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possible new mailing list?
Dear friends, I have posted this message because I feel it is a subject
which effects us all, and no matter what our specific interests, skills or
activities, it always has a part to play. I am researching the possibility
of a new internet mailing list, to discuss issues concerned with visioning,
or visualization. More specifically eco-visioning.
Why is it that there are so many public sources which inform people about
the past, eg. museums, history books etc., whilst there are so few resources
which strive to circulate information within the general public about the
future ?
Is it not the case that people have a major input on, and that our thoughts,
dreams and expectations are all designs for the future ? Also, is it not the
case that if the main body of the planet's population are to adopt
ecological lifestyles, then before any change takes place we must visualise
en masse how such a society would function ? Is not visioning the first step
in the transformation from a 'destructoculture' to a permanent culture ? If
people can't envision a peacefull ecological society, then how can we ever
expect to achieve such a world ?
Here are a couple of examples to help explain what I mean:
I grew up in rural England, surrounded by extensive agriculture. It didn't
appeal to me, seemingly crude and mechanistic. If this was working with
nature, then I wanted little to do with it. A few years back, I discovered
Permaculture. I quickly built up a vision of a harmonious relationship
between human settlement and nature. Since then, I have strived to work ever
closer with the natural world.
In 1994, I spent several months working with a group of progressive people,
developing LETS (Local Exchange Trading Systems). Prior to this experience,
I was often filled with despair. Life was harshly competitive, with the
prime objective seemingly to acquire more ... of everything. Whilst working
on LETS, I saw for the first time, that life doesn't have to be like this,
and that all people can work in cooperation with each other and with the
natural environment, and at their natural pace.
These are both examples of how our expectations of the future can be raised
through the creation of new visions. We can use visualization as a tool to
demonstrate to others how a peaceful and ecological society would function,
and in so doing, raise their expectations of life, and impetus to change.
Possible discussions on the mailing list could include:
- how we visualise,
- how we can pass on our visions to other people,
- means for developing, or expanding our own visions and expectations of the
future,
- how we integrate personnal visions to form a mass of people working
towards a common objective,
- what kind of visions are important for an ecological society.
This is new ground for me, but I see many open doors lying ahead. I would
welcome any constructive conversation around the subject. Also votes; yeah
or nay as to whether it's a worth-while subject for a mailing list ...
Yours, Rob Squires.
Rob Squires of CTCSystems | http://www.u-net.com/~yesyou
Communitarianist | E:mail - robgil@yesyou.u-net.com
========================= + ===========================================
Gill Ellison | http://www.connect.org.uk/merseyworld/ACSH/
Age Concern - St.Helens | E:mail -robgil@yesyou.u-net.com