Taking The Ideas Of Paradigm Shift To A Wider Audience
This article is part of the Primer For Paradigm Shift series. More paradigm shift content can be found on you tube, Post Carbon's on line Resilience Magazine, Permaculture Design Magazine and Spirit In Action Radio.
Below is an expanded version of taking paradigm shift to a wider audience as heard on Spirit In Action Radio.
Further below are two "photo shopped" images. I took pages from the Sierra Club's on line magazine and also AARP and I replaced their articles with fotos and titles to show what kinds of articles they both COULD be sharing with their members that would boost the cause of sustainability, social uplift and paradigm shift. The photo shop images and "articles" are very good!
We have many allies and assets to work with for sharing what paradigm shift has to offer the wider world. We can start with our own selves. Paradigm shift starts at home. Many well known organizations and entities can advocate paradigm shift for the benefit of their members and the wider world. Truth and reconciliation for capitalism could put the ideals and actions of paradigm shift out to a much wider audience. This article goes into more detail.
First, a quick explanation of paradigm shift. The writer is an optimistic but can see no easy exit from the seductions of the consumer culture and its steepening social and environmental damage. Capitalism and its cult of growth, vanity and overconsumption is not compatible with a healthy natural world and social uplift.
Paradigm Shift
Paradigm shift is a movement towards a society where humans fit within the boundaries of the natural world, one of society's primary goals is to bring out the best in positive human potential and this uplifting society is served by an honest and accountable economic system. The concerns for sustainability in the Primer go far beyond the environment. Paradigm shift is just as much about social, spiritual and economic issues as the environment.
Social, economic and environmental disruption directly related to over consumption are already causing problems for increasing numbers of people all over the world and even in the affluent countries. The chances for reaching a sustainable future are better if we make purposeful choices, as individuals and society, to reduce our eco footprints and build sustainable civic culture sooner than later. Downsizing in the not so distant future may be not so graceful or voluntary.
What is an appropriate level of downsizing? Good question. We can be certain, a sustainable lifestyle would be very different for everyone, the more wealthy, the bigger the change. Refer to the primer article “What Might A Sustainable Lifestyle Look Like?” A number of sources suggest the expansive eco footprint of the average American needs to be a fifth of what it is now. Even half would be a massive shock. Such a condition is hard to contemplate. Imagine using one fifth the resources and energy you do now. Transportation, shelter, food choices, recreation.
That doesn't mean we have 1/5 the food, comfort or security. With care and creativity, a sustainable society would offer many benefits over what we have now. A sustainable future calls for a leap forward in consciousness rather than a “breakthrough” in new technology. Ironically, some of the hoped for breakthrough technologies would make many current problems even worse.
Previous Articles in the Series
Other articles in this series about paradigm shift include a deconstruction of the myths of capitalism, aspects of paradigm shift and real life examples of paradigm shift. Still other articles are in the pipeline such as what familiar products and services of today's affluence will not likely make the cut to sustainability?
Importantly, we have many active and slumbering allies and assets to work with for paradigm shift and many people and groups are already creating alternatives to the consumer culture. Their stories point the way towards sustainability and a preferred present and future.
Thousands of public interest organizations are already on the same paradigm shift team, even if they don't realize it. One of the most important goals of paradigm shift in the early going is to show both to the wider world and these organizations why they are on the same team and how they can work in common cause with each other for the benefit of people and planet.
Working in common cause, these public interest organizations can become a more effective and wide ranging horizontal movement. They continue with their own niche of interest but can coordinate with others and are fortified knowing they are part of a larger historical movement. With luck, the paradigm shift movement might even gain access to the political realm. There are many important parts of paradigm shift already at work. This article and series go into more detail.
Shared Principles, Values and Ideals
A vital part of bringing a movement together is a shared vision and set of values that is uplifting, effective and practical. Words don't amount to much without action. Shared values and goals can make the work of social, eco logical and economic transformation productive, even fun, and can attract others to join in. Downsizing lifestyles and making time to build a civic culture of common cause addresses a wide range of social, economic and environmental problems, all at the same time.
Paradigm shift can draw its inspiration and practical ideals from many sources, including books, articles such as EF Schumacher, Your Money Or Your Life, Richard Heinberg, Human Scale, Naomi Klein, Club of Rome and many others.
Two sources of foundational paradigm shift inspiration for this writer are permaculture and the wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions. These ideals are simple and can be applied in diverse realms ranging from food production, urban land use, economics, transportation, housing, public health and more. These ideals can work at scale from a personal lifestyle, to home, street, neighborhood, community and beyond.
Permaculture is a holistic set of principles and values that can be used to design systems for taking care of human needs in ways that are friendly to people and planet. Several of permaculture's most important ideals are to work with natural systems, create no waste, value renewable resources and use small and slow solutions. Permaculture advocates for people care, earth care and fair share.
The wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions is the product of millennia of human experience. It's content source is diverse in geography, history and culture. This wisdom includes care for the natural world, uplift of the spirit, simplicity of lifestyle, service to the community and accountability for our actions.
This wisdom is about human behavior in the personal and social realms and our care for the natural world. This wisdom is not about religion and is a perfect fit with permaculture and sustainability.
Permaculture ideals and principles and the wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions can be used to create a system to move past capitalism. The outcomes for applying these values, ideals and goals to our economic system and society can help mitigate climate change, social and economic dis equity and many public health issues. Note, important we say mitigate, not make go away. The systemic problems of our time may take generations to repair in the best case scenario. Best to start the repair sooner than later. That is what paradigm shift is all about.
Also important to know, there are many examples of paradigm shift that already exist. Other articles in the Primer series describe transforming suburbia, urban eco villages, empowering young people, investing local and much more.
Many of the most challenging social, economic and environmental problems of our time are completely avoidable. Many products clearly damage people and planet yet they are widely available and even advertised. Those damaging outcomes are a direct result of the needs of capitalism to prioritize economic growth and profits above the well being of people and the natural world. Capitalism is not broken, what we see is just what it does. Humanity is due for a leap forward.
An Historical Edge
Another important principle of permaculture is the edge. The edge is a place where two different systems come together. Perhaps wet and dry or sun and shade. We are living at an historical edge. On one side - capitalism, vanity, overconsumption. On the other side - paradigm shift, uplift and sustainability.
Capitalism, economic growth and its consumer culture have dominated generations of American culture and lifestyle. The assent of the American Dream became steep after WW II when war time industry shifted to domestic production and modern advertising became more adept at wide scale social engineering, also known as advertising. Cars, suburbia and the upwardly mobile lifestyle, more stuff became the American Dream.
The rise of the middle class delivered comfort, convenience and for many, unprecedented affluence. Living standards rose for many millions although access to the American Dream was not universal. During the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st, there have been business downturns, domestic upheaval and various international disruptions but still, the comfort and convenience of the vast number of Americans has improved remarkably over the past 100 years.
But the historical sidebar to that American Dream has been the increasing level of damage to the natural world, economic mal practice and a culture dominated by cheap distractions. Water and air pollution, ozone depletion, soil erosion, habitat loss, human produced chemicals in the environment, social disfunction and much more all became the visible damage of the rise of the consumer culture. In more recent decades climate change, a product of overconsumption, has become a house hold word.
Access to the middle class has not been equal. America's history must include racial discrimination. There have been many human casualties to this sidebar of history. Race riots, Vietnam, the Counter Culture of the 60's and more clearly showed the American Dream was not universal, and for some, the American Dream was not wanted in the first place.
This sidebar of history also includes economic developments such as globalization, many examples of corporate wrong doing and bailouts, the decline of traditional blue collar jobs and security, the concentration of economic wealth, troubling questions and consequences of technology; political fragmentation and disarray, even within the mainstream itself. These and many other related and well documented trends and conditions have led to new and widening criticisms of capitalism and its most important servant, the political system.
While the economic system has appeared to take on some of the rhetoric and concerns of its critics, particularly in regard to climate change and energy issues, it has proven it is not capable of a meaningful change in its behavior when the paradigm of profits and growth are called into question.
Several politicians have been quoted as declaring “the American Way of Life is non negotiable.” This remarkably arrogant statement tells us there is no alternative to the pursuit of affluence and overconsumption. This statement tells us those who disagree are hostage to a System they don't want.
This statement tells how determined and inflexible the keepers of capitalism are to maintain control of the nation's politics, policy, culture, education and world view. Profits and excess are more important than social uplift and sustainability to the owners and caretakers of the System.
The overall management of the economic system remains the same. Some tweeks have been made that are good for public relations but, essentially, the System keeps doing the same thing while it thrives on damage to people and planet. Millions of jobs exist to repair the damage caused by millions of other jobs.
Meanwhile, there have always been idealists and visionaries calling for utopia. The fact is, we do not need utopia. We need a society that shakes off the dumbing down distractions of the consumer culture. Paradigm shift, from this perspective, is not about utopia, its about common sense and people acting in their own, even selfish, best interests. Those selfish best self interests also depend on deep care for others and the natural world.
So we are at an historical edge. A small but growing number of people are already looking beyond capitalism and its consumer culture. One can find a growing number of books and articles critical of the current System of government, economics and society based on overconsumption of energy and resources. Take note, permaculture is becoming a new global language.
Sustainability and social uplift do not need a technical breakthrough. Paradigm shift can succeed with enough people making breakthroughs in their own consciousness. This series of articles along with similar thoughts from many others is intended to encourage and activate that shift in consciousness.
This is the edge where two historical systems come together. Capitalism has delivered much to be grateful for but is not capable of serving the next chapter of human history, to live within the boundaries of the natural world and to do that, we need an unprecedented shift in consciousness in regard to ourselves, our neighbors, our place in history and our relationship with the natural world.
Fusion energy too cheap to meter and artificial intelligence will not serve the next chapter in humanity's history if we want uplift of the spirit for the good of self, people and planet.
Capitalism absolutely offers many useful products and services that can be an immense assist to paradigm shift. Communications and sharing ideas is one of the best. Paradigm shift will not likely happen with snail mail or the telephone. We need technology but technology that serves a healthy purpose.
Who decides what is healthy? Our best hope is a widespread uplift of society's consciousness. We already see bits and pieces of paradigm shift, even in the mainstream realm although much of the conversation is greenwash. But greenwash may be the early going of widespread change in consciousness.
Healthy food is a growing issue, pushing back on cars is another. Alarm about social and economic dis equity, questioning suburbia and unbridled technology all indicate an increasing level of questioning the System. Add social influencers advocating “soft living,” that is, live your simple lifestyle dreams rather than the American Dream of ever more stuff. Those influencers can serve paradigm shift when they learn to connect, for their followers and the sider world, the soft living more gentle lifestyle ideas to paradigm shift.
Changing social, environmental and economic conditions at the edge will absolutely present new opportunities for creative and positive use of familiar social, built and economic structures and even our own selves. A transformation towards a sustainable present and future will require re imagining and repurposing the familiar, with luck and effort, with outcomes guided by uplifted ideals, values and vision.
Be The Change
Taking the ideas of paradigm shift out to a wider audience is an enormous task and we have many allies and assets to work with. People taking the time in their own lives to be a part of a movement towards sustainability and uplift is essential. A successful movement is better served by many people participating with a shared message and vision rather than a few leaders. One can create their own niche with the paradigm shift movement.
Becoming a paradigm shift advocate can include several aspects. Here are several basics and we will explore them a bit deeper.
1] Motivation, the need to activate, find a niche
2] Prioritize time and money
3] Self educate, personal experience is best
4] Be the change you want to see
5] What out reach assets do you have access to
6] Be prepared with your outreach
7] Acknowledge the positive
What can motivate us to activate? What motivates you might be your niche. The need for paradigm shift is broad and deep to say the least. As the Primer and many have pointed out, this society has a lot of problems. They are social, spiritual, economic, environmental. We are most effective with measured passion rather than high intensity. At the same time, its important to know, and be able to articulate, where your niche fits into the larger picture.
A critique deserves actions for what to do about the problem. The writer for this primer has a keen interest in deconstructing the myths of capitalism, aspects of paradigm shift and what can paradigm shift look like in real life. This content is available for use by anyone and anyone can add to it.Those are great elements to have for your own use.
