The Challenge of Movements

Where do we go from here?

There is a challenge in creating a movement for positive change. Harmony of People and Planet is often seen as a high-minded or impossible feat. It isn't a kumbaya kind of experience at all, though it may be for some. What is it, then? Perhaps we experience chaos and confusion because we have had no mindful recognition, let alone integration, of the inherent patterns that keep us agitated or feeling unrest.

In contemplating the roll out of a change in the organizational structure of a state or nation there are some very simple, albeit challenging, processes involved. Traditionally, movements stem from an individual or small collective of dedicated individuals. Today, many are capable and willing to initiate change themselves, though they aren’t necessarily connected. Across the country, small groups of people are gathering to share their skill sets as they collaborate toward building better communities and eventually a nation.

As a strategist with a background in project and organizational management, I’ve had a passion and penchant for putting people, places and things together to do some pretty cool stuff. I’ve had some success in a variety of industries: aerospace; building, road and bridge construction; education; entertainment; and special events. I’ve found happy people with the right tools and training get more done with less supervision. It’s almost a flat-line organizational structure organically evolving in an effort to serve the needs of the job, which I’ve called ‘jobarchy.’ It inspires bridge-building and collaboration.

I’m going to dive in to talking about the nuts and bolts of progressive change. From an organizational standpoint, it takes clusters or groups of dedicated individuals strewn across the country, even around the world for maximum effect. Those clusters or nodes are connected through a network, whether intranet or internet, and able to access profiles, portfolios and projects that combine co-working, complementary skillsets and even incubator-type environments. I created a co-working and incubator space rationale with statistics for a municipality you can find here.

Meeting the Challenge in Creating a Movement

As diverse as the playing field may be, like the 12-sector co-creation wheel used by the Humanity’s Team and Thrive organizations, the capacity for organizing local groups rests in the self-initiated, those who are driven to find, facilitate and support practical mysticism in their local communities. I say ‘practical mysticism’ because the process embraces awareness of and conscious behaviors within community action. The experience is sometimes akin to the ‘Law of Attraction’ on steroids as people, places and things seem to magically appear to those who are actively and selflessly serving the cause.

To date there have been numerous online and on-ground communities that have been attempting to gather like-minded folks together, but the obvious self-centered activity seems to be driving the bus. The notion of leadership seems to be stuck in last century ideas of competition, control and submission. Heretics are still not tolerated when the status quo needs the bar raised or their heart-drives upgraded. Every question needs to be better than the last and they all have answers that guide progress, some of them ripping apart the operating system in place.

I coined a term over a decade ago that seemed perfect in relationship to describing the ultimate structure of project management: jobarchy – the job is the boss and everyone wins. Personal and hidden agendas have no place in the process and impede progress of the challenge in creating a movement toward peace. There is no Ego without WEgo in such instances as the progress occurs at the speed of surrender to it. The synergy of best practices across multiple platforms is facilitated by leaders who practice this understanding, ultimately being able to combine authority and conviction that guides by example.

Result in Action

The challenge in creating a movement begins with cooperation. What we are ultimately seeking to do is facilitate a change in the power structure of our country, perhaps the world, putting the people back in the picture instead of the corporatocracy and profit-driven agendas. How we do that is up to each one of us and our willingness to step up to the challenge. Fearlessness in the face of challenge is a key factor; not that we ignore the potential risks, but we develop plans and strategies that eliminate the potential risk by making them so profoundly logical that the sense made common naturally removes all concerns. That takes a lot of preparation, applying knowledge and understanding of the hard and soft skills of organizational management.

On a practical political no-nonsense level, the results are driven by developing support for those who (by their demonstration) have proven legal, moral and ethical behavior beyond question in their communities. These proven vetted leaders, provided they are willing, are perfect to place in political positions in order to guide their communities and engage their constituents in making better decisions. Cash is no longer king… data is divine. Research and technology are key components of creating consistent and clear communication that can be shared across intelligence levels… making sense even more common.

Now we’re faced with creating the impetus for people to get involved; get out of their homes and join in the process. Festivals have long been a community favorite and draw folks out for the opportunity for fun and enjoyment of a variety of activities, education and entertainment… edutainment if you will. Festivals of all kinds have been a part of our lives for as long as I can remember. Well-crafted and strategically planned events can and do provide opportunities for the collection of data and interested individuals for further engagement.

Whether or not the strategy for change is implemented on a large scale remains to be seen. For now, just the explanation of it seeds the thoughtmosphere for those who might feel attracted to such a purpose. I’m well aware that some concepts and possibilities are ahead of their time, yet over time they find their way into the world and become amazingly effective. Perhaps this can be so for our country and world eventually. Sense made common includes the move toward harmony among people and planet.

Can the First Follower Fuel the Foundation?

Derek Siver’s TED talk about creating a movement starts with the ‘First Follower’ and organically grows through inspired participation and self-initiated activity. The video presents the notion that exponential growth can happen very quickly when people are inspired to act in concert. Coming out of the pandemic, people are seeking each other again, reconnecting and restoring basic principles of living together peacefully and sustainably, potentially thriving as humanity comes together.

There is a global peace movement that began in August of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, currently with 30 chapters in 19 countries. You might have guessed, it’s called The Live and Let Live Global Peace Movement. It seeks to rally planetary citizens in uniting through a simple agreement on principle – Don’t be an Aggressor and Be a Good Human.

In that two-fold principle, the intent is to inspire people to address the legal systems in the world to affect change where it is most effective in calibrating them for freedom – the Legal Principle (Non-Aggression). Aggression in any form is no longer tolerable. We don’t have to go to war to change it. In fact, war is the economy that has fueled fear and insecurity world wide. It’s time we changed that.

Being a Good Human, the Moral Principle, is different for everyone, yet consistent with aspirations for virtues that imbue our lives with peace. This is the ‘grey area’ where folks gather to understand each other through facilitated activities and discourse in a psychologically safe and intellectually humble environment. Only then can we learn to work together better and more effectively in co-creating peace in our homes, communities, companies, regions, countries and the world.

Perhaps the most important effort in the world is underway right now and you are invited to join, whether it is the Live and Let Live Movement or by choosing to be a better human by example. The Live and Let Live Global Peace Movement is a serious effort undertaken by people worldwide who desire to live together in freedom and peace… the Moral Principle. We are united by a commitment to oppose all forms of aggression whether instituted by any person, group, organization, or government, and to inspire people to be good humans – the Legal Principle. We must succeed. It is our time and season.

Despite firm, good faith disagreements on many issues, if we unite around one important fundamental principle, Live and Let Live, we could achieve and maintain freedom and peace in a way that optimizes human happiness and wellbeing better than ever previously achieved in human history. WE can do it!

Thanks for letting me into your hearts and minds for the moment. I believe we are on the cusp of destiny in our time, with so many factors pointing toward the need to come together for peace and our success in accomplishing it this century.