SUMMER 74

The globe is in a constant state of change. Social demonstration must be a dynamic process, ever adapting to new situations and shifting needs. Independent experiments in community are springing up world wide these days r as people strive towards a way to meaningfully respond to their world, actively dealing with their problems and inventing new forms in responding to changing needs.

In today's world there are basically four problem arenas to be cared for..People lack effective means to participate in decision­making for the future. Symbols created in the past no longer hold value, or have become meaningless for us. We are Operating in a reduced context of racialism, individualism, nationalism, and parochialism. Finally there is inadequate distribution of the globe's resources to the people of this world.

As the mass of 20th century society finds itself struggling with the ineffectivity and collapse of its present economic, political and cultural structures, signal communities of social demonstration approach the resulting problems through a comprehensive social model. In the arena of the economic, social demonstration the attempt is to improve the structures of resource distribution by introducing means for utilizing existing service structures in a given community and at the same time stirs the imagination for increasing resources into an arena. The arena political, social demonstration dramatizes that local man can work together toward building corporate models engaging ale ages and dealing with all the problems of a community. The cultural social demonstration cares for the whole world by demanding global consciousness, using local "bits in relation to the globe and by building a reduplicable global netowrk. It not only re­empowers the symbols of a community by redisoovering their past m~ning, but also creates a new symbol system relating itself to the present and future.

The overriding historical purpose of social demonstration is to demonstrate world wide the possibility and the

practicality of renewing and restructuring society and its institutions in order that they may respond effectively to the urgent and serious problems facing our civilization. To accomplish this social demonstration seek s to achieve the objectives 1) release the new community, 2) establish the global social laboratory, 3) rebirth of the spirit 4) applied global hook­up 5) catalyze tactical movement. Such demonstrations having have already been launched in the Marshall Islands (Majuro) in the United States (the 5th City in Chicago) and Australia (Oombulgurri) Five more are planned, one each in Korea (JeJuDo) Africa (Kawangware) England (Isle of Dogs in London) Italy (Trastevere in Rome) and India (Taj Gunj). Altogether 24 social demonstrations are planned, spanning the world, one in each time zone.

The first historical purpose of social demonstration is to release a new sense o community. Human care occurs only in the midst of community. Without the basic relationships of community, the covenant of the family and the selfhood of the individual stand alone; ;and in our day suffer decay and collapse. Social demonstration aims to facilitate the inclusive involvement of people in effective forms of community through the creation of inclusive, locally grounded operating models of community in each its locations. This model troth allows the community consensus to emerge relative to specific issues by objectifying the social dynamics in the community, and also provides a means for leadership responsibility to emerge in relation to the total community, This release of new community is the alternative to the wasted effort eihE~volved in do­good projects for the community, which only intm ­ sify the human problems in a situation by f~iling to deal with the underlying problems of the community. This purpose is to demonstrate the possibility of local men assuming significant responsibility for their lives and community, and as such, the early demonstrations will beneft later ones by providing the tools and troops to equip o~ er surrounding communities with effective forms. The central key in releasing this new sense of new community is replicAbility, or misslonal corporateness. The Dtc:l~Lrlucicr demonstration must continually remind itself of its representational responsibility on behalf of all other communities around the globe.

The Social Laboratory is a demonstration of what it means to equip a community with the tools and methods which allow the community to appropriate all its struggles and life oxperience as the impetus for thrusting their hopes and dreams into the future. In a situation where overythlng soems impossible a hap~ening occurs giving new life to the community and demonstrating to the world that possibility exists everywhere. Using a contentless model the community is able to see its gifts and recreate itself as a sign to the global community. In Oombulgurri

~ ­?

an 18 day miracl.e was the particular happening. On 18 successive days an everyday community event was hlghlighted. Not on'y did it catch the imagination of tle residents' but it enabled the community to participate in a meaningful endeavor. For example, an important aspect of their everyday existence was shosen; shearing sheep ~ s chosen so that they could learn by­doing. ln ttr ;Fifth City high school g~duates, who were dropouts and are no~w assisting the young adults and elders to get a high schol diploma. These kinds of self help activities open avenues for new ideas to emerge and encourage latent potential which was never explored or cultivated. To do nothing isl~ to become stagnant, but to engage is to a~ low other to participate. Change is always occurring but to be awake and alert to what is happening is key to shaping the community's life in history.

