Our weekly School of Talents & Wellness participatory learning session today got us to ask ourselves “how we can engage people and institutions into values driven change?” An interesting exchange of views followed. You can enjoy it here. Nex time you may wish to participate…

During our interactions with people often the confusion appears among these two terms. Awareness and consciousness. For many they are the same but they are not.

• Awareness according wikipedia “Awareness is the state of being conscious of something”
• Consciousness according wikipedia is “the awareness of internal or external existence”

This may still be confusing even though an interesting differentiator is introduced: “existence”

A tree may be aware of autumn to drop its leaves, but is it conscious of this reaction to autumn? Is it for the tree an automated or voluntary issue? Does the tree “think” about it? Could it for instance decide NOT to drop the leaves this year?

This could provide insight in the difference to be aware through sensing (see, hear, smell, taste, touch and more) and acting accordingly. And to be conscious of ones senses and actions through interpretation, rationalization, comparison of those senses and the actions one takes, in order to make self aware choices.

The question then arises about the human being. We are obviously aware. But to what degree are we conscious? Are there levels of consciousness? For instance, can an executive banker be totally blind to the effects of his or her decisions? In believe they can. Their particular tunnel vision does not make them sensitive to a bigger picture. They are aware, not conscious, at least not conscious enough to question their activities and think of something else.

A typical example we can find in the so called “credit crisis” of 2008. When the crisis exploded the European ministers instantly joined overnight in Brussels to discuss the consequences. Why didn’t they react before? Why were they surprised by the circumstances? Why did they decide to do financial injections into the financial markets rather than into different value systems? Did they learn a lesson? Or are they fixated within the mindset of the establishment? Does this provide them with a biased consciousness? Maybe a lack of a broader awareness?

How about ourselves?

Our global School of Talents and Wellness attracts all kinds of people from around the world. All are invited by Jean-Paul Close to use their own expertise within the vision of Sustainocracy (core natural human values and democracy) to come up with global or local programs. During previous sessions, including the ones organized by Dr. Mahendra Shah under the title of Earth Odyssey, we got to four propositions:

• Sustainability or Health Valleys near urban areas. In analogy of the old establishment of Silicon Valley like industrial zones near cities we could organize Sustainability Valleys. The SDGs and Sustainocratic core human values could be developed in such areas with the engagement of the local community of citizen’s and institutions.
• Zero tolerance. It is gradually unacceptable that institutions operate in a “negative values” environment (abuse of human beings, society and planet) out of pure financial benefit. The alternative is defined using instruments like UNITED and the 4 x Profit/Value principles for genuin participation in core values creation. In 2020 we speak out the Zero Tolerance to be fully applied in society against anyone (business or politics) as from 2030, providing a voluntary 10 year transition period. During those 10 years severe cases will be prosecuted already to create precedents and warning signals to those who are reluctant. As from 2030 the abuse is seen as a crime against humity and our living planet.
• LYPS – Let Your Passion Shine: Showing the positive, passion driven initiatives, large and small, of people in the field of values creation, creativity and expressionist art. We use video platforms, social media, etc to inspire, build awareness and visualize back practice measured against the core values, UNITED, 4 x Profit, etc.
• Engaging our youngest generations and schools into the School of Talents and Wellness. Young people are trapped into a old scholing system that pays no attention the essentials of living a progressive life. There future is not based anymore of the old thinking of a job for life and obedience within a system. Their empathy towards the planet, our fellow human beings and the challenges we face, require the development of the creative innovative potential, addressing phenomena and root causes rather that sustaining the unsustainable.

The discussion went into a specific direction, an open reflection. Feel free to listen to the dialogue as it builds up. Relevant information can be found here:

• Shinrin Yuko Forest Bathing immunity Therapy (Bali Zen Resort)
• Computational thinking (Barry Kort)
• Cognition, Affect and Learning (Barry Kort)
• Redefining Human Complexities (Jean-Paul Close)

Present during todays dialogue about these issues and bringing them into our practical reality are:

• Jean-Paul Close (Netherlands)- invitation to participate, moderator and initiator of Sustainocracy
• Dr. Mahendra Shah (India/Bali)- old United Nations executive, currently owner of a Zen Resort on Bali and initiator of Earth Odyssey
• Zvi Weinstein (Israel)- Israel Smart City institute
• Heiner Benking (Germany)-
• Eugen Oetringer (Germany/Netherlands) – Agile coach
• Barry Kort (USA) – the theory of emotions and learning
• Ukpeme Okon (Nigeria/USA)- lawyer, ambassador of peace
• Stavey Druss (USA) –
• Terry van de Vossenberg (Netherlands) – Sustainocratic initiative developer