Seeds of Change - Heiner Benking's Blog - quergeist.info
Welcome to the NewsLog or Blog of Heiner Benking. A kaleidoscope of insights and impulses collected first in the DaZiBao (Rio) process Seeds of Change Viewsletter of the Club of Budapest since 1995, continually updated ever since. Now available for broader distribution and comments in this blog - enjoy, and come again !
When receiving the Invitation I wondered how they will do a ZUKUNFTSWERKSTATT in that frame and setting - and I was right - we have a tough schedule with panels and fish-bowls in the parliament when normally the Committees and Commissions do their deliberations to prepare parliament votes. (as aside maybe enjoy he clip at the Brandenburg Gate some years ago around parlamentarism, democracy & voting in those days of OCCUPY when there was the SPEAKERS CORNER & Google See also Timothy Garton Ash @ Berlin Speakers' Cornevery timely today !! in Europe 2016 !!
COME BACK LATER - PLEASE ... we have the final panel presently....
From the floor I add my 5 cents re the UBIQUITIY of certain terms in politainment and policy talk "think-tankers"....
I asked or raised my concerns from the floor the question: - But much shorter something roughly like this:
I heard about 2 dozen times the term "narratives" but what is meant and are stories (semantic wording (plastic words) - in German we say Worthülsen - word-husks/shells/cartridges/ enough to say what we mean around political-societal affairs - or if they are only a scientific over-simplification - leading to over-claims - and make us even more perplex in this world of increasing complexity. I mention that I am just coming from an DIGITAL HISTORY symposium [link] where geo-historic-educational thought leaders (institutes) in Germany grappled with the new media, in education, archives, school-books, arts and media in a more general sense.
And that we raised there a combination of signs (not just words or stories) - I mentioned and was welcomed with the term: super-signs and super-structures, so you can give concrete concepts a context in order to see te overlaps, neighborhoods, ... and negotiate the frames. Doris Harms picked it up on the Panel expanding the concept of History (Geschichte) in addition to just Stories, but stories in Context.
I mention later also terms like Gerüst, Gestalt, Gemeinschaft, Gesellschaft, ... and not just "Narratives" Ge"schichte(n)" - check again "Zusammenhang and Zusammenhalt". re CONTEXT and COHERENCE and see my statement from the floor.
Good people in the German Parliament - puzzled and lost in times of change without stories to walk the talk ... [More]
Meeting and seeing again some green "fossils" - is nice, but also shows us that we all get grey in the end.... not only these days....
3 Mar 2016 @ 22:12
The title Digital History called my attention and when I saw the partners and movers involved I was amazed. No big mouth but big doers.
I came yesterday to this event to hear the keynoter Gerhard Paul who presents his new book tonight: The Visual Age – Point and Pixel. The event is called VISUAL HISTORY – Concepts, Fields of Research and Perspectives... The symposium is around hitory and Pictures and Archives and the impact of the DIGITAL TURN. I need to find an official translation – but meanwhile check here: *****
There is much I resonnate with and I voiced some statements from the floor....
as Supersigns, Conceptual Superstructures, multi-lingual, meta, ML-repositories,... where picked up form the panel. Very special as typically questions ftom the floor get seldom resonded to...
My in April forthcomming article in Mother Pelican with the title: Giving: Sharing and Gifting in Traditional and Modern Times
is about the media side, texts, images, frames&context&index, but also the participatory and cultural/political dimensions of rapid change around Big and Smart (Data) or Wisdom?
PLEASE COME BACK - RUSHING ... Cheers for now, HEiner
2 Mar 2016 @ 22:08
Yesterday was very exhausting – 24 hours World Future Day. @WorldFutureSoc #FutureDay
This Future Day is the second run this year after another “family reunion” 2 years ago. Check this blog: 2014-03-02: Future Day - Global Challenges for Humanity
For me this date was an absolute must because it is soo hard to stay in touch with old friends worldwide and so exciting to meet new interesting participants.
I recommend to check the Millennium site and wait for a report form Joyce and Claire.
For me talking with JIM DISBROW for hours is really a nugget. With only few people you can cover such
a wide array of subjects to deeply !!
Jerome Glenn (Jerry) mentioned his “T” invitation and definitely it is good to touch base.