The third element of the historical purpose of social demonstration is the a ~ or ne twork. This is called for by eConOmiC gap between industrialized and less developed ,'Third World" nations which underlies international hostility. Ithe components of the global h~ up are balanced human and eCOnOmiC development, the renewal or redirection of institutions, the availability of tech~ nology to all people of the globe, and the fusion or sym thesis of tb global into every situation while preserving the integrity of the local. The most striking example of a globally available resource of technology is Coca­cola which is available in vittually all nations of the world. In ~x Majuro market skills enabled TASC to lower the ~riEe of rice, a staple food, by 4O/, and training has expanded local skills such as automotive repair and secretarial skills. In the future the global hook­up will open up t~a possibility of participation by underdeveloped nations in the resources and products of technology despite economic inequity by enabling the sharing of technology. The threats facing the global hook up are of becoming an economic machine or of becoming kite tool of a single grcu p. The channenge is to maintain the human and corporate use of global resources.

The fourth element in historical purpose for globe social demonstration is to cataJy~e tactical movement. '[he propensity in the world is to plan to act on the problems that seem most pressing, often yesterday's problems by many social agencies is a particular arena, with overlal} ping and ineffective activity, while many problems remain untouched. Catalyzing tactical movement would contain both historic and futuric analyses of the problems of a community to determine the trends 3Bf the future and thereby deal with fall the problems and the total commu;nity. t~ Local grassroots leadership act as the servant, that role which seeks to do what is needed for the community, not what might bring recognition, glory or power for the individual or the community, An example is the local

~ ­ ­

leadership of Fili:h City in (~hicago deciding to apply for a federal ioari to rehabilitate existing housing. By wo~king out details of sol`7ing problems, the people involved learn expertise in nandling themselves in any situation in the lr own community. Although results may not be imraliately apparent, catalyzing tactical movement will allow fecal peO?le to pain and act effectively in their particular local situation.

Another historical purpose of soci~1 demonstration is to enable alienated man to recapture the ir cultural herita~ and to identity of his cc nmv.nity, and to redirect it, to achieve a rebirtn of the ~_rit that enables him to deal comprehensively with the prooJems of 20th century life. The loss of one ts her­ita`<e has deprived entire e~hnic groups of the~r lde~lv ~, voca~;­oyn, and self­esteem, dooming them tv desp;air e.nd ofter. ~iolenca. '1o deal with this idenvity­ crlsis Ona mus~ r~c`~eate one's heritage, transpose myths and e­il~re and develop new symbols which can insp~re reL~a1 en~;agern~n.t of all of the process of living purpose~u~,y~ T`=A 0 ~­ time, we hay­e seen this proCe SS in the ilh o, ~'i^.ai and the mov­ement of the Bla~ .~luslims, and 4,the~+ mos; Afamous represen­'cative Mohammed Ali. A rebir~t'l e ~s`3 ,~­e~^it is essential to sustain famlly, com~^u<,ity a­rif~ ~..he ­:lobal vil'age to meet the future . 1', mcist oe ~ ~ o ~a3 l:' perception to avoid a lapse in~o parcchialism an~i fr~`itless se Lf ­e~ycitement and preoecupation wit'­ irrelevant forms of the ­traditional eulture.

