Origin story ... 15 breakthroughs
This story goes back and forth. For instance, at one point we thought .... "A Constitutional Amendment is necessary to restructure our System." ... Then it was, "An Amendment will never get passed." ... Then it was, "YIKES! This process can work without an Amendment!." ... Then it was "Actually, an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is a likely outcome (as Step 8) once people gain an experience with the process." ... Below is a brief recounting of the story of how the "Center for Wise Democracy" and "Society's Breakthrough" came into being.
In 1990 Jim Rough started teaching public seminars on “Dynamic Facilitation," a way to facilitate groups to address and solve impossible-seeming problems, where groups reached a shared perspective on what is the problem, what we want, and what to do. In the seminars, participants would practice Dynamic Facilitation skills in small groups. Often they would address issues from society -- like wars, homelessness, taxes, the education system, traffic, male-female relations, the health care system, environmental degradation, etc. Many breakthrough insights occurred during these practice sessions. But, no matter what issue was chosen, these groups often experienced the same breakthrough(!) ... It was: This problem is not caused by "people" ... e.g. greed, unconsciousness, evil doers, etc. ... so much as by "The System".
Breakthrough #1: Society's big impossible-seeming problems are caused by “The System.”
(Frequent reactions: Are you saying that individual choices don’t matter? ... or that each of us can’t affect these problems?)
Most people assume this discovery is dis-empowering to people. After all “what can one person, or a few people, do to change "The System?” But it turns out that "breakthroughs" are empowering. So even when people recognize that the impossible-seeming issue they were addressing just gotten bigger, this usually comes with excitement and new energy to solve it.
Breakthrough #1 led to questions like, "What is 'The System'?" ... “How does it influence people?" … "How did it come into being?" ... "What's wrong with it?" …. "How can we fix it?" ... In one of the follow-up seminars, Jim experienced a breakthrough that answered many of these questions:
Breakthrough #2: "The System" is the U.S. Constitution!
(Frequent reactions: The Constitution can't be "The System" because it only applies to the U.S., not the world. The U.S. Constitution is one of the greatest documents ever written. Heck, to fix things, we need to get back to what the Founders intended. The Constitution is the solution. How can it be "the problem"?)
Over 200 years ago on the North American continent there was a symbolic gathering of "all” the people to design how we will talk, think, and decide issues. Of course, this wasn’t really ALL the people. Slaves, Native Americans, women, non property holders, etc., were excluded. Nevertheless, it was the most powerful demonstration of collective thinking in history. The attendees proposed a market-oriented, merit-based, representative, rule of law, due process, balance of powers, voting-type System and provided a way for "the people" to consider and ratify it. Now, even though this System was designed for a situation over two centuries ago, it continues to be our System, determining the way we talk, think and make collective decisions. This system establishes the "rules of the game"... in governance, economics, justice, etc. And this competition-based organizing dynamic has spread throughout the world.
Today the situation has changed. Naturally, in order for competition among people, political parties, corporations, branches of government, etc. to work as our organizing principle we all need to be in-dependent, not inter-dependent. Yet increasingly we are inter-dependent.
The Constitution (and modern society) was created through a collective thinking process, from a "We the People" conversation. But the conversation that this Constitution sets up for us is not that way. We do not think holistically about what's best for all. We think individualistically and judgmentally. Each person or representative or consumer "votes" for what she or he thinks is best. And then the individual "votes" are added to determine collective decisions. Basically there is no "public interest". Just a competition among "special interests."
Back in 1993 it seemed like some kind of Constitutional Convention was needed to restructure our System. But mostly people were repulsed by this idea, fearful that it might mean losing what we've gained. Then came another breakthrough ...
Breakthrough #3: "Let's convene a "U.S. Constitutional IN-vention"
(Frequent reactions: ... What's a "Constitutional IN-vention"? Is it just a gathering of people? How are people chosen? )
In 1995 we put out a call for interested people to attend “An American Constitutional IN-vention to be held in my home town of Port Townsend WA. It was a small gathering of people discussing what might be wrong with our System and possible changes. But there was one breakthrough. It was a question ...
Breakthrough #4: “What single Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would safely shift our System so that we could solve all these national problems at once?”
(Frequent reactions:There is no way people can collaborate at a national scale. And anyway, It’s impossible to pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, no matter how good it is.)
Jim began toying with an idea for what that Amendment might be. Basically, it was to have a random group of citizens gather each year, be dynamically facilitated to face the BIG issues, reach unity, and present this unity back to the nation in a State of the Union message from "the people" to "the people". But for a long while this proposed Amendment didn't seem like it would do much. Then on the night of May 9, 1993, there was an epiphany. Things snapped into place and it became "obvious" ... This would work!!
Breakthrough #5: The "Citizens Amendment" would generate a legitimate "We the People" into being, and spark a new kind of democracy: "Wise Democracy".
