JES! nwformat inkijk 051114

JES!TowardsaJointEffortSociety
FrankvanEmpel&CaroSicking
JES!TowardsaJointEffortSociety
Firstpublishedase-book,August2013.
Publisher:Leanpub,Vancouver,CanadaincooperationwithStudiononfiXe,
Vught,theNetherlands.
ISBN:978.94.90665.104
Firstprintededition,March2014.
ISBN:978.94.90665.111
Coverimage:untitled,JoostSicking,mixedmedia,120x150cm,1985,detail
www.nonfixe.nl
StudiononfiXe,Vught,theNetherlands.
©Allrightsreserved.
TableofContents
Preface6
FromIndustrialtoSpiritualRevolution6
Reader’sguide9
Summary11
Theoverallconvenientaction11
Acknowledgements15
Footnotes16
Everywherepeopleask:‘WhatcanIactuallydo?’Theanswerisassimpleasit
isdisconcerting:wecan,eachofus,worktoputourinnerhouseinorder.The
guidanceweneedforthisworkcannotbefoundinscienceortechnology,the
valueofwhichutterlydependsontheendstheyserve;butitcanstillbefound
inthetraditionalwisdomofmankind.
E.F.Schumacher,SmallisBeautiful,EconomicsasifPeopleMattered.
Preface
FromIndustrialtoSpiritualRevolution
Thebeliefthateveryone,byvirtueofherorhishumanity,isentitledtocertain
unalienablefreedomsisrootedinearliertraditionanddocumentsofmany
cultures,butinthearenasofbrutemarketforceshumanrightsandneedshave
beencompletelymisunderstood.TheywereformulatedbyhigherSpirits.It
tookWorldWarIIasabeastlycatalysttopropelhumanrightsontothe
globalstageandintotheglobalconscience.PeoplelikeRobertSchuman–
oneofthefoundingfathersoftheEuropeanUnion–andEleanorRoosevelt
–co-initiatoroftheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights–pavedtheway
forthehumanrightsmovement.Themomentofglorycameinthesixtiesand
seventiesofthe20thcentury;hippiesandotheridealistsclaimedthepowerto
change,formercoloniesliberatedthemselvesfromtheirWesternrulersand
thefirststepstowardsa‘better’worldweresetinhappyoptimism.The
backlashcamealmostimmediately.
Endingthe1970’sconservatism&competitioninthepoliticalarenatookover
fromidealism&cooperation.Thedominantideologyofconservativepolitics
andneo-liberaleconomicssangthesameoldsong:enrichtherich,empower
theempowered,afterwhichthepoorwouldrisefromtheSwampofPoverty
&Injusticeinsomemiraculousmanner.Oneofthetuneswascalled:supply
sideeconomics.Criticsusetheterm‘trickle-down’economics.Themain
characteristicsofsupplysideeconomicswerelarge-scaletaxcutsfor
individualsandcorporations,deregulationofbusinessesandstrongincentives
forinvestment.Thiswouldleadtoeconomicgrowthandanaccumulationof
wealththatwould‘trickledown’theeconomy.Itsproponentsbelievedthat
makingtherichrichereventuallywouldhelpthepoorbecausethebenefitsof
anexpandingeconomywouldseepdowntothem.But,infact,thislastshackle
ofthechaingotlost.Andthisisexactlywhatwentwrong:Inequalitygrewlike
weedintheAmerica’sofRonaldReagan.
NotonlyintheUSAinequalitygrewduringthoseyears,allovertheworld
disparitiesincreased,despitehumanitarianaidanddevelopmentprogramsfor
thedevelopingcountriesandforthepooranddeprived.Especiallyonthe
Africancontinentthepopulationsufferedandwasunabletothrowoffthe
heritageofcolonialism.Warsandfaminesraged,andstilldo,overthe
continent.Ofthemanytheoriesandexplanationonthecauses,the
socio-psychologicalanalysisofJohnKennethGalbraithismuchreferredto.
HepublishedTheNatureofMassPoverty,attheeveofreturning
conservatismandneo-liberaleconomics,in1979.Galbraithblamede.g.
accommodationforbeingoneofthepsychologicalforcesofthepovertytrap.