A focus on affordable housing or climate change can still use the critique of capitalism, aspects of paradigm shift and what might an eco friendly lifestyle look like. Again, almost all the problems we know about circle back to capitalism and its consumer culture of over consumption and vanity.
Activating and advocating depends on people taking the time for putting useful information out to the wider world. An important term used in the primer is “prioritize time and money.” The consumer culture provides many distractions and they are very successful in dis empowering peoples' capacity to act in their own best interests.
What distractions are we willing to exchange for our own self empowerment? Another angle on self empowerment is liberation. Self empowering is the same as self liberation and discovering and developing our own potentials and what better cause than being an active part of social uplift and restoring the natural world to a healthy condition. Human health and planet health are intimately related.
What we choose to do with our own time will tell us a lot about our own selves. Can we match our ideals with our actions?
Making time available is a self affirming process. It is very much the start of pushing back against the very interests of excess and vanity that would like us all to be docile and passive consumers and make the rich and powerful even more rich and powerful at the price of our own uplift and the well being of the natural world.
We can enjoy many aspects of paradigm shift in our own lives as soon as we care to. No need to wait. The more people engaged in paradigm shift, the greater the benefits for everyone.
Self educate. Find out more about your niche and you will find out more about the wider context too. There are books, articles, search on line, connect with others, contemplate. See if you have a “Meetup” group with these kinds of interests where you live. Search “permaculture” where you live and connect with others with similar interests. Everyone can share what they are learning with each other.
I find fascinating information reading the New York Times and other mainstream sources of info that relate to paradigm shift because I am tuned into paradigm shift. For example, one article explains the benefits of subsidized affordable housing in Paris, the other, how the Bruderhof Society deals with technology and their avowed simple living social ideals
Both articles describe real life approaches to address housing and technology issues. The spark of insight and putting what we learn into a broader context is a great satisfaction and even better when that insight has practical application on behalf of a preferred future.
Few impressions are stronger than seeing someone or group being the change they advocate. Words are useful but actually making the changes is far stronger. Downsizing a lifestyle doesn't mean living in poverty but it does mean making changes that friends will be curious about. Giving a pass on the game or shopping spree in favor of self educating for making a presentations or volunteering for a good cause is a big move forward in managing our own time and being the change.
Being the change can be fun. Work parties at the nearby Filbert Grove or Rasor Park attract 8 or 10 people and sometimes more. Its fun to meet people and have conversations about whatever people like to talk about. Today's work parties also give us experience for a time when work parties will need to be more serious.
One year our neighborhood hosted the Northwest Permaculture Convergence at our rec center. The largest permaculture event of the year in the Northwest. We were a paradigm shift university for the weekend. Presentations, bike site tours, plenary sessions, breakouts, out door expo, play time. We estimate 700 people participated. Remembering the event still delivers a buzz. It was a suburban permaculture convergence that went out to the wider world.
Few of us own a tv station but we still have access to ways of sharing the ideas about a preferred future. If one is new to activism, maybe take on a modest task like writing a letter to the editor on a topic you are interested in. One might comment on an article like the New York Times on line where space is available for people to share their thoughts. Make a sign for your bike to express why biking is good for people and planet.
All kinds of classes for students in college or high school can link to paradigm shift. Sociology, regional planning, law, business, geography, political science, public health. Write a research paper about paradigm shift. Share it with others like a study group, a class, an on line forum, a church social concerns committee.
If one is a property owner, one's own property can be a highly visible place to put paradigm shift ideas out to a wider audience. Transforming a property offers many benefits.
1] It can help build one's own resilience and personal health.
2] It can be a model for others, a story in the media, youtube, blog, etc
3] It can be a place to show and tell others what suburbia can look like
My own quarter acre suburban property is a great example of what suburbia can become with paradigm shift. Its a powerful example of how a modest home with a substantial amount of self installed permaculture upgrades can be a safe, comfortable affordable place for 4 people to live, myself included. Thousands of people have visited over the years and many have put what they learned from the visit to my place to good use. I know because many people who have visited have told me what they did to their own place after seeing my place.
You can find another article in the Primer series describes my place and comparatively small eco footprint lifestyle. You can also search “Jan Spencer, primer” on Youtube and find the Youtube version of the Primer For Paradigm Shift.
Self Calculate. One can self educate about one's own lifestyle, by answering the questions of the “footprint calculator.” The lifestyle questions probe one's housing, spending money, food choices, transportation and more. All these questions point to behavior we can change in our own lives to actually reduce our eco footprints.
Going veggie is a big benefit to the environment and our own health. The calculator can be a great topic for conversations. One might even create or join a mutual assistance group to support each other cutting down on over consumption. You can find the calculator on line at footprintcalculator.org from the Global Footprint Network.
Be nice. Simply just being friendly, helpful and courteous to others is a huge part of paradigm shift. Making the time to be nice. Offering personal encouragement is great way to raise the vibe towards a more peaceful and healthy world. Just telling someone thanks for something positive they did reinforces healthy social behavior. Who knows what benefits kind words can lead to.
I had a very nice short chat at the big box check out last week. Turns out the young lady at the register was also into gardens. We ping ponged a bit about growing food and agreed gardens are awesome and ended our chat with a friendly fist bump. A nice social buzz for both of us.
People who have written books that have had impact on many people started somewhere. Its up to us to determine how much of an advocate we want to be but there is room for everyone. One should not expect too much thanks for making personal changes or being an advocate. We need to activate, reach out and be positive simply because its the best thing we can do both in the moment and long term. Its good for one's own well being as well.
The more people making the time, being openly positive, being the change, having coherent and usable ideas to share, reaching out in whatever ways we can, the better. Maybe even pushing oneself to try something new. Paradigm shift depends on people making best use of this edge in history along with their own time and money.
One of the greatest resources we have is to communicate, learn, explore, activate, encourage each other and grow this movement. The better world most people want will not happen by itself. There are lots of distractions but there are many friends to make and many allies and assets to work with.
Interest Groups
Let's have a look at several interest groups and other points of interest that have built in assets for engaging in paradigm shift and sharing those ideals with the wider world , even if changing the world is not a part of their original agenda. Some of these opinions and observations may be difficult to imagine. Yes they are, but that doesn't mean they don't make sense. Our imaginations are limited by our expectations. Our actions are limited by our imaginations. The value of paradigm shift will only increase with time. Distant ideas now will look much more believable fra poco.
Colleges and universities can be a powerful force for needed changes. Many faculty are very sympathetic, some even research and write about the problems facing society. Universities typically have student groups based on all kinds of topics and issues, many are social, economic and environmental. Higher education has many topical interests and realms of study that link to making society a better place.
Faculty, administration and students can all initiate a more ambitious links between existing interests and paradigm shift.
Here in Eugene, the University of Oregon's Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, organized by students at the law school, has been a fixture for dozens of years. All manner of environmental issues have been discussed in presentations and panels such as habitat loss, water, aerial herbicide spraying, climate change, species at risk, peak oil and much more The writer of this article has participated many times in the past as a presenter.
Most of the topics discussed and presented relate to damage to people and planet. Organizers could easily add the element of paradigm shift to the conference agenda and even make the conference more overtly about sustainability and moving past capitalism. The conference already has a strong activist tradition. Pushing that envelope to include paradigm shift is a natural progression. A bit of well planned initiative by just a few organizers could catalyze a major shift in the character of the event to include much more paradigm shift content.
As part of a larger social movement for paradigm shift, academia could make available its research capacity to other movement members. That relationship could also give academia access to new realms of study and collaboration. Faculty could encourage students to look into paradigm shift and include more sustainability material in existing course work.
Neighborhood Programs
Many cities have neighborhood programs. That means the city has professional staff with the task to help the city's neighborhood associations [NAs] make their neighborhoods better places to live. Typical issues include development, crime, homelessness, the environment, transportation, building civic culture and more. Most NAs have monthly meetings, an executive board and action groups based on interests such as human rights, the environment, public safety and more. Monthly meetings usually have a program of interest to the neighborhood.
NAs have standing in the community. They communicate with the wider world via snail mail and internet. Many use Zoom for enhanced outreach. NAs can become more ambitious with their agendas. Like so many other organizations, many of the issues they engage in, mentioned above, are often damaging consequences of the economic system.
Those who participate help set the agenda. We had a program in February this writer organized with the title “Gardens Deliver More Than Veggies.” The program started with a look at the permaculture history of our neighborhood. Many people attending did not know about permaculture or its activist history in our neighborhood.
The program was mostly about sociology, explaining how gardens can bring people together in common cause over food production. Gardens are great for disaster preparedness, reducing eco footprints, producing important needs closer to home , boosting “home economics” and building community. We had a follow up with a site tour of my suburban permaculture property that drew over 35 people. The message for the tour was all about transforming suburbia and paradigm shift and how gardens can help build community and catalyze paradigm shift.
Our NA organized a big River Fest in the car free Willamette Greenway last September with many neighborhood organizations tabling, there was a bike safety check up, a crowded cider press with people bringing their own apples. There was an acoustic song circle with 40 people, Master Gardeners, shared gardening information , there was fresh water biology for kids, a big permaculture display, take it or leave it table to trade garden produce and much more. Many who attended were aware this was an event that showed much of what life could be like moving towards sustainability.
Many cities have neighborhood programs and they welcome new comers. NAs are well placed to take the ideas of paradigm shift to a wider audience, even if that message is subtle. It can be less subtle over time. My involvement with RRCO, our NA, has been one of the most enriching community experiences of my life.
Modest Assets and Tough Challenges
People with modest economic means are prime candidates for paradigm shift. Verily, they may well be a preview of whats to come for those with more substantial means at the present time. Many hard working people are early passengers on the down slope and already downsizing their lifestyles and possibly, not by choice. I have been reading in the mainstream media about more and more articles describing people struggling to keep up with paying for a car and its related expenses. Finding affordable housing is another big issue. This edge of history offers the less fortunate new opportunities.
Again, a change in consciousness for how to deal with challenging circumstances is most important. Imagine modest income people see their situations and each other as potential assets. They could make common cause with others with similar life conditions. Imagine they learn of a place where modest income people have prioritized time and money for taking care of their needs in cooperative new ways that improve their own security and well being but also fit paradigm shift.
A place I know in Portland, Oregon is an inspiring example of purposeful creativity in regard to people with modest income. This example did rely on a retired couple with above average organizational skills and, even more important, the motivation. Plus they sunk a lot of borrowed money into the project so it had to work.
The transformation process they pioneered could be adapted to fit lots of different circumstances and participants and could be of value to literally hundreds of thousands of people along with addressing a raft of social, economic and environmental challenges all at the same time.
I have described Kailash Eco Village in another part of the Primer series but it fits well here, too. This will be brief. Kailash [kailashecovillage.org] has taken the ideals of paradigm shift to the wider world. The eco village was a former run down, drug infested 35 unit apartment complex in Portland, Oregon. The principles, have created a thriving eco village from a 3 acre trashed out site.
Kailash is a rental and affordable. In effect, the eco village has empowered some 50 people of modest income to help restore urban infrastructure, reduce their eco footprints, learn valuable social skills for civic engagement and reach out to the wider neighborhood. To be clear, Kailash is not a legal co-op, its not co housing, it is privately owned but it does rely on those living there to make it all happen.
There are gardens, shared spaces, bike facility, compost, car share, depaving, outreach to the neighborhood, public art, emergency preparedness. There are many working committees at the eco village and life at Kailash depends a great deal on residents participating and taking initiative. Some residents have moved on and started smaller versions of Kailash elsewhere.
And then a year ago, O and M, the owners, mortgaged Kailash to buy the larger apartment complex next door that was also run down. As of early 2024,” Annapurna” is in the early going of its own transformation from trashed out apartment complex to eco village.
There must be thousands of run down apartment complexes all over the country. They are an enormous opportunity to take paradigm shift to a wider audience. They are an enormous opportunity to provide affordable housing, reduce eco footprints, uplift those who live there, build community culture and show the wider world what paradigm shift can look like.
