JES!TowardsaJointEffortSociety

FrankvanEmpel&CaroSicking

JES!TowardsaJointEffortSocietyFirstpublishedase-book,August2013.Publisher:Leanpub,Vancouver,CanadaincooperationwithStudiononfiXe,Vught,theNetherlands.ISBN:978.94.90665.104Firstprintededition,March2014.ISBN:978.94.90665.111Coverimage:untitled,JoostSicking,mixedmedia,120x150cm,1985,detail

www.nonfixe.nlStudiononfiXe,Vught,theNetherlands.©Allrightsreserved.

TableofContentsPreface6FromIndustrialtoSpiritualRevolution6

Reader’sguide9

Summary11Theoverallconvenientaction11

Acknowledgements15

Footnotes16

Everywherepeopleask:‘WhatcanIactuallydo?’Theanswerisassimpleasitisdisconcerting:wecan,eachofus,worktoputourinnerhouseinorder.Theguidanceweneedforthisworkcannotbefoundinscienceortechnology,thevalueofwhichutterlydependsontheendstheyserve;butitcanstillbefoundinthetraditionalwisdomofmankind.E.F.Schumacher,SmallisBeautiful,EconomicsasifPeopleMattered.

Preface

FromIndustrialtoSpiritualRevolutionThebeliefthateveryone,byvirtueofherorhishumanity,isentitledtocertainunalienablefreedomsisrootedinearliertraditionanddocumentsofmanycultures,butinthearenasofbrutemarketforceshumanrightsandneedshavebeencompletelymisunderstood.TheywereformulatedbyhigherSpirits.IttookWorldWarIIasabeastlycatalysttopropelhumanrightsontotheglobalstageandintotheglobalconscience.PeoplelikeRobertSchuman–oneofthefoundingfathersoftheEuropeanUnion–andEleanorRoosevelt–co-initiatoroftheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights–pavedthewayforthehumanrightsmovement.Themomentofglorycameinthesixtiesandseventiesofthe20thcentury;hippiesandotheridealistsclaimedthepowertochange,formercoloniesliberatedthemselvesfromtheirWesternrulersandthefirststepstowardsa‘better’worldweresetinhappyoptimism.Thebacklashcamealmostimmediately.Endingthe1970’sconservatism&competitioninthepoliticalarenatookoverfromidealism&cooperation.Thedominantideologyofconservativepoliticsandneo-liberaleconomicssangthesameoldsong:enrichtherich,empowertheempowered,afterwhichthepoorwouldrisefromtheSwampofPoverty&Injusticeinsomemiraculousmanner.Oneofthetuneswascalled:supplysideeconomics.Criticsusetheterm‘trickle-down’economics.Themaincharacteristicsofsupplysideeconomicswerelarge-scaletaxcutsforindividualsandcorporations,deregulationofbusinessesandstrongincentivesforinvestment.Thiswouldleadtoeconomicgrowthandanaccumulationofwealththatwould‘trickledown’theeconomy.Itsproponentsbelievedthatmakingtherichrichereventuallywouldhelpthepoorbecausethebenefitsofanexpandingeconomywouldseepdowntothem.But,infact,thislastshackleofthechaingotlost.Andthisisexactlywhatwentwrong:InequalitygrewlikeweedintheAmerica’sofRonaldReagan.NotonlyintheUSAinequalitygrewduringthoseyears,allovertheworlddisparitiesincreased,despitehumanitarianaidanddevelopmentprogramsforthedevelopingcountriesandforthepooranddeprived.Especiallyonthe

Africancontinentthepopulationsufferedandwasunabletothrowofftheheritageofcolonialism.Warsandfaminesraged,andstilldo,overthecontinent.Ofthemanytheoriesandexplanationonthecauses,thesocio-psychologicalanalysisofJohnKennethGalbraithismuchreferredto.HepublishedTheNatureofMassPoverty,attheeveofreturningconservatismandneo-liberaleconomics,in1979.Galbraithblamede.g.accommodationforbeingoneofthepsychologicalforcesofthepovertytrap.Thestrategytoaccommodateisarationalact,sinceimprovementofthecircumstancesoflifeseemsimpossibletothosewhohavesuffereddeprivationalreadyforgenerations.Noreasonableindividualspillsenergyifthereisnogaintoexpectfromtheeffort.Accommodationcanonlybeattackedbyexamplesofsuccessfulescape.Migrantsandrevolutionariesareamongthefrontsoldiersthatbattleaccommodation.Theypossessthewilltosucceedandshowtheirpeersthatescapeispossible,bringingenergyanddynamicsforchangetothecommunity.Togetheralleconomic,political,ecological,socio-culturalandpsychologicaldevelopmentshaveleft1,2billion–andprobablymore–peopleintheworldstarving.Theyliveonlessthan$1aday.InAfrica46%ofthepopulationearnslessthan$1aday.

