[Springboard] 21st Century Contradictions

Thu Nov 8 17:34:15 EST 2007

George is speakin' from a place that sounds like wisdom, here . . .

  Jim Wiegel

"M. George Walters" <m.george.walters at verizon.net> wrote:
        v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}  .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}        st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }                The term “mobilize” caught my attention below, and I flashed back to the 60’s when there were thousands of people mobilized.

  In my everyday encounters when I express myself about revolutionary change, I generally find myself put in my place with terms like Tree-huggers, Sympathizers and Liberals by the polite and politically correct opponents of change. These are the modern forms of fire hoses, tear gas and attack dogs in some societies, while in others the violence is even worse that what we experienced in the 60’s with the move to wipe out all infidels.

  In other conversations I have people say – “If only I had an avenue to work through that would not cost me my livelihood”. The challenge to mobilize has got to be a lot more than great big concerts and rallies in safe places – it is how to get all that energy and enthusiasm focused on systemic change in dangerous places – like the work that many of our colleagues are now doing in many parts of the world. It also requires a new generation of “energy” For this reason I think the focus on what tools we use for formation will be critical, even if we don’t get a precise fix at this point on the task. I believe there are some effective forces at work that a number of people have identified in the dialog that is going on and it would be good to analyze what is making them effective.

  Tick, tick, tick 

    George

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---------------------------------

  From: springboard-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:springboard-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Jack Gilles
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 10:13
To: Springboard Dialogue
Subject: Re: [Springboard] 21st Century Contradicitons

  Randy,

    What you say is so true!! I have to fight with people who "want to see" something and then say that is their vision. I talk about authentic vision is "what is to be" . What is, and what is to be, are but two sides of the same reality. When that becomes powerfully real to people then contradictions become the window to the future. Vision and contradictional thinking/analysis, are two of the great wisdom gifts we have to offer and needs to be part of our work in caring for those who care.

    Jack
      On Nov 7, 2007, at 8:26 PM, R Williams wrote:

      Jack,

    I agree, "legitimate" vision is always indicative. It is never and imposition on history of "what I'd like to see," a perversion that often creeps into organizational planning. Instead it is, to quote Buber, "what is emerging from (the visioner), to the course of being in the world."

    Thanks for the feedback.

    Randy

    ----- Original Message ----
From: Jack Gilles <icabombay at igc.org>
To: Springboard Dialogue <springboard at wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 7, 2007 8:44:23 AM
Subject: Re: [Springboard] 21st Century Contradicitons

Randy, 

    You are right, at least I think so. When I did my contradictional analysis I started with the Vision statement we made in 72 (?) of all the Goods.... all the Decisions.... and all the Gifts of Humanness...... It is important to remember that we saw these as indicative statements. That is, they are not what should or could be, but what is. My thought is that this reality is now becoming aware to a vast number of people, although they wouldn't probably articulate it like we did. People are becoming deeply aware that we are all in this together and therefore we have to figure out how to make the vision we stated a reality in some way. When an awareness becomes apparent that is being blocked by the present structures, mindsets, etc., then the emergence of the contradictions becomes possible to identify. As I said, I listed 9, three each for each of the three vision components. I'll share those later this week. Thanks for jumping in there. I like what you have stated. Let's
 hear from some more.

    Jack

      On Nov 7, 2007, at 7:45 PM, R Williams wrote:

      Jack,

    I believe there need to be two backdrops as context for a conversation about 21st century contradictions. The first is the vision which we embraced with "All the earth belongs to all the people;" all the goods (eco), all the decisions (pol) and all the gifts (cult). It seems to me any analysis of contradictions has to be over against that vision. I believe that vision has basically not changed except that it needs to be expanded to include all creation.

    Second, contradictions must be considered in light of the imbalance in the social process, which is still today what it was 30 years ago--the dominance of the economic, the subservience of the political (to the economic, example, Greenspan's statement that Iraq is and was always about oil), and the collapse of the cultural. Not only has the cultural collapsed, but it has been co-opted by the economic. By this I mean that the economic rather than the cultural has become the meaning-giving pole of the social process, and the political has helped by imposing reduced values.

    Now to Niebuhr. His three contradictions were a reflection of the social process whether he knew it or not--"racialism" (cultural), "nationalism" (political), and economic imperialism. Reflecting on this, I believe we should identify and focus on only three inclusive "master" or major contradictions, one on each pole of the social process. As others respond to your query and offer their reading of the contradictions for our time, I expect that each stated contradiction can probably fit under one or another of the SP poles, if indeed the Social Process is as inclusive as we think it is.

    This will be interesting because there is so much overlap and inter-connectivity. A couple of examples. Racism has been revealed to be a contributing and related cause of poverty,

    especially since Hurricane Katrina. Catholic Charities USA has written a position paper entitled "Racism and Poverty: Overlapping Threats to the Common Good." Also, I think racism has to be expanded to include a kind of "species-ism" meaning discrimination against the non-human. A second example--is religious fundamentalism a cultural or political contradiction? I think I would put it under political. Islamic extremists in the Middle East and far right evangelical Christians in the US have become political movements. Rather than trying to "transform" the political, they are trying co-opt and "become" the political.

    The primary contradiction under the economic continues to be what it was 30 years ago--the growing gap between those who have much and those who have little, and we must expand this to go beyond just humans. However, now the emphasis is more on natural resources, particularly water, land and air. This can be seen not only globally but also in every locale. In the developed world it is often spoken of as the disappearing middle class.

    So with fear and trembling, at this moment here are my three. Under the economic, Disparate Resource Distribution which has led to economic impoverishment; under the political, Elitist Political Exclusiveness which has led to political powerlessness; and under the cultural, Discredited Cultural Heritage, which has led to cultural disenfranchisement.

    I hope a lot of people jump in on this so you have plenty of grist at Junaluska. Thanks to Roxana for being one of the first.

    G&P,

    Randy

    ----- Original Message ----
From: Jack Gilles <icabombay at igc.org>
To: Springboard Dialogue <springboard at wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 6, 2007 2:23:59 PM
Subject: [Springboard] 21st Century Contradicitons

Dear All,

I have followed the dialogue on the OE list serve regarding the 
updating of the HRN call for social pioneers in the three areas he 
felt at that time where critical for the sensitive and responsive 
ones to respond to. Since we are referring to the Guild as that 
part of society that is sensitive and responsive to bringing forth a 
new earth/new society/new humanness I think it is important that we 
discern what the critical areas of contradiction are for our time. I 
have been working on this for a couple of weeks and have developed 
what for me are the contradictions that the Guilds (and the Order) 
need to be addressing. I won't share them just yet, but would invite 
everyone to think what would be your list. Next week sometime I'll 
share my list and rationale.

There are many, many areas of concern and issues facing the world 
today. So to try and discern the critical ones I applied the 
following test. I asked "What societal contradictions, if not 
addressed in the next 10-15 years will put the global society into a 
tipping point of danger?" That is, although there are many issues 
facing India today, I discovered a set that seemed to apply here as 
well as in the developed world. Common contradictions that are 
affecting us all and will "sink the ship" if we don't mobilize the 
sensitive and responsive to creatively respond. I found brooding on 
the imbalances of the Social Process as well as the Pressure Points 
we discerned 30+ years ago to be helpful in my discernment for today.

Maybe by the time of the Junaluska event we will begin to see a 
consensus of what these are and then we could perhaps do some writing 
on them at the gathering as well as use them as a screen for what we 
might be doing with the Guilds.

I look forward to hearing what you feel the Order needs to address.

G&P,

Jack

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