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Issue 10, 27 June 1996 \ /
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Here again, in the ongoing series of visions of a new civilization. More
submissions are always welcome. Notice that this is not an attempt of
having us all agree on what the future is. I forward what different people
come up with when they think of the future. You might like it or not like
it, it might support your own visions, or it might not. No matter what, it
is part of the soup we are cooking collectively.
- Flemming
-------------------oOo-------------------
** Steve Weinberg <nevets2@aol.com>, New Jersey, USA **
I envision the evolution of society into a society of loving individuals.
Why?
Persons who act out of love, also act out of tremendous underlying trust.
When you have that trust, it allows people to accomplish so much more
together because they don't have to "hold back".
I see a society that acts out of love taking advantage of the principles of
synergy. Such a love-based society would literally produce a quantum leap in
societal energy to be used to further the goals of individuals and
communities.
Furthermore, I see a desperate need for this increase in societal energy.
Life is rapidly complexifying. The amount of work needed to maintain our
systems and to teach our young is growing at an accellerating pace. In
addition, there is so very much to be done in basic research in the area of
sustainable energy, and natural sciences. We need to free many more people
to do this work.
We need lots more energy to do society's work. Love is the only place to
find this energy.
Love will power a great leap forward on planet earth. It will be the
culmination of the teachings of the worlds religions. It will prevail
because we need it so desperately and because it is there for the using.
What I'm not so sure about is the best way to live one's life to help usher
in this Era of Love. But I see it's potentiality hovering all around us.
Maybe a butterfly somewhere will just flap it's wings some day and the
potentiality will crystalize into reality. Does anyone else see it coming?
-------------------oOo-------------------
** Roger Carmichael <roger@sunspot.noao.edu>, New Mexico, USA **
Every 3 solar cycles (66.6yrs) global socio-economic upheaval occurs on
the face of the Earth- last time was 1929-30, before that 1862-63, next
is 1996-97, so go figure- we are facing a 2nd Great Depression!
Why does this happen? As long as we reproduce ourselves at a rate that
exceeds 2 kids/family, this will continue to recur *Again and Again*
Why doesn't anyone see this? We all still act as if the Earth were Flat
we don't want to admit there are life-support limitations for a thin
shell of a world we call planet Earth, only 8000mi dia. by 10mi. thick.
So what gives anyone the right to freely fornicate and reproduce like
some human lemming so we can all raise taxes to pay for the extras?
Extra what? Power plants, water reservoirs, factories, the things we
call "growth" that are costs to support modern civilization. Hey, the
Indians didn`t create toxic waste dumps- they practiced family planning
by living `in balance' w/nature, not trying to vanquish/overcome it.
Primitive man adjusted to his environment,
Modern man adjusts his environment-
That's the basic problem (why he does so) Reason? Too many kids...
The best vision of civilization is one which husband our resources by
limiting consumption, and the best way is "family planning" = 2 kids
Even if we encur costs w/those two, it is no more than the parents that
they replace. To go forth and multiply is "Flat Earth" mentality, and
that is the source of all mankinds woes, basic ignorance.
Sorry about that-
-------------------oOo-------------------
** Flemming Funch <ffunch@newciv.org>, Los Angeles, California **
I'm working on my own vision for a better working society that I call
"HoloWorld". You can find a lot of pieces of it at:
To summarize a few ideas from it:
A civilization needs to have room for all kinds of people, all kinds of
preferences. Thus it can have no overall judgements on what is the right
way of living, except for to the degree that one's actions might harm
others or destroy common resources.
I envision a bottom-up society. Individuals have the freedom to choose what
is right for them. They have the right to make up their own ideas, their
own morals, their own preferences, their own beliefs. And to the degree
that it doesn't harm others or the planet, they are free to live according
to them.
Next step up is strong communities. With "community" I don't just mean a
generality of being a good citizen. I mean specific, relatively small,
groups of people. People of similar beliefs, similar preferences for how to
live, or simply a desire to hang out with each other, will come together,
either in the same geographical setting, or virtually. A community is
self-regulating. The members will amongst themselves decide what their
rules are. And again, as long as it affects no other community, they can
decide on any set of norms they feel like, as long as the members freely
choose to be part of them, and they are free to go somewhere else if they
choose no longer to participate.
A community would preferably have a high degree of self-sufficiency. That
is, in the community one would work out how to acquire energy and food,
what to do about education, how to settle disputes, how to take care of
children, etc. The community will very likely co-operate with other
communities, but it is important that the individual community is
responsible for its own destiny, and that it is a working unit, regardless
of what the state of the surrounding society is.
This is related to the principle of building large, complex systems out of
smaller systems that already work.
Small communities can group together into clusters of communities that will
cooperate, that will share common resources, and that will work out methods
of interaction and resolution of disputes between them. But always it is
from the bottom up, building from small units into bigger and bigger
groupings. The bigger groupings get their power from the smaller groupings.
Never does anyone assume control over a large region by social manipulation
or politics and impose their will on everybody else there.
The overall society is a cornucopia of different modes of expression and of
living. Diversity is celebrated.