Soeial demonstration is a praetieal method of how you recreate human eonl~!~<n$­ty in the midst of the complexity and the ambiguity. ~.~e i al demonstratin does not e llminat~ complexity' it intensifie Is it to the point of moving through it to the motivity factor. Many qUeStiOnS are answered by social demonstration relative to people's experience of dislocation, but there will always be the questions facing practical actuation. Soeial demons tra t io n enables the decision tr, _: eate community on behalf of a:IL and creates the par*;`cu~ar back­up systems necessary for maintaining and recreating that on behalf of decision. ~ is is very difficult in th`­; : ! id S.:~ of particular immediate needs to hol~­ ~c~s glO­)E~.' e,o~kext. Other questions like how you ins­tire C'' ta.7.ytifc ,Laacie,~ship development' when the struggle for pOWer and signif~cance contradicts. docial demonstration creates a new polity, anc absolves social guilt. The question is rew the social demonstration project guards its inte~rit`­i and the integrity of the community. A community exper~ ~.n~ es the lack of leadership rel~ ive to training and cl,~ ~,tt~ ee~rnitment. t. is imperative that social demonst;ratlen d~al with meche!­ls of continuing education and nurutre.

THE;

p~ sup­

SUPOS I

TIONS

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~n t~he early ~esearch and experimentation in social d~mc,~­! jt­ration, sQ~i,al a.ria:'yses we.re done t;o determine the basic elemente cruci,i~, to effect mea~aint:ful change in any community. '['his led to identification of five ~re s ~i rlpos i ti ons wrl ich e nable c ompre he ns i­~re c.­lre s true tu" s to ~:c implementect at ths local leve 10 It was de termined that an' &uthe`:ti~ social demonstration ~nc l.udias 1 ~d­'erminJ.ng a ~1el ineatad area in which t '5~7;~\r~ ~ 2) dealir.g '~tit:~ all the problems simultaneous~y, 3' engaging ard care f,~. all t~e ag'3 grou~3s of t.Jsa population, 4) deterrnin4 nk ~nd deai1 .~g wi th the depth numan ergo] em of the .comm~u' _<y, and 5) recogntzAnq; and ut4~lizklg the power of symi~v.lec These f:Lve pr~nc^`ples are the ba.s~'r assumptions of sos :.t,1 dernonstrac tt on"

The first presuppcsitloS~ is tne establishment of a ~hi~ : ~ ~nti,t~ cons~sts of the specific

area of respor~s~­~; ~ :~ I^~r~. ,co.:t effoctive arr~ ~DanagoubJe n,=~rJer of rsSsi;:lor.­s. ­.& '~e~:~ 15~3u'0('()0 It is ' mportant that ths geograp~` :`re~a i~., ;.:~.;f~.1 by a con<,ens,­.s Qf t~ commurlity iiNse I f'~ 4.a..~.:; ~­. i ~1t;o :.­ccoanf eh nat~a.i ~ econo~:,

,'~oli tica:l. p arld s trance has p=,o:r6~­

r.;s.~,i;~,ear `.e ­` ­~.nat.. already eX ~ st,, Ex}~­ t~,e ,,; ~. i,e ss cL ~arious pro~.ec ts is ­..~. ~. ­­= i.~ .~ >~ de:f ~in~ the &...r~e a vf

severe ly nind~a r~ ­ e~

responsibil 1 t.~. ~.,~ `,. es.­ o`. ;~rere .~'cme c~egree of success

was achie~red. OetC?~.­'i'_~.~ ­'h) ,:! ,:?, eSUp~iOSitiOn was fo) .3 owed c~

i~>e found ir1 tre G ' 4l.nes. t d se u~res cf the planne<: city of

Mannhe ln1' ~e ~ma.~ ~~' ­­ ~. ~ ~ t'­~`, ta>,e s c once pt of the 1iormon

chtLrc}1. lth) s c;cv.c­.c ~ t. i.;s `.: ~el&1 t,o the establishment of

the community5s identit,Y and the enlistment of coopera

tlon of loca:.~r~.­. ~­,rs}~. ;? a­;1 o~ ::<anl~tions.