(Frequent reactions: How could a series of small groups of random citizens spark a transformation of national governance? If it's this simple why hasn't anyone seen this before? As an Amendment this seems top-down ... shouldn't it be bottom-up? Why does it need to be an Amendment? )
The Citizens Amendment (now the "Wise Democracy Amendment") does not change anything that currently exists. It just adds a conversation. A randomly selected group of citizens is gathered every year to present its unified message to "the people", not to government leaders. And the people talk among themselves and essentially "ratify" what this Council has determined. It's essentially an an annual Constitutional Convention with with EVERYONE participating as delegates. ... Where's the risk? ... Random citizens are gathered. They share their message. And they go away. Then a new random group is selected and the cycle repeats. ... No risk here ... But magic happens because this process facilitates the rest of us to start facing problems, talking together, thinking creatively and coming together in unity ... as "We the People".
With the support of Rep. Norm Dicks Jim gave a presentation in the Capital Building. He also organized a conference on "Innovations in Democracy" (1995), wrote articles, started a TV show on democracy, gave talks and began supporting local groups to organize local Wisdom Councils.
In 1990 Jim Rough started teaching public seminars on “Dynamic Facilitation," a way to facilitate groups to address and solve impossible-seeming problems, where groups reached a shared perspective on what is the problem, what we want, and what to do. In the seminars, participants would practice Dynamic Facilitation skills in small groups. Often they would address issues from society -- like wars, homelessness, taxes, the education system, traffic, male-female relations, the health care system, environmental degradation, etc. Many breakthrough insights occurred during these practice sessions. But, no matter what issue was chosen, these groups often experienced the same breakthrough(!) ... It was: This problem is not caused by "people" ... e.g. greed, unconsciousness, evil doers, etc. ... so much as by "The System".
Breakthrough #1: Society's big impossible-seeming problems are caused by “The System.”
(Frequent reactions: Are you saying that individual choices don’t matter? ... or that each of us can’t affect these problems?)
Most people assume this discovery is dis-empowering to people. After all “what can one person, or a few people, do to change "The System?” But it turns out that "breakthroughs" are empowering. So even when people recognize that the impossible-seeming issue they were addressing just gotten bigger, this usually comes with excitement and new energy to solve it.
Breakthrough #1 led to questions like, "What is 'The System'?" ... “How does it influence people?" … "How did it come into being?" ... "What's wrong with it?" …. "How can we fix it?" ... In one of the follow-up seminars, Jim experienced a breakthrough that answered many of these questions:
Breakthrough #2: "The System" is the U.S. Constitution!
(Frequent reactions: The Constitution can't be "The System" because it only applies to the U.S., not the world. The U.S. Constitution is one of the greatest documents ever written. Heck, to fix things, we need to get back to what the Founders intended. The Constitution is the solution. How can it be "the problem"?)
Over 200 years ago on the North American continent there was a symbolic gathering of "all” the people to design how we will talk, think, and decide issues. Of course, this wasn’t really ALL the people. Slaves, Native Americans, women, non property holders, etc., were excluded. Nevertheless, it was the most powerful demonstration of collective thinking in history. The attendees proposed a market-oriented, merit-based, representative, rule of law, due process, balance of powers, voting-type System and provided a way for "the people" to consider and ratify it. Now, even though this System was designed for a situation over two centuries ago, it continues to be our System, determining the way we talk, think and make collective decisions. This system establishes the "rules of the game"... in governance, economics, justice, etc. And this competition-based organizing dynamic has spread throughout the world.
Today the situation has changed. Naturally, in order for competition among people, political parties, corporations, branches of government, etc. to work as our organizing principle we all need to be in-dependent, not inter-dependent. Yet increasingly we are inter-dependent.
The Constitution (and modern society) was created through a collective thinking process, from a "We the People" conversation. But the conversation that this Constitution sets up for us is not that way. We do not think holistically about what's best for all. We think individualistically and judgmentally. Each person or representative or consumer "votes" for what she or he thinks is best. And then the individual "votes" are added to determine collective decisions. Basically there is no "public interest". Just a competition among "special interests."
Back in 1993 it seemed like some kind of Constitutional Convention was needed to restructure our System. But mostly people were repulsed by this idea, fearful that it might mean losing what we've gained. Then came another breakthrough ...
Breakthrough #3: "Let's convene a "U.S. Constitutional IN-vention"
(Frequent reactions: ... What's a "Constitutional IN-vention"? Is it just a gathering of people? How are people chosen? )
In 1995 we put out a call for interested people to attend “An American Constitutional IN-vention to be held in my home town of Port Townsend WA. It was a small gathering of people discussing what might be wrong with our System and possible changes. But there was one breakthrough. It was a question ...
Breakthrough #4: “What single Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would safely shift our System so that we could solve all these national problems at once?”
