I find this set of definitions presents a guidance-laden worldview based on an expanded application of the evolutionary principle of “fit”. Fit – having qualities that match the realities and demands of a context (situation, environment) — usuall…
It seems the there’s a hot proposal in California to convene a constitutional convention in the form of a randomly selected citizen deliberative council — and to make the ability to do that, as needed, part of the law of the State. This would be …
I just got off a conference call workshop in which the facilitator repeatedly maintained that “it all starts with the individual”, in the sense that an individual has to do their own developmental and “get your life together” work in order to be i…
Social power is the ability of people and groups with wealth, position, notoriety, etc., to influence others. Social power enables those who hold it to gain more social power. There are ample examples of this magnifying (or “positive feedback”) dy…
When you are standing on the edge of a cliff, a step forward is not progress. — Anonymous Juliet Eilperin’s 9/25/09 Washington Post article “New Analysis Brings Dire Forecast of 6.3-Degree Temperature Increase” http://bit.ly/6degreesWarmer descri…
In my hometown of Eugene, Oregon, the City has chosen to explore the issues of climate change and energy challenges through the lens of six topics – * Buildings and Energy * Food and Agriculture * Land Use and Transportation * Consumption and Wast…
Howard Silverman of Ecotrust referred me to an article “Can Science be ‘Humanized’?” from Columbia Journalism Review http://bit.ly/KH8kf which is concerned with the struggle between science and the humanities in education and political life. The c…
A sociology student in France wrote to me, saying I’m interested in the concept of “collective intelligence”. When I referred to Wikipedia, it was explained like this: “the anti-globalization movement relies heavily on e-mail, cell phones, pagers,…
I believe there is an emerging movement increasingly focused on the conscious evolution of social systems. It hasn’t landed on a broadly agreeable name or identity, but I see a number of trends converging toward a common ground from fields as dive…
A friend wrote me “What is the distinction for a general reader between a Citizen Jury and Deliberative Poll?” Here’s my answer: A Citizens Jury is very analogous to a regular jury, but it is considering a public issue instead of the responsibilit…