Be~­.ause probJems are ~.r­,erre.lated ard feed on each other, it . S illlOCrth,.n`.:: ~r; i36,rt 'V tn ;~. ~_~3f t;~but to clearly determine ~­ne '.~_'('!~? ~ ot: ():i­Or­1L i,~rt,; I.'he c~'o~i ous complexity o~' thetask cE~n _eaad · 0 ~'rje.~ i'lg o~rerwh.eJmed. This can res~ilt in the ter~ri.­.ncy 'i~:o <.~­,~ with symp' oms rather than '~`e depth probrem, :­`f~=i>.~tlf,: o­­.Ter termite holes rather thari exterminating the insects, '[o identify problem arem, tan analyst;; with the insights of local residents is a cn~ C$,,~], '­'/": \7 ~ e­~)~ ''­,''­,f~ r2,,'^`f~'.~''' f.~: r.'r~1st,orming and

~ ~ ~ ;~,,, `,;'r~;aS ~ ,~ oble;: groupings,

.~ .eL ~i'.i~g...e ,­ yrltr~..e>:~;s 0,~' srocial alalaiseO A second ekj'^..<: ~y impor4arlt Sl~e>,~ le.~ i23 E>~p~oyl`~rLg the ~31 ~X ~O\'fer of Joint Coi!sultS C'tNi 11 z~.n~Q­ t~.e eXpertiSe of comprahensivs consultant­ teemS ~arallel to the grassroots ~no~,~ledge of loca_. ,~e~sO lt 1~.~ necessf~r`> to identify at these lnitla3 ste ­,s t,ee s.­!c ~ etal s~poort networksar.d to sol~cit a stro~R ;~­i`Tocac. In the co~munltyO E;~.~1eS of attempts to app. v ~'hese ~ins~l`~,les l.nclude the C£~.rD stev.ctures of e ­.~:~ic eorl.nilr'l ties like Chinatown ir ~41110 8S we:Ll as London' G ~ B. .­,.' th ~; i3~t, t£ieSe arereduced exampl~ and not as GOmp­~''r.~;~:ive £~­~ ~.he FiAth City model in l:h~c. Chis.ago, the a~lye:~is o`^ ­it.., socla:.i process tri.~ngles, ~s the re~rc~lit~cs~:~ ~.~­~e~ ~ ,;~in~and f_hillEl~ .l'>63 iSi.~~ nificance of t^~.~.s e<..i~`pr.~f~en'­­;ta .~p,oroach for the f ~lture ;li es

in the fack that like a rock thrown into water, dealing with all the problems c'­~l~ses a ripple effect of catalytic action. .~lany pro jec t.s fatie away because of the community frustration inhereiat n .'ealTn~ ~rith just some of the iSSUeS in a "bendaid" f<~shion, this compreher~sive ap::roach to commun~ty ,! orm­lA lati ~:ot­l JS re ~uplicable as well as Open to mfdi.fi ation when necessary. ~he complex

~ity of "all the p.ro,:)le s" is not overwhel­~ing, but is necessary to underst~rld tnern as si­~eer pOssibilities;

EVery age group in society must be included in the decision making processes that influence society. As a result of remarkable technological advances in health care, the future pro;l3ises a Larger elder population t~a n ever before. As a society we have participated in e e.~d t worship of youth. Ye t both of these age groups eithe' have lost or have never r~een given 1 role in c oric~E e shaping the future of scQciety. An effective soci~1 demonstration is out to release the ~ifts and e '­e,' ­;. Of all ages and to respond to the needs of al1 '[actics like the practical use of elders as ni stor; consultants, youth as indicators of the needs of ­Jh~.' future, and established adults as the working foul<~a~ tion may serve not only to forge the future for tn~ community but also to x:onx~x recontext new societal roles for the various ages of individuals living in the community. In this ~narner a pOSitiVe image of the past and an authentic conc~rn for the future may be part of community consci ousn9 '­ S .