1Itisoneofthekeyproblemsandmajorsocietal

threatsoftoday.JES!Towardsajointeffortsocietyisanattempttocontributetothereductionofpovertyandinjustice.Itadvocatesfundamentalhumanfreedomsandpromotestostimulateself-reliance.ProfessorofPhilosophy(UniversityofCalifornia)PaulFeyerabendprovidedthemottoforthisadventure:‘Ifwewanttounderstandwhatisgoingonandifwewanttochangewhatdispleasesusthenwehavetoknowboththenatureoftheworldandofhumanbeingsandwealsohavetoknowhowtheyfittogether’.

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So…AsopposedtotheHistoricalMaterialismofKarlMarxthisbookproposesHistoricalSpiritualism;AsopposedtoDarwin’sEvolutionthisbookproposesEcolution;AsopposedtoafocusonProduction&Consumption(Wants)thisbook

stressesNeeds&Opportunities;AsopposedtoGalbraith’sAffluentSocietythisbookpromotesaJointEffortSociety(JES)aspartofaSpiritual&MoralRevolution.ItisanaturalfollowupofMaterialism,whichdominatedthelasttwohundredandfiftyyears.Writingforabetterworldimpliesstartingadialoguewithscholarswhowenttherebefore,learnoftheirthoughtsandmeaningsandmakenewcombinations,andwhiledoingsocreatingafreshvisiononwhatsocietyneedstodayandtomorrowmorning.Whiletomorrowafternoon,hopefully,somebodyelsewillfurtherthediscussion.ThispersonwillrejectpartsofJES!andwillembraceotherpieces.Sheorhewillcreatesomethingnew,again,andsoon.Thisistheprocessoflearningwecall‘ecolution’andthathastogoonandontohigherplateausofawareness.Thisbookispartofthisneverendingstory.Pleasejointhedialogue:www.ecolutie.nlFrank&Caro

Reader’sguideIntheNorthlifeisfocusedononepurpose:bringingorderinchaos.Stillchaosistherule,andsoisdisequilibrium.Order,linearityandbalancearetheexceptions.OnestrategyofpoliticiansandpolicymakersistobreaktheruleandtrytobeatNature.Theother,morerealistic,strategyistogetusedtochaosandtrytolivewithit.Chaoshasacharmingsidetoit.Itleavesroomforcreation.Chaosisasystem,likeallothers.Ithasstructure.Itisnotpureanarchy.Therearesomeorderingprinciplesunderneathallthings.Thingsthatpresentthemselvesassignsandcluestofollowupon.Onehastotryandlookatthethingsbehindthethings,therelationsandatthepatternsunderneath.Aclarifyingdiscoverywasthatofarhizome.Arhizomeislikearootstock,anetworkedherbthatgrowsundergroundwithnootherorderingprinciplethanthesearchforfertileearth,waterandsunlight.Therootstockisindestructible,unlessthegardeneruseschemicalsorpatiently,meticulouslyandcontinuously,keepsonweeding.DeleuzeandGuattariwroteontherhizome

3:‘Letussummarizetheprincipalcharacteristicsofarhizome:unlike

treesortheirroots,therhizomeconnectsanypointtoanyotherpoint,anditstraitsarenotnecessarilylinkedtotraitsofthesamenature;itbringsintoplayverydifferentregimesofsigns,andevennonsignstates.TherhizomeisreducibleneithertotheOnenorthemultiple.’‘Itiscomposednotofunitsbutofdimensions,orratherdirectionsinmotion.Ithasneitherbeginningnorend,butalwaysamiddle(milieu)fromwhichitgrowsandwhichitoverspills.Itconstituteslinearmultiplicitieswithndimensionshavingneithersubjectnorobject,whichcanbelaidoutonaplaneofconsistency,andfromwhichtheOneisalwayssubtracted(n–1).’JES!isarhizomeofwordsandconcepts.Thereisnobeginning,neitheranend.Youcanplungeintoitateveryparagraphandfindadimensionoradirectioninmotion.Alwaysinmotion,indevelopment.Allpagestogetherformanetworkthatmaybehardtooverseeorsummarize,butthatoffersanintuitivevisionforadirectionsocietyandindividualsinthatsocietycanchoose.Searchingfertilegroundsisdonewithoutamap,becauseassoonas