(Frequent reactions:There is no way people can collaborate at a national scale. And anyway, It’s impossible to pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, no matter how good it is.)
Jim began toying with an idea for what that Amendment might be. Basically, it was to have a random group of citizens gather each year, be dynamically facilitated to face the BIG issues, reach unity, and present this unity back to the nation in a State of the Union message from "the people" to "the people". But for a long while this proposed Amendment didn't seem like it would do much. Then on the night of May 9, 1993, there was an epiphany. Things snapped into place and it became "obvious" ... This would work!!
Breakthrough #5: The "Citizens Amendment" would generate a legitimate "We the People" into being, and spark a new kind of democracy: "Wise Democracy".
(Frequent reactions: How could a series of small groups of random citizens spark a transformation of national governance? If it's this simple why hasn't anyone seen this before? As an Amendment this seems top-down ... shouldn't it be bottom-up? Why does it need to be an Amendment? )
The Citizens Amendment (now the "Wise Democracy Amendment") does not change anything that currently exists. It just adds a conversation. A randomly selected group of citizens is gathered every year to present its unified message to "the people", not to government leaders. And the people talk among themselves and essentially "ratify" what this Council has determined. It's essentially an an annual Constitutional Convention with with EVERYONE participating as delegates. ... Where's the risk? ... Random citizens are gathered. They share their message. And they go away. Then a new random group is selected and the cycle repeats. ... No risk here ... But magic happens because this process facilitates the rest of us to start facing problems, talking together, thinking creatively and coming together in unity ... as "We the People".
With the support of Rep. Norm Dicks Jim gave a presentation in the Capital Building. He also organized a conference on "Innovations in Democracy" (1995), wrote articles, started a TV show on democracy, gave talks and began supporting local groups to organize local Wisdom Councils.
In 2002, Jim and Jean Rough, plus DeAnna Martin, co-founded the Center for Wise Democracy to encourage experiments with the Wisdom Council. Also that year, Jim published his book Society's Breakthrough! Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People, describing the Amendment and how it would work.
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Then in November 2003 after a public radio interview with Jeff Golden (see Immense Possibilities) three listeners from the Rogue Valley of Oregon (David Wick, Karen Gossetti and Lance Bisaccia) called to express interest in a Wisdom Council for their area, Rogue Valley, OR. With the help of democracy pioneers Tom Atlee (Author of The Tao of Democracy and Empowering Public Wisdom), Adin Rogovin (Board member of the Co-Intelligence Institute), and Elliot Shuford (Board member of Healthy Democracy Oregon), we set up a public Wisdom Council experiment in the Rogue Valley so people could experience how this might work.. ... Also Joseph McCormick, a right-wing politician from Georgia who later founded Reuniting America, heard about our work and came out West to film it. (See Democracy in America) The experiment worked more powerfully than we could have imagined. This led to another breakthrough:
Breakthrough #6: The Wisdom Council process can generate a legitimate "We the People", even without an Amendment.
(Frequent reactions: How can just a few people, unchartered by the U.S. Constitution, spark a legitimate "We the People" into being? How could just a few people spark a transformation of the national (or global) System in a way that causes many of the biggest impossible-seeming problems to go away? How does this random group gain such power?)
Many things went wrong in our Rogue Valley Wisdom Council ... e.g. only seven random people showed up to be on the Wisdom Council instead of the 14 who said they'd be there; No elected officials came; The media didn’t cover the event well; etc. ... Our intent for the experiment was educational—to show people how this process could work if it was enacted nationally through a Constitutional Amendment. But ... surprise! ... the process worked anyway. It created the sense of "We the People" even with just 120 or so people present. From this experiment ... and future experiments as well ... it was clear that the audience picks up on the "We the People" spirit of the Wisdom Council. They basically said, "Yes I think so too" and more importantly for this phase of our project they essential said, "Why can't this happen all the time?" ... So the process can just be started in many settings—locally, nationally... and even globally.
Breakthrough #7: The “magic sauce” which allows the Wisdom Council Process to work is a quality of thinking: choice-creating.
(Frequent reactions: Why haven't I heard of choice-creating? Why is choice-creating so important? How does Dynamic Facilitation and the Wisdom Council Process facilitate people into the spirit of choice-creating?)
At first glance the Wisdom Council process looks like another form of citizens deliberative council, e.g. the Citizens Jury, Citizens Panel, Citizens Assembly, Deliberative Poll. All of these involve selecting random citizens who tackle a problem and present their results to a large audience.
But, the Wisdom Council Process is fundamentally different. These other processes are “deliberative” in nature. People work on a well defined issue, are given carefully prepared information, weigh specific options, and vote to select the best ... hoping that this vote will influence "decision-makers" and affect policy.