One of the major problems of our times is that people not experience effective living, that people live out of their speciality and are always under that the threat of that being taken away. Discerning what the de Pth human Problem is in a cormmunity would make pOssible a fundamental human change and would reshlt n the release of motivity rather than latent activism. 1he need for this kind of analysis is illustrated when hoAsing projects fall ~ort of dealing with anythning profound telative to people's attitudes, e.g. Indian reservatiois, penal institutions, village proJects in India all point to a lack of profundity. The depth human problem is not immediately visible. It is found in the midst of the local and not impose J from outside, therefore the solution is not a soluti 0?) fxorn outside, from experts. but must be drawn from trie de pth experiences of the local people. reople must cone c~ut with a new story. '1'his effort is being demonstrated by 5th City, the ,~iuslims, the poople's revolution of China, the back to society half way house movement, etc. b'uture implications would sugg;est that ~rt peop:Le rlre demand Ir1p, to be i n chary,e of

THE

CHARACTER

ISTICS

~hC.F. ~

their determining the guide lines for their own future. A release of local human potential for the future is the product. Questions how do you discover whatthe depth human problem is in each new situation?

T~x¢~nx~x~kyx~xax~xx,~`x~ ctx~n

Myths, rites and symbols grounded in humamness are vital to hold a people in being. In this, the last quarter of the 20th century, there are very few symbols which freight the future vision either for the uni~ersal or the very particular. 'therefore one presupposition global­social demonstration is the presence of and intentional focus on a community's ~;nhol and ~,2~ which expresses simply and recogniz~bly the thrust of that community i.n history and evokes a universal hu~,~rl response. They mus~ reflect the :Lnc.ligenxeus resvarc~; language ­and struggle atthe tame t ime ref lectincQ a le~ internal experience. 'l'] le 5th Lity grid imposed orl the globe, the red and black color and the rion man ~iemonctrate that kind of power. The ·~juro grid, U1~ d~,it~­ grid are symbols of how a people, or a globe car .jo pulled together. The issues would have to do with sim~.istic thinkig, old symbod and imposed symbols, and the creatior of trans­generational symbols.

Inconclusion, a social demonstration sustains authentic human life, proclaims absolution on the past, an~ cre~ e~ a vision of the future which releases all gifts and talents into the now. r' hhough ~ cy every social demonsb~ ation is taking place in a delimited area, it is at the same time serving as a model and example for the Alobe.

A community engaged in social demonstration is identified by particular characteristics that make it distin~ uishable from other proJects. ~tesidents take a positive relationship to the world and community in which they live. The leadership is indigenous and operates out of a comprehensive long range model. Symbols can be seen around the community and a story is told about the community's greatness. Existing organizations are affirmed while the new is injected. Ard people demons~ ­ ate a vitality and aliveness that sustains them in the task.

Man's consciousness today tells him he is a residenton space ship earth, interrelated, with all the complexities of the globe, a global village. At the same time however, he finds himself living in parochial communities, making parochial decisions, isolated and ineffective, resulting in deep frustration and finally withdraeln

tAGE 9

Global social demonstration is out to develop and cultivate a pOSitiVe, self­ccnscious relatinnship to the global village as well as to the localcorrununity. Authentic engagement, through comprehensive caring, affirmation of and intentional eXpOSUre to the global, openness to "outsiders" and an affirming self­story and community identity would be signs­­of this new relationship. Global village was demonstrated, for example, in 5th City, Chicago when the residents celebrated the gifts of the people of China, transforming one of thitr main streets into a Chinatown. I'he characteristic of pOSitiVe self­consic~s r~t relatiom ship to ~lobal village and localcownunity is out to point to the possibility of every person participting creatively in the human adventure of livin~ in the ~1~ e.

Another key characteristic that identifies a project as social demonstration is a partaripatin~ Frassroots lea] ­ ership. Cther porjects such as urban renewal have imposed decision­making by outside experts on communities while the indigenous residents continue to feel powerless to effect their future due to a lack of appropriate t.abLs for the task. Local residents involvemrent in th metho~ ologies that create a comprehensive plan for dealing with all their problems that is replicable globally, catalyzes emergence of effective indigenous leadership Ongoing structures for community consensus continue to catalyze a pool of articulate and trained local ~eople to lead in thet own community's affairs. ~ignal examples od grassroots leaders include Lela Nosley and many ot.~rs in 5th City, Chicago and reengagement of the ielders council in aboriginal Oombulgurri in Australia.