themapisdrawnthelandhasturnedinfertileorovercrowded.Assoonasasocietyisdescribed,developmentshavetakenadifferentcourseandthesocietyhaschanged.Onlythingsthataredeadanddonecanberightfullydescribedinalinearway,becausethemotionstopped,the‘thing’isfinished,ithasbecomesomethingwithabeginningandanend,historyhasentered.Inthatcasethehindsightcandothetrick,butforlivingorganisms,underwhichwereckonallsystems,justlookingbackisnotsufficientforthereisnothinglinearbetweenthepast,thepresentandthefuture.Therhizomeneedstobeapproachedfromthemiddle,whichcanbeatanyplaceofthenetwork.Tofinditweneedtodevelopatleastanunderstandingofhowitworks.Understandinggoesbeyondknowledgeorinformation,althoughthesearerequired.Understandingneedscontexttooaswellasexperience.Alltheseelementscometogetherinintuition,whichenablesapersontodancewithsystems.Dancingistheonlyeffectivewaytointerfere,asDonellaMeadowsstated.

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Apersoncanstarttounderstandherorhissurroundingsandcircumstancesonceknowledgeandinformationareembeddedinacontext.Acontextthatchangeswithtimeandplace.Itneedstoberesearchedcarefullybeforeapplyingecolution.Thetheoryofecolutionintroducesamethodandtoolboxforchange.Pleasekeepinmindthatthisisaprocess,anongoingdevelopment.Thetoolboxisjustasdynamicasrealityis.Itcontainsconcepts,whichareplansforactionthatarevariableandmultiple.Eachperson,communityororganizationcanthinkoftheirown.Sevencriteriatoselectconceptssupportthechoiceforconstructiveplans.Thematchofcontextandconceptofferscontent,itstirsthemindtochangeandgivesmeaningtotheplan.Theideabecomesrealityandevolves,newideassprout,unknownterritorywillbediscovered.Everytimethisoccurs,societydevelopstowardsahigherecological,economic,societalandpsychologicallevelinthedirectionofajointeffortsociety.

Summary

TheoverallconvenientactionWearehavingawaragainstthepoor,awarbythecomfortableagainsttheunfortunate

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J.K.GalbraithThewarbetweenrichandpoorisgoingonsince250yearsagoglobalwealthrocketedontoanearlyverticalgrowthcurvethatwearestillclimbingtoday.ThecreationofwealthbyamixoftechnologiesandorganizationalcapacityofhumanbeingsduringtheIndustrialRevolutionwasaccompaniedbyincreasinginequality.SocialDarwinismintroducedtheconceptof‘survivalofthefittest’inordertojustifyclassinequalities,racism,colonialismandothersocialinjustices.Simultaneouslymankindplunderedtheearthanddestroyedallkindsoflifecycles.TheIndustrialRevolutionnotonlycausedacivilwaronglobalscalebetweenrichandpoor,butalsoawarofhumanityagainstnatureandintheendofhumanbeingsasaspeciesagainsttheirown.SincetheIndustrialRevolutionstartedinEngland-afterwhichitbecameaworldhit-humanityfailedtoresisttheinnerdestructivepowersandexpressedthisinbehaviour,technologies,institutes,decisionmaking,procedures,culturesandsocialorders.Despitegoodintentionsandsignificantadvancesmankindfailedtosolvegrowingecological,economic,socialandpsychologicalproblemsonglobalscale.Worldwidewedidn’ttemperthepopulationgrowthenough.Wedidn’tshareenough.Wedidn’tlearnandwedidn’tjoineffortsenoughsoeverybodyonEarthcanleadalifeofameaningfulwellbeing.Wefailedtoconserveresourcesandtosafeguardlife-supportingeco-systems.Wedidn’tsecurethecleanwatersupply,didn’tstopthedeclineofbio-diversity,andwereunsuccessfulatbeatingslavery,educatingchildren,banningarmsandpreventingwars.Wecanblameitonthesystem,onourgrandparentswhotookwrongdecisions,butthatdoesn’thelp.Afterall,thesystems,processes,structuresandculturesthathaveputusontheslopetodestructionareself-made.Now

