CONVENING A NATION

Written before the age of Trump, which adds a lot to these concerns....

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In the context of

• polarization
• rage
• mistrust
• accusation
• congressional gridlock and paralysis
• national vulnerability

and under conditions of

• massive information overload
• historically unprecedented complexity and rapid social change
• wide-spread economic disruption and uncertainty
• national brain-fog

where

• hierarchical systems are failing
• neighborhoods are fragmented
• people in separate sectors or "silos" cannot understand one another
• national debt looms over everything
• the two-party political system is dangerously self-serving
• the national media profits by encouraging polarization
• millions of voters are willing to believe total nonsense

we identify

• major sectors of national society where creative and visionary innovation is emerging
• specialized skill and expertise
• innovative new ideas

and we synthesize

• universal standards for ethics, drawing on all contributing perspectives
• network connections between creative sectors, organizations and individuals
• innovative approaches to collective decision-making
• a new vision of integral and holistic collaboration and co-creation

• the emergence of optimal and highly ideal new forms of democracy
• a culture of enlightened unity-in-diversity co-creation
• a new era of civilization guided by and held within wholeness
• a resolution or amelioration of thousands of problems in society
• renaissance

INTGEGRATING A HIGHLY DIVERSIFIED ALLIANCE

These bullet-point motivations are taken from the mission statements of an existing alliance that supports collaboration across boundaries. In this intersector network design, these motivations can be individually selected in an a la carte way. This process precisely defines overlapping motivations.

See http://transformthesystem.net/missionpoints.cfm

1. Addresses a broad array of challenges
2. Addresses social and policy issues bogged down in disagreement and discord
3. Advocates for environmental and ecological issues
4. Advocates for sustainable development
5. Advocates for whole systems approaches
6. Advocates for wise and fair energy policy
7. Brings human beings together into the presence of the sacred
8. Broadens the perspective of citizens
9. Calls for a media that informs and engages citizens
10. Calls for civil behaviour throughout political culture
11. Connects creative leaders with others
12. Considers wholeness or oneness as the framework of reality
13. Convenes people and groups with conflicting views to identify specific actions
14. Creates breakthrough coalitions working toward transformative action
15. Creates safe spaces for elected officials, media and public
16. Creates wise and durable solutions for challenging problems
17. Defines the norms for correct or ideal behaviour
18. Derives ethical principles from religious traditions or scripture
19. Derives ethical principles from science or natural law
20. Develops alliances
21. Develops an interactive multimedia hub focused on inspiring real-world action toward building a new economy in key sectors and societies around the world
22. Develops and advocates for centrist policies
23. Develops collaborative capacity to create unexpected alliances
24. Develops innovative new technologies
25. Develops new tools to support citizen engagement
26. Develops psychological/scientific understanding of spiritual experience
27. Develops R&D into new areas of focus
28. Develops spirit-guided approaches to democracy
29. Develops universal principles
30. Educates citizens
31. Embraces love as primary guiding principle and animating force
32. Encourages citizens to actively participate in the political process and government
33. Encourages curiosity and honest questions
34. Enhances listening and speaking respectfully
35. Evaluates and promotes the best practices in civic education
36. Explains biological factors in human behaviour
37. Explains fight or flight reaction to perceived threats
38. Explains large-scale social change
39. Explains limbic system influences on emotions and attachments
40. Explains limitations to human cognitive bandwidth
41. Explains psychological projection tendencies
42. Explains role of prefrontal cortex in well-considered actions
43. Explores and follows circle principles
44. Explores co-creativity
45. Explores new approaches to collective decision-making
46. Explores new approaches to democracy
47. Explores new resonant approaches to human relationships
48. Explores spirit-guided approaches to collective decisions
49. Follows ancient traditions of council and circle
50. Has a deep knowledge of policy and process
51. Has extensive experience in interfaith contexts
52. Helps build the spiritual foundation for a loving world
53. Helps define common ground among traditions
54. Helps human beings center mind and spirit
55. Helps lead the world into new and desirable opportunities
56. Helps strengthen American democracy
57. Identify individuals and groups around the world that are working for social and environmental justice in their communities
58. Incorporates insights and tools from multiple discplines
59. Informs voters about issues and candidates
60. Invents innovative new approaches to democracy
61. Lays foundations for collaborative action
62. Offers scientific explanations for spirituality and religion
63. Organizes dialogue leading to action
64. Prepares leaders to successfully engage people of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints in the resolution of public policy issues.
65. Prepares people for new conversations
66. Promotes the value of politics and the importance of civic engagement
67. Protects the right to vote
68. Protects the rights of oppressed minorities
69. Provides clearinghouse for resources
70. Recognizes interdependence
71. Sees reality through a holistic lens
72. Sponsors programs and events
73. Spotlights how the global economy needs to be restructured around social and environmental justice
74. Studies confusion that arises in political language
75. Studies intellectual and scientific aspects of people and culture
76. Studies political behaviour
77. Studies political demographics
78. Supports citizen engagement projects
79. Supports officials capable of working to solve big issues
80. Supports successful and healthy congress
81. Takes responsibility for difficult issues
82. Teaches principles common to religion and spirituality
83. Uses shared agreements
84. Works for desirable social change
85. Works to change policies and practices in Congress
86. Works to ensure a balanced and fair taxation policy
87. Works to improve efficiency of democracy and civic affairs
88. Works to promote fair approaches to economic policy
89. Works to provide affordable health care for all people
90. Works to reform USA law
91. Works to reform weak or corrupted governance
92. Works to understand and improve human communication
93. Works to understand citizen and voter behaviour