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February 25, 2005
ObjectGraph Dictionary
ObjectGraph Dictionary This a very cool dictionary-type tool. Worth a look!
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February 23, 2005
The cost of ethics: Influence peddling in the blogosphere
J.D. Lasica has an interesting article on how bloggers taking money for their may affect the contend
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February 18, 2005
Knowledge = Values Context + Information
Knowledge = Values Context + Information. Knowledge is about getting information in context. Values are another way to give context to information. When one can get information based on specific and relevant context, the information becomes meaningful and is consequently more than information. It is knowledge.
It is about creating a meta-taxonomy for describing people and knowledge on the Internet. Values are in every human behavior and transaction. Values also give context to all human decisions. Understanding the decision making that drives transactions gives context for understanding behavior and knowledge creation.
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February 14, 2005
Personal Environment
What is Personal Environment? I have been thinking about this, especially in terms of leadership. If leadership is about havivng an impact on your personal environment. Would this be the people that are directly in contact with, or maybe work with? Or is it wide than this? If you exist in a reality that does not have the kind of management style. Can you have impact on your personal environment such that your own environment plays out as you would like to see it. Treat others as you would like to be treated. If you are in a hierarchical environment, can you create a collaborative reality in your own pesronal environment? Can this work like a virus through out part of the organizaton?
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February 4, 2005
Foundation or Future, War and Peace: Why Current Peace Initiatives are Likely to Fail
Minessence & Systems, Values & Organizations
I have been slow in coming to the realization that the current peace process has a fundamental flaw. Rather than trying to create a unified vision of peace, we end up fighting the idea of war (Iraq, etc) on its terms not ours. The vision for peace is seen only as the absence of war. Peace needs to be a viable alternative. It also must look at practical ways of dealing with the issues that war is now being used to solve.All too often a viable alternative is not proposed that looks at root causes and motivations. The leadership environment that allows for a strong vision of peace takes time to put into action, however it must start with an articulate and actionable vision that the common person can understand. Essentially, we are talking about an expanded and comprehensive New Deal for a global stage.
War is a foundational response to a problem. It comes out of the notion that we are forced to violence as a way of defending and/or protecting ourselves or our interests. A link to the concept of freedom is as close as war gets to a vision. The concept of peace is an energizing notion for most people. We are energized by things, values, ideals, beliefs that give us hope.
The lack of a unified vision simply allows us to become fractured and unclear in our message. We then end up simply trying to displace war by attacking the foundational elements of life. Since we are not linked in a single notion, we give several messages that can often times give mixed messages. (My Son is over there, War is bad., Anything but war., Blood for Oil., etc.) This is then contrasted by the singular message as communicated by those that advocate war they are a threat, we must remove the threat.Most of the reasons to not going to war are valid, but they must be part of a unified vision and message that includes these ideals. We must prevent war by creating a global leadership environment that deals with potentially conflicting issues before war surfaces as a solution.
I do not want to be so bold as to suggest that I have the vision for peace but I think there are some complementary notions. The strongest of these, I believe is sustainability.
Sustainability
· Human dignity
· Basic necessities
· Economic fairness
· Sovereignty
A very actionable plan can rise out values such as those above. A vision with sustainabiltiy as a theme, if defined and promoted properly, covers all the phases of consciousness and human development. What this creates is a vision that people can connect into no matter what stage of live they are in, from single mother to Geroge Soros (progressive global philanthropist). A vision that covers this spectrum creates energy toward a viable vision, and it engages everyone. War, on the otherhand, is speaking to our foundation, so all can understand it, however, it is not promoting a vision (except maybe freedom). However, the means of getting or protecting this freedom is ultimately short-lived.
Here is one value-based or cultural cluster that can be used in promoting sustainability. From basic needs to becoming the best that I can be, and empowering others to do the same.
Security/Basic Needs --> Self Worth --> Self Actualization --> Being Self --> Global Human Dignity
This works in Afghanistan, Iraq , Tsunami-ravaged countries and in the U.S. It allows a person, group, tribe, nation or world to connect to the vision from where ever they are. People cannot expect to dislike and throw out a dictator if they do not have a basic idea of self worth (I am worthy of something better).
Foundation is about Focusing on Basic Needs, Vision must be the way that we energize ourselves and the world. And the Focus is the most effective way to get the work done.
The complete vision can be simple, but the deployment will be tough. Create a vision that is obtainable but also allows for a currently hostile environment.
