Keith : Gentle Soul

Primary Objective

Keith said Aug 8, 2007, 1:48 PM:

 

If you are new to the pod, please read this first.  If already a contributing member, please refer to this often.  Cross-linking, as usual, is highly encouraged.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

From the main page …

“I suggest that this context helps to foster a more creative attitude when viewing the causes and agents of our modern, very sophisticated, slave society. I am dreaming of twelve teams each made up of twelve modern “knights” (144) working together to subdue the (roughly) ten thousand year old conspiracy of a minority to dominate and exploit the surplus labour of the majority.

Zaadzland would be a good community to recruit from. This grand project could start with only a few who could agree a shared vision relevant to the task. Part of the initial team's work would be to engender/design/invent the organic process “snowball dynamics”.

It is suggested that teams would deploy their creative efforts of renewal in twelve areas of human concern (a provisional list): Economics, Politics, Philosophy, Psychology, Education, Sciences, Arts, Healing, Faiths, Esoterics, Biosohy (self development), Symbiosophy (social development).” [Emphasis mind]

So here we are, Modern Knights and Maidens gathered together to engender/design/invent change.  We will be reviewing our past, assessing our present, and creating a format or formula to foster growth, creating a more equitable society.

Together we will change the world …”


HOW TO GET THERE

  1. Even though everyone is free to comment wherever we feel a contribution can be made, we must eventually find one topic to call home.  Which one?  Ah!  Always “follow your bliss”.  One's vocation or training may not be one's passion.  Go with passion.
  2. Each of the ”twelve groups made up of twelve members each” must come up with their own agenda, criteria, objectives, plans.
  3. Eventually there will be at least twelve facilitators *slash* moderators each responsible for a single topic.  We should be considering who the leader is or should be for each group.
  4. We're not to tear down or criticize.  This is a pod to build up … to plan … to come up with a workable way to move the planet forward.  If someone brings up a current issue that needs attention, this is fine … but must also suggest solutions.  Merely pointing out problems is not part of the objectives.  We are brainstorming solutions.
  5. We are building community.  Traveling Alchemist offers information here that community has three essential ingredients:
  • Inclusivity
  • Commitment
  • Consensus

          Based on his experience with community building workshops, Scott Peck says that community building typically goes through four stages:

  • Pseudocommunity: This is a stage where the members pretend to have a bon homie with one another, and cover up their differences, by acting as if the differences do not exist. Pseudocommunity can never directly lead to community, and it is the job of the person guiding the community building process to shorten this period as much as possible.
  • Chaos: When pseudocommunity fails to work, the members start falling upon each other, giving vent to their mutual disagreements and differences. This is a period of chaos. It is a time when the people in the community realize that differences cannot simply be ignored. Chaos looks counterproductive but it is the first genuine step towards community building.
  • Emptiness: After chaos comes emptiness. At this stage, the people learn to empty themselves of those ego related factors that are preventing their entry into community. Emptiness is a tough step because it involves the death of a part of the individual. But, Scott Peck argues, this death paves the way for the birth of a new creature, the Community.
  • True community: Having worked through emptiness, the people in community are in complete empathy with one another. There is a great level of tacit understanding. People are able to relate to each other's feelings. Discussions, even when heated, never get sour, and motives are not questioned.  [For more information click here.]

As I draft this we are still in chaos, which is waining, and emptiness is quite evidently emerging.

Please refer back to this if a conversation gets too far off topic.  Any suggestions or additions you would like to see please e-mail Janos or Keith.