I introduced myself today as a Journalist with connections since 20+years with the COUNCIL OF GLOBAL ISSUES, the MILLENNIUM PROJECT and the TAGORE EINSTEIN COUNCIL (besides the COMMONS ALLIANCE (UN ECOSOC) but this groups has a new fashionable name, but the ECOSOC definitely are also that long. The THINK TANK meeting with the EU Foreign and Key policy personell meeting with the TOP European THINK TANKERS. Follow the Links and Tweets “Jerry always repeats that he was around left-wing and right wing Think Tanks of the world the last 30+ years – so you see we are getting grey...
I mentioned form the floor my typical question/pitch on the need for linking the SDGs and interstingly the top policy advisors from Burussels and elswhere are on the level to understand – beside all needs and barriers there are abound.
The panelist and the whole conference managed by the DIE had serious issues to deal with, Policy, Security, Growth, Education, Work, …. really the right mix of consultants and advisors and to leave the box towards policy integration and implementation.
[link]
check out:
https://europa.eu/globalstrategy/en/future-eu-external-action-towards-integrated-policy-responses-global-sustainable-development
or: [link] and come back !!
I told later Flakenberg a story of Beijing in 1992 ***** – where we met with UN town- and stateplanners and the fate and learninigs form the Project of the Chinese Government to look into long-view & big-picture. But words and concepts were in the way.... I should record it as a video some time soon ! ****
CITIZENS WORKPLACE FOREIGN POLICY - Europe on Stage [link]More >
19 Feb 2016 @ 19:58
Today is very interesting, very timely in few of all these Europe-Summits nowadays.... I first had thought about attending only the press conference. But the setting and participants was so intesting !!! that I ignored my scepsis to attend on of these "world-cafe"-like new formats. But I was well surprised - not only my the moderators and invited experts, but the ambiente and class of the conversations in general. [link] I recommend this new brochure of the Mercator Foundation: MERCATOR 2020 - GENERATING PROSPECTS, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES (PDF)
check: Bürgerwerkstatt Außenpolitik Flüchtlingskrise, Syrien-Einsatz, Ukraine-Konflikt, die Zukunft der Europäischen Union… Diese und viele weitere Themen bestimmen die täglichen Nachrichten im Fernsehen, in den Tageszeitungen, im Radio. In der Bürgerwerkstatt haben Bürgerinnen und Bürger Gelegenheit, sich aktiv der außenpolitischen Antwort auf diese Herausforderungen zu beteiligen. [link] HANDOUT: (PDF) [link] - TWITTER:https://twitter.com/auswaertigesamt/status/682502967346368512
A full day and maybe 90 minutes, a long time with the federal minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, attentively listering and contributing at each table, introducing and summing up. Needless to say that you can not cover all aspects and deliberate as stakeholders in one day. But it is a great effort to echange with interested participants and top experts about the timely, ptessing situation in Europe, and how much efforts we have to invest into diplomacy, single or multi-track ! One name came up often: Martin Kobler https://twitter.com/koblersrsg, the diplomat and now Undersecretary General, in the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), who started this business under Steinmeier here in the Foreign Office - Aussenamt.
A professional lead organizer Be YonD strategic consulting - THINK_PLAN_BE beyond ! Top Vizualiser Tobias Wieland [link] and a great mixed professional oga-team. Congrats and Credits !
____
At our table we discussed coherence, connectedness, commons, context and a greed diplomat explained that ecu-domy meen the structure, the Gerüst (scaffolding).
We played on the basis of the talk to the German Nation "Ohne Zusammenhang kein Zusammenhalt" - without connections & contexts no solidarity & coherence mentioned by Johann Gottlieb Fichte in his talk to the German Nation in 1908. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reden_an_die_deutsche_Nation
We extended this and thought about a "Plea or Call for Europe". I played in 1999 in an essay for a book SAYING NO - CULTURE OF REFUSAL with an introduction by Yehudi Menuhin about such needs and necessary means to reflect on commons and orientation and promised this [link] at our table. enjoy....
As I am also into formats and facilitation I could not resist to learn about this new efforts / format by Mercator. Mercator is also doing the open situation room[link] and many other interesting projects and the focus on: Transparence, Solidarity and **** International is really appealing for me.