On the other hand, each Wisdom Council addresses an ill-defined impossible-seeming issue like "climate change". And the Wisdom Council works creatively to solve it, not weighing pre-selected options. Often they redefine the problem and develop a new solution approach, which may or may not involve the "decision-makers" or policy. They reach unity on this perspective. No voting. And they present their results to the PEOPLE. When they present their group unity they tell a story of how they got there through shifts and breakthroughs. And the Wisdom Council Process, this new collective thinking process, is ongoing, not a series of one-off events.
Discovering the importance of choice-creating led to the next breakthrough:
Breakthrough #8: Dynamic Facilitation is essential, because it reliably evokes choice-creating.
(Frequent reactions: Who cares what facilitation method is used if the group reaches unity? Can you always guarantee group unity? How many people are skilled in Dynamic Facilitation?)
Originally, it didn’t seem to matter what facilitation process was used. But through experience with the Wisdom Council Process, it has become clear that choice-creating is the magic sauce to establishing a legitimate "We the People". . (See chart comparing decision-making and choice-creating) And since Dynamic Facilitation reliably evokes choice creating, it is crucial as well. (See the chart comparing traditional facilitation vs. Dynamic Facilitation.)
In 2006, a citizen group in Victoria, BC, Canada, spearheaded by George Sranko and Caspar Davis, established a series of three Wisdom Councils. Each one worked wonderfully well for those that attended. But it didn't gain traction in the population. Plus, the second and third Wisdom Councils essentially repeated the experience of the first. That is, the three Wisdom Councils didn't build the desired public conversation.
Of course, this wouldn't have been a problem if the process had been set in motion by "the people" as a Constitutional Amendment. Then the citizenry would have paid rapt attention, would have known what happened in earlier Wisdom Councils and would help in fulfilling the conclusions. So the question became ... "How does the whole population attend to and participate in the Wisdom Council Process when it's started by just a small group of concerned citizens?"
(Frequent reactions: How can just a few people, unchartered by the U.S. Constitution, spark a legitimate "We the People" into being? How could just a few people spark a transformation of the national (or global) System in a way that causes many of the biggest impossible-seeming problems to go away? How does this random group gain such power?)
Many things went wrong in our Rogue Valley Wisdom Council ... e.g. only seven random people showed up to be on the Wisdom Council instead of the 14 who said they'd be there; No elected officials came; The media didn’t cover the event well; etc. ... Our intent for the experiment was educational—to show people how this process could work if it was enacted nationally through a Constitutional Amendment. But ... surprise! ... the process worked anyway. It created the sense of "We the People" even with just 120 or so people present. From this experiment ... and future experiments as well ... it was clear that the audience picks up on the "We the People" spirit of the Wisdom Council. They basically said, "Yes I think so too" and more importantly for this phase of our project they essential said, "Why can't this happen all the time?" ... So the process can just be started in many settings—locally, nationally... and even globally.
Breakthrough #7: The “magic sauce” which allows the Wisdom Council Process to work is a quality of thinking: choice-creating.
(Frequent reactions: Why haven't I heard of choice-creating? Why is choice-creating so important? How does Dynamic Facilitation and the Wisdom Council Process facilitate people into the spirit of choice-creating?)
At first glance the Wisdom Council process looks like another form of citizens deliberative council, e.g. the Citizens Jury, Citizens Panel, Citizens Assembly, Deliberative Poll. All of these involve selecting random citizens who tackle a problem and present their results to a large audience.
But, the Wisdom Council Process is fundamentally different. These other processes are “deliberative” in nature. People work on a well defined issue, are given carefully prepared information, weigh specific options, and vote to select the best ... hoping that this vote will influence "decision-makers" and affect policy.
On the other hand, each Wisdom Council addresses an ill-defined impossible-seeming issue like "climate change". And the Wisdom Council works creatively to solve it, not weighing pre-selected options. Often they redefine the problem and develop a new solution approach, which may or may not involve the "decision-makers" or policy. They reach unity on this perspective. No voting. And they present their results to the PEOPLE. When they present their group unity they tell a story of how they got there through shifts and breakthroughs. And the Wisdom Council Process, this new collective thinking process, is ongoing, not a series of one-off events.
Discovering the importance of choice-creating led to the next breakthrough:
Breakthrough #8: Dynamic Facilitation is essential, because it reliably evokes choice-creating.
(Frequent reactions: Who cares what facilitation method is used if the group reaches unity? Can you always guarantee group unity? How many people are skilled in Dynamic Facilitation?)
Originally, it didn’t seem to matter what facilitation process was used. But through experience with the Wisdom Council Process, it has become clear that choice-creating is the magic sauce to establishing a legitimate "We the People". . (See chart comparing decision-making and choice-creating) And since Dynamic Facilitation reliably evokes choice creating, it is crucial as well. (See the chart comparing traditional facilitation vs. Dynamic Facilitation.)
