drive
the transformation at the three levels identified above (across
organizations, within organizations, at the personal/spiritual level)*

*
*

I am still working through the development of tribal models. As can be
expected this is not something that can be developed in the abstract. It is,
therefore, being developed in the context of my participation in a series of
tribes in my local area. These tribes have slightly different focuses, but
there are common overlapping themes:

*Intentionality*: there is some primary focus, be it an event or something
else that binds the group

*Intimacy:* those that gravitate to tribal environments see their future as
being secured by the relationships they form not by the amount of money the
accumulate (or at least this is reflective of thie spirit).

*Bridging Work and Play:* In tribal culture we prefer to work with those
that we have personal relationships with. We see no reason to clearly
demarcate the work and play domains as independent.

*Group Process:* Tribal decisions are largely made in larger, open, group
contexts. Decisions in this contexts are therefore more a function of
fluidity within that context.

*Energetic Spaces:* Tribal energy is developed and maintained in different
energetic spaces. This includes meetings, collaborative food preparation,
music, dance etc. Characteristic of each of these spaces is that they have a
different vibrational frequency.

*Energetic Balance: *Tribes take into account a range of different forms of
diversity and the need to account for balance across such diversity. This
includes; gender, age, culture, skills, interests, emotional types etc.

*Deep Human Relationships*: We see the need to build deep relationships with
a number of different people of both sexes. These relationships for the
basis for mutual interdependence and support.

*Interaction Across A Range of Activity Types:* In contrast to the work
environment where patterns of interaction are clearly demarcated, in tribal
culture we understand that it is essentially important to interact with each
other across a range of activity types; to get to know each other in
different contexts, This is what is required to develop a deep sense of
knowledge of each other. This is the basis for the formation of deeply
trusting relationships.

*
With Love in the Spirit of Community*!

-- 
*Suresh Fernando *
BLOG <http://sureshf.posterous.com/>,
YOUTUBE<http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mhum>,
OK WEBSITE, <http://openkollab.com/>OK FAN PAG
<http://goog_1343289408/>E<http://www.facebook.com/openkollab?ref=ts#%21/openkollab>
, OK GROUP <http://groups.google.ca/group/openkollab>,
OK-WE<http://www.wiserearth.org/group/openkollab>,
PHILOSOPHY,  <http://sureshfernando.wordpress.com/> TWITTER,
<http://twitter.com/sureshf> FACEBOOK,
<http://facebook.com/suresh.fernando>WOTW FAN
PAGE<http://www.facebook.com/tedxvancouver?v=wall#%21/pages/The-Way-Of-The-Warrior/156574347703364>
LINKEDIN<http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=412718&authType=name&authToken=GrUl&locale=en_US&pvs=pp&trk=ppro_viewmore>,
SLIDESHARE <http://www.slideshare.net/sureshf>
*
**'The counter cultural revolution was a rhizomatic meshwork of
loosely-coordinated, loosely-affiliated struggles. The goals of these
struggles weren’t always complimentary, but the struggles were aligned and
together they staged a mass offensive to shatter the status quo'*. - from
The Coalition of the Willing

-- 
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