Thestrategytoaccommodateisarationalact,sinceimprovementofthe
circumstancesoflifeseemsimpossibletothosewhohavesuffereddeprivation
alreadyforgenerations.Noreasonableindividualspillsenergyifthereisno
gaintoexpectfromtheeffort.Accommodationcanonlybeattackedby
examplesofsuccessfulescape.Migrantsandrevolutionariesareamongthe
frontsoldiersthatbattleaccommodation.Theypossessthewilltosucceedand
showtheirpeersthatescapeispossible,bringingenergyanddynamicsfor
changetothecommunity.
Togetheralleconomic,political,ecological,socio-culturalandpsychological
developmentshaveleft1,2billion–andprobablymore–peopleintheworld
starving.Theyliveonlessthan$1aday.InAfrica46%ofthepopulation
1
earnslessthan$1aday. Itisoneofthekeyproblemsandmajorsocietal
threatsoftoday.
JES!Towardsajointeffortsocietyisanattempttocontributetothe
reductionofpovertyandinjustice.Itadvocatesfundamentalhumanfreedoms
andpromotestostimulateself-reliance.ProfessorofPhilosophy(University
ofCalifornia)PaulFeyerabendprovidedthemottoforthisadventure:‘Ifwe
wanttounderstandwhatisgoingonandifwewanttochangewhatdispleases
usthenwehavetoknowboththenatureoftheworldandofhumanbeings
2
andwealsohavetoknowhowtheyfittogether’.
So…
AsopposedtotheHistoricalMaterialismofKarlMarxthisbookproposes
HistoricalSpiritualism;
AsopposedtoDarwin’sEvolutionthisbookproposesEcolution;
AsopposedtoafocusonProduction&Consumption(Wants)thisbook
stressesNeeds&Opportunities;
AsopposedtoGalbraith’sAffluentSocietythisbookpromotesaJointEffort
Society(JES)aspartofaSpiritual&MoralRevolution.Itisanaturalfollow
upofMaterialism,whichdominatedthelasttwohundredandfiftyyears.
Writingforabetterworldimpliesstartingadialoguewithscholarswhowent
therebefore,learnoftheirthoughtsandmeaningsandmakenew
combinations,andwhiledoingsocreatingafreshvisiononwhatsociety
needstodayandtomorrowmorning.Whiletomorrowafternoon,hopefully,
somebodyelsewillfurtherthediscussion.ThispersonwillrejectpartsofJES!
andwillembraceotherpieces.Sheorhewillcreatesomethingnew,again,and
soon.Thisistheprocessoflearningwecall‘ecolution’andthathastogoon
andontohigherplateausofawareness.Thisbookispartofthisneverending
story.
Pleasejointhedialogue:www.ecolutie.nl
Frank&Caro
Reader’sguide
IntheNorthlifeisfocusedononepurpose:bringingorderinchaos.Still
chaosistherule,andsoisdisequilibrium.Order,linearityandbalancearethe
exceptions.Onestrategyofpoliticiansandpolicymakersistobreaktherule
andtrytobeatNature.Theother,morerealistic,strategyistogetusedto
chaosandtrytolivewithit.Chaoshasacharmingsidetoit.Itleavesroom
forcreation.
Chaosisasystem,likeallothers.Ithasstructure.Itisnotpureanarchy.There
aresomeorderingprinciplesunderneathallthings.Thingsthatpresent
themselvesassignsandcluestofollowupon.Onehastotryandlookatthe
thingsbehindthethings,therelationsandatthepatternsunderneath.
Aclarifyingdiscoverywasthatofarhizome.Arhizomeislikearootstock,a
networkedherbthatgrowsundergroundwithnootherorderingprinciple
thanthesearchforfertileearth,waterandsunlight.Therootstockis
indestructible,unlessthegardeneruseschemicalsorpatiently,meticulously
andcontinuously,keepsonweeding.DeleuzeandGuattariwroteonthe
3
rhizome :‘Letussummarizetheprincipalcharacteristicsofarhizome:unlike
treesortheirroots,therhizomeconnectsanypointtoanyotherpoint,andits
traitsarenotnecessarilylinkedtotraitsofthesamenature;itbringsintoplay
verydifferentregimesofsigns,andevennonsignstates.Therhizomeis
reducibleneithertotheOnenorthemultiple.’‘Itiscomposednotofunits
butofdimensions,orratherdirectionsinmotion.Ithasneitherbeginningnor
end,butalwaysamiddle(milieu)fromwhichitgrowsandwhichitoverspills.
