In relation to NCN now having more than 1000 members, good questions would
be: What can we do with such a group, or rather AS such a group? What can
we do together? What leverage does that give to us, or to what we are
working towards?
Specifically, what doors open up when we think of us here as WE, as a
group, as a unit of some sort?
Now, NCN is a somewhat peculiar group, in that our association here isn't
based on that we all agree on a certain program, it isn't based on a
certain political or religious agenda, it isn't based on following any
particular leader, it isn't based on submitting oneself to any kind of
hierarchy.
But still, we are a *WE*. We are not a WE of individuals who all agree or
who all are doing the same thing or who all are answering to the same law.
But we do share something, if nothing else a common space, and maybe
something indescribable that is emerging amongst us.
Many of you might not yet have thought of NCN as a "We". You might just
have thought of it as: "Hey, I get these nice positive messages from the
NCN list every few days". That is fine. However, I invite you to also start
considering NCN as your group, as a community, as a "We", and think of us
as somebody who can create something together.
But we are a new breed of group, a group that embraces diversity, a group
that seeks synergy without requiring us all to agree on one opinion. A
group with a strong common energy, but yet no single agenda. That might
seem paradoxical and incomprehensible seen with "mainstream" eyes. But less
and less so.
Practically speaking, now, what can a group of a thousand positive and
inspired, but diverse, individuals do together, as a group? What can we do
that we aren't doing?
NCN is an on-line space for networking, for sharing of visions and ideas
and projects, for discussions, for fostering hope and inspiration in
ourselves and others.
NCN is inspiring some off-line gatherings, like salons, and people meet and
might find common activities to collaborate on.
What else can we do?
Are there some really down-to-earth things we can do, simply by being a
group of a thousand people? I mean, would it buy us some old civ leverage,
like travel discounts, insurance plans, or whatever?
Should NCN have a voice somewhere, based on representing a group of
innovative thinkers and world changers? Should it speak to governments, to
the U.N.? How? About what?
One thing that was hovering in my mind was that when NCN passed a thousand
members it would be about time to start arranging a yearly convention. I
mean, where people travel to a common place and spend a couple of days
together and we have speakers and panels and workshops. Do any of you have
experience with conferences, and would you be willing to play a part in
that?
How about newsletters, TV shows, videos, t-shirts, bumper stickers?
"New Civilization" seems to be a concept that inspires many people. How can
we cultivate it and expand it and bring it to the rest of the world?
I realize that many of you have important and exciting and time-consuming
activities and projects and organizations of your own. And that is for a
great deal why NCN is here, to support and network and cross-fertilize
those activities. No reason to change that. But what I'm asking here is how
we can cultivate the common thread of creating a new civilization. How you
can both expand what you are doing, and we can together expand the umbrella
concept of "New Civilization" and make it of more use to the world.
OK, I asked more questions than I gave answers here, but that is in part
because I invite YOUR involvement in what WE will do.
Give me your feedback, or, better yet, direct it to the
ncndiscuss-l@newciv.org mailing list for further discussion. If you're not
on it, you can subscribe by sending a message to listserv@newciv.org with
the message 'subscribe ncndiscuss-L'.
- Flemming
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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