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The Human Predicament ...

Human society is in OVERSHOOT. We are consuming and polluting our planet faster than it can replenish itself. This is because we have transitioned from a Situation in which we were in-dependent to one where we are inter-dependent. It's a classic case of the "Tragedy of the Commons," where all the people on the commons must now work together. ... But! ... We are embedded in a System that undermines that. It sets up competition as the basis of our  System and has us think in limited terms, individualistically.  It promotes that we are free to pursue happiness within the boundaries of the law, mutual trust, etiquette, etc. However, "Freedom inside the Boundaries" orientation cannot work when we are interdependent. We must acknowledge and face our common problems together and collaborate to solve them. The new System can't just be where a few "decision-makers" make the laws and we all have to obey them. And where we feel like we are participating just because we vote.

So for instance, the oil and gas industry is pursuing its "happiness" in the form of profits. And it competes with alternative energy sources and "decision-makers" who are concerned about CO2 build-up in the atmosphere. This System may have worked when our planet could replenish the quality of our atmosphere. But now it can't and we all sink or swim together. Each of us  must now be informed about what is going on and consider the impact of our actions on the environment and on others. And be respectful of others and the planet. Laws are one tool we might use. . ...  But from our current System this new direction is all a pipe dream. There is little provision within our global System for collective intelligence. 

Somer of the Monster Problems arising and worsening because our System no longer fits our Situation are:
  1. Climate crisis ... See solving the climate crisis
  2. Overpopulation ... A number of scientists say the carrying capacity of the earth is about 2 billion people
  3. Worsening "L-curve" distribution of wealth and power
  4. The resurgence of Authoritarianism ...  Seeking to shift the System backward from Box to Triangle 
  5. The Tragedy of the Commons ... e.g.  Fish resources, fresh water, biodiversity, forests, soil, pollution, trust-levels, etc.
  6. Pandemics ... e.g. Covid 19
  7. The out-of-control rise of Artificial Intelligence
  8. (You name it ...)
Our current System offers solution options like raising individual consciousness, new technologies, passing laws, etc.  But since our System is ultimately causing our problem because it no longer fits our Situation, these "solutions" can only reinforce the idea that these Monsters are unsolvable and delay the ultimate civilization collapse. But there is another path. It's a HOLUTION... Basically we must facilitate a shift to a new System, where  all of us stop and think periodically. We come together and address the Monsters in a holistic spirit of heartfelt creativity ( i.e. in the spirit of  choice-creating). And where we reach unified conclusions about what actions are needed.

We need a "Holution" ... to the Human Predicament

We need some way to ...
  1. Get Humanity to stop and think periodically ... where all the people participate in addressing each Monster problem creatively and collaboratively
  2. Have the people reach unified conclusions on what is really going on, what is the real problem, what do we all want, and how do we get there.
  3. Have this new added "We the People" conversation be in the spirit of choice-creating, which can achieve these results ... and which also sparks a spirit of global community where we appreciate one another and the diversity of our thinking, our race, our skills, etc. 
  4. Have this new "We the People" conversation be ongoing so that it ultimate is a transformation of the current System. And where this new System is risk-free form of global governance that might be termed "Wise Democracy."  See the article “A ‘Holution’ for the Human Predicament." 
  5. Have this new conversation educate, engage, empower each of us, where we release hidden capabilities, intelligence and virtues.
  6. Have this new process be the missing "Holution," a deeper form of "solution" that addresses the underlying misfit of our System and our
    Situation. And where the normal "solutions" can achieve their highest potential ... e.g. to overcome partisan blocks to commonsense actions
How can all this good stuff actually happen? ... How can "we," just a few of us, set this in motion? ... What exactly do we do?  

The ToBe Project ... Here's an 8-step Holution

The ToBe Project is an eight-step process, which a few of us with adequate resources can set in motion. It's a facilitative strategy aimed at FACILITATING "all of us" into a new "We the People" conversation, where We discover that We have the authority and capability to responsibly manage the planetary commons. This new form of self-governance can be termed "Wise Democracy". Here are the eight steps. For more information see The ToBe Project 
  1. Gather "Just Us" and adequate resources
  2. Identify a Monster Problem to address
  3. Randomly select 10 to 16 people
  4. Use Dynamic Facilitation to reliably evoke the spirit of "choice-creating" in each Wisdom Council
  5. Convene a live "community meeting" where each Wisdom Council presents the story of its heroic journey & unified conclusions
  6. Structure global Wisdom Councils to be ongoing
  7. Provide for the new whole-system conversation to be inclusive
  8. Provide ways for all to learn more about this holistic model of change, especially the mode of thinking: choice-creating and Dynamic Facilitation

Can this Holution really happen?

Yes! We know from experiments and experience with the "Wisdom Council Process"  that it works at large scale. e.g. Two states of Austria have adopted the Wisdom Council Process into their state constitutions. And we also know that it's possible for a citizen group to set the ToBe Project in motion. This is even better than seeking the sponsorship of governments. And we have learned that the "magic sauce" for this process working lies in a particular quality of thinking, what we call "choice-creating." And we know that Dynamic Facilitation reliably evokes choice-creating at small scale... and the Wisdom Council Process can extend the range of this "field of thinking" to encompass a large system of people.

So ... Can we save the world?

The answer is YES, but only if we consciously provide for our current System to transform itself. All living systems have a life cycle. Ours, the "Box System,"  which involves capitalism, the financial system and representative forms of governance, cannot be reformed enough for our civilization to thrive or survive. The "Triangle System" will likely result, where some "Great Leader" arises to take total control.  So today there is a battle between Box and Triangle
Systems ... i.e.  "democracies" vs. "autocracies." Neither of these is viable. For human civilization to survive and thrive we must transition to the Circle, where "We the People" is facilitated to arise. The ToBe Project offers a way for this transformation to happen. 
Here is a 28 min video addresses "Can we save the world?"

Also ...

  1. See the 5-part video seminar to understand this new-paradigm approach: "Essential Wisdom for Solving Society's Biggest Issues"
  2. See video examples of the Wisdom Council Process working at large scale in a public setting
  3. See the proposal to Together 1st outlining how the global ToBe Project could work ... 

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