Itconstituteslinearmultiplicitieswithndimensionshavingneithersubject
norobject,whichcanbelaidoutonaplaneofconsistency,andfromwhich
theOneisalwayssubtracted(n–1).’
JES!isarhizomeofwordsandconcepts.Thereisnobeginning,neitheran
end.Youcanplungeintoitateveryparagraphandfindadimensionora
directioninmotion.Alwaysinmotion,indevelopment.Allpagestogether
formanetworkthatmaybehardtooverseeorsummarize,butthatoffersan
intuitivevisionforadirectionsocietyandindividualsinthatsocietycan
choose.Searchingfertilegroundsisdonewithoutamap,becauseassoonas
themapisdrawnthelandhasturnedinfertileorovercrowded.Assoonasa
societyisdescribed,developmentshavetakenadifferentcourseandthe
societyhaschanged.Onlythingsthataredeadanddonecanberightfully
describedinalinearway,becausethemotionstopped,the‘thing’isfinished,it
hasbecomesomethingwithabeginningandanend,historyhasentered.In
thatcasethehindsightcandothetrick,butforlivingorganisms,underwhich
wereckonallsystems,justlookingbackisnotsufficientforthereisnothing
linearbetweenthepast,thepresentandthefuture.
Therhizomeneedstobeapproachedfromthemiddle,whichcanbeatany
placeofthenetwork.Tofinditweneedtodevelopatleastanunderstanding
ofhowitworks.Understandinggoesbeyondknowledgeorinformation,
althoughthesearerequired.Understandingneedscontexttooaswellas
experience.Alltheseelementscometogetherinintuition,whichenablesa
persontodancewithsystems.Dancingistheonlyeffectivewaytointerfere,as
4
DonellaMeadowsstated.
Apersoncanstarttounderstandherorhissurroundingsandcircumstances
onceknowledgeandinformationareembeddedinacontext.Acontextthat
changeswithtimeandplace.Itneedstoberesearchedcarefullybefore
applyingecolution.
Thetheoryofecolutionintroducesamethodandtoolboxforchange.Please
keepinmindthatthisisaprocess,anongoingdevelopment.Thetoolboxis
justasdynamicasrealityis.Itcontainsconcepts,whichareplansforaction
thatarevariableandmultiple.Eachperson,communityororganizationcan
thinkoftheirown.Sevencriteriatoselectconceptssupportthechoicefor
constructiveplans.
Thematchofcontextandconceptofferscontent,itstirsthemindtochange
andgivesmeaningtotheplan.Theideabecomesrealityandevolves,new
ideassprout,unknownterritorywillbediscovered.Everytimethisoccurs,
societydevelopstowardsahigherecological,economic,societaland
psychologicallevelinthedirectionofajointeffortsociety.
Summary
Theoverallconvenientaction
Wearehavingawaragainstthepoor,awarbythecomfortableagainsttheunfortunate
J.K.Galbraith
5
Thewarbetweenrichandpoorisgoingonsince250yearsagoglobalwealth
rocketedontoanearlyverticalgrowthcurvethatwearestillclimbingtoday.
Thecreationofwealthbyamixoftechnologiesandorganizationalcapacityof
humanbeingsduringtheIndustrialRevolutionwasaccompaniedby
increasinginequality.SocialDarwinismintroducedtheconceptof‘survivalof
thefittest’inordertojustifyclassinequalities,racism,colonialismandother
socialinjustices.Simultaneouslymankindplunderedtheearthanddestroyed
allkindsoflifecycles.
TheIndustrialRevolutionnotonlycausedacivilwaronglobalscalebetween
richandpoor,butalsoawarofhumanityagainstnatureandintheendof
humanbeingsasaspeciesagainsttheirown.SincetheIndustrialRevolution
startedinEngland-afterwhichitbecameaworldhit-humanityfailedto
resisttheinnerdestructivepowersandexpressedthisinbehaviour,
technologies,institutes,decisionmaking,procedures,culturesandsocial
orders.
Despitegoodintentionsandsignificantadvancesmankindfailedtosolve
growingecological,economic,socialandpsychologicalproblemsonglobal
scale.Worldwidewedidn’ttemperthepopulationgrowthenough.Wedidn’t
shareenough.Wedidn’tlearnandwedidn’tjoineffortsenoughsoeverybody
onEarthcanleadalifeofameaningfulwellbeing.Wefailedtoconserve
resourcesandtosafeguardlife-supportingeco-systems.Wedidn’tsecurethe
cleanwatersupply,didn’tstopthedeclineofbio-diversity,andwere
unsuccessfulatbeatingslavery,educatingchildren,banningarmsand
preventingwars.