we’llhavetouseourfantasy,creativity,energyandwillpowertosteerthewholedevelopmentintoasustainabledirection.Thiswillnotbeeasy.Systemsarehardtosteer.Especiallythebottomuptypewhichcanbedefinedasarhizome.Onecannotpredicttheoutcomeofinterventions.Thereforeinterveningrequiressensitivity,agilityandflexibility,butaboveallawareness.Oneofthesystemsthatgotoutofcontrolandsweptecologicalandsocialfabricsalongistheeconomic.Economistshavebeenonthelook-outforequilibriumofdemandandsupplyfor250years.Suchfreemarketequilibrium,broughttoexistencebytheInvisibleHand,wouldtakecareofafairdistributionofgoods.However,thereisonebigproblem:theeconomicsystemisopentoavarietyofinfluences(impulses,greed,irrationaldecisions,fears)andasaconsequencepermanentoutofbalance.Assoonasonemarkettendstobalance,itisthrownoffagainbyanothermarket.Intherealworldrationalexpectationsandforecastsdon’tmakesense.Peopleareguidedbyanimalspiritsthatdisorganize,disorderanddeconstructthelinearmodelsthateconomistshavebuilt.Tensionsandvibrationshavemoretodowithpsychology,biologyandquantummechanics.Nothingisfixedorcertain,especiallynotinacomplexworld.Disequilibriumistheruleandequilibriumistherareexception.Thecurrentsituationrequiresdifferentaxioms,paradigmsandattitudes.Climatechangeandmassdeprivationdonotstopatbordersoratthefenceofagatedcommunity.Thereismuchtogainfortheso-calledwinnersaswellasforlosers.Todaytheoverallconvenientactionisnotfight&dividebutworktogether&unite.Cooperationleadstodifferentparadigmsonsharingandaccumulativelearning.Itenhancessocialfabricsandismorelikelytocomeupwithdurablesolutionsforthecurrentglobalissuesthancompetitionandthefreemarketmechanism.Thelatterencourageafightofallagainstall,leavingus-mankind-aslosers.Inacooperativeenvironment,theeconomybecomesembeddedinandsupportiveofsocialandecologicalgoals,asitshouldbe.Cooperationisoneoftheconceptsthatcanaddnewmeaningtobeingpartofasociety.

ThemovementawayfromcompetitionreplacestheAffluentSocietywithanewpoliticalengagementmodel:theJointEffortSociety.Ajointeffortsocietyisafreeassociationofindividuals.Allcontribute,cooperateandco-createaccordingtotheirabilityandoutoffreewillandallreapthefruits.Suchasocietyhasahealthyrelationshipwithnature,understandstheinterconnectednessandreciprocityofsystemsandaimsatthewellbeingofallpeople,hereandnow,thereandlater.Theincrementalprogresstohigherlevelsofwellbeingiscalledecolution.Ecolutionimposeschangesinthedirectionofajointeffortsociety.Thetheoryofecolutionisbasedontheprincipleideathatchangesarebroughtaboutbydeconstruction.Dissent,diversity,varietyanddisorderpreventorstoptheslackthatisthepresentimentofanysystem-asociety,company,eventhebodyandmindofasingleperson.Thepowertodifferavertsfallingintothedestructionphase.Ecolutionisthetypeofdeconstructionthatleadstoahigherecological,economic,socialandpsychologicalleveleachtimeapersonororganizationacts.Vigilantindividualsandgrowingawarenessarecrucial.Asocietyiscreatedbythepeopleinit,asmuchasthepeoplearetheproductoftheirsociety.Thetheoryofecolutionthereforeapproachesbothsides:thewholeandtheindividual.Thetheoryofecolutioncontainsaconceptualframework,toolboxandmethodtointerferewhen,orbefore,asystemdevelopsdestructivetendencies.Theapproachiscomprisedinamodelforstrategyandvisioncreationthatisdynamicandsensitive,alwaysonthemove,checkingandbalancingandthatallowstodecideonsharedprincipleswhattodototransformadevelopmentandreachtowardsahigherlevelofwellbeingforall.Thisbookisacallforpositiveaction.JES!TowardsaJointEffortSocietydescribesthecontextoftodayandcomesupwithconcepts(plansforaction)todeconstructandchangedestructionintoconstruction.Insystemlanguage:itlearnspeopleandorganizationstolookforleverpoints(deconstruction)thattakethewellbeingofmorethan7billionpeopletoahigherleveleachtimeweact.

