[Dialogue] 7 revolutions -- the next set

Thu Aug 13 10:52:22 CDT 2009

Good morning folks!

"The Seven Revolutions" categories arose in the late 1970s.  Let's see if I can remember: not in any particular order.  I'd have to check boxes of files in storage to be sure, to be sure.

1) grass-roots revolution: local man (sic)

2) youth revolution

3) womens revolution

4) Third World (we'd use different words now) revolution

5) participation revolution

6) education revolution

7) scientific revolution?  I know this was in the CS-I The Cultural Revolution course, but so was the secular revolution and another.

I remember that Gene Marshall added another one in the early 1980s: something to do with "the new paradigm" that was threading its way through all the above.  Looking back I recall that it might have had something to do with depth and comprehensiveness flowing through everything - a bit like ORID pushes at depth, and The Workshop method pushed at interconnectedness and comprehensiveness.

Later, when "we all went our separate ways" (a metaphor for one thread of what occurred) and there were fewer round-the-table gatherings to celebrate, rehearse, reinforce, update and continually reinvent depth and interconnectedness and comprehensiveness - at this time Rob Work wrote a good paper.  It suggested that no matter what narrow focus our personal activity/work focussed on, it still had "The Seven Revolutions" as a context, and maybe they all impinged on our activity/work, and maybe we needed to take them into account, even if only personally.

It'd be interesting to look at our old "Seven (Eight) Revolutions", and see how they intersect/overlap with those mentioned in the CSIS work.

Population

Resource management and environmental stewardship 

Technological innovation and diffusion 

The development and dissemination of information and knowledge 

Economic integration 

The nature and mode of conflict 

The challenge of governance 

In suspect that our old revolutions touch on this new set at a more personal level, or are within them in some ways (eg issues of governance and conflict overlap with issues of the womens and youth revolutions, but the latter are about more than governance).

A good conversation.  How were "The Seven Revolutions" of ICA 1980s prescient, flawed, one- or two- sided etc?  How are the CSIS categories "not quite there yet"?  And how can any set of categories be seen as a product of those who design them, their background, their current situation in their society, their geographical location etc?

Re "the secular revolution", I've been reading The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong, lent to me by Brian Robins.  I've always admired her work in print, radio and TV form.  As a scholar of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, she uses the categories of logos and mythos to examine fundamentalism in all three traditions.  I found fascinating her chapter on the events around the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, and the difficulties faced by the Ayatollah Kohmeni.  She also reflects on what I would call "secular fundamentalism".  It bounced me back to "RS-I is a secular course" and "XXXXX touches the spirit".

For another take on this issue, check out the number and nature of inter-faith chaplaincies in universities.  In Adelaide we have Oasis at Flinders University - I've mentioned it before, but it operates in an environment in which student organisations were hit by the previous government's policies, and in which "studying to get a job and make money" is a more dominant paradigm than it ever was.  What's the university/college environment like in other places, folks?

Best wishes

PS: If I haven't said it before, folks, Balibo is a great movie on the death of five Australian journalists in Timor Leste, the investigation by Roger East, his murder in the Indonesian invasion, and the part played by Jose Ramos Horta.  Anthony LaPaglia, returning to his Aussie accent roots (he used to play soccer growing up in Adelaide), and other actors were deeply moved by the experience of making the film, and are still returning to "normal" life.  Worthy of another of those great round-the table conversations. Dominic Purcell, who played the surviving brother in Prison Break, assisted in getting the film made. Lots of Timor Leste locals played parts in the movie and, in Robert Altman style, were given a brief outline to follow - they just followed the outline and their individual and collective memories. I'll bet Noam Chomsky has or will be at US premieres.

From: KarenBueno at aol.com
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:56:46 -0400
To: dialogue at wedgeblade.net
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] 7 revolutions -- the next set

Old minds forget...     What were we talking about?  :-)

Karen bueno

In a message dated 8/13/2009 8:50:16 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time, jpc2025 at triad.rr.com writes:

we used to do "7 revolutions" spin. 

From: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of KarenBueno at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 10:42 AM
To: dialogue at wedgeblade.net
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] 7 revolutions -- the next set

I don't understand your question, John.

Karen Bueno

In a message dated 8/13/2009 7:48:50 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time, jpc2025 at triad.rr.com writes:

is there only coincidence in "7 revolutions"?

From: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of James Wiegel
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 8:06 AM
To: Colleague Dialogue
Subject: 7 revolutions -- the next set

Jim
About Seven Revolutions 
Leadership is compressed. Greater connectivity across the world means broader perspectives are more important than ever before, but leaders—no matter what their sector—have far fewer opportunities to think beyond their short term priorities and immediate responsibilities. Instant information flows are bringing planning horizons closer and closer to the present; pressures from multiple stakeholders are eroding prospects for consensus. It is increasingly difficult for leaders to act in the short term in ways that will yield long-term results. 

SEVEN REVOLUTIONS is a project led by the Global Strategy Institute at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to identify and analyze the key policy challenges that policymakers, business figures, and other leaders will face out to the year 2025. It is an effort to promote strategic thinking on the long-term trends that too few leaders take the time to consider. 

In exploring the world of 2025, we have identified seven areas of change we expect to be most “revolutionary”: 

Population

Resource management and environmental stewardship 

Technological innovation and diffusion 

The development and dissemination of information and knowledge 

Economic integration 

The nature and mode of conflict 

The challenge of governance 
Each of these seven forces embodies both opportunity and risk in the years ahead. Together, they will transform the way we live and interact with one another. That is why we call them the “Seven Revolutions.” 

The key points of this research have been captured in an exciting, fast-paced, multimedia presentation that has been taken around the world. Erik Peterson, the project’s founder and director, has presented to every sector—from governments to private corporations to academia to nongovernmental organizations—and in every setting—from local boardrooms to huge auditoriums overseas. SEVEN REVOLUTIONS is constantly updated to reflect the latest data analysis and available technologies. It is an effective tool for pushing audiences to think outside of their areas of expertise and beyond their familiar planning parameters. 

SEVEN REVOLUTIONS continues to be the focal point of a running debate at CSIS and other organizations on the most important forces shaping the world and the policy challenges they engender. It is a challenge to leaders—a challenge to think seriously about events that are over the horizon and a challenge to formulate and carry out policies in the near term to effect longer-range benefits

SLEEP was a marvelous invention,
but whoever first thought of filling it 
with DREAMS was truly inspired. -- Ashleigh Brilliant

Jim Wiegel
401 North Beverly Way 
Tolleson, Arizona 85353-2401
+1 623-936-8671
+1 623-363-3277
jfwiegel at yahoo.com
www.partnersinparticipation.com

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