In 2006, a citizen group in Victoria, BC, Canada, spearheaded by George Sranko and Caspar Davis, established a series of three Wisdom Councils. Each one worked wonderfully well for those that attended. But it didn't gain traction in the population. Plus, the second and third Wisdom Councils essentially repeated the experience of the first. That is, the three Wisdom Councils didn't build the desired public conversation.
Of course, this wouldn't have been a problem if the process had been set in motion by "the people" as a Constitutional Amendment. Then the citizenry would have paid rapt attention, would have known what happened in earlier Wisdom Councils and would help in fulfilling the conclusions. So the question became ... "How does the whole population attend to and participate in the Wisdom Council Process when it's started by just a small group of concerned citizens?"
Breakthrough #9: The Wisdom Council process actually works better when the issue is determined beforehand.
(Heresy alert! If the Wisdom Council is a symbol of ‘We the People,' what higher authority exists to tell "the people" what to talk about? If Dynamic Facilitation depends on people's heart-felt energy, how can we expect randomly selected people to care about topics pre-selected issues?)
Originally we thought each Wisdom Council must chose its own issue because this small group symbolizes “We the People,” highest authority in the land. But when Dr. Manfred Hellrigl, the director of the Office of Future Related Issues (OFRI) started experimenting with the Wisdom Council Process. His group used it in conjunction with dialogue, the World Café, Open Space Technology, and Art of Hosting. And, to better serve government leaders, they allowed the leaders to select the issue beforehand. At the time we were concerned that this strategy might not be transformational, so we gave it a different name, the Creative Insight Council (CIC). But in time these fears disappeared because this approach drew more interest from the general public. And because each Wisdom Council still determined and framed the issue to its satisfaction. That is, through just the nature of choice-creating, each Wisdom Council reworks and redefines the chosen issue until it engages all the participants. And where it engages the larger audience as well.
A new question arose ... "How can we export the choice-creating thinking process of each Wisdom Council to the whole population? So that everyone talks and relates in this more creative, collaborative way?
(Heresy alert! If the Wisdom Council is a symbol of ‘We the People,' what higher authority exists to tell "the people" what to talk about? If Dynamic Facilitation depends on people's heart-felt energy, how can we expect randomly selected people to care about topics pre-selected issues?)
Originally we thought each Wisdom Council must chose its own issue because this small group symbolizes “We the People,” highest authority in the land. But when Dr. Manfred Hellrigl, the director of the Office of Future Related Issues (OFRI) started experimenting with the Wisdom Council Process. His group used it in conjunction with dialogue, the World Café, Open Space Technology, and Art of Hosting. And, to better serve government leaders, they allowed the leaders to select the issue beforehand. At the time we were concerned that this strategy might not be transformational, so we gave it a different name, the Creative Insight Council (CIC). But in time these fears disappeared because this approach drew more interest from the general public. And because each Wisdom Council still determined and framed the issue to its satisfaction. That is, through just the nature of choice-creating, each Wisdom Council reworks and redefines the chosen issue until it engages all the participants. And where it engages the larger audience as well.
A new question arose ... "How can we export the choice-creating thinking process of each Wisdom Council to the whole population? So that everyone talks and relates in this more creative, collaborative way?
Breakthrough #10: In addition to presenting its results, a Wisdom Council must also tell the story of how it achieved unity on these results.
(Frequent reactions: Why is the story important?; How can a Wisdom Council have only one story to tell?)
Originally in the audience presentation, what we call the "community cafe," the Wisdom Council shared only two elements: 1) Personal introductions of each participant; and 2) The ultimate conclusions. But the conclusions by themselves can set up an agree/disagree dynamic in the larger audience. Instead, we want people in the public to identify with the Wisdom Council, to resonate with their progress and to continue talking in a way that approximates choice-creating. Key in this is to add a third element to the Wisdom Council presentation: 3) Sharing the story of the group's progress—where we started, problems we ren into, where we got stuck, and where we experienced shifts of thinking. Now this sharing becomes facilitative. It's essentially the hero's journey, where the hero/heroine is facing some crisis. And the audience identifies with this heroic figure, resonating with the ups and downs that ultimately come to unity.
This is the story of all of us together, rising to the challenge. And of course, the process of ongoing Wisdom Councils is an expanded version, where we all keep talking between Wisdom Councils. This is where "We the People" finally start facing the dragon issues that we have been ignoring, where We come up with real answers that we help implement. For example, consider the story that Martina Handler tells of the Wisdom Council in Mauthausen, which was once home of the largest NAZI concentration camp in Austria.
Arising from the experiments with the Wisdom Council Process in Austria came a surprising realization:
(Frequent reactions: Why is the story important?; How can a Wisdom Council have only one story to tell?)