Thetrendtowardsajointeffortsocietyisalreadyvisibleinthenicheofsociety,intheconceptualframeworkoforganizationsliketheEUandtheUNandintheworkingsanddoingsofmanyindividualsandcommunities.Thesearethepromisingsproutsforthefuture.Nowlet’sact!

AcknowledgementsJES!startedasatranslationinEnglishofthethesisAllemaalWinnenFrankco-authored.TheoriginalideacamefromDonaldHuisingh

6whose

enthusiasmfusedtheproject.AllemaalWinnenresearchedregionalsustainabledevelopment,usingtheDutchprovinceNoord-Brabantasastudycase.TogetherwithMartinBakker,Frankdesignedamatrix,toolboxandnewconceptualframeworkfordevelopmentcalledecolution.DonaldthoughtthebookshouldbeavailabletootherthanDutchreadersaswell.Mostwritersandthinkerswillagreethattranslatingoldworkisnotsomuchfunascomingupwithsomethingnew.WealreadywerebeyondAllemaalWinnen.Thereforewedecidedtotakethebeefoutofit-matrix,toolbox,conceptualframework-andapplythesetotheworld,whileimprovingonthetheoryandwalkingthetalk.Donaldkeptpace,morethanthat,hekeptinspiringandbeingcritical.FoundingfatheroftheDutchAssociationofIntegralBiologicalArchitects,VIBA,PeterSchmid

7didthesame.Thesetwomentorsandfriendswere,and

stillare,withusalltheway,providinginsights,adviceandrecommendingbookstoread.Wealsohavetothankourchildren,adoptedchildren,friendsandfamilyforprovidinguswithreallifeopportunitiestoapplythetheoryofajointeffortsociety.ManydinersthathavebeendevotedtodiscussingJES!andtheorieshavebeenappliedastry-out,sometimesmoresuccessfulthanothers.Thepeoplesurroundingusareabunchofmavericks,freedomfighters,musicians,artists,moviemakers,ict-ers,entrepreneurs,writersandthinkers.Togethertheyformaninternationalcommunitywithoutborders.Someareveryyoung,othersalreadyreachedarespectableage,butallareyounginspirit.Notintheleastourparents.JanandRietvanEmpel,whoattheageof88supportedinmorethanoneway.JoostandHelmaSicking,whonolongerinhabitthisplanet,haveleftustheiridealsandworksofartthatstillinspire.

Notintheleastwethankyou,reader,foryourinterest.Wehopeyouwilljoinusonthejourneytoajointeffortsociety.Pleasedoshareyourthoughts,commentsandquestionswithyourfriendsandwithus,sowecanimproveJES!andmakeithappen.FrankvanEmpel&CaroSickingfrank@nonfixe.nlcaro@nonfixe.nlJanuary2014,Vught,TheNetherlands

Footnotes

Aantekeningen

[←1]3.000.000.000peoplehavetolivefrom$2aday.WorldBank,WorldDevelopmentReport,2000-2001,22

[←2]PaulFeyerabend,TheTyrannyofScience,PolityPress,2011,p.10

[←3]GillesDeleuzeandFélixGuattari,aThousandPlateaus,CapitalismandSchizophrenia,Continuum,2008,p.23

[←4]DonellaMeadows,ThinkinginSystems,Earthscan,2009

[←5]Dr.JohnKennethGalbraithspring1996,interviewwiththeInternationalHarvardReview

[←6]Prof.DonaldHuisingh,InstituteforaSecureandSustainableEnvironment,UniversityofTN,Knoxville,USA.

[←7]Prof.EmeritusTU/eMag.Arch.Eng.Dr.h.c.PeterSchmid,REDResearchEducationDesigninScienceArtTechnologyforPeacefulSustainableDevelopment