Harnessing the Evolution of a Global Consciousness
The more that people organize in groups, the more that we have to find new ways to do things. The explosion of travel and world-wide information access is creating a world where the bounds of nations are becoming increasingly murky. While the potential for human development is great, it also creates a tension as nations try to understand what it is to survive in the future. While the gains for humanity could be incredible, turf wars are one of the dangerous components that we need to wrestle with.Our future needs to be adaptable and flexible while maintaining a common vision.
We also need to realize that achieving a globalConsciousness is something that does not happen overnight. We need to think far into the future and try to put into place meaningful steps that can take us along this path. At best we can hope to be a guide. If we complete some baby steps, we might actually make a difference.
Creating Global Sustainability
A majority of the world's population does not have the minimum amount of food to eat. One of the imperative steps is that a majority of the planet musthave the basic needs for survival met. While this maybe quick, we must do this with in twogenerations. This is a tall order but one that really needs to be done if we are to have any hope of seeing ourselves as one planet rather than several nation-states.
The development of human consciousness requires that the minimum elements of survival be met. If these are not met then engaging in even the most basic human interaction is difficult if not impossible. How can you be in a position to demand a minimum of change for the better if you are constantly struggling just to stay alive. Assuming for the moment that we have the capability and the capacity to deliver food, warmth and shelter to those that want and require all over the globe? What would it take to create an environment where this was not just desired by most but a moral requirement. What we are talking about is installing a world-wide meaning system. With subtle, yet conscious shifts in global cultural priorities, this can be achieved. Some places it may be easier than others. But it can be done. Sustainable change takes time.
For this, we need to look at the development of the human being, the group and the planet. And in that order. The levels of consciousness of the human being are going to get mirrored in the way we organize to how we operate as a planet. In some ways, we need to imagine what does the basic sustainable human being look like, what is the meaning system that puts this person in the best place for accessing their potential for fulfillment.
From Survival to Self Worth to (Being) Self
Being is about arriving at a place where a person has the best understanding of how to actualize their own personal fulfillment. Developmentally, this not an easy place to get to. However, there are basic components that must be in place before we can even think about this. A totally evolved planetary consciousnesswould have all the people in the world with the potential of getting access to their own being. But we are still talking about baby steps.
The cornerstones of this journey are Survival, Self Worth and Being (Self). I cannot hope to progress as a human being if I am not getting my basic needs met. But I also cannot progress if I do not feel that I am worthy of this food, or of a better life. This istrue of a starving child in Ethiopia as it is to the drug addict on the streets of New York. It is these two items (survival and self worth) that must be part of the foundation of this planetary consciousness. In human terms, the planet is not meeting its basic needs so there is arrested development.
Creation of a planetary consciousness requires that we build up the self worth of the individual. They must feel that they are worthy of the respect of being provided with basic human necessities. This is easier said than done. Self worth is often expressed culturally. Therefore, their needs to be a common framework for establishing self worth but it should take into account the issues in a given culture.
Awareness is also important. If I know what is going on around me, I can make informed decisions. If I know how friends and peers feel, I will likely not feel alone.
Leadership and Accountability (Mutual)
Awareness is important for the person. But awareness is also about being explicit. When things are no longer hidden, when they are explicit,it is harder for those in power to ignore the needs of the many. Being explicit about the needs and desire of the populace is an important way for leaders to be held accountable. Their actions are measured against the wishes of the people and culture. Leadership without accountability creates a misuse of power. The global consciousness needs to create a leadership environment that focuses on leadership and not on management. There are plenty of people that that are good atdeployment. However, creating an effective, and yet collaborative leadership environment is needed and imperative. Telling others in the world what to do will not work, but creating the environment where the vision can be accomplished is imperative.
This awareness also creates a framework of systemic ethics. When intervening to create new global consciousness, the development of this system needs to provide for the needs of the whole. Awareness is essential to this.
From Clan to Global-State
Throughout history, man has had a tendency to create relationships in order to get more and more complicated things done. One started with the family or the clan (or in more modern terms a team or group). Man had to learn how to best organize this to accomplish goals such as killing a mastodon. As these tribes grew, and people became more specialized, and citiesand towns developed. Each time these occurred, it took time for the man to adapt and work these relationships. These groups would also get a sense of self. A sense of ownership of and for the group. You progressed to the city-state and then to the nation-state. The sense of self at the level of the nation-state is what we call patriotism. It is good for creating a sense of group-self but it can create differences with other such groups. And conflict and war can arise from this.
The evolution to the global-state is going to be key to the development of an evolutionary consciousness. We need to think of ourselves as one planet, and not a planet divided into groups. We must move from Us vs. Them -- to We.
The global state needs to see itself as entity worthy of existing. To do this we need to evolve human development to the evolution and development of the whole. To the planet as the reflection of the holographic image of all its occupants.
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