NCN has been around for 3 1/2 years or so.
Lots of excitement has happened, many useful personal connections have
formed, and NCN turned into a movement of sorts.
At the same time there's lots of stuff we haven't figured out. We haven't
really discovered how something like this is going to work. How a diverse
group like this might really do something significant. How to avoid getting
into futile arguments with each other. How to get beyond a sort of
generalized optimism into tangible, focused, productive world-changing
activities.
We're not even very good at agreeing on what it is we're supposed to do.
Some people want to "go to work", some people mainly want to hang out. Some
people are happy and inspired by visions and articles and interesting
references. Others think it's a waste of time and we ought to get something
done.
Many people are sort of hanging aroud in the periphery, waiting for NCN to
"get its act together", so they can know how to fit in.
I'd like to take the opportunity to re-visit some of the ideals and
principles that NCN was formed based on, or that have sort of emerged along
the way. Not just to preach them once again, but to start examining what
part of the picture we're still missing, what we need to do to really move
to the next level.
* First of all, a standard NCN responses is that there IS no NCN separate
from you that needs to "get its act together". NCN is YOU, what YOU're
doing, what YOU want to do. There's no agency here that will give you your
instructions for what you're supposed to do. That's rather foreign compared
to most organizations, and, indeed, NCN isn't really an organization like
that. Its more like a space, or a communication facility, like the phone
system.
But then again, many people WILL sit around waiting for the official agenda
to be presented. So, am I wrong in insisting that NCN shouldn't have an
agenda? Or should we just drop the pretense that NCN as a group is likely
to do something unified?
* NCN is a bottom-up, self-organizing network. That is, there's no
hierarchy of control, nobody who's in charge, no bureaucratic
organizational chart in place.
Or, really? NCN hasn't self-organized a whole lot. There's certainly lots
of people doing good things here. Many of you are very focused and
successful and organized at what you do. But NCN as such hasn't organized
itself much at all. Some of the mailing list work groups got quite
productive and self-propelled at times, and some people have created new
civ oriented events in their local areas and stuff like that. Also, members
have pooled monetary resources together a few times when the online
resources needed to be paid for.
But NCN online still mostly consists of what I personally put there. And I
haven't yet figured out how to get myself out of the way. I haven't figured
out how to both serve as a facilitator and inspirator and at the same time
avoid having people look to me to come up with our common program. Maybe I
personally need to do both: get out of the way, AND get clear on what my
personal agenda is.
* NCN has no political or religious observation. Its not left-wing or
right-wing, it isn't spiritual or not spiritual. It encompasses all of
those, and sub-groups can form that pursue a particular orientation, but
none of them will constitute the official belief or program of NCN, unless
we ALL happened to agree.
I still believe that's the way to go. Except for that we haven't well
figured out how to make sub-groups. And, also, some of the principles most
of us seem to resonate with could well, by some, be considered a political
or metaphysical agenda or belief system. E.g. self-organization, local
distributed control, freedom of expression, cooperation, community, making
the world work for everybody, supporting the evolution of the whole.
Now, it is time, I think, to rekindle the flame, re-invent ourselves if
need be, and get "serious". Or, start playing for real. The world doesn't
need a new civilization any less than it did 3 years ago. And many of you
are already living it. But yet, the world is more chaotic, more in flux.
The movement of a New Civilization Network could very well be a grounding
force, an expanding wave, a vehicle for coordination of great creative
works.
Lastly, to make a tie back to the origin of this network, let me include at
the bottom the original message and vision I sent out to the whole systems
mailing list.
- Flemming
NB: Discussion of all this on the NCN discussion list. To subscribe, write
to listserv@newciv.org with the message 'subscribe ncndiscuss-L'.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 00:08:01 -0800
To: wholesys-l@netcom.com
From: ffunch@netcom.com (Flemming Funch)
Subject: New Civilization Network
I have for a long time been interested in disciplines and methods of
organization that lead towards the gradual creation of a better world for
all of us.