Wecanblameitonthesystem,onourgrandparentswhotookwrong
decisions,butthatdoesn’thelp.Afterall,thesystems,processes,structures
andculturesthathaveputusontheslopetodestructionareself-made.Now
we’llhavetouseourfantasy,creativity,energyandwillpowertosteerthe
wholedevelopmentintoasustainabledirection.
Thiswillnotbeeasy.Systemsarehardtosteer.Especiallythebottomuptype
whichcanbedefinedasarhizome.Onecannotpredicttheoutcomeof
interventions.Thereforeinterveningrequiressensitivity,agilityandflexibility,
butaboveallawareness.
Oneofthesystemsthatgotoutofcontrolandsweptecologicalandsocial
fabricsalongistheeconomic.Economistshavebeenonthelook-outfor
equilibriumofdemandandsupplyfor250years.Suchfreemarket
equilibrium,broughttoexistencebytheInvisibleHand,wouldtakecareofa
fairdistributionofgoods.
However,thereisonebigproblem:theeconomicsystemisopentoavariety
ofinfluences(impulses,greed,irrationaldecisions,fears)andasaconsequence
permanentoutofbalance.Assoonasonemarkettendstobalance,itis
thrownoffagainbyanothermarket.Intherealworldrationalexpectations
andforecastsdon’tmakesense.Peopleareguidedbyanimalspiritsthat
disorganize,disorderanddeconstructthelinearmodelsthateconomistshave
built.Tensionsandvibrationshavemoretodowithpsychology,biologyand
quantummechanics.Nothingisfixedorcertain,especiallynotinacomplex
world.Disequilibriumistheruleandequilibriumistherareexception.
Thecurrentsituationrequiresdifferentaxioms,paradigmsandattitudes.
Climatechangeandmassdeprivationdonotstopatbordersoratthefenceof
agatedcommunity.Thereismuchtogainfortheso-calledwinnersaswellas
forlosers.
Todaytheoverallconvenientactionisnotfight&dividebutworktogether&
unite.Cooperationleadstodifferentparadigmsonsharingandaccumulative
learning.Itenhancessocialfabricsandismorelikelytocomeupwithdurable
solutionsforthecurrentglobalissuesthancompetitionandthefreemarket
mechanism.Thelatterencourageafightofallagainstall,leavingus-mankind
-aslosers.
Inacooperativeenvironment,theeconomybecomesembeddedinand
supportiveofsocialandecologicalgoals,asitshouldbe.Cooperationisone
oftheconceptsthatcanaddnewmeaningtobeingpartofasociety.
ThemovementawayfromcompetitionreplacestheAffluentSocietywitha
newpoliticalengagementmodel:theJointEffortSociety.Ajointeffort
societyisafreeassociationofindividuals.Allcontribute,cooperateandcocreateaccordingtotheirabilityandoutoffreewillandallreapthefruits.
Suchasocietyhasahealthyrelationshipwithnature,understandsthe
interconnectednessandreciprocityofsystemsandaimsatthewellbeingofall
people,hereandnow,thereandlater.Theincrementalprogresstohigher
levelsofwellbeingiscalledecolution.
Ecolutionimposeschangesinthedirectionofajointeffortsociety.The
theoryofecolutionisbasedontheprincipleideathatchangesarebrought
aboutbydeconstruction.Dissent,diversity,varietyanddisorderpreventor
stoptheslackthatisthepresentimentofanysystem-asociety,company,even
thebodyandmindofasingleperson.Thepowertodifferavertsfallinginto
thedestructionphase.
Ecolutionisthetypeofdeconstructionthatleadstoahigherecological,
economic,socialandpsychologicalleveleachtimeapersonororganization
acts.Vigilantindividualsandgrowingawarenessarecrucial.Asocietyis
createdbythepeopleinit,asmuchasthepeoplearetheproductoftheir
society.Thetheoryofecolutionthereforeapproachesbothsides:thewhole
andtheindividual.
Thetheoryofecolutioncontainsaconceptualframework,toolboxand
methodtointerferewhen,orbefore,asystemdevelopsdestructivetendencies.