Unfortunately I could not find an English description of the event and its scope but I feel I should invest some time into the outcomes, beside the timely documentation promised for the participants.
Pls. translate the German description under [More] below and check the links !
18 Feb 2016 @ 17:21
Today our parliament celebated 25 years parliamentary technology impact asessment. Everybody liked the achievements of "independent" advise for palamentarians - which is quite unique, even when the British and French were earlier and the drives to implement in Germany were even nearly 27 years ago. But this were times of change...
The offical ceremony was last year - but times and schedules are moving these days...
The US with the OTA was mcuh earlier, but closed, so nobody remembers - so I feel I need to add my 5 cents... after hearing all these applauding talks in the parliament..
I strongly recommend: https://www.tab-beim-bundestag.de/en/publications/index.html
this is the Press Release of the event form November last year: https://www.bundestag.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2015/neuer-inhalt/397344
I recommend (in ENGLISH): TAB: https://www.tab-beim-bundestag.de/en/index.html
We can be brief - the most important TAB results on 4 pages https://www.tab-beim-bundestag.de/en/news/20150909.html
I have some memory and stories of those times in 1989 . 1991 and I feel this might be of some interest...
17 Feb 2016 @ 18:43
Last night in the HERTIE SCHOOL OF GOVERNANCE a new book was introduced:The Quest for Good Governance: How Societies Build Control of Corruption[link]
Check the abstract and panel:
Alina Mungiu-Pippidi’s new book The Quest for Good Governance: How Societies Build Control of Corruption presents a comprehensive empirical theory of governance unifying important disparate contributions in the areas of corruption, quality of government and rule of law. Why do some societies manage to control corruption so that it manifests only occasionally, while other societies remain systemically corrupt? Mungiu-Pippidi’s book explores how societies reach the point where integrity becomes the norm and corruption the exception in how public affairs are run and public resources are allocated. The book outlines some of the lessons we have learned from historical and contemporary experiences in developing corruption control that can aid policy-makers and civil societies in steering and expediting this process. Using both historical and contemporary case studies and accessible statistics, Mungiu-Pippidi looks at how to diagnose, measure and change governance so that those entrusted with power and authority can effectively steward public resources.
The event is hosted in partnership with the ANTICORRP research project.
Book Presentation and Discussion with: Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Professor of Democracy Studies, Hertie School of Governance, Gunnar Folke Schuppert, Professor emeritus, Social Science Research Center Berlin, Finn Heinrich, Research Director, Transparency International, Janine R. Wedel, Professor, School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs at George Mason University, Moderation: Anne Koch, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Transparency International.
I found very interesting participants and old friends in the audience - most from TI - Transparency International - definitely an evening well spend !
___________
I am in the finalization of an article in Mother Pelican, [link] March 2016: Sharing in Traditional and Modern Times it is not only about sharing of Time and Power, but also Attention, Misuse and Potential...
.... But we seperate not only in our schoolbooks Convictions and Mindsets Ethics and Responsibility Ethics (Gesinnungs- and Verantwortungsethik) and the issues of governance and policy are matters for other kinds of students studying different scales, proportions and consequences. I can only recommend at this point a need for another kind of Leaders1 and Good Global Governance | For a Just and Sustainable World2 and mention the highly contested discussions about Homocide and Ecocide, the destruction of the natural environment, especially when deliberate.3
footnotes:
Yehezkel Dror: AVANT-GARDE POLITICIAN - Leaders for a New Epoch [link] - CAPACITY to GOVERN, 1995/2001: [link] Helmut Burkhardt, [link]
I proposed to bring the author and maybe the authors of the 2 new books/activities together into a salon style discussion format, so we have different viewpoints and see where is common ground. More >
17 Feb 2016 @ 18:14
Last night we celebrated the anniversary of the elite of German Climate Lobbying NGOs in Bonn - inparticular GERMANWATCH [link] for sustainability and solidarity those days.
I am not a member but many guests of the workshop and the town-hall reception were collegues or friends those days. So an exceptional "must" to go for a day from Berlin.
