Leading an Innovation of Economic Democracy
It's somewhat ironic that in the midst of such wide scale planetary crisis, viable resolutions, at least in theory; are both so plentiful and readily accessible. Consequently, and in a recently written article entitled, "Urban Practice, Mindfulness, Theory U, and the Emerging Future" several prominent thinkers are shown to share a virtual consensus of insight as to the root of the global problems with which humankind is currently grappling.
Likewise, an academic paper published last September in the Integral Leadership Review entitled, "A Marriage of Sense and Soul: Embodying Integral Leadership in the City 2.0" endorses adopting an innovative, localized approach for actualizing a city's prosperity, health, and well-being. Reiterating a theme first introduced in a "White Paper on Initiating an Integral Economic Laboratory" (see - "Transforming the City 2.0" @ SlideShare) and later submitted to the City 2.0 (2012 TED Prize winner) as "an idea worth spreading", the group's project plan espoused "initiating a suite of interrelated components including a complementary (e.g. 'local', 'festival') currency, a trade and barter exchange, and community land trust to invigorate urban (economic) well-being".
Likewise, an academic paper published last September in the Integral Leadership Review entitled, "A Marriage of Sense and Soul: Embodying Integral Leadership in the City 2.0" endorses adopting an innovative, localized approach for actualizing a city's prosperity, health, and well-being. Reiterating a theme first introduced in a "White Paper on Initiating an Integral Economic Laboratory" (see - "Transforming the City 2.0" @ SlideShare) and later submitted to the City 2.0 (2012 TED Prize winner) as "an idea worth spreading", the group's project plan espoused "initiating a suite of interrelated components including a complementary (e.g. 'local', 'festival') currency, a trade and barter exchange, and community land trust to invigorate urban (economic) well-being".
Particularly over the last year however, and having successfully completed two subsequent MOOCs, group epignosis has been further exploring "hands-on" processes involving complex adaptive (or adaptive learning) systems. Beginning this last spring then with the Design Thinking Action Lab extended through Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (the d.school), "Connective Learning Communities" was introduced as an open source prototype and functional component to Roanoke's urban landscape.
Within a few weeks of this time too, a second course with Stanford was also offered with Larry Diamond in Democratic Development. This particular class proved especially informing not only in learning the history and vibrancy of Democracy's global health, but by offering a variety of ideas to innovators seeking to adapt democratic practice in transforming local, civil societies. Perhaps not too surprisingly then either, the Spiritual principles of human freedom and self-liberation are something that group epignosis observes as foundational tenets at the core of its collective identity, values, organizational vision, and relationship with stakeholders.
Within a few weeks of this time too, a second course with Stanford was also offered with Larry Diamond in Democratic Development. This particular class proved especially informing not only in learning the history and vibrancy of Democracy's global health, but by offering a variety of ideas to innovators seeking to adapt democratic practice in transforming local, civil societies. Perhaps not too surprisingly then either, the Spiritual principles of human freedom and self-liberation are something that group epignosis observes as foundational tenets at the core of its collective identity, values, organizational vision, and relationship with stakeholders.
Consequently too, and over recent years, group epignosis has taken meaningful strides to nurture its role, communication, and relationship with some rather notable affiliates including major schools of thought, educational institutions, and change leaders; all dedicated to impacting wide scale transformations. Thus, and in our continued work integrating digital technologies, social media and learning systems we're in the process of taking a very bold next step.
In many respects, we enacted this current stage in February by co-hosting an Urban Practitioner's Workshop at 16 West - Downtown Roanoke as a live streaming component to the Presencing Institute's - Global Forum 2014. This event in turn, subsequently evolved from a communicative relationship between ourselves and principles with MIT's Colab. In this way also, the Colab and its 2010 paper entitled, "Sustainable Economic Democracy: Worker Cooperatives for the 21st Century" continues to serve as a guide in providing visionary insight for group epignosis' organizational aspirations.
Consequently, and as a culmination of this experience, we're subsequently assuming a role in articulating a monumental shift in paradigm(s) involving what we term distributed systems or networks (e.g. distributed economy, distributed social network, network governance, etc.). For comparable reasons then too, we're similarly tracking the work of several notable figures including Said Dawlabani (MEMEnomics), Elza Maalouf ("Emerging Patterns in the Middle East"), Jeremy Rifkin (The Zero Marginal Cost Society), Gar Alperovitz (America Beyond Capitalism) and Thomas Piketty (Capital in the Twenty-First Century). As a result then, group epignosis finds itself currently poised at a crossroads or bifurcation point between Capitalism (as the contemporary world has come to know it) and the emergence of something Jeremy Rifkin calls the "Collaborative Commons".
"The struggle between these two competing economic paradigms is going to be protracted and hard fought. But, even at this very early stage, what is becoming increasingly clear is that the capitalist system that provided both a compelling narrative of human nature and the overarching organizational framework for the day-to-day commercial, social, and political life of society—spanning more than ten generations—has peaked and begun its slow decline." excerpt from - The Zero Marginal Cost Society
To say this constitutes a formidable challenge of course, would be an understatement. Yet, and in reference to a phrase used by Gregory Bateson in the title of a book co-authored with his daughter; 'where angels fear tread, fools (sometime) rush in' . . .
In many respects, we enacted this current stage in February by co-hosting an Urban Practitioner's Workshop at 16 West - Downtown Roanoke as a live streaming component to the Presencing Institute's - Global Forum 2014. This event in turn, subsequently evolved from a communicative relationship between ourselves and principles with MIT's Colab. In this way also, the Colab and its 2010 paper entitled, "Sustainable Economic Democracy: Worker Cooperatives for the 21st Century" continues to serve as a guide in providing visionary insight for group epignosis' organizational aspirations.
Consequently, and as a culmination of this experience, we're subsequently assuming a role in articulating a monumental shift in paradigm(s) involving what we term distributed systems or networks (e.g. distributed economy, distributed social network, network governance, etc.). For comparable reasons then too, we're similarly tracking the work of several notable figures including Said Dawlabani (MEMEnomics), Elza Maalouf ("Emerging Patterns in the Middle East"), Jeremy Rifkin (The Zero Marginal Cost Society), Gar Alperovitz (America Beyond Capitalism) and Thomas Piketty (Capital in the Twenty-First Century). As a result then, group epignosis finds itself currently poised at a crossroads or bifurcation point between Capitalism (as the contemporary world has come to know it) and the emergence of something Jeremy Rifkin calls the "Collaborative Commons".
"The struggle between these two competing economic paradigms is going to be protracted and hard fought. But, even at this very early stage, what is becoming increasingly clear is that the capitalist system that provided both a compelling narrative of human nature and the overarching organizational framework for the day-to-day commercial, social, and political life of society—spanning more than ten generations—has peaked and begun its slow decline." excerpt from - The Zero Marginal Cost Society
To say this constitutes a formidable challenge of course, would be an understatement. Yet, and in reference to a phrase used by Gregory Bateson in the title of a book co-authored with his daughter; 'where angels fear tread, fools (sometime) rush in' . . .