Imagine if labor unions, faith groups, affordable housing non profits, organizations of different kinds, businesses and other entities borrowed a chapter from the Kailash play book and took on the repair of run down apartment complexes, perhaps for their own members or as a project coordinated with local or state governments.
Another idea for repairing apartment complexes would be a government make work program similar to the CCC during the Depression. The focus of this program would be to repair damaged apartment complexes. People needing work who qualify would receive training in the skills needed to repair the complexes. Some might even end up living at the complex where they worked. Perhaps the up and coming Climate Corps can take on apartment repair.
Participants would learn useful skills and such a program would produce many other benefits that fit paradigm shift. Imagine an opportunity where homeless and near homeless people, anyone interested and idealists could be an active part of creating their own security and uplift in a cooperative way.
Repairing run down apartment complexes is a powerful example of paradigm shift. It shows the wider world what a wide range of progressive collaborations can offer and look like in real life.
Gross National Product
GNP is a term most of us grew up with. Reworking how this measurement is used could be a great way for people to take a closer look at this economic System. GNP is a statistic that measures the growth of economic activity over time and equates this raw economic growth as undisputed progress. GNP is a crude measure, it is simply the estimated sum of all goods and services produced in a country in a year.
A rising GNP and the larger the increase, the better. For GNP bigger is equated with a healthy economy. GNP has served as a propaganda tool for economic growth. It does not consider that some economic activity is healthy and some is not. The GNP consider a funeral from a car wreck or the sale of junk food to be positive.
GDP ignores other important measures of a society's well being and problems. That makes identifying and correcting problems more difficult while GNP serves the preferences of the owners of business to increase their wealth and political power.
GDP is still used to inform policy and for many, is still the primary standard of economic progress.
In a critique of GNP, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy observed we will not change our economic snd social behavior “unless we change the ways we measure our economic performance”.
GNP does not account for non paid economics, damage to the natural world, services provided by nature, damage from both human and natural disasters, climate change, external costs, social well being, economic dis equity, the decline of wages for many sectors of workers and more.
In recent years, other types of indicators have attempted to address this GNP problem with a more nuanced set of conditions to measure society's well being such as measuring education, life expectancy, health care, life satisfaction, work and life balance, eco logical conditions.
New criteria are gaining traction to measure the performance and character of the economic System such as the Human Development Index, Better Life Index and Genuine Progress Indicator. These newer metrics show a greater interest in quality of life rather than quantity of life. Another trend towards paradigm shift ideals.
Public Interest Organizations – All On The Same Team
There are many thousands of public interest organizations all over the country. Public interest organizations exist to help improve the condition of people and planet. Typically, they have a particular focus such as social justice, the environment, affordable housing, public health, children. Large horizontal movements such as Black Lives Matter, climate justice, Occupy Wall Street, Indigenous Rights are also public interest organizations.
Some PIOs have a dozen members, some have millions of members. Some are local, some are national. Some have professional staff with budgets in the millions, some are ad hoc and totally volunteer.
PIOs have educational and outreach assets to work with. They have faithful members, they might work with other organizations, community leaders, elected officials, faith and business people and other special interest groups.
Almost all these organizations exist to mitigate some kind of social, economic or eco logical damage caused by capitalism and over consumption. [Note: Another part of the Primer features a detailed critique of capitalism.] That means virtually all these organizations and movements have a common denominator for the problems and issues they are concerned with and that means these groups are on the same team. A thoughtful push back on capitalism by one group benefits the entire movement.
Imagine thousands of public interest organizations explaining to their members why downsizing their eco footprints will benefit their own lives, the broader society, the planet and the concerns that particular organization cares about. And imagine if those organizations explain to their members that many other organizations also encourage their members to reduce eco footprints and even further, pointing out, “we are all on the same team.” Understanding there is a collective identity and purpose builds a movement and momentum.
These organizations could lift information from this Primer and other kindred sources of content and share it with their members. They could be include articles in magazines and news letters describing permaculture and “how to” content for downsizing and they could profile people and groups making these changes. [Note, see several other parts to the Primer, “Transforming A Suburban Property,” “Real Life Examples of Paradigm Shift,” and “Kailash Eco Village.”]
If calling for full on paradigm shift or the replacement of capitalism is language a bit too strong, these actions could be explained and encouraged in any appropriate terms.
A Shared Message
A common message all these groups can share with their members and the wider world is that we can trade overconsumption and pop culture distractions for many personal, family, community, eco logical and even spiritual benefits all at the same time. Paradigm shift is wholesome. The basic message groups can share include
1] Reduce our impact on the environment and build social well being
2] Reduce the power and damage caused by businesses that sell un sustainable products and services
3] Downsizing is not dropping out, rather its dropping in. We can trade unproductive excess consumption for investing meaningful time and money in sustainability at home and in our communities.
4] Our own downsizing draws attention to the reasons for paradigm shift and becomes an example for others. See “be the change” above.
5] Purposeful downsizing is building solidarity and common cause with millions of others.
6] Honesty and common sense applied to economics and society will look brilliant compared to what we have now.
Similar outreach from many organizations to their members and the wider world shows a thoughtful, coherent and consistent message that is clearly linked to people downsizing lifestyles at home and in the community. Working in cooperation is far more powerful than working in isolation.
Imagine, we have an enormous undeclared movement that would count many millions of participants and supporters from almost every segment of society. Common cause creates opportunity for coordinated action. A large and growing movement for paradigm shift is a welcome example of big is better. All we need is to realize the shared ideals of a sustainable society and healthy environment, the benefits to be gained and take action. We are much stronger together than in isolation.
Here are several examples of what specific organizations can do on behalf of paradigm shift.
The American Association For Retired Persians [AARP] counts 35 million members. The AARP advocates for the health and well being of its members. Advocating for healthy food and walkable neighborhoods are two of its most up front topics in its news letters. Good for the AARP! But it can do a lot better. Those articles about healthy food choices, walkable neighborhoods and other important issues could identify what is the reason we need to be told about healthy food choices and walkable neighborhoods.
Imagine the AARP explaining that our dishonest economic system encourages unhealthy food and prefers urban land use that is dependent on cars. The AARP could explain external costs and our country could do far better with its time and money with an honest and accountable economic system. Even more, the AARP could encourage its members to downsize their lifestyles, learn about permaculture, become active in local issues and help bring about paradigm shift.
Imagine the Sierra Club [3.5 million member] and many other public interest groups featuring articles in their magazines, newsletters and outreach deconstructing the myths of capitalism and encouraging members to transform their suburban properties by trading grass for garden, putting in edible landscaping, going vegetarian, stories about families who have gone car free, becoming active with their neighborhood associations and explaining the concept we are on an edge of history.
There are on line and hard copy publications that already offer content about paradigm shift. “Resilience,” from the Post Carbon Institute contains a wide range of articles calling for deep changes in lifestyle, values, economics. Permaculture Design Magazine also has a focus on sustainability from a permaculture perspective. Mother Pelican is another online source of paradigm shift material. There are other progressive sources of information from Mother Jones, Grist, Vox, The Congress of New Urbanism and others. Even publications like the New York Times, CNN, BBC and the Guardian have articles sympathetic to paradigm shift. They all are encouraged to do more.
Let's do a little time travel. We are 5 years in the future when a growing number of public interest organizations are taking a more activist position with their outreach to the wider world. They are beginning to tell stories in their magazines, newsletters and websites about people and projects advancing the cause of paradigm shift in real life.
Imagine in this near future there is an organization named the Alliance For Nature, or AFN. It has 3 millions members and has been known for its decades long dependable middle of the road advocacy for the environment. But times are changing. Economic, social, political and environmental problems known for decades continue to worsen. Confidence in the greenwash of business and political leaders for addressing these issues is in decline. People are looking for alternatives to the consumer culture in growing numbers.
There has been a contentious change in leadership at the Alliance For Nature and other mainstream public interest groups. The old guard leaderships are being replaced with a more activist direction. The new issue of the Alliance For Nature's magazine, circulation over 3 million, reflects this widespread change in consciousness. Here's one of the stores with a short intro from the magazine's new editorial staff.
Greetings members of the Alliance for Nature. We are excited to begin a new era at AFN. We thank the previous leadership for their dedicated work over the years and their cooperation in making way for this new direction. The articles in this new issue of AFN magazine reflects an emerging more activist organization that intends to provide both inspiration and practical information for helping our members and society move towards sustainability and social cohesion. Please enjoy the story.
We thank John and Jane Doe for their enthusiastic participation in this article.
Just 3 years ago, Jane and John Doe and their 7 year old daughter Janet lived in a modest but comfortable suburban home. John and Jane had mid level professional jobs. They had been members of AFN for eight years. They also were increasingly concerned with the troublesome social and environmental trends they grew up with as they steadily grew worse. Inflation, social and economic dis equity, the environment. They also had had enough feeling like their lives had been invaded by constant advertising and the from the consumer culture. They didn’t want the same for Janet.
Jane read about a place named Kailash Ecco Village. It sounded too good to be true. So they checked it out and moved in a year later.
Kailash was once a boutique specialty 35 unit apartment complex with an Hawaiian theme, pool and decorations. Those days were long gone. Enter Ole and Maitre, looking for a place to start an eco village. The apartments were a good fit, a fourth of the units were unusable, there were drug shoot outs in the parking lot. Kailash is now one of the most impressive stories of urban renewal one could find. Jane, John and Janet moved into a thriving eco village, home to about 50 people. One of the primary goals at Kailash is to reduce eco footprints and build a thriving community life for its members but also to reach out to the wider community.
Important, Kailash is rental and its affordable. Ole and Maitre own the place. They set the boundaries and the rules are all sensible. People are expected to participate in community life. There are many committees to be a part of that take care of the composting, recycling, bikes.The eco village reaches out to the nearby neighborhood with particular interest in preparedness and emergency planning. There is a car share, a tool share. Kids groups. People play music and share common interests.
Jane, John and Janet took some time to make adjustments. It was very different to be living so close to so many people but after a while they connected with several people they now spend a lot of time with. They joined several committees and working groups. Janet has made some pals, too. There’s lots of places for kids to explore. With so many activities and ways to be involved, there is less need to leave the eco village.
The future is hard to predict. Jane and John plan to stay at Kailash for some years but are thinking to maybe combine assets with several others and buy a place together and create a smaller cooperative eco village. The benefits of cooperative living have sold them on this kind of lifestyle. John and Jane are saving money.
Adding to the excitement is Annapurna, a larger, also run down, apartment complex nextdoor. Ole and Maitre took the leap and bought that complex to turn into another eco village. The two eco villages are exploring the ideas of how they will integrate.
While John continues to work remote with his previous job, Jane and two of her Kailash pals are learning all she can from Ole about how to buy and convert run down apartment complexes into eco villages. Given the troubling trends and thousands of run down apartment complexes all over the country, creating new eco villages addresses many issues at the same time. The experience at Kailash has been life changing for many people.
Labor
Labor has been a part of many progressive changes in society. Unions have a core purpose to make life better for workers and their communities.
Historically, organized labor has campaigned for safer working conditions, the end to child labor, limiting hours and days in the work week, striking for worker rights and justice. Workers acting in their best interests predate the American Revolution. Labor history includes the period of apprenticeships and artisans while the Industrial Revolution created the conditions for labor to organize in greater numbers and complexity. Railroads and mining were early sectors to organize. Not to suggest a pristine record over the past 200 years, labor's ideals and struggles on behalf of working people have played a powerful role in this nation's history. After all, organized labor came into being for a reason.
Labor remains a very important player in public affairs. And now, recall the edge of history, labor has a unique new opportunity.
Labor could transform itself from a participant in a failed economic and political system to become a pioneer of paradigm shift. Pushing back on capitalism and its patrons in politics on behalf of sustainability and social uplift, is an enormous opportunity for labor. The ideals of worker solidarity, civic responsibility a history of social vision and experience dealing with big business provides labor with a unique capacity, one might even suggest a responsibility, to take on this immense, timely and challenging new purpose and identity.