Originally in the audience presentation, what we call the "community cafe," the Wisdom Council shared only two elements: 1) Personal introductions of each participant; and 2) The ultimate conclusions. But the conclusions by themselves can set up an agree/disagree dynamic in the larger audience. Instead, we want people in the public to identify with the Wisdom Council, to resonate with their progress and to continue talking in a way that approximates choice-creating. Key in this is to add a third element to the Wisdom Council presentation: 3) Sharing the story of the group's progress—where we started, problems we ren into, where we got stuck, and where we experienced shifts of thinking. Now this sharing becomes facilitative. It's essentially the hero's journey, where the hero/heroine is facing some crisis. And the audience identifies with this heroic figure, resonating with the ups and downs that ultimately come to unity.
This is the story of all of us together, rising to the challenge. And of course, the process of ongoing Wisdom Councils is an expanded version, where we all keep talking between Wisdom Councils. This is where "We the People" finally start facing the dragon issues that we have been ignoring, where We come up with real answers that we help implement. For example, consider the story that Martina Handler tells of the Wisdom Council in Mauthausen, which was once home of the largest NAZI concentration camp in Austria.
Arising from the experiments with the Wisdom Council Process in Austria came a surprising realization:
Breakthrough #11: Surprise: Elected representatives appreciate the Wisdom Council Process!
(Frequent reactions: Elected representatives must serve their donors; They don't really care about what the people think. Won't they fear giving up power?)
All along in the development of the Wisdom Council Process, critics have assured us that those in power would resist. But in the Austrian State of Vorarlberg, elected legislators witnessed the Wisdom Council being used in towns and communities. They saw it as a way to involve and educate mainstream citizens and to spark bi-partisan action. They said, “We want this process at the state level.” Now every six months there is at least one government sponsored Wisdom Council at the state level. Elected leaders set aside Friday afternoon to sit at tables together in the foyer of their building and listen to a Wisdom Council present its perspective. Then they engage one another about the results, visiting in a more creative, collaborative conversation than normal.
Each Wisdom Council provides legislators with clarity about the “will of the people" in a process that is better and cheaper than a survey. In this approach "the Wisdom Council" articulates what most people in the general public are thinking and feeling. One legislator said after the Wisdom Council spoke on the refugee issue, for instance, “No elected official could have said that.” And another said, “The Wisdom Council is like wind at my back.”
This approach has worked so well that all four political parties voted to include it in the state constitution. Other states of Austria are experimenting and buying in as well.
Also they had a breakthrough ...
Breakthrough #12: Ordinary citizens can propose issues for state sponsored Wisdom Councils.
(Frequent reactions: How can one citizen set the agenda for the national conversation? Won't ordinary people take undue advantage of this power?)
The set up in Vorarlberg is that, every six months the governor and political parties alternate in choosing the issue for each succeeding Wisdom Council to address. However thanks to Dr. Manfred Hellrigl the legislature added another possibility to the constitutional amendment: a way that ordinary citizens can convene a state-sponsored Wisdom Council. By obtaining just 1000 signatures (5000 are required to propose a state initiative) just one citizen can call for a state-wide Wisdom Council on a particular issue of concern to him or her. So if you are part of a minority group, for instance, and you feel discriminated against, here’s a way to convene a thoughtful state-wide conversation on the issue. And for the whole system to work through the issue together.
As we have gained experience with the Wisdom Council Process and learned more about its power for transformation ... And as we have come to understand more about global problems ... we made another leap.
Breakthrough #13: We (just a few of us with adequate resources) could spark the global System to transform itself(!) by implementing a global Wisdom Council Process.
(Frequent reactions: Wouldn’t it be better to convene lots of Wisdom Councils at the local level and build experience until some powerful entity like the UN adopts this approach? How can one gather a truly random selection of people from the world? What about repressive governments that are likely to keep people from participating? How to handle language and cultural differences? Who would listen to the voice of a group of random citizens? How can this random group exert any real power? How could one group affect the global socio-political-economic system? Isn’t it idealistic to think that the people of the world would pay attention? ... or work together? ... or reach near-unity? How could a small set of ordinary people convene something that could make this level of difference? etc.)
There are lots of questions and concerns about how a global Wisdom Council Process could get started, whether it would work and the level of difference it would make. And none of the concerns is that something bad would happen. With money and media support each of these concerns can be overcome. Plus, even before the difficulties are surmounted, there are big benefits from just trying. Just pulling together a small random group of people and talking their picture, for instance, could be a benefit.. ... Also note: This is a not just a nice-to-have, hope-it-works type idea. ... We MUST start working together at the global level. And we MUST elevate our level of collective intelligence if we are to adequately manage our deteriorating global commons. ... Notice when you talk seriously with someone about society's problems. You are likely to hear a sentence starting with these three words: "We need to ... " That's how they deal with their anxiety, to present a solution as though it's something "we" can do. But until the global Wisdom Council Process is implemented there is no "We" to think through or enact any of the many solution ideas.