One of the major characterisitics of social demonstration is the use of myth and sYmbol to call for the CQ~ sciousness of community and to celebrate the unique gifts of the t community to the world. i~lhenever local man thrusts inadequate images into the past and chooses symbols sustaining a yes to life as it is, new human community is being created. buch symbols are based on reality and come out of the experience of the community. For example the creation and subsequent display of the 5th City grid and the 10 ft. iron man statue in the midst of the black ghetto began out of images of a decisional style. which counteracts billboards depicting bourgeois images synonymous with "the good life.'' I'he emergence ~ similar symbols of hurnanlty in 24 locations and the woid would serve to impact local man everywhere with the possibility of creating authentic comrrun,y iri their own unique signs.

SUMMAAY

.­AGE 10

The fourth identifying characteristic of social demonstration is the tension between workirl~, within the established~structures of the _ mu ~ and at the same time creating new structures necess~­lrb 'or profound social change. Up to now the vastre sreurce s of business, poli+vical and social or~an­zations hav~ ~jeen a pp.Lied primarily to their own se l ­intere~t. ~ hold;ing this tnetion, social demonstration focusses or coccrete renewal creating the kind of signs which give .ke established structures permission to bring their resources to bear on the well­being of the ^o~mu.rlity. This release of resources establishes ~ partnership between the local community and the establis~ d struchures by focussing local pOWer and providin~ loca outlets and access to those resources~ I'his allows the structu~es o participate in the common task of renewal rather than in the wasted conflicts so pharacteristic of the sixties. For ~ample, a social demonstration project in the west side ghetto of Chicago in establishing a new interim school to enable high school ~raduates to er­~¢ college' became an annex to the Yi~lCA eXtenSiOn cOlle~e and mad e ~us e of its many resourc e s .

the fifth identifyig characteristic of social demonstm ation is conscdous attention to sustaining and deePen~ the spirit of the community. l~lany social projects deal with theexternal problems of a community such as hous~ ~, food, and job training, and these are very real conce~ls of social demonstration. But fi~lly community is about humanness and humanness alone. When an aborigine who has spent his life in a stooped posture out of hopelessness at being an aboriginee begins to stand upright, ~ d walks with pride, you have a social de;nonstration on ~ ur hands. This quality of vitality is not some thl r~g that you can grid or chart or photograph. I~ 11 you can f inal~ say is that if a community cane group continues to meet week after week through success and ffilure the exciti~3 event and through the endless deadends and disappointment inherent in life, your have achieved the vitality

I9S MOTIVITY that is the manifestation of full humanness

These ~are the amajor characteristics found in the soci~L demonstration comminity and may be used as agudeline to identify authentic reformulation in any community across the ~lobe.

The need for a demonstration of global proportions that would ignite the fire of possibility in the hearts of men is clear in our times. '1he 24 social demonstrations planned for the next three years, which are based on years of practical experience in community reformulation, will point the way to the new human community.

hAGE 11

They will be actual renewed communities W$~>i ident'f ­ iable characteristics and l~'vin~ witnes..es to .Dan's hone for the new earth

This document is an unpolis,ed statem~ .. It is an initial formulation of demo~.stration pn Josophy. 1~ny questions havee been ~h] c,~rified he..re yet ~atIy are still unanswered. The rmOSI .aL,ging qu~. S ,1'.i~: is tile ilature of the local authenticity ot the proJec ;. what 1 ocal participation is necesaary'. In the midst; of framiri~ t~ various situations, how is Jocal autonony to be held' '4uestions relating to the historical :t time remain with us' What is theurgency of socia:1 d! monstratlon~ What deep trends is it answering'' Whut ;riteria reinain valid in the face of this raw social in­~e ~t i or, ~ rurt,r.er questions related to the ~lvba band also re.nain win`; a system of 24? chat determines lrnpossibl~ yet t~oss~tJle situations? What training and back up ­ ~e neede i .