The change in focus for labor would not be easy. Instead of its traditional struggle with business for a larger part of the economic pie, labor would be confronted by the same challenges as the rest of society, to downsize its eco footprint, redefine what is the goal of life and to gain the wisdom to say we have enough stuff. Moving past capitalism and towards sustainability and uplift will mean a cut in pay for everyone, labor included, simply because high pay plus cheap prices, made possible by externalized costs, equals damaging levels of consumption that we clearly see are not sustainable .
Labor can ask itself, does our movement primarily exist to gain a larger share of a not sustainable and corrupt economic pie or do we exist to help our members and communities move towards health and well being for the entire society – an economic pie the environment can sustain and is fairly shared.
Labor could move towards this new advocacy either top down or even better, bottom up. Both leadership and rank and file, will all need to make a leap in consciousness like the rest of society but labor's ideals and vision give it an added incentive and capacity to embrace paradigm shift. With broad social and political reach already available, labor can encourage and influence millions of others to also downsize their eco footprints and upsize their civic engagement. Business stands to benefit from paradigm shift too. Best case scenario would be business and labor working together on behalf of sustainability and uplift.
As with the rest of society, hopeful managed descent by both individuals and society will be better than an unprepared or even resisted descent when conditions, even for the well off, become impossible to ignore. Widespread society preadapting to sustainability is in everyone's best interests. Imagine, as labor explains to its members the why and how to downsize, a similar message is going out from hundreds of other public interest organizations to millions of their own members. A widespread similar message for downsizing means there is a broad social movement with common goals and that translates into solidarity and common cause.
Sustainability will certainly offer new opportunities for labor. A sustainable society will call for new products, services and skills. At the same time, many products and services that will not make the cut to sustainability, require both white and blue collar skills that can adapt to the needs of sustainability. With a high level of social cohesion, organizations and entities can use their skills and experience help each other to adjust to the needs of a downsized future. Ideally, there can be help from the political and government realm.
Paradigm shift can be a great opportunity for worker owned business, cooperatives and a democratic work place that are accountable to workers, communities and the environment.
Here's an example of entities making common cause that previously had little to do
Imagine a “village” of say, fifty or 500 people working as a cooperative for a mixed crop food producing enterprise to serve local and regional needs. One might reflect on how an Israeli kibbutz might translate into the American rural agricultural landscape. A near unlimited number of skill sets can work together for anticipated specific needs for new social and economic relationships and enterprise.
There are sustainability visionaries in all sectors of society and their visions can move from ideas to reality more readily and effectively when we have a greater sense of purposeful common cause, solidarity and are aware of each others' success and there are needs. This may all sound like a wishful dream but continuing the consumer culture, an ever expanding gnp and over consumption as a way of life will only make the social, political econoimc and environmental problems we now have even worse.
Honesty and common sense applied to economics and society will look brilliant compared to what we have now.
The Primer series describes many examples of social and economic initiatives that point the way towards a preferred present and future. Labor ideals and skills can fit in everywhere. Youth are being empowered to benefit their communities, run down apartment complexes are turned into thriving eco villages, small scale systems are already facilitating local economic development that serves healthy interests, maker spaces are building community with diverse local collaborations.
Labor has the reach, history, core values and experience that few other organizations have, to help move our society in an honest and sustainable direction.
Faith Organizations
Faith organizations have an enormous “tool box.” First, almost all faith groups share a set of social ideals and goals that can easily translate to sustainability and social uplift. Recall the wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions. This wisdom is ready made for paradigm shift and it comes from virtually all faith traditions regardless of place in geography, time in history, culture or language. This wisdom is simple but comprehensive - care for the natural world, modesty of lifestyle, uplift of the spirit, service to the community and accountability. A society could be based on that wisdom.
Faith organizations should be helping to lead the charge to sustainability and uplift.
Most faith groups have built infrastructure, such as fellowship halls and meeting rooms, that can host progressive educational community events [many already do]. A faith group can invite speakers to address important issues to an existing audience and invited public. Faith groups have an outreach capacity and are usually part of larger networks and associations. One activist member of the network might catalyze others to do likewise. If the faith group has out door physical space, they can host a community garden and orchard. Faith groups usually have standing in the community that lends a stature for having access to places of influence in the community that other groups might not.
Many faith groups already engage in positive community affairs. One particular church in Eugene has been the go to location for progressive events for many years. The facility, with large social hall and classrooms, is perfect for medium sized public events. The cost to use those facilities has always been modest and the church has been welcoming for many events and organizations. The writer of this article has helped organize dozens of gatherings related to paradigm shift at that location.
Many faith groups have declining and aging memberships. A motivated clergy or member of the congregation could perhaps catalyze a big shift in the agenda of the church, mosque or temple by taking a more activist orientation. Many seniors would love to volunteer for a positive cause. A re energized agenda just might lead to new members and public engagement.
The more or less pyramid structure of faith groups gives its leaders the position to help elevate and motivate the membership to take on progressive initiatives. The current pope is well known for his comparatively progressive statements and positions in regard to the environment, climate change, lifestyle and economics. That more progressive content has an effect on millions of church members and the wider world. A local minister, rabbi or imam could do the same at smaller scale.
Many faith organizations have study groups. These would be great places for individuals to take initiative to propose paradigm shift ideas within the context of the Koran, Bible, Torah. Many faith organizations even have social concerns committees that already discuss issues related to sustainability.
Perhaps one of the most important potentials for this wisdom is for diverse cultures and belief systems to recognize their fundamental kinship and common cause so they can work with each other at both the organizational and personal level on behalf of sustainability and a healthy present and future.
The take home message, almost any faith organization has existing assets and ideals that can be used for more ambitious discussion, action and leadership on behalf of sustainability and social uplift. Sharing a common cause for a healthy and uplifted society could bring faith groups together to work together in common cause like never before.
Truth and Reconciliation For Capitalism
Another way to advance the cause of paradigm shift ts truth and reconciliation.
This T and R would be enormously controversial and thats good. The process would be a hard hitting but measured.
Historically, the purpose of a truth and reconciliation process [TRP] is to acknowledge the long term systematic wrong doing a powerful entity has imposed on a much less powerful entity and reach some kind of explanation and accountability for that wrong doing.
TRPs have taken place all over the world. Perhaps the best known was in South Africa established after the end of Apartheid, to address the many years of official repression and discrimination committed by the white minority government on the black majority. Other countries have called on truth and reconciliation to account for historical wrongdoing. Canada, Australia, Norway and Sweden have all made use of the TRP in regard to past government policy that purposefully discriminated and oppressed the lifestyles and culture of indigenous people. A TRP in Chile addressed the disappearances and human rights abuses committed by the regime of military dictator Augusto Pinochet.
A truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body and its course of action is
(1) investigates a pattern of events that took place over a period of time;
(2) engages directly and broadly with the affected population, gathering information on their experiences;
(3) is a temporary body, with the aim of concluding with a final report; and
(4) is officially authorized or empowered by the will of the people
America's TRP candidate has both similarities and differences compared to previous TRPs. America's candidate has delivered a higher level of material abundance to a greater share of its population than any other country in history. Cars, suburbia, mini storage units and entertainment exist in super sized amounts. At the same time, to many observers, it has severely and tragically degraded social, political, economic and eco logical well being. There is good reason to believe the lifestyle of middle class America, not to mention the well off, is far from sustainable and can share responsibility for just about every major front page problem we read about.
America's truth and reconciliation candidate is capitalism. Capitalism's work is to create as much want and desire for its vast array of products as possible. Starting at a young age with clever and incessant commercial messaging, it shapes the values and lifestyles of hundreds of millions of people so they conform to their roles as consumers. Important terms that describe the methods of capitalism are social engineering, credit, external cost and consumer culture. The outcome of this social engineering and consumer culture is a society based on staggering overconsumption of resources and energy, a remarkable concentration of economic and political power, climate change and lost human potential.
A truth and reconciliation for capitalism would address how and why this consumer culture came into being, identify the damage to people and planet and who and what is responsible. A concurrent task of the TRP would be to generate sets of recommendations for individuals, communities and nation to move towards sustainability and up lift.
An important difference between capitalism's TRP and those mentioned above, is that capitalism is not a government, its an economic system. Capitalism is not a singular entity yet its principles and methods result in a consistent set of behaviors by the world of business, particularly in the US and that is to promote as much consumption of resources and energy as possible and not be distracted by ethics, damage to public health and honesty. Excess is the calling card of American style capitalism. Extremely important to add, capitalism receives the full blessing and encouragement of government, both administrative and elected, from national to local. Government is an essential partner to capitalism and fully shares responsibility for the degraded condition of this society and the environment.
Another primary difference with capitalism's wrong doing compared to the governments mentioned above is those governments targeted specific people and groups, such as indigenous populations and political opponents. Capitalism's target is the entire population. Young, old, well off, not well off, in shape, out of shape, male, female, white, black, red, everyone.
Still, another difference with capitalism's truth and reconciliation is that its process would not be limited to wrong doing to people, it would also take great interest in capitalism's damage to the natural world. A TRP would examine the cause and effect of social engineering, over consumption, external costs and their damage to the natural world.
Another important task for capitalism's TRP is to assess the harm it has caused to positive human potential. For example, what could have been accomplished if literally billions of hours of person time lost to passive and even violent entertainment – sports, concerts, TV, social media - were applied instead to personal uplift, community service and planet repair. Extreme social and economic dis equity, well known to this society, means reduced opportunity for millions of people to manifest their positive potential. Individuals miss out and so does society on the positive potentials of millions of people. Capitalism is also very in efficient, consider millions of jobs exist to repair the damage caused by millions of other jobs. For example, public health professionals deal with the widespread and largely avoidable damage caused by junk food, tobacco, cars and depression.
What might a Truth and Reconciliation Commission for capitalism actually look like?
A T and R process for capitalism might combine the elements of a graduate school seminar, court of law, think tank and traveling road show.
The cost for a T and R process could be tens of millions of dollars. Who would organize it and raise that kind of money? There are many well endowed foundations and individuals with an interest in these issues. There are civic minded organizations that could take the lead and/or participate including faith groups, labor, business, academic, institutions of all kinds Perhaps groups and individuals would apply with an essay relevant to paradigm shift and the current condition of society, the environment and its potentials.
A commission, thoughtfully brought together, would map out a plan for the T and R process with wide ranging input on a wide range of issues. The process could take many months, would certainly have twists and turns but there would be an awareness of the importance of the process and the need to be deliberate but timely and accountable.
The commission could visit places that help tell the story of this nation's contrasting conditions at this point in history. Perhaps a clearcut, industrial brownfield, wealthy neighborhood, crisis center, factories, country club, migrant workers, urban blight, a penthouse, confined livestock feeding operation, schools, worker owned business, suburban permaculture, eco village, homeless camp, Times Square, a reservation, a neighborhood bisected by an urban freeway and more. Experts and every day people from those visits would be invited to testify. What places would you have the commission to visit?
The commissioners, people interviewed and submissions invited from the public could respond to a wide range of questions and statements relating to life as we know it. Content could range from strictly science and fact to personal anecdotes, philosophy and theory. The commission would produce a document of all writings and correspondence and make it available to the public. What questions and comments would you add for TRP? Here are several basic question for the TRP to respond.
Here are several basic questions for the TR process to consider.
2] What is the mission statement for capitalism and the consumer culture?
3] Explain the term external cost and why its important.
Can capitalism and the consumer culture exist without externalizing the cost of production, consumption and disposal?
Does capitalism bring out the best in positive human potential?
4] What might a society look like if the price we paid for products and services covered the cost of the damage caused using
that product or service?
Is this statement accurate? Millions of jobs exist to repair the damage caused by millions of other jobs.
Is this statement accurate? Almost every social, economic, political and environmental problem we have can be traced to capitalism and its consumer culture.
4] Does advertising as we know it qualify as propaganda and social engineering?
What benefits of modern life could be sustainable?
Consider the benefits of modern life. Rank the 5 that contribute the best and the worst to social and environmental well being.
5] What are the implications that this economic system promotes and sells products known to kill people
and damage the environment?
Is capitalism and democracy compatible?
Should profits for business and investors be more important than affordable housing and healthy food?
Below is an expanded version of taking paradigm shift to a wider audience as heard on Spirit In Action Radio.