The secret to solving the big impossible-seeming global issues is to convene the missing, powerful "We the People" conversation enough to evolve a legitimate whole-system "We" ... and to transform the existing competitive System. Then "We" can start facing problems, thinking collaboratively, working together and providing responsible direction to national governments and institutions. Intelligent collective action becomes possible through an "ongoing whole-planet choice-creating conversation".
(Frequent reactions: Elected representatives must serve their donors; They don't really care about what the people think. Won't they fear giving up power?)
All along in the development of the Wisdom Council Process, critics have assured us that those in power would resist. But in the Austrian State of Vorarlberg, elected legislators witnessed the Wisdom Council being used in towns and communities. They saw it as a way to involve and educate mainstream citizens and to spark bi-partisan action. They said, “We want this process at the state level.” Now every six months there is at least one government sponsored Wisdom Council at the state level. Elected leaders set aside Friday afternoon to sit at tables together in the foyer of their building and listen to a Wisdom Council present its perspective. Then they engage one another about the results, visiting in a more creative, collaborative conversation than normal.
Each Wisdom Council provides legislators with clarity about the “will of the people" in a process that is better and cheaper than a survey. In this approach "the Wisdom Council" articulates what most people in the general public are thinking and feeling. One legislator said after the Wisdom Council spoke on the refugee issue, for instance, “No elected official could have said that.” And another said, “The Wisdom Council is like wind at my back.”
This approach has worked so well that all four political parties voted to include it in the state constitution. Other states of Austria are experimenting and buying in as well.
Also they had a breakthrough ...
Breakthrough #12: Ordinary citizens can propose issues for state sponsored Wisdom Councils.
(Frequent reactions: How can one citizen set the agenda for the national conversation? Won't ordinary people take undue advantage of this power?)
The set up in Vorarlberg is that, every six months the governor and political parties alternate in choosing the issue for each succeeding Wisdom Council to address. However thanks to Dr. Manfred Hellrigl the legislature added another possibility to the constitutional amendment: a way that ordinary citizens can convene a state-sponsored Wisdom Council. By obtaining just 1000 signatures (5000 are required to propose a state initiative) just one citizen can call for a state-wide Wisdom Council on a particular issue of concern to him or her. So if you are part of a minority group, for instance, and you feel discriminated against, here’s a way to convene a thoughtful state-wide conversation on the issue. And for the whole system to work through the issue together.
As we have gained experience with the Wisdom Council Process and learned more about its power for transformation ... And as we have come to understand more about global problems ... we made another leap.
Breakthrough #13: We (just a few of us with adequate resources) could spark the global System to transform itself(!) by implementing a global Wisdom Council Process.
(Frequent reactions: Wouldn’t it be better to convene lots of Wisdom Councils at the local level and build experience until some powerful entity like the UN adopts this approach? How can one gather a truly random selection of people from the world? What about repressive governments that are likely to keep people from participating? How to handle language and cultural differences? Who would listen to the voice of a group of random citizens? How can this random group exert any real power? How could one group affect the global socio-political-economic system? Isn’t it idealistic to think that the people of the world would pay attention? ... or work together? ... or reach near-unity? How could a small set of ordinary people convene something that could make this level of difference? etc.)
There are lots of questions and concerns about how a global Wisdom Council Process could get started, whether it would work and the level of difference it would make. And none of the concerns is that something bad would happen. With money and media support each of these concerns can be overcome. Plus, even before the difficulties are surmounted, there are big benefits from just trying. Just pulling together a small random group of people and talking their picture, for instance, could be a benefit.. ... Also note: This is a not just a nice-to-have, hope-it-works type idea. ... We MUST start working together at the global level. And we MUST elevate our level of collective intelligence if we are to adequately manage our deteriorating global commons. ... Notice when you talk seriously with someone about society's problems. You are likely to hear a sentence starting with these three words: "We need to ... " That's how they deal with their anxiety, to present a solution as though it's something "we" can do. But until the global Wisdom Council Process is implemented there is no "We" to think through or enact any of the many solution ideas.
The secret to solving the big impossible-seeming global issues is to convene the missing, powerful "We the People" conversation enough to evolve a legitimate whole-system "We" ... and to transform the existing competitive System. Then "We" can start facing problems, thinking collaboratively, working together and providing responsible direction to national governments and institutions. Intelligent collective action becomes possible through an "ongoing whole-planet choice-creating conversation".
Breakthrough #14: Implementing a global Wisdom Council Process would transform economics as well as governance. (We call the new economic system: "ToBe-ism").
(Frequent reactions: Those in power, the capitalists, will never allow a new economic system. Isn't this just socialism? How can a new global conversation spark a new economics? How could such a conversation overturn the current entrenched system of capitalism and the orientation to consumption and profits?)
