Einstein: “We cannot solve issues with the same way of thinking that created them”.

“So we need to change our way of thinking”, Jean-Paul Close

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations can be seen as unprecedented consequences of a way of thinking and structuring society. This way was highly successful in the past when the human population and planetarian resources could still be balanced within a political, social and economic reality. Now it cannot anymore. We draw a line and which we all take “the next step”. That is the motivation of the Global STIR Summit. Just watch a short and challenging video impression

https://youtu.be/T6alyjnbp_A

So we need to change our way of thinking. To do that we introduce the 5 core natural human values for Sustainable human progress as well as our shared responsability between citizens and institutions to assure this values at all times. This is what we are going to practice during the Summit, just to get a feel what it is to reason using a different reference framework than what we are used to.

For 10 years now this reference framework developed in the Netherlands and resulted into different multidisciplinary communities. Two will be highlighted, AiREAS and COS3i. AiREAS signs up with 21 municipalities to work on health and habitat together with citizens through open governance and participation.

more information and registration

Two programs will run intertwined in October: one for current institutions and citizen representations, one for innovative, participatory learning for students within the upcoming generations.

Jean-Paul Close _ Founder STIR

Excitement about the beautiful acceptance of our summit among values driven leadership across the world.

The first Global STIR Summit will be helt in Octobre 2019 from 2nd till 5th, in the home of Sustainocracy, Eindhoven. Global leadership of values driven initiatives will be present as we engage the participants into co-creation of our core natural human values, solving at the same time the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, climat problems and creating a healthy evolutionary perspective for ourselves, our species and our institutions.

In this blog I will provide information about the growing acceptation of top influencers of the world to attend and join our global co-creation mission. This first Summit is prelude to engagement summits around the world in the coming years. It is key to be present right from the start.

More on the Summit and registration

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About 70 individuals, from about 30 different nationalities, turned up for our monthly social picnic. Today started as an unstable summer day, weather wise. The picnic required at least dry grass for the participants to sit. With the possibility of many no shows we decided to go ahead and take the risk. The enormous affluence was a warm surprise to us as organizers.

The potluck was richly filled again with food and drinks. People gathered in groups for talks. Some walked in a bit shy as newcomers, needing a bit of help to connect. By doing this through positive engagement we learned that some only arrived in town days ago and attended, with the desire to meet people.

For the first time we had decided to introduce some activities that would enhance further mingling and engagement. There is always a risk of over-organizing events when people are free to do their own thing. Finding a balance in organizing stuff for or with people, and allowing things to happen spontaneously, simply because we create the space and opportunity for it, is worth exploring. Our common goal is social inclusion and integration. Is it enough to organize the picnic and let people figure out their own inclusion process? Or do they still need some extra facilitation? When do we risk to patronize? And when do we facilitate or guide?

We observe the group of 70, relatively passive, sitting together, peacefully chatting, finding their way to the potluck table, engaging or not with some guitar music. It becomes hard as organiser to find the desire to disrupt this beauty with some workshop announcement. Eventually we did.

We announced a speed date encounter for new friendships. To our surprise about 40%, 25 persons stood up. We then understood that the passive attitude of the group was just a time filling behavior waiting for a little bit of leadership to get them on the move. We learned to “never underestimate the needs of a passive community”. The gratitude displayed during and after the workshop was overwhelming. A new milestone was achieved in our own awareness and techniques for a yet higher purpose, our participation society (Sustainocracy).

Suddenly we can ask ourselves the question of engaging the world of the commons in general? Is the seemingly passive attitude around global pollution, climate issues and social challenges, just a misjudged appearance? What if we find the right trigger for positive engagement, like we did today during the picnic? A challenging thought worth exploring further …..