Further below are two "photo shopped" images. I took pages from the Sierra Club's on line magazine and also AARP and I replaced their articles with fotos and titles to show what kinds of articles they both COULD be sharing with their members that would boost the cause of sustainability, social uplift and paradigm shift. The photo shop images and "articles" are very good!
We have many allies and assets to work with for sharing what paradigm shift has to offer the wider world. We can start with our own selves. Paradigm shift starts at home. Many well known organizations and entities can advocate paradigm shift for the benefit of their members and the wider world. Truth and reconciliation for capitalism could put the ideals and actions of paradigm shift out to a much wider audience. This article goes into more detail.
First, a quick explanation of paradigm shift. The writer is an optimistic but can see no easy exit from the seductions of the consumer culture and its steepening social and environmental damage. Capitalism and its cult of growth, vanity and overconsumption is not compatible with a healthy natural world and social uplift.
Paradigm Shift
Paradigm shift is a movement towards a society where humans fit within the boundaries of the natural world, one of society's primary goals is to bring out the best in positive human potential and this uplifting society is served by an honest and accountable economic system. The concerns for sustainability in the Primer go far beyond the environment. Paradigm shift is just as much about social, spiritual and economic issues as the environment.
Social, economic and environmental disruption directly related to over consumption are already causing problems for increasing numbers of people all over the world and even in the affluent countries. The chances for reaching a sustainable future are better if we make purposeful choices, as individuals and society, to reduce our eco footprints and build sustainable civic culture sooner than later. Downsizing in the not so distant future may be not so graceful or voluntary.
What is an appropriate level of downsizing? Good question. We can be certain, a sustainable lifestyle would be very different for everyone, the more wealthy, the bigger the change. Refer to the primer article “What Might A Sustainable Lifestyle Look Like?” A number of sources suggest the expansive eco footprint of the average American needs to be a fifth of what it is now. Even half would be a massive shock. Such a condition is hard to contemplate. Imagine using one fifth the resources and energy you do now. Transportation, shelter, food choices, recreation.
That doesn't mean we have 1/5 the food, comfort or security. With care and creativity, a sustainable society would offer many benefits over what we have now. A sustainable future calls for a leap forward in consciousness rather than a “breakthrough” in new technology. Ironically, some of the hoped for breakthrough technologies would make many current problems even worse.
Previous Articles in the Series
Other articles in this series about paradigm shift include a deconstruction of the myths of capitalism, aspects of paradigm shift and real life examples of paradigm shift. Still other articles are in the pipeline such as what familiar products and services of today's affluence will not likely make the cut to sustainability?
Importantly, we have many active and slumbering allies and assets to work with for paradigm shift and many people and groups are already creating alternatives to the consumer culture. Their stories point the way towards sustainability and a preferred present and future.
Thousands of public interest organizations are already on the same paradigm shift team, even if they don't realize it. One of the most important goals of paradigm shift in the early going is to show both to the wider world and these organizations why they are on the same team and how they can work in common cause with each other for the benefit of people and planet.
Working in common cause, these public interest organizations can become a more effective and wide ranging horizontal movement. They continue with their own niche of interest but can coordinate with others and are fortified knowing they are part of a larger historical movement. With luck, the paradigm shift movement might even gain access to the political realm. There are many important parts of paradigm shift already at work. This article and series go into more detail.
Shared Principles, Values and Ideals
A vital part of bringing a movement together is a shared vision and set of values that is uplifting, effective and practical. Words don't amount to much without action. Shared values and goals can make the work of social, eco logical and economic transformation productive, even fun, and can attract others to join in. Downsizing lifestyles and making time to build a civic culture of common cause addresses a wide range of social, economic and environmental problems, all at the same time.
Paradigm shift can draw its inspiration and practical ideals from many sources, including books, articles such as EF Schumacher, Your Money Or Your Life, Richard Heinberg, Human Scale, Naomi Klein, Club of Rome and many others.
Two sources of foundational paradigm shift inspiration for this writer are permaculture and the wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions. These ideals are simple and can be applied in diverse realms ranging from food production, urban land use, economics, transportation, housing, public health and more. These ideals can work at scale from a personal lifestyle, to home, street, neighborhood, community and beyond.
Permaculture is a holistic set of principles and values that can be used to design systems for taking care of human needs in ways that are friendly to people and planet. Several of permaculture's most important ideals are to work with natural systems, create no waste, value renewable resources and use small and slow solutions. Permaculture advocates for people care, earth care and fair share.
The wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions is the product of millennia of human experience. It's content source is diverse in geography, history and culture. This wisdom includes care for the natural world, uplift of the spirit, simplicity of lifestyle, service to the community and accountability for our actions.
This wisdom is about human behavior in the personal and social realms and our care for the natural world. This wisdom is not about religion and is a perfect fit with permaculture and sustainability.
Permaculture ideals and principles and the wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions can be used to create a system to move past capitalism. The outcomes for applying these values, ideals and goals to our economic system and society can help mitigate climate change, social and economic dis equity and many public health issues. Note, important we say mitigate, not make go away. The systemic problems of our time may take generations to repair in the best case scenario. Best to start the repair sooner than later. That is what paradigm shift is all about.
Also important to know, there are many examples of paradigm shift that already exist. Other articles in the Primer series describe transforming suburbia, urban eco villages, empowering young people, investing local and much more.
Many of the most challenging social, economic and environmental problems of our time are completely avoidable. Many products clearly damage people and planet yet they are widely available and even advertised. Those damaging outcomes are a direct result of the needs of capitalism to prioritize economic growth and profits above the well being of people and the natural world. Capitalism is not broken, what we see is just what it does. Humanity is due for a leap forward.
An Historical Edge
Another important principle of permaculture is the edge. The edge is a place where two different systems come together. Perhaps wet and dry or sun and shade. We are living at an historical edge. On one side - capitalism, vanity, overconsumption. On the other side - paradigm shift, uplift and sustainability.
Capitalism, economic growth and its consumer culture have dominated generations of American culture and lifestyle. The assent of the American Dream became steep after WW II when war time industry shifted to domestic production and modern advertising became more adept at wide scale social engineering, also known as advertising. Cars, suburbia and the upwardly mobile lifestyle, more stuff became the American Dream.
The rise of the middle class delivered comfort, convenience and for many, unprecedented affluence. Living standards rose for many millions although access to the American Dream was not universal. During the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st, there have been business downturns, domestic upheaval and various international disruptions but still, the comfort and convenience of the vast number of Americans has improved remarkably over the past 100 years.
But the historical sidebar to that American Dream has been the increasing level of damage to the natural world, economic mal practice and a culture dominated by cheap distractions. Water and air pollution, ozone depletion, soil erosion, habitat loss, human produced chemicals in the environment, social disfunction and much more all became the visible damage of the rise of the consumer culture. In more recent decades climate change, a product of overconsumption, has become a house hold word.
Access to the middle class has not been equal. America's history must include racial discrimination. There have been many human casualties to this sidebar of history. Race riots, Vietnam, the Counter Culture of the 60's and more clearly showed the American Dream was not universal, and for some, the American Dream was not wanted in the first place.
This sidebar of history also includes economic developments such as globalization, many examples of corporate wrong doing and bailouts, the decline of traditional blue collar jobs and security, the concentration of economic wealth, troubling questions and consequences of technology; political fragmentation and disarray, even within the mainstream itself. These and many other related and well documented trends and conditions have led to new and widening criticisms of capitalism and its most important servant, the political system.
While the economic system has appeared to take on some of the rhetoric and concerns of its critics, particularly in regard to climate change and energy issues, it has proven it is not capable of a meaningful change in its behavior when the paradigm of profits and growth are called into question.
Several politicians have been quoted as declaring “the American Way of Life is non negotiable.” This remarkably arrogant statement tells us there is no alternative to the pursuit of affluence and overconsumption. This statement tells us those who disagree are hostage to a System they don't want.
This statement tells how determined and inflexible the keepers of capitalism are to maintain control of the nation's politics, policy, culture, education and world view. Profits and excess are more important than social uplift and sustainability to the owners and caretakers of the System.
The overall management of the economic system remains the same. Some tweeks have been made that are good for public relations but, essentially, the System keeps doing the same thing while it thrives on damage to people and planet. Millions of jobs exist to repair the damage caused by millions of other jobs.
Meanwhile, there have always been idealists and visionaries calling for utopia. The fact is, we do not need utopia. We need a society that shakes off the dumbing down distractions of the consumer culture. Paradigm shift, from this perspective, is not about utopia, its about common sense and people acting in their own, even selfish, best interests. Those selfish best self interests also depend on deep care for others and the natural world.
So we are at an historical edge. A small but growing number of people are already looking beyond capitalism and its consumer culture. One can find a growing number of books and articles critical of the current System of government, economics and society based on overconsumption of energy and resources. Take note, permaculture is becoming a new global language.
Sustainability and social uplift do not need a technical breakthrough. Paradigm shift can succeed with enough people making breakthroughs in their own consciousness. This series of articles along with similar thoughts from many others is intended to encourage and activate that shift in consciousness.
This is the edge where two historical systems come together. Capitalism has delivered much to be grateful for but is not capable of serving the next chapter of human history, to live within the boundaries of the natural world and to do that, we need an unprecedented shift in consciousness in regard to ourselves, our neighbors, our place in history and our relationship with the natural world.
Fusion energy too cheap to meter and artificial intelligence will not serve the next chapter in humanity's history if we want uplift of the spirit for the good of self, people and planet.
Capitalism absolutely offers many useful products and services that can be an immense assist to paradigm shift. Communications and sharing ideas is one of the best. Paradigm shift will not likely happen with snail mail or the telephone. We need technology but technology that serves a healthy purpose.
Who decides what is healthy? Our best hope is a widespread uplift of society's consciousness. We already see bits and pieces of paradigm shift, even in the mainstream realm although much of the conversation is greenwash. But greenwash may be the early going of widespread change in consciousness.
Healthy food is a growing issue, pushing back on cars is another. Alarm about social and economic dis equity, questioning suburbia and unbridled technology all indicate an increasing level of questioning the System. Add social influencers advocating “soft living,” that is, live your simple lifestyle dreams rather than the American Dream of ever more stuff. Those influencers can serve paradigm shift when they learn to connect, for their followers and the sider world, the soft living more gentle lifestyle ideas to paradigm shift.
Changing social, environmental and economic conditions at the edge will absolutely present new opportunities for creative and positive use of familiar social, built and economic structures and even our own selves. A transformation towards a sustainable present and future will require re imagining and repurposing the familiar, with luck and effort, with outcomes guided by uplifted ideals, values and vision.
Be The Change
Taking the ideas of paradigm shift out to a wider audience is an enormous task and we have many allies and assets to work with. People taking the time in their own lives to be a part of a movement towards sustainability and uplift is essential. A successful movement is better served by many people participating with a shared message and vision rather than a few leaders. One can create their own niche with the paradigm shift movement.
Becoming a paradigm shift advocate can include several aspects. Here are several basics and we will explore them a bit deeper.
1] Motivation, the need to activate, find a niche
2] Prioritize time and money
3] Self educate, personal experience is best
4] Be the change you want to see
5] What out reach assets do you have access to
6] Be prepared with your outreach
7] Acknowledge the positive
What can motivate us to activate? What motivates you might be your niche. The need for paradigm shift is broad and deep to say the least. As the Primer and many have pointed out, this society has a lot of problems. They are social, spiritual, economic, environmental. We are most effective with measured passion rather than high intensity. At the same time, its important to know, and be able to articulate, where your niche fits into the larger picture.
A critique deserves actions for what to do about the problem. The writer for this primer has a keen interest in deconstructing the myths of capitalism, aspects of paradigm shift and what can paradigm shift look like in real life. This content is available for use by anyone and anyone can add to it.Those are great elements to have for your own use.
A focus on affordable housing or climate change can still use the critique of capitalism, aspects of paradigm shift and what might an eco friendly lifestyle look like. Again, almost all the problems we know about circle back to capitalism and its consumer culture of over consumption and vanity.