If the "competitors" are in-dependent competition can work. It need not just be win/lose. It can be win/win. But when the context changes so that participants are inter-dependent, then the competition turns lose/lose. Then it's like the heart and lungs competing for blood, where the body dies. ... By continuing to base our System on competition when we are interdependent we destroy our planet and our people.
What's needed isn't so hard to achieve. We just need to add the missing "We the People" conversation to what already exists. That is, we all need to stop periodically and step out of the competitive mode, and start talking about what's going on, what we all want and how to achieve it. This is where we stop mindlessly destroying the planet and start thinking as "We the People" to reshape things ... not just through politics ... but through recognizing what's needed and acting coherently to achieve it. This creates a shared vision and intelligent leadership to governments, to the marketplace and to the culture. The market is still there, but now there is also a shared understanding of what we need to do.
We call this new thoughtful economics "ToBe-ism" because it is new and different from capitalism, oligarchy, socialism, feudalism, communism, etc. And because it's about a new level of collective consciousness, added to what currently exists.
(Frequent reactions: Those in power, the capitalists, will never allow a new economic system. Isn't this just socialism? How can a new global conversation spark a new economics? How could such a conversation overturn the current entrenched system of capitalism and the orientation to consumption and profits?)
If the "competitors" are in-dependent competition can work. It need not just be win/lose. It can be win/win. But when the context changes so that participants are inter-dependent, then the competition turns lose/lose. Then it's like the heart and lungs competing for blood, where the body dies. ... By continuing to base our System on competition when we are interdependent we destroy our planet and our people.
What's needed isn't so hard to achieve. We just need to add the missing "We the People" conversation to what already exists. That is, we all need to stop periodically and step out of the competitive mode, and start talking about what's going on, what we all want and how to achieve it. This is where we stop mindlessly destroying the planet and start thinking as "We the People" to reshape things ... not just through politics ... but through recognizing what's needed and acting coherently to achieve it. This creates a shared vision and intelligent leadership to governments, to the marketplace and to the culture. The market is still there, but now there is also a shared understanding of what we need to do.
We call this new thoughtful economics "ToBe-ism" because it is new and different from capitalism, oligarchy, socialism, feudalism, communism, etc. And because it's about a new level of collective consciousness, added to what currently exists.
Breakthrough #15: Systems change and a legitimate "We the People" requires all of us to partake in a particular kind of thinking: choice-creating.
(Frequent reactions: Transforming the thinking of a culture takes hundreds of years, like with the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment. How can we expect to teach choice-creating to everyone fast enough to benefit? If you can't explain choice-creating adequately how can you teach it?)
The Scientific Revolution structured evidence and reason as being central to the whole idea of "truth". At the time this new approach confronted the powerful forces of authoritarianism, where the leader has a monopoly on the "truth". But now this rational, cognitive, evidence-based form of determining truth is running into trouble. Today's problems are complex and conspiracy theories can gain a huge following based on no evidence at all.
Because of the nature of facilitation, the next transformation of thinking can happen fast. We (a few of us) can use the Wisdom Council Process to facilitate the global system to start thinking at level of choice-creating. And in this new conversation we all co-determine "truth" together because we reach shared perspectives. It's simple, periodically, we randomly select a few people to meet and address big problems in the spirit of choice-creating. And we set things up so that all people are invited to participate. Science and reason come to the fore as we all acknowledge and accept feelings, emotions and intuitions. Through this process We determine "truth", "the Public Will" and "strategies" for change that address the global the pandemic, poverty, the rising threat of authoritarianism, etc. The ongoing nature of this process is a structural change that assures a transformation of The System ... quickly.
(Frequent reactions: Transforming the thinking of a culture takes hundreds of years, like with the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment. How can we expect to teach choice-creating to everyone fast enough to benefit? If you can't explain choice-creating adequately how can you teach it?)
The Scientific Revolution structured evidence and reason as being central to the whole idea of "truth". At the time this new approach confronted the powerful forces of authoritarianism, where the leader has a monopoly on the "truth". But now this rational, cognitive, evidence-based form of determining truth is running into trouble. Today's problems are complex and conspiracy theories can gain a huge following based on no evidence at all.
Because of the nature of facilitation, the next transformation of thinking can happen fast. We (a few of us) can use the Wisdom Council Process to facilitate the global system to start thinking at level of choice-creating. And in this new conversation we all co-determine "truth" together because we reach shared perspectives. It's simple, periodically, we randomly select a few people to meet and address big problems in the spirit of choice-creating. And we set things up so that all people are invited to participate. Science and reason come to the fore as we all acknowledge and accept feelings, emotions and intuitions. Through this process We determine "truth", "the Public Will" and "strategies" for change that address the global the pandemic, poverty, the rising threat of authoritarianism, etc. The ongoing nature of this process is a structural change that assures a transformation of The System ... quickly.
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