Lately it has become very clear to me that the best method of organization
is to have teams of people networked with each other, all with a shared
common purpose.
One place this idea is discussed very lucidly is in "The Age of the
Network" by Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps. They call it the TeamNet
approach. Drawing out the benefits from both small groups teamwork,
hierarchies, bureaucracies, and most notably networks.
Now, what I am interested in is what, for me at least, goes under the
heading of a "New Civilization". That is, a society where the needs or
everybody are met, where resources are shared for the common good, where
people are free to choose how to live and how to express themselves, where
the means of living are in the control of those who need and use them,
where people live in harmony with each other and with the planet, and where
we together can expand our knowledge, capabilities and enjoyment of life.
Lately I've run into more people who also call this kind of thing "New
Civilization" and who work in similar directions. Most recently I've met
Leon Vickman of New Civilization Encino, and dialogued with other people
from his organization, and I am delighted with what they are working on.
But I'd like to see a lot more of people getting together to work on actual
products in this area. More teams that choose to focus on particular
elements that are needed for a new civilization, and who will design them,
research them, grow them, collect them, or whatever is needed. And then
share them with others who are working on other pieces of the puzzle.
I am very happy with the things that are being discussed in a place like
the whole systems list, and a lot of it has relevance for this new
civilization idea. But what I have in mind with a new civilization network
is an additional level of commitment, taking action, and actually bringing
some products, some artifacts, or some practically useful information, into
existence.
So, what I am asking for here is volunteers, contributors and co-creators
of such a thing.
I will create a mailing list for the purpose and we'll make a web area.
What I have in mind is that people choose an area of specialization, of any
element whatsoever that is needed in a new, better, civilization. For
example, some people will be interested in energy sources or energy
distribution, some will be interested in farming, some in education, some
in communication systems, some in child rearing, some in ethics, some in
construction, some in art. Anything goes. Nobody is in charge, nobody will
tell you what you must do. But you will get together as you please with
others who are into the same areas. Multiple areas, if you choose. You then
work together to do something in that area. Maybe just researching the
area, figuring out what is there, maybe inventing something new, maybe
simply doing the activity. You then on a regular basis present to the rest
of the network what you are working on, what you've found, and in one way
or another you will try to make some resources available in that area. If
you are in need of resources from other areas you post a request and some
other team might be able to provide assistance or resources.
The idea is not that you need to sacrifice your secure life and devote it
to such projects. Rather that you find an area that you can pursue in a
viable way, without jeopardizing anything, and in which you can add value.
If enough people do that, and the results are networked, we will gradually
get somewhere. Gradually you will find that more and more pieces of the
puzzle get filled in.
Suitable organizational charts or world maps or bulletin boards can give
the overview over what areas are covered, and which one's aren't, which
teams you might want to join, or which you might want to network with, and
where certain resources might be available. Teams can be based on subject,
on geographical location, or just on who likes to hang out together. There
might be several teams in the same area, and nobody's obliged to join or
not join any particular team.
Many of you will of course already be doing things that are needed for a
new civilization, and might already agree with such an aim. Some of you are
probably full time doing such activities. What I suggest then is that you
take a look at what resources or information you are willing to make
available to others working on aligned purposes, in a win-win arrangement,
without sacrificing your current means of living.
The New Civilization Network is a cooperative network of teams dedicated to
building a viable civilization based on freedom of choice, trust, common
sense and an increased quality of life for all.
Any of you who are interested in joining or contributing to such a venture,
send me a message.
Progress in this activity will be posted here from time to time when they
are pertinent, as this is obviously an experiment in applied whole systems
thinking.
- Flemming
o o
/ \------------------ Flemming A. Funch -------------------/ \
/ * \ New Civilization Network / Synchronicity Networks / * \
/ * * \ ffunch@newciv.org / * * \
o-------o----------- http://www.worldtrans.org/ -----------o-------o
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Dec 07 2000 - 23:22:13 PST