Activating and advocating depends on people taking the time for putting useful information out to the wider world. An important term used in the primer is “prioritize time and money.” The consumer culture provides many distractions and they are very successful in dis empowering peoples' capacity to act in their own best interests.
What distractions are we willing to exchange for our own self empowerment? Another angle on self empowerment is liberation. Self empowering is the same as self liberation and discovering and developing our own potentials and what better cause than being an active part of social uplift and restoring the natural world to a healthy condition. Human health and planet health are intimately related.
What we choose to do with our own time will tell us a lot about our own selves. Can we match our ideals with our actions?
Making time available is a self affirming process. It is very much the start of pushing back against the very interests of excess and vanity that would like us all to be docile and passive consumers and make the rich and powerful even more rich and powerful at the price of our own uplift and the well being of the natural world.
We can enjoy many aspects of paradigm shift in our own lives as soon as we care to. No need to wait. The more people engaged in paradigm shift, the greater the benefits for everyone.
Self educate. Find out more about your niche and you will find out more about the wider context too. There are books, articles, search on line, connect with others, contemplate. See if you have a “Meetup” group with these kinds of interests where you live. Search “permaculture” where you live and connect with others with similar interests. Everyone can share what they are learning with each other.
I find fascinating information reading the New York Times and other mainstream sources of info that relate to paradigm shift because I am tuned into paradigm shift. For example, one article explains the benefits of subsidized affordable housing in Paris, the other, how the Bruderhof Society deals with technology and their avowed simple living social ideals
Both articles describe real life approaches to address housing and technology issues. The spark of insight and putting what we learn into a broader context is a great satisfaction and even better when that insight has practical application on behalf of a preferred future.
Few impressions are stronger than seeing someone or group being the change they advocate. Words are useful but actually making the changes is far stronger. Downsizing a lifestyle doesn't mean living in poverty but it does mean making changes that friends will be curious about. Giving a pass on the game or shopping spree in favor of self educating for making a presentations or volunteering for a good cause is a big move forward in managing our own time and being the change.
Being the change can be fun. Work parties at the nearby Filbert Grove or Rasor Park attract 8 or 10 people and sometimes more. Its fun to meet people and have conversations about whatever people like to talk about. Today's work parties also give us experience for a time when work parties will need to be more serious.
One year our neighborhood hosted the Northwest Permaculture Convergence at our rec center. The largest permaculture event of the year in the Northwest. We were a paradigm shift university for the weekend. Presentations, bike site tours, plenary sessions, breakouts, out door expo, play time. We estimate 700 people participated. Remembering the event still delivers a buzz. It was a suburban permaculture convergence that went out to the wider world.
Few of us own a tv station but we still have access to ways of sharing the ideas about a preferred future. If one is new to activism, maybe take on a modest task like writing a letter to the editor on a topic you are interested in. One might comment on an article like the New York Times on line where space is available for people to share their thoughts. Make a sign for your bike to express why biking is good for people and planet.
All kinds of classes for students in college or high school can link to paradigm shift. Sociology, regional planning, law, business, geography, political science, public health. Write a research paper about paradigm shift. Share it with others like a study group, a class, an on line forum, a church social concerns committee.
If one is a property owner, one's own property can be a highly visible place to put paradigm shift ideas out to a wider audience. Transforming a property offers many benefits.
1] It can help build one's own resilience and personal health.
2] It can be a model for others, a story in the media, youtube, blog, etc
3] It can be a place to show and tell others what suburbia can look like
My own quarter acre suburban property is a great example of what suburbia can become with paradigm shift. Its a powerful example of how a modest home with a substantial amount of self installed permaculture upgrades can be a safe, comfortable affordable place for 4 people to live, myself included. Thousands of people have visited over the years and many have put what they learned from the visit to my place to good use. I know because many people who have visited have told me what they did to their own place after seeing my place.
You can find another article in the Primer series describes my place and comparatively small eco footprint lifestyle. You can also search “Jan Spencer, primer” on Youtube and find the Youtube version of the Primer For Paradigm Shift.
Self Calculate. One can self educate about one's own lifestyle, by answering the questions of the “footprint calculator.” The lifestyle questions probe one's housing, spending money, food choices, transportation and more. All these questions point to behavior we can change in our own lives to actually reduce our eco footprints.
Going veggie is a big benefit to the environment and our own health. The calculator can be a great topic for conversations. One might even create or join a mutual assistance group to support each other cutting down on over consumption. You can find the calculator on line at footprintcalculator.org from the Global Footprint Network.
Be nice. Simply just being friendly, helpful and courteous to others is a huge part of paradigm shift. Making the time to be nice. Offering personal encouragement is great way to raise the vibe towards a more peaceful and healthy world. Just telling someone thanks for something positive they did reinforces healthy social behavior. Who knows what benefits kind words can lead to.
I had a very nice short chat at the big box check out last week. Turns out the young lady at the register was also into gardens. We ping ponged a bit about growing food and agreed gardens are awesome and ended our chat with a friendly fist bump. A nice social buzz for both of us.
People who have written books that have had impact on many people started somewhere. Its up to us to determine how much of an advocate we want to be but there is room for everyone. One should not expect too much thanks for making personal changes or being an advocate. We need to activate, reach out and be positive simply because its the best thing we can do both in the moment and long term. Its good for one's own well being as well.
The more people making the time, being openly positive, being the change, having coherent and usable ideas to share, reaching out in whatever ways we can, the better. Maybe even pushing oneself to try something new. Paradigm shift depends on people making best use of this edge in history along with their own time and money.
One of the greatest resources we have is to communicate, learn, explore, activate, encourage each other and grow this movement. The better world most people want will not happen by itself. There are lots of distractions but there are many friends to make and many allies and assets to work with.
Interest Groups
Let's have a look at several interest groups and other points of interest that have built in assets for engaging in paradigm shift and sharing those ideals with the wider world , even if changing the world is not a part of their original agenda. Some of these opinions and observations may be difficult to imagine. Yes they are, but that doesn't mean they don't make sense. Our imaginations are limited by our expectations. Our actions are limited by our imaginations. The value of paradigm shift will only increase with time. Distant ideas now will look much more believable fra poco.
Colleges and universities can be a powerful force for needed changes. Many faculty are very sympathetic, some even research and write about the problems facing society. Universities typically have student groups based on all kinds of topics and issues, many are social, economic and environmental. Higher education has many topical interests and realms of study that link to making society a better place.
Faculty, administration and students can all initiate a more ambitious links between existing interests and paradigm shift.
Here in Eugene, the University of Oregon's Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, organized by students at the law school, has been a fixture for dozens of years. All manner of environmental issues have been discussed in presentations and panels such as habitat loss, water, aerial herbicide spraying, climate change, species at risk, peak oil and much more The writer of this article has participated many times in the past as a presenter.
Most of the topics discussed and presented relate to damage to people and planet. Organizers could easily add the element of paradigm shift to the conference agenda and even make the conference more overtly about sustainability and moving past capitalism. The conference already has a strong activist tradition. Pushing that envelope to include paradigm shift is a natural progression. A bit of well planned initiative by just a few organizers could catalyze a major shift in the character of the event to include much more paradigm shift content.
As part of a larger social movement for paradigm shift, academia could make available its research capacity to other movement members. That relationship could also give academia access to new realms of study and collaboration. Faculty could encourage students to look into paradigm shift and include more sustainability material in existing course work.
Neighborhood Programs
Many cities have neighborhood programs. That means the city has professional staff with the task to help the city's neighborhood associations [NAs] make their neighborhoods better places to live. Typical issues include development, crime, homelessness, the environment, transportation, building civic culture and more. Most NAs have monthly meetings, an executive board and action groups based on interests such as human rights, the environment, public safety and more. Monthly meetings usually have a program of interest to the neighborhood.
NAs have standing in the community. They communicate with the wider world via snail mail and internet. Many use Zoom for enhanced outreach. NAs can become more ambitious with their agendas. Like so many other organizations, many of the issues they engage in, mentioned above, are often damaging consequences of the economic system.
Those who participate help set the agenda. We had a program in February this writer organized with the title “Gardens Deliver More Than Veggies.” The program started with a look at the permaculture history of our neighborhood. Many people attending did not know about permaculture or its activist history in our neighborhood.
The program was mostly about sociology, explaining how gardens can bring people together in common cause over food production. Gardens are great for disaster preparedness, reducing eco footprints, producing important needs closer to home , boosting “home economics” and building community. We had a follow up with a site tour of my suburban permaculture property that drew over 35 people. The message for the tour was all about transforming suburbia and paradigm shift and how gardens can help build community and catalyze paradigm shift.
Our NA organized a big River Fest in the car free Willamette Greenway last September with many neighborhood organizations tabling, there was a bike safety check up, a crowded cider press with people bringing their own apples. There was an acoustic song circle with 40 people, Master Gardeners, shared gardening information , there was fresh water biology for kids, a big permaculture display, take it or leave it table to trade garden produce and much more. Many who attended were aware this was an event that showed much of what life could be like moving towards sustainability.
Many cities have neighborhood programs and they welcome new comers. NAs are well placed to take the ideas of paradigm shift to a wider audience, even if that message is subtle. It can be less subtle over time. My involvement with RRCO, our NA, has been one of the most enriching community experiences of my life.
Modest Assets and Tough Challenges
People with modest economic means are prime candidates for paradigm shift. Verily, they may well be a preview of whats to come for those with more substantial means at the present time. Many hard working people are early passengers on the down slope and already downsizing their lifestyles and possibly, not by choice. I have been reading in the mainstream media about more and more articles describing people struggling to keep up with paying for a car and its related expenses. Finding affordable housing is another big issue. This edge of history offers the less fortunate new opportunities.
Again, a change in consciousness for how to deal with challenging circumstances is most important. Imagine modest income people see their situations and each other as potential assets. They could make common cause with others with similar life conditions. Imagine they learn of a place where modest income people have prioritized time and money for taking care of their needs in cooperative new ways that improve their own security and well being but also fit paradigm shift.
A place I know in Portland, Oregon is an inspiring example of purposeful creativity in regard to people with modest income. This example did rely on a retired couple with above average organizational skills and, even more important, the motivation. Plus they sunk a lot of borrowed money into the project so it had to work.
The transformation process they pioneered could be adapted to fit lots of different circumstances and participants and could be of value to literally hundreds of thousands of people along with addressing a raft of social, economic and environmental challenges all at the same time.
I have described Kailash Eco Village in another part of the Primer series but it fits well here, too. This will be brief. Kailash [kailashecovillage.org] has taken the ideals of paradigm shift to the wider world. The eco village was a former run down, drug infested 35 unit apartment complex in Portland, Oregon. The principles, have created a thriving eco village from a 3 acre trashed out site.
Kailash is a rental and affordable. In effect, the eco village has empowered some 50 people of modest income to help restore urban infrastructure, reduce their eco footprints, learn valuable social skills for civic engagement and reach out to the wider neighborhood. To be clear, Kailash is not a legal co-op, its not co housing, it is privately owned but it does rely on those living there to make it all happen.
There are gardens, shared spaces, bike facility, compost, car share, depaving, outreach to the neighborhood, public art, emergency preparedness. There are many working committees at the eco village and life at Kailash depends a great deal on residents participating and taking initiative. Some residents have moved on and started smaller versions of Kailash elsewhere.
And then a year ago, O and M, the owners, mortgaged Kailash to buy the larger apartment complex next door that was also run down. As of early 2024,” Annapurna” is in the early going of its own transformation from trashed out apartment complex to eco village.
There must be thousands of run down apartment complexes all over the country. They are an enormous opportunity to take paradigm shift to a wider audience. They are an enormous opportunity to provide affordable housing, reduce eco footprints, uplift those who live there, build community culture and show the wider world what paradigm shift can look like.
Imagine if labor unions, faith groups, affordable housing non profits, organizations of different kinds, businesses and other entities borrowed a chapter from the Kailash play book and took on the repair of run down apartment complexes, perhaps for their own members or as a project coordinated with local or state governments.
Another idea for repairing apartment complexes would be a government make work program similar to the CCC during the Depression. The focus of this program would be to repair damaged apartment complexes. People needing work who qualify would receive training in the skills needed to repair the complexes. Some might even end up living at the complex where they worked. Perhaps the up and coming Climate Corps can take on apartment repair.