Theapproachiscomprisedinamodelforstrategyandvisioncreationthatis
dynamicandsensitive,alwaysonthemove,checkingandbalancingandthat
allowstodecideonsharedprincipleswhattodototransformadevelopment
andreachtowardsahigherlevelofwellbeingforall.
Thisbookisacallforpositiveaction.JES!TowardsaJointEffortSociety
describesthecontextoftodayandcomesupwithconcepts(plansforaction)
todeconstructandchangedestructionintoconstruction.Insystemlanguage:
itlearnspeopleandorganizationstolookforleverpoints(deconstruction)
thattakethewellbeingofmorethan7billionpeopletoahigherleveleach
timeweact.
Thetrendtowardsajointeffortsocietyisalreadyvisibleinthenicheof
society,intheconceptualframeworkoforganizationsliketheEUandtheUN
andintheworkingsanddoingsofmanyindividualsandcommunities.These
arethepromisingsproutsforthefuture.
Nowlet’sact!
Acknowledgements
JES!startedasatranslationinEnglishofthethesisAllemaalWinnenFrank
6
co-authored.TheoriginalideacamefromDonaldHuisingh whose
enthusiasmfusedtheproject.AllemaalWinnenresearchedregional
sustainabledevelopment,usingtheDutchprovinceNoord-Brabantasastudy
case.TogetherwithMartinBakker,Frankdesignedamatrix,toolboxandnew
conceptualframeworkfordevelopmentcalledecolution.Donaldthoughtthe
bookshouldbeavailabletootherthanDutchreadersaswell.
Mostwritersandthinkerswillagreethattranslatingoldworkisnotsomuch
funascomingupwithsomethingnew.WealreadywerebeyondAllemaal
Winnen.Thereforewedecidedtotakethebeefoutofit-matrix,toolbox,
conceptualframework-andapplythesetotheworld,whileimprovingonthe
theoryandwalkingthetalk.
Donaldkeptpace,morethanthat,hekeptinspiringandbeingcritical.
FoundingfatheroftheDutchAssociationofIntegralBiologicalArchitects,
7
VIBA,PeterSchmid didthesame.Thesetwomentorsandfriendswere,and
stillare,withusalltheway,providinginsights,adviceandrecommending
bookstoread.
Wealsohavetothankourchildren,adoptedchildren,friendsandfamilyfor
providinguswithreallifeopportunitiestoapplythetheoryofajointeffort
society.ManydinersthathavebeendevotedtodiscussingJES!andtheories
havebeenappliedastry-out,sometimesmoresuccessfulthanothers.
Thepeoplesurroundingusareabunchofmavericks,freedomfighters,
musicians,artists,moviemakers,ict-ers,entrepreneurs,writersandthinkers.
Togethertheyformaninternationalcommunitywithoutborders.Someare
veryyoung,othersalreadyreachedarespectableage,butallareyoungin
spirit.Notintheleastourparents.JanandRietvanEmpel,whoattheageof
88supportedinmorethanoneway.JoostandHelmaSicking,whonolonger
inhabitthisplanet,haveleftustheiridealsandworksofartthatstillinspire.
Notintheleastwethankyou,reader,foryourinterest.Wehopeyouwilljoin
usonthejourneytoajointeffortsociety.Pleasedoshareyourthoughts,
commentsandquestionswithyourfriendsandwithus,sowecanimprove
JES!andmakeithappen.
FrankvanEmpel&CaroSicking
frank@nonfixe.nl
caro@nonfixe.nl
January2014,Vught,TheNetherlands
Footnotes
Aantekeningen
[←1]
3.000.000.000peoplehavetolivefrom$2aday.WorldBank,World
DevelopmentReport,2000-2001,22
[←2]
PaulFeyerabend,TheTyrannyofScience,PolityPress,2011,p.10
[←3]
GillesDeleuzeandFélixGuattari,aThousandPlateaus,Capitalismand
Schizophrenia,Continuum,2008,p.23
[←4]
DonellaMeadows,ThinkinginSystems,Earthscan,2009
[←5]
Dr.JohnKennethGalbraithspring1996,interviewwiththe
InternationalHarvardReview
[←6]
Prof.DonaldHuisingh,InstituteforaSecureandSustainable
Environment,UniversityofTN,Knoxville,USA.
[←7]
Prof.EmeritusTU/eMag.Arch.Eng.Dr.h.c.PeterSchmid,RED
ResearchEducationDesigninScienceArtTechnologyfor
PeacefulSustainableDevelopment