Building the Evolver Social Movement
posted by Daniel Pinchbeck | March 2, 2010
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IcerocketIn this blog, I intend to play around with ideas for developing the Evolver Social Movement into a large-scale membership organization. I hope to learn from your comments and direct engagement in this process, as we seek to launch the first phase of this project within the next month.
Last year, we launched the Evolver Regionals and the monthly event program, Evolver Spores. As many as 40 or 50 towns and cities have held Evolver events in the short time since this began, and some have developed sizable communities.We have discovered a real hunger among people to come together and begin to form local communities that express an alternative culture, based on ecological values and an interest in advancing consciousness. The main thing that has held back the development of this movement has been lack of funds. Perhaps naively, we have been pursuing investment through the traditional channels, hoping we would find investors who understood the importance, and ultimate value, of this project. Our most recent attempt in this regard led to an unfortunate episode which has gained much comment and attention.
While we will continue to pursue investment as necessary, we realize that the time has come to make a direct appeal to the community. If enough people are willing to pay modest membership dues, we will no longer be forced to wait to implement and execute our strategies. We plan to expand the Evolver Regionals and develop the Evolver Social Movement as a counter-force to the current corporate culture. At the same time, we will produce and disseminate media that supports a new paradigm of engagement.
We believe that the current political system has shown itself to be incapable of real reform. We are witnessing the slow motion collapse of our society, our political and financial system. The inertia of the government has been revealed by the failure of “Brand Obama.” Despite so much hope and hype, the current adminstration has failed to make a major impact in disastrous US policies, to stop the wars, to check corporate power, to address the injustices of the financial system, to confront the issue of climate change, and so on. If the government has failed us, the only available alternative is that people organize themselves outside of the political system – that we build a “people’s democracy” in opposition to the corporate plutocracy that currently holds power.
Any large group of people sharing the same ideas and intentions represents a political force. In a time of crisis and turbulence, a relatively small number of people who are unified can have a very significant effect on the direction of society. We are in such a crisis, one that we expect to get far deeper in the next few years. As this crisis deepens, there exists a tremendous opportunity to bring about a transformation of values and ideas, culture and consciousness.
The intention of the Evolver Social Movement is to work toward an orchestrated uprising of the human spirit against those forces that seek to control and imprison it. The basic principles and goals of the Evolver Social Movement include the following:
Self-sufficiency and local resilience
People’s democracy: direct decisionmaking as opposed to remote-control rule
Creative and personal freedom within the context of ecological and social responsibility
Freedom of self-determination of consciousness
Bring an end to the dominance of the corporate military complex
Undo the poisoning of air, land, and sea by applying techniques of ecological design
Reduce and ultimately eliminate inequity by transforming the monetary system
Reconnection with nature and support for local knowledge and indigenous ways
Innovations in science and technology mediated by actual needs of civil society
Nonviolence: global peace as an end goal
We don’t know if any of these goals are achievable during our present lifetime. Some of them – such as remediating the pollution that has damaged the biosphere – will require a commitment of many generations. We do know that the pace of change continues to increase. When we explore recent discoveries in sciences ranging from physics to biology, there are good reasons to believe that a quantum jump in the awareness and habitual behavior of our species is possible, perhaps even inevitable.
The obvious question is how to achieve such lofty goals and principles, which are shared by many, in a rapid timeframe?
We believe that the answer to that question involves utilizing the power of social networks and social media to connect people, educate them, and bring them together in an organizing infrastructure, the Evolver Social Movement.
All money collected through the Evolver Social Movement membership will go directly to help build the movement, in the following ways:
Salaries – minimal staff required to coordinate the movement, support the development of regional groups, to produce media content, to organize events and conferences, etc.
Technology costs – we intend to augment and develop Evolver.net, adding a barter system and alternative currency hub, plus recommendation systems that will help people find the projects
Marketing and promotion – Developing the Evolver Social Movement requires continual outreach to new communities, from ghetto minorities to rural Christians. We hope to produce promotional videos and shows that help to carry the Evolver message far and wide.
Evolver Regionals – Given funds, we will be able to support local Evolver Regionals in their efforts. As the Evolver Social Movement develops, some disbursement of funds collected as membership dues will be decided upon by the Evolver membership community, who will have the opportunity to review and vote on projects through Evolver.net . We will keep the financial operations of the Evolver Social Movement as transparent as possible. Ultimately, we hope to convert our members into shareholders.
Additionally, the Evolver Social Movement intends to develop the Evolver Membership Card, a commerce platform and discount program that will offer members a range of low-cost goods and local services that augment and improve their lives. The Evolver Membership Card will also be a great outreach tool, as it can potentially bring in a much larger demographic – people who are at first uncertain about the deeper intent of Evolver, but immediately respond to a commercial inducement that has tangible benefits for them as consumers.
That’s what I have so far – please let me know your thoughts and comments.
Comments
Good ideas
— Mar 02, 2010
It is true that so many of us are yearning to be part of a community that looks to build better ways of living. I have had so many conversations with people who have great ideas and envision a different world, but it is hard to just take