Do you want to help spark the necessary deep change in society? ... Most people consider only normal solution strategies, like top-down, or bottom-up approaches ... e.g. demonstrating in the streets, teaching mindfulness, developing new technologies, etc. These can only improve the existing System. But the System is what's causing the problems in the first place. The ToBe Project is how we, just us, can facilitate the necessary transformation of our global System. Yippie, here's a way to facilitate the re-solving of today's impossible-seeming existential issues.
Here are some principles of "Just Us"
1. Are you concerned that our civilization is threatened by Monster Issues?
We are facing existential, impossible-seeming issues at the global and national levels. These Monsters include:
2. As these Monsters seem impossible-to-solve, are you concerned our civilization is collapsing?
Electing new leaders and enacting new policies is not going to solve the Monsters. Nor will the free market. In fact, all the "solution" options our System provides can't make the needed difference ... e.g. education, changing the culture, raising consciousness, new technologies, establishing new types of organizations, demonstrating in the streets, changing our consumer habits, adopting a new religipm, teaching holistic thinking, changing the rules of corporate governance, etc. These can all be helpful. But they don't address the ultimate cause: Our System. (See “To solve climate change We need to … WAIT! … Who is 'We'?")
3. Do you recognize that our System is the ultimate cause for this Human Predicament?
Our current System (i.e. capitalism and what we call "democracy") is designed for a situation where we are IN-dependent actors in a fair competition. The structure is a set of "rules of the game," like laws, treaties and constitutions. And we supposedly we are free within those rules. There was a time when this game-like structure worked to provide collective intelligence. But when our Situation changed so that we are now INTER-dependent this competitive structure generates collective stupidity. Now, we need a System which also provides a way of talking and thinking so that collective intelligence can arise again.
4. Do you recognize that there is a simple way out of this mess? ... to facilitate the missing collective thinking process?
The ToBe Project is a set of 8 steps by which we (just us) can facilitate all the people to face the Monsters creatively together; impact each Monster intelligently and transform our underlying System to become a "Wise Democracy." These steps facilitate an ongoing process where all of us think together as "We the People". This project merely adds a conversation to what we already have. But in time as we reach shared understandings and regularly provide responsible direction to our System, this becomes an added element to our System ... where "We the People" become the ultimate authority. These 8 steps also elevate people's understandings reshape the story of who we are, help people appreciate diversity, raise individual consciousness, etc. etc.
5. Can you see that we (i.e. just us) can set this in motion?
6. Are you saying to yourself "YIKES! This must happen!"?
We are facing existential, impossible-seeming issues at the global and national levels. These Monsters include:
- global examples: climate change, species extinction, ocean acidification, L-shaped distribution of wealth …
- national examples: authoritarian threats to democracy, partisan gridlock, money dominating politics, L-shaped distribution of wealth ...
2. As these Monsters seem impossible-to-solve, are you concerned our civilization is collapsing?
Electing new leaders and enacting new policies is not going to solve the Monsters. Nor will the free market. In fact, all the "solution" options our System provides can't make the needed difference ... e.g. education, changing the culture, raising consciousness, new technologies, establishing new types of organizations, demonstrating in the streets, changing our consumer habits, adopting a new religipm, teaching holistic thinking, changing the rules of corporate governance, etc. These can all be helpful. But they don't address the ultimate cause: Our System. (See “To solve climate change We need to … WAIT! … Who is 'We'?")
3. Do you recognize that our System is the ultimate cause for this Human Predicament?
Our current System (i.e. capitalism and what we call "democracy") is designed for a situation where we are IN-dependent actors in a fair competition. The structure is a set of "rules of the game," like laws, treaties and constitutions. And we supposedly we are free within those rules. There was a time when this game-like structure worked to provide collective intelligence. But when our Situation changed so that we are now INTER-dependent this competitive structure generates collective stupidity. Now, we need a System which also provides a way of talking and thinking so that collective intelligence can arise again.
4. Do you recognize that there is a simple way out of this mess? ... to facilitate the missing collective thinking process?
The ToBe Project is a set of 8 steps by which we (just us) can facilitate all the people to face the Monsters creatively together; impact each Monster intelligently and transform our underlying System to become a "Wise Democracy." These steps facilitate an ongoing process where all of us think together as "We the People". This project merely adds a conversation to what we already have. But in time as we reach shared understandings and regularly provide responsible direction to our System, this becomes an added element to our System ... where "We the People" become the ultimate authority. These 8 steps also elevate people's understandings reshape the story of who we are, help people appreciate diversity, raise individual consciousness, etc. etc.
5. Can you see that we (i.e. just us) can set this in motion?
- We can start the process by identifying a first issue and gathering a first "Wisdom Council" of randomly selected people; by Dynamically Facilitating them to reach unity, and by organizing them to present their conclusions in a new kind of global ceremony; and then to repeat the process regularly.
- Notice, we need money and media help, but in large measure we don't need anyone's permission. We can just begin the conversation and invite people to get involved at their own pace. Plus, as each new crisis arises —like the Covid 19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, or the next climate disaster—people will seek out this new meaningful conversation where "We the People" reach shared conclusions.
- Also note: All these steps are already proven to work at large scale!!
- Each step is a benefit to society, without much cost or risk.
6. Are you saying to yourself "YIKES! This must happen!"?
Of course, there are lots of good actions to take on the deck of the Titanic. Not just rearranging the deck chairs, but necessary actions like addressing homelessness issue at the local level or raising our children. But to really address these on-the-deck issues, we must also address the underlying System. i.e. "Let's get these people off this ship so we can start living real lives." ... The ToBe Project can make the necessary deep Systemic changes, which remedy many local problems. Once, we get off the Titanic machine that currently drives our collective well-being, we can start thinking and take responsibility for what's going on with our people and the planet.