"Fast Forward - Implementing the international climate and sustainable development agenda resulting from Paris and New York"www.germanwatch.org/en/ff-2016 check the Hashtag #FAFO2016 and the Twetwall: [link]
As the focus was on the SDGs I shared our Commons Action Alliance [link] and Mother Pelican [link] work and had some really good and deep exchanges, also with the "next generation" - as I must confess - I might get old...
I also promised the link to GLOBAL CHANGE [link] and LOCAL AND GLOBAL CHANGE [link] and the the book GLOCAL and GLOBAL STUDIES [link] a new edition forthcomming in June - I know as Taylor & Francis [link] requested / asked me for a picture of "The Cube" for the cover...
5 Feb 2016 @ 10:45
before check the Annual Theme 2015|16
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
LEIBNIZ: THE TASK OF VISIONS[link] The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities takes the double Leibniz anniversary in 2016 (370th birthday on July 1 and 300th anniversary of death on November 14) as an opportunity to dedicate its Annual Theme 2015|16 ”Leibniz: The Task of Visions“ to its founder, the philosopher, mathematician, physicist, historian, diplomat, politician, and librarian, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
The activities within the scope of the Annual Theme portray Leibniz as a visionary thinker whose multidisciplinary oeuvre inspires and stimulates even today not only the field of academics, but also economics, politics and society as a whole. With this Annual Theme, the Academy particularly aims to take a look far into the future and applies Leibniz’ ideas to the shaping of the world of tomorrow.
Leibniz’ approach to science was a holistic one, based on the idea of the unity of science. He emphasised the responsibility of science to extend beyond any divisions between theory and practice. Nowadays, this concept is primarily relevant for the applied sciences. However, it also addresses the field of basic research: What benefits lie in looking for answers without yet knowing the questions? And how much theory does practice itself require?
and this week:
LEIBNIZ - NETZWERK - DIGITALISIERUNG[link]
This Leibniz annual academic theme is of great interest. While waiting maybe check other congributions in this blog: [link]
The programm started yesterday with Jürgen Mittelstraß about Encyclopedic Knowledge Organisation - very interesting - he promised the text my e.mail - so I can quote better as I feel is view is relevant for all this modern digital maze. Please come back !
This morning Sybille Krämer gave general approch to networks and the engineering/ecological approach of Leibniz. I asked about virtual/immaterial networks, grids in cartography and we hade in the Q&A section and afterwards some good exchanges ! I will try to get in touch with her on networks and grids. Material expressions and cultural expressions, footprints and mindprints !
and I hope the Leibniz Inquiry from Herrenhausen last year is soon! available: !!! [link]
Check the whole programme as Leibniz with his appraoch to Theory and Praxis, Vision as Mission, Assignment, Challenge, Duty (Aufgabe) is very relevant today.
TO BE TRANSLATED:
Das Symposium fragt nach der Rolle von Netzwerken für die Organisation von Wissen wie für unser gegenwärtiges Selbstverständnis. Es lotet aus, inwieweit Leibnizens Philosophie, aber auch sein kommunikativ entfaltetes Leben als Beitrag zum Denken und Handeln in ‚Netzen vor der Digitalisierung‘ zu interpretieren sind. Es wird nicht nur ein neuartiger Blick auf Leibnizens Denken und Wirken entwickelt, sondern zugleich werden Grundsatzfragen digitaler Kulturen sowie des Denkens in Netzwerkmodellen aufgeworfen und kritisch diskutiert.
14 Jan 2016 @ 21:51
Agenda 2030: What Role for Human Rights?
A Dialogue on the Role of Academic Institutions in Strengthening the Human Rights Perspective in the New Global Development Agenda [link]
What a day, the Green Week [link] starts tomorrow. And beside the Agriculture Summit there was a day dedicated to the futures of Human Rights. "Cultural Rights and Responsibilities" come into mind, it is a like a deja vue, people are getting focussed again on "panning" and integration, bigger pictures.
Highlight of the evening is the Marroccan Arab Evening Opening Reception to open this years Green Week 2016 which turned 90 this year: [link] an eminent old lady in the fair business - don't you think !?
