Understand our society
Develop credible values and views
Understand our influence, and how best to use it
Express our views!
Do our bit to help
Take the next step
‘twas ever thus..
Greed and Hatred (Selfishness, Prejudice) always creep in
We must be vigilant to recognise it; bold to speak and act against it
History
Our addiction to cheap plentiful energy
Technology; a powerful, double-edged weapon
The rise of the Company
Companies – originally a people-structure to harness resources, for sustainably benefiting people
But they have become something rather different..
The Established Order: ‘I must serve the Company’ – but does the Company serve Society?
What’s wrong
Deep injustice is still built into the fabric of Western society
Power is concentrated at the top (Boards of selfish white males)
Trade and labour conditions, trading and IP rules, favour the rich and powerful
Government influenced by selfish commercial interests (and selfish voters)
Media strongly reflect debased vision and values, not truth and justice
I am complicit
Ignorant
Turn a blind eye
Say nothing - Let it happen
Carry on doing things the same old way
We need to disentangle ourselves!
Yesterday’s challenges
18th-20th century, in the West
The Slave Trade
Labour conditions
Education
Votes
Social security
Healthcare
Today’s challenges - global
Stop Climate Chaos
Make Poverty History and the Millennium Development Goals
Fair Trade
Trade Justice
Drop the Debt (Jubilee Debt Campaign)
Stop the Traffik
Sweatshops – eg International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF)
Control Arms
Selfishly selective political/military interventions
AIDS, Malaria etc (eg www.unaids.org/en www.rbm.who.int)
Today’s challenges – local
Selfish Capitalist lifestyles and Mental Distress (depression, stress, addictions etc)
Centralisation
Community life
Solutions:
Engagement with beauty and the natural environment
Exemplary living
Counselling and support
What difference can it make?
People’s attitudes obey a ‘Bell Curve’ distribution, with The Crowd at the peak, and Activists at either extreme
A small group of Activists can pull the Crowd in either direction
Examples (negative): Nazism, Serbian nationalism etc
Examples (positive): The Slave Trade, Environmentalism
My circle of influence
We have unprecedented information, access and influence
I am directly connected to dozens of people and organisations
Do they all know what I want to happen?
Am I using my powers of support and veto?
Common interest/campaigning groups
Avaaz.org – web/email campaigns
Tearfund – prayer and campaigning updates; SuperBadger on Facebook
Oxfam – events, briefing sheets
www.writetothem.com – contacting MPs, MEPs, councillors
Our disposable resources
Finance
Knowledge and skills
Time and energy
Contacts and relationships
Can we harness them to better effect?
Search for ‘win-win’ redeployments
Actions
Lifestyle audits
Work out marginal benefits and costs of different actions
Prioritise
Review
Make myself accountable
Get together with others
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