Participants would learn useful skills and such a program would produce many other benefits that fit paradigm shift. Imagine an opportunity where homeless and near homeless people, anyone interested and idealists could be an active part of creating their own security and uplift in a cooperative way.
Repairing run down apartment complexes is a powerful example of paradigm shift. It shows the wider world what a wide range of progressive collaborations can offer and look like in real life.
Gross National Product
GNP is a term most of us grew up with. Reworking how this measurement is used could be a great way for people to take a closer look at this economic System. GNP is a statistic that measures the growth of economic activity over time and equates this raw economic growth as undisputed progress. GNP is a crude measure, it is simply the estimated sum of all goods and services produced in a country in a year.
A rising GNP and the larger the increase, the better. For GNP bigger is equated with a healthy economy. GNP has served as a propaganda tool for economic growth. It does not consider that some economic activity is healthy and some is not. The GNP consider a funeral from a car wreck or the sale of junk food to be positive.
GDP ignores other important measures of a society's well being and problems. That makes identifying and correcting problems more difficult while GNP serves the preferences of the owners of business to increase their wealth and political power.
GDP is still used to inform policy and for many, is still the primary standard of economic progress.
In a critique of GNP, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy observed we will not change our economic snd social behavior “unless we change the ways we measure our economic performance”.
GNP does not account for non paid economics, damage to the natural world, services provided by nature, damage from both human and natural disasters, climate change, external costs, social well being, economic dis equity, the decline of wages for many sectors of workers and more.
In recent years, other types of indicators have attempted to address this GNP problem with a more nuanced set of conditions to measure society's well being such as measuring education, life expectancy, health care, life satisfaction, work and life balance, eco logical conditions.
New criteria are gaining traction to measure the performance and character of the economic System such as the Human Development Index, Better Life Index and Genuine Progress Indicator. These newer metrics show a greater interest in quality of life rather than quantity of life. Another trend towards paradigm shift ideals.
Public Interest Organizations – All On The Same Team
There are many thousands of public interest organizations all over the country. Public interest organizations exist to help improve the condition of people and planet. Typically, they have a particular focus such as social justice, the environment, affordable housing, public health, children. Large horizontal movements such as Black Lives Matter, climate justice, Occupy Wall Street, Indigenous Rights are also public interest organizations.
Some PIOs have a dozen members, some have millions of members. Some are local, some are national. Some have professional staff with budgets in the millions, some are ad hoc and totally volunteer.
PIOs have educational and outreach assets to work with. They have faithful members, they might work with other organizations, community leaders, elected officials, faith and business people and other special interest groups.
Almost all these organizations exist to mitigate some kind of social, economic or eco logical damage caused by capitalism and over consumption. [Note: Another part of the Primer features a detailed critique of capitalism.] That means virtually all these organizations and movements have a common denominator for the problems and issues they are concerned with and that means these groups are on the same team. A thoughtful push back on capitalism by one group benefits the entire movement.
Imagine thousands of public interest organizations explaining to their members why downsizing their eco footprints will benefit their own lives, the broader society, the planet and the concerns that particular organization cares about. And imagine if those organizations explain to their members that many other organizations also encourage their members to reduce eco footprints and even further, pointing out, “we are all on the same team.” Understanding there is a collective identity and purpose builds a movement and momentum.
These organizations could lift information from this Primer and other kindred sources of content and share it with their members. They could be include articles in magazines and news letters describing permaculture and “how to” content for downsizing and they could profile people and groups making these changes. [Note, see several other parts to the Primer, “Transforming A Suburban Property,” “Real Life Examples of Paradigm Shift,” and “Kailash Eco Village.”]
If calling for full on paradigm shift or the replacement of capitalism is language a bit too strong, these actions could be explained and encouraged in any appropriate terms.
A Shared Message
A common message all these groups can share with their members and the wider world is that we can trade overconsumption and pop culture distractions for many personal, family, community, eco logical and even spiritual benefits all at the same time. Paradigm shift is wholesome. The basic message groups can share include
1] Reduce our impact on the environment and build social well being
2] Reduce the power and damage caused by businesses that sell un sustainable products and services
3] Downsizing is not dropping out, rather its dropping in. We can trade unproductive excess consumption for investing meaningful time and money in sustainability at home and in our communities.
4] Our own downsizing draws attention to the reasons for paradigm shift and becomes an example for others. See “be the change” above.
5] Purposeful downsizing is building solidarity and common cause with millions of others.
6] Honesty and common sense applied to economics and society will look brilliant compared to what we have now.
Similar outreach from many organizations to their members and the wider world shows a thoughtful, coherent and consistent message that is clearly linked to people downsizing lifestyles at home and in the community. Working in cooperation is far more powerful than working in isolation.
Imagine, we have an enormous undeclared movement that would count many millions of participants and supporters from almost every segment of society. Common cause creates opportunity for coordinated action. A large and growing movement for paradigm shift is a welcome example of big is better. All we need is to realize the shared ideals of a sustainable society and healthy environment, the benefits to be gained and take action. We are much stronger together than in isolation.
Here are several examples of what specific organizations can do on behalf of paradigm shift.
The American Association For Retired Persians [AARP] counts 35 million members. The AARP advocates for the health and well being of its members. Advocating for healthy food and walkable neighborhoods are two of its most up front topics in its news letters. Good for the AARP! But it can do a lot better. Those articles about healthy food choices, walkable neighborhoods and other important issues could identify what is the reason we need to be told about healthy food choices and walkable neighborhoods.
Imagine the AARP explaining that our dishonest economic system encourages unhealthy food and prefers urban land use that is dependent on cars. The AARP could explain external costs and our country could do far better with its time and money with an honest and accountable economic system. Even more, the AARP could encourage its members to downsize their lifestyles, learn about permaculture, become active in local issues and help bring about paradigm shift.
Imagine the Sierra Club [3.5 million member] and many other public interest groups featuring articles in their magazines, newsletters and outreach deconstructing the myths of capitalism and encouraging members to transform their suburban properties by trading grass for garden, putting in edible landscaping, going vegetarian, stories about families who have gone car free, becoming active with their neighborhood associations and explaining the concept we are on an edge of history.
There are on line and hard copy publications that already offer content about paradigm shift. “Resilience,” from the Post Carbon Institute contains a wide range of articles calling for deep changes in lifestyle, values, economics. Permaculture Design Magazine also has a focus on sustainability from a permaculture perspective. Mother Pelican is another online source of paradigm shift material. There are other progressive sources of information from Mother Jones, Grist, Vox, The Congress of New Urbanism and others. Even publications like the New York Times, CNN, BBC and the Guardian have articles sympathetic to paradigm shift. They all are encouraged to do more.
Let's do a little time travel. We are 5 years in the future when a growing number of public interest organizations are taking a more activist position with their outreach to the wider world. They are beginning to tell stories in their magazines, newsletters and websites about people and projects advancing the cause of paradigm shift in real life.
Imagine in this near future there is an organization named the Alliance For Nature, or AFN. It has 3 millions members and has been known for its decades long dependable middle of the road advocacy for the environment. But times are changing. Economic, social, political and environmental problems known for decades continue to worsen. Confidence in the greenwash of business and political leaders for addressing these issues is in decline. People are looking for alternatives to the consumer culture in growing numbers.
There has been a contentious change in leadership at the Alliance For Nature and other mainstream public interest groups. The old guard leaderships are being replaced with a more activist direction. The new issue of the Alliance For Nature's magazine, circulation over 3 million, reflects this widespread change in consciousness. Here's one of the stores with a short intro from the magazine's new editorial staff.
Greetings members of the Alliance for Nature. We are excited to begin a new era at AFN. We thank the previous leadership for their dedicated work over the years and their cooperation in making way for this new direction. The articles in this new issue of AFN magazine reflects an emerging more activist organization that intends to provide both inspiration and practical information for helping our members and society move towards sustainability and social cohesion. Please enjoy the story.
We thank John and Jane Doe for their enthusiastic participation in this article.
Just 3 years ago, Jane and John Doe and their 7 year old daughter Janet lived in a modest but comfortable suburban home. John and Jane had mid level professional jobs. They had been members of AFN for eight years. They also were increasingly concerned with the troublesome social and environmental trends they grew up with as they steadily grew worse. Inflation, social and economic dis equity, the environment. They also had had enough feeling like their lives had been invaded by constant advertising and the from the consumer culture. They didn’t want the same for Janet.
Jane read about a place named Kailash Ecco Village. It sounded too good to be true. So they checked it out and moved in a year later.
Kailash was once a boutique specialty 35 unit apartment complex with an Hawaiian theme, pool and decorations. Those days were long gone. Enter Ole and Maitre, looking for a place to start an eco village. The apartments were a good fit, a fourth of the units were unusable, there were drug shoot outs in the parking lot. Kailash is now one of the most impressive stories of urban renewal one could find. Jane, John and Janet moved into a thriving eco village, home to about 50 people. One of the primary goals at Kailash is to reduce eco footprints and build a thriving community life for its members but also to reach out to the wider community.
Important, Kailash is rental and its affordable. Ole and Maitre own the place. They set the boundaries and the rules are all sensible. People are expected to participate in community life. There are many committees to be a part of that take care of the composting, recycling, bikes.The eco village reaches out to the nearby neighborhood with particular interest in preparedness and emergency planning. There is a car share, a tool share. Kids groups. People play music and share common interests.
Jane, John and Janet took some time to make adjustments. It was very different to be living so close to so many people but after a while they connected with several people they now spend a lot of time with. They joined several committees and working groups. Janet has made some pals, too. There’s lots of places for kids to explore. With so many activities and ways to be involved, there is less need to leave the eco village.
The future is hard to predict. Jane and John plan to stay at Kailash for some years but are thinking to maybe combine assets with several others and buy a place together and create a smaller cooperative eco village. The benefits of cooperative living have sold them on this kind of lifestyle. John and Jane are saving money.
Adding to the excitement is Annapurna, a larger, also run down, apartment complex nextdoor. Ole and Maitre took the leap and bought that complex to turn into another eco village. The two eco villages are exploring the ideas of how they will integrate.
While John continues to work remote with his previous job, Jane and two of her Kailash pals are learning all she can from Ole about how to buy and convert run down apartment complexes into eco villages. Given the troubling trends and thousands of run down apartment complexes all over the country, creating new eco villages addresses many issues at the same time. The experience at Kailash has been life changing for many people.
Labor
Labor has been a part of many progressive changes in society. Unions have a core purpose to make life better for workers and their communities.
Historically, organized labor has campaigned for safer working conditions, the end to child labor, limiting hours and days in the work week, striking for worker rights and justice. Workers acting in their best interests predate the American Revolution. Labor history includes the period of apprenticeships and artisans while the Industrial Revolution created the conditions for labor to organize in greater numbers and complexity. Railroads and mining were early sectors to organize. Not to suggest a pristine record over the past 200 years, labor's ideals and struggles on behalf of working people have played a powerful role in this nation's history. After all, organized labor came into being for a reason.
Labor remains a very important player in public affairs. And now, recall the edge of history, labor has a unique new opportunity.
Labor could transform itself from a participant in a failed economic and political system to become a pioneer of paradigm shift. Pushing back on capitalism and its patrons in politics on behalf of sustainability and social uplift, is an enormous opportunity for labor. The ideals of worker solidarity, civic responsibility a history of social vision and experience dealing with big business provides labor with a unique capacity, one might even suggest a responsibility, to take on this immense, timely and challenging new purpose and identity.
The change in focus for labor would not be easy. Instead of its traditional struggle with business for a larger part of the economic pie, labor would be confronted by the same challenges as the rest of society, to downsize its eco footprint, redefine what is the goal of life and to gain the wisdom to say we have enough stuff. Moving past capitalism and towards sustainability and uplift will mean a cut in pay for everyone, labor included, simply because high pay plus cheap prices, made possible by externalized costs, equals damaging levels of consumption that we clearly see are not sustainable .
Labor can ask itself, does our movement primarily exist to gain a larger share of a not sustainable and corrupt economic pie or do we exist to help our members and communities move towards health and well being for the entire society – an economic pie the environment can sustain and is fairly shared.
Labor could move towards this new advocacy either top down or even better, bottom up. Both leadership and rank and file, will all need to make a leap in consciousness like the rest of society but labor's ideals and vision give it an added incentive and capacity to embrace paradigm shift. With broad social and political reach already available, labor can encourage and influence millions of others to also downsize their eco footprints and upsize their civic engagement. Business stands to benefit from paradigm shift too. Best case scenario would be business and labor working together on behalf of sustainability and uplift.
As with the rest of society, hopeful managed descent by both individuals and society will be better than an unprepared or even resisted descent when conditions, even for the well off, become impossible to ignore. Widespread society preadapting to sustainability is in everyone's best interests. Imagine, as labor explains to its members the why and how to downsize, a similar message is going out from hundreds of other public interest organizations to millions of their own members. A widespread similar message for downsizing means there is a broad social movement with common goals and that translates into solidarity and common cause.
Sustainability will certainly offer new opportunities for labor. A sustainable society will call for new products, services and skills. At the same time, many products and services that will not make the cut to sustainability, require both white and blue collar skills that can adapt to the needs of sustainability. With a high level of social cohesion, organizations and entities can use their skills and experience help each other to adjust to the needs of a downsized future. Ideally, there can be help from the political and government realm.
Paradigm shift can be a great opportunity for worker owned business, cooperatives and a democratic work place that are accountable to workers, communities and the environment.
Here's an example of entities making common cause that previously had little to do
Imagine a “village” of say, fifty or 500 people working as a cooperative for a mixed crop food producing enterprise to serve local and regional needs. One might reflect on how an Israeli kibbutz might translate into the American rural agricultural landscape. A near unlimited number of skill sets can work together for anticipated specific needs for new social and economic relationships and enterprise.
There are sustainability visionaries in all sectors of society and their visions can move from ideas to reality more readily and effectively when we have a greater sense of purposeful common cause, solidarity and are aware of each others' success and there are needs. This may all sound like a wishful dream but continuing the consumer culture, an ever expanding gnp and over consumption as a way of life will only make the social, political econoimc and environmental problems we now have even worse.
Honesty and common sense applied to economics and society will look brilliant compared to what we have now.
The Primer series describes many examples of social and economic initiatives that point the way towards a preferred present and future. Labor ideals and skills can fit in everywhere. Youth are being empowered to benefit their communities, run down apartment complexes are turned into thriving eco villages, small scale systems are already facilitating local economic development that serves healthy interests, maker spaces are building community with diverse local collaborations.
Labor has the reach, history, core values and experience that few other organizations have, to help move our society in an honest and sustainable direction.
Faith Organizations
Faith organizations have an enormous “tool box.” First, almost all faith groups share a set of social ideals and goals that can easily translate to sustainability and social uplift. Recall the wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions. This wisdom is ready made for paradigm shift and it comes from virtually all faith traditions regardless of place in geography, time in history, culture or language. This wisdom is simple but comprehensive - care for the natural world, modesty of lifestyle, uplift of the spirit, service to the community and accountability. A society could be based on that wisdom.
Faith organizations should be helping to lead the charge to sustainability and uplift.
Most faith groups have built infrastructure, such as fellowship halls and meeting rooms, that can host progressive educational community events [many already do]. A faith group can invite speakers to address important issues to an existing audience and invited public. Faith groups have an outreach capacity and are usually part of larger networks and associations. One activist member of the network might catalyze others to do likewise. If the faith group has out door physical space, they can host a community garden and orchard. Faith groups usually have standing in the community that lends a stature for having access to places of influence in the community that other groups might not.
Many faith groups already engage in positive community affairs. One particular church in Eugene has been the go to location for progressive events for many years. The facility, with large social hall and classrooms, is perfect for medium sized public events. The cost to use those facilities has always been modest and the church has been welcoming for many events and organizations. The writer of this article has helped organize dozens of gatherings related to paradigm shift at that location.
Many faith groups have declining and aging memberships. A motivated clergy or member of the congregation could perhaps catalyze a big shift in the agenda of the church, mosque or temple by taking a more activist orientation. Many seniors would love to volunteer for a positive cause. A re energized agenda just might lead to new members and public engagement.
The more or less pyramid structure of faith groups gives its leaders the position to help elevate and motivate the membership to take on progressive initiatives. The current pope is well known for his comparatively progressive statements and positions in regard to the environment, climate change, lifestyle and economics. That more progressive content has an effect on millions of church members and the wider world. A local minister, rabbi or imam could do the same at smaller scale.
Many faith organizations have study groups. These would be great places for individuals to take initiative to propose paradigm shift ideas within the context of the Koran, Bible, Torah. Many faith organizations even have social concerns committees that already discuss issues related to sustainability.
Perhaps one of the most important potentials for this wisdom is for diverse cultures and belief systems to recognize their fundamental kinship and common cause so they can work with each other at both the organizational and personal level on behalf of sustainability and a healthy present and future.
The take home message, almost any faith organization has existing assets and ideals that can be used for more ambitious discussion, action and leadership on behalf of sustainability and social uplift. Sharing a common cause for a healthy and uplifted society could bring faith groups together to work together in common cause like never before.
Truth and Reconciliation For Capitalism
Another way to advance the cause of paradigm shift ts truth and reconciliation.
This T and R would be enormously controversial and thats good. The process would be a hard hitting but measured.
Historically, the purpose of a truth and reconciliation process [TRP] is to acknowledge the long term systematic wrong doing a powerful entity has imposed on a much less powerful entity and reach some kind of explanation and accountability for that wrong doing.
TRPs have taken place all over the world. Perhaps the best known was in South Africa established after the end of Apartheid, to address the many years of official repression and discrimination committed by the white minority government on the black majority. Other countries have called on truth and reconciliation to account for historical wrongdoing. Canada, Australia, Norway and Sweden have all made use of the TRP in regard to past government policy that purposefully discriminated and oppressed the lifestyles and culture of indigenous people. A TRP in Chile addressed the disappearances and human rights abuses committed by the regime of military dictator Augusto Pinochet.
A truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body and its course of action is
(1) investigates a pattern of events that took place over a period of time;
(2) engages directly and broadly with the affected population, gathering information on their experiences;
(3) is a temporary body, with the aim of concluding with a final report; and
(4) is officially authorized or empowered by the will of the people
America's TRP candidate has both similarities and differences compared to previous TRPs. America's candidate has delivered a higher level of material abundance to a greater share of its population than any other country in history. Cars, suburbia, mini storage units and entertainment exist in super sized amounts. At the same time, to many observers, it has severely and tragically degraded social, political, economic and eco logical well being. There is good reason to believe the lifestyle of middle class America, not to mention the well off, is far from sustainable and can share responsibility for just about every major front page problem we read about.
America's truth and reconciliation candidate is capitalism. Capitalism's work is to create as much want and desire for its vast array of products as possible. Starting at a young age with clever and incessant commercial messaging, it shapes the values and lifestyles of hundreds of millions of people so they conform to their roles as consumers. Important terms that describe the methods of capitalism are social engineering, credit, external cost and consumer culture. The outcome of this social engineering and consumer culture is a society based on staggering overconsumption of resources and energy, a remarkable concentration of economic and political power, climate change and lost human potential.
A truth and reconciliation for capitalism would address how and why this consumer culture came into being, identify the damage to people and planet and who and what is responsible. A concurrent task of the TRP would be to generate sets of recommendations for individuals, communities and nation to move towards sustainability and up lift.
An important difference between capitalism's TRP and those mentioned above, is that capitalism is not a government, its an economic system. Capitalism is not a singular entity yet its principles and methods result in a consistent set of behaviors by the world of business, particularly in the US and that is to promote as much consumption of resources and energy as possible and not be distracted by ethics, damage to public health and honesty. Excess is the calling card of American style capitalism. Extremely important to add, capitalism receives the full blessing and encouragement of government, both administrative and elected, from national to local. Government is an essential partner to capitalism and fully shares responsibility for the degraded condition of this society and the environment.
Another primary difference with capitalism's wrong doing compared to the governments mentioned above is those governments targeted specific people and groups, such as indigenous populations and political opponents. Capitalism's target is the entire population. Young, old, well off, not well off, in shape, out of shape, male, female, white, black, red, everyone.
Still, another difference with capitalism's truth and reconciliation is that its process would not be limited to wrong doing to people, it would also take great interest in capitalism's damage to the natural world. A TRP would examine the cause and effect of social engineering, over consumption, external costs and their damage to the natural world.
Another important task for capitalism's TRP is to assess the harm it has caused to positive human potential. For example, what could have been accomplished if literally billions of hours of person time lost to passive and even violent entertainment – sports, concerts, TV, social media - were applied instead to personal uplift, community service and planet repair. Extreme social and economic dis equity, well known to this society, means reduced opportunity for millions of people to manifest their positive potential. Individuals miss out and so does society on the positive potentials of millions of people. Capitalism is also very in efficient, consider millions of jobs exist to repair the damage caused by millions of other jobs. For example, public health professionals deal with the widespread and largely avoidable damage caused by junk food, tobacco, cars and depression.
What might a Truth and Reconciliation Commission for capitalism actually look like?
A T and R process for capitalism might combine the elements of a graduate school seminar, court of law, think tank and traveling road show.
The cost for a T and R process could be tens of millions of dollars. Who would organize it and raise that kind of money? There are many well endowed foundations and individuals with an interest in these issues. There are civic minded organizations that could take the lead and/or participate including faith groups, labor, business, academic, institutions of all kinds Perhaps groups and individuals would apply with an essay relevant to paradigm shift and the current condition of society, the environment and its potentials.
A commission, thoughtfully brought together, would map out a plan for the T and R process with wide ranging input on a wide range of issues. The process could take many months, would certainly have twists and turns but there would be an awareness of the importance of the process and the need to be deliberate but timely and accountable.
The commission could visit places that help tell the story of this nation's contrasting conditions at this point in history. Perhaps a clearcut, industrial brownfield, wealthy neighborhood, crisis center, factories, country club, migrant workers, urban blight, a penthouse, confined livestock feeding operation, schools, worker owned business, suburban permaculture, eco village, homeless camp, Times Square, a reservation, a neighborhood bisected by an urban freeway and more. Experts and every day people from those visits would be invited to testify. What places would you have the commission to visit?
The commissioners, people interviewed and submissions invited from the public could respond to a wide range of questions and statements relating to life as we know it. Content could range from strictly science and fact to personal anecdotes, philosophy and theory. The commission would produce a document of all writings and correspondence and make it available to the public. What questions and comments would you add for TRP? Here are several basic question for the TRP to respond.
Here are several basic questions for the TR process to consider.
2] What is the mission statement for capitalism and the consumer culture?
3] Explain the term external cost and why its important.
Can capitalism and the consumer culture exist without externalizing the cost of production, consumption and disposal?
Does capitalism bring out the best in positive human potential?
4] What might a society look like if the price we paid for products and services covered the cost of the damage caused using
that product or service?
Is this statement accurate? Millions of jobs exist to repair the damage caused by millions of other jobs.
Is this statement accurate? Almost every social, economic, political and environmental problem we have can be traced to capitalism and its consumer culture.
4] Does advertising as we know it qualify as propaganda and social engineering?
What benefits of modern life could be sustainable?
Consider the benefits of modern life. Rank the 5 that contribute the best and the worst to social and environmental well being.
5] What are the implications that this economic system promotes and sells products known to kill people
and damage the environment?
Is capitalism and democracy compatible?
Should profits for business and investors be more important than affordable housing and healthy food?
The above image with the sage grouse is partly FAKE. I did a "photo shop" to a real page from the Sierra Club on line magazine. I changed the articles on the right to show what kinds of stories they COULD INCLUDE IN THEIR MAGAZINE THAT WOULD BE A NICE BOOST TO PARADIGM SHIFT
The sage grouse is a real article. The stories are all real.
Below for AARP, same story. I added my fotos and "articles."
The sage grouse is a real article. The stories are all real.
Below for AARP, same story. I added my fotos and "articles."