In the morning a high level group of concerned scientists, policy makers, and activists are gathering: Asbjorn Eide, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo, (tbc), Professor Olivier De Schutter, (per Video) Centre for Philosophy of Law (CPDR), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Legal Sciences (JUR-I), University of Louvain (UCL), Dr. Christophe Golay, Coordinator of the Project on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Research Fellow at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, Joshua Castellino, Professor of Law & Dean, School of Law, Middlesex University, London, Dr. Imme Scholz, stellv. Direktorin des Deutschen Instituts für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) (tbc), Juan Carlos Garcia Cebolla, Right to Food Team Leader, FAO, Flavio Valente, Secretary General, FIAN International (tbc), Anne Bellows, Professor of Food Studies, Syracuse University, New York, Stefanie Lemke, Senior Research Fellow, Gender Nutrition and Right to Food Policy, Coventry University
check them out, the recommendations and the topic of Human Rights in general.
This is the full Programme: [link] -
[link] I am very impressed with the depth and engagement of the participangs. The Whole issue is very dear to me - as some remember: Collecting/Connecting: [link] and as I am working on an indeview to put some views from 1972 and 1992 together and reflect on our "progress" transcending boundaries, the session is of highest interest to me. I will keep you briefed - deadlines are approaching....
It was good to see some old buddies and also very promising young scientists and activist, I would say: Time well spend !!
In the afternoon and tomorrow the SUMMIT:
The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) is an international conference that focuses on central questions concerning the future of the global agri-food industry. It gives representatives from the worlds of politics, business, science and civil society an opportunity to share ideas and enhance understanding on a selected topic of current agricultural policy.
The GFFA 2016 will be take place in Berlin from 14 – 16 January 2016 and it will be held on the subject: "How to feed our cities? - Agriculture and rural areas in an era of urbanisation" [link] - [link]
As you can see, hot relevant, converging themes, also consequences !?
More later when we sum up. Tonight is the MAROCON Arab Night. Join us.
Berlin: B2B-Meeting Marokko im Rahmen der Grünen Woche, 15. Januar 2016.
[link]
MORE TO COME - BUSY TIME ALSO THIS YEAR. See other reports on this blog: [link]
This is Heiner Benking's News Log, a private-public diary presenting events, symposia and happenings in Berlin and elsewhere - my farings, foci, issues and concerns.
PLEASE CONSIDER THIS PERSONAL BLOG an ARTISTIC and PERFORMATIVE MEDIA INTERVENTION !
The Log links to my work and interests and presents issues and special concern of maybe a very small group of "concerned, engaged generalist" - a Global Interest Group (GIG). This needs to be seen in contrast to the ubiquitous Specialized Interest Groups (SIGs), the "scientific" approach to organize subject areas and specialization and standardization and harmonization! of means, nomenclatures, and modes of thinking. My favorite stories in the WHOLENESS SEMINAR include:
BELA BANATHY: "GENESIS
OF GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY" and "IVAN HAVEL: Longing for Unified Knowledge" where a "specialist" runs into the founding session of the early foundations General Systems, mumbling "this is not my field" or where Ivan M. Havel expresses his search for other kinds of knowledge.
As a starter I also recommend to check my MINDPRINT site, where we add the need for HANDPRINTS and MINDPRINTS, as FOOTPRINTS are good to visualize and communicate numbers, densities or consumption per area, but are not sufficient to negotiate and "harmonize" across domains and communicate gains in different cultures, technologies, times,... in short: incompatible but relevant information and our work on dialog, peace, policy-making, and multi-modal, faceted issues and consequences.
What am I? This is a "well-packed" question for which I have not the or a single answer. Some called me an in-betweener, go-getter, facilitator, hub, marvel-hero, trim-tab, bricoleur, bricoleers??? - career designeer, .... Some even "hank" which I disliked or Story which I liked very much !!
I have no single answer as I feel we need to walk the talk and sing and dance Life ! in spectra and fields in multiple embodied spaces.
To nebulous an answer? I am sorry but I do not go for overclaims and oversimplifications, under-complex and over-simplistic approaches with clan-think mindsets about real issues in clear contexts!
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4 Mar 2016 @ 15:03
3 Mar 2016 @ 22:12
2 Mar 2016 @ 22:08
19 Feb 2016 @ 19:58
18 Feb 2016 @ 17:21
17 Feb 2016 @ 18:43
17 Feb 2016 @ 18:14
5 Feb 2016 @ 10:45
14 Jan 2016 @ 21:51