Central to making it work would be new forms of economics. Rather than
having centralized agencies assign value arbitrarily, based on
manufacturing capability and real estate ownership, value is assigned more
locally, by what people truly find to be of value. As part of that, the
role of work changes. People will be likely to take on work that truly
needs to be done, and that others closely around them find valuable. As
compared with having jobs that pay well in money, but has little inherent
value for the society. Doing work that has meaning and which is fulfilling
will become the norm.
Different concepts or ownership will become common. It will be considered
anti-social to try to absolutely own the land, the trees, or any other part
of nature. We are guests and co-inhabitants on the planet, together with
many other lifeforms. Rather, ownership will be the de-facto situation of
taking responsibility for a certain area. If somebody is responsibly and
productively engaged in a certain activity, they can be said to own that
activity. That means that you can't hoard resources, just to build up your
personal ownership. But you can do useful things with what is available to
you, and thereby become responsible for a bigger area.
There would be no role for monolithic governments or multi-national
corporations controlling large parts of society. Rather, democracy is
direct and equitable. Those who are involved in a certain activity will be
the ones making decisions about it.
Harmony with nature and respect for its expressions will be a pervasive
principle. Both nature in terms of the environments we live in, and also
our own inner nature. A uniquely human quality on this planet is the
ability to think abstractly and to develop technology to amplify our range
of action. As such, technology can be considered a part of nature. That
doesn't give us any right to try to rule all of nature, but it does give us
a right to add our technological capability to the workings of nature, not
in conflict, but in co-operation and synergy. Thus sustainable technology,
taking into consideration the overall systems it is part of, will become
the norm.
-------------------oOo-------------------
** Joachim Steingrubner <jhs@newciv.org>, Los Angeles, California **
Joachim wrote up a vision of an island community called FreeLand, "A land
for free people who are working together to increase their understanding
and happiness." Check out:
http://www.newciv.org/FreeLand/
-------------------oOo-------------------
** Swami Gyankirti <medisage@visions.net>, Kenya **
THE MEDISSAGE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITIES PROJECT
We are spirits having a human experience.
Many of us would like to be able to live in environments that allow us to
maximize our creative and spiritual potential with fewer distractions.
We would like to create spaces where we can live peacefully, prayerfully, and
meditatively.
We would like to live with kindred spirits whose presence lends itself to
our better development.
We wish to create Beauty. We wish to be non-violent.
We want to be able to put Love to the ultimate test.
It is our firm conviction that as spiritual beings our presence on this
planet can make a difference.
We wish to use our skills and talents to create an abundance of all things
we deem necessary.
It is our joy to be able to celebrate the integrity of the human spirit.
We feel that such communities can mobilize the best in human nature towards
bringing out the utmost in human potential.
We would love to be able to utilize technology that makes our lives more
comfortable and pleasant, knowing that such technology is based on a
science that reveres the sanctity of human life and the environment.
We would like to be able to use energy sources for our power supply needs that
do not harm us and our environments.
We would like to grow and eat food that is not saturated with chemicals, breathe
cleann air, and drink safe pure water.
We do not wish to support economic structures that support the rich &
ruthless at the expense of the poor & rather silent majority.
We wish to leave the planet better off for our having been here.
...Why Spiritual?
We are spirits having a human experience.
It therefore follows to reason that during the course of this experience
sufficient attention must be given to the spiritual world, and ourselves as
spirits.
These Communities will therefore allow there to be the intentions and the
mechanisms for healing & spiritual processes that would allow participants to
focus on the inner-world to such an extent that together the community
creates an energy-field, that serves as a catalyst for healing, growth &
transformation, and the creation on the material plane externally of those
realities that correspond to the inner reality of the community members.
These communities will also serve as energy-fields around the planet that will
within the natural order of things, interlink with all other similarly vibrating
energy-fields around the earth, adding to the criss-crossing vibrations of
consciousness that are serving to raise consciousness on this earth, and we
will be playing our part in facilitating this transition.
Naturally the communities will serve as healing, and empowering catalysts
for all who enter into them.
...Why This Invitation
We share a common vision.
Peace and Abundance on Earth and Goodwill amongst all men & women.
For this dream to come true more and more people have to begin to give it more
than just lip-service.
The time has come for spirits to walk their talk.
We need active participation of all types, on all levels, from all
countries, from all people, regardless of religion, race, culture, or other
perceived difference.
We envision these communities being established all over the globe! You live
somewhere on this planet, and our projects can only be successful to the extent
that kindred spirits around the world choose to get involved, and work with
us in whatever way you can.
http://www.visions.net/medisag1.htm
-------------------oOo-------------------
A couple of Albert Einstein quotes:
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is
more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles
the world."
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the
source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger,
who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead:
his eyes are closed."
-------------------oOo-------------------
Send in your visions to ffunch@newciv.org. Keep them coming!
o o
/ \------------------ Flemming A. Funch ------------------/ \
/ * \ World Transformation/New Civilization/Whole Systems / * \
/ * * \ ffunch@newciv.org / * * \
o-------o----------- http://www.worldtrans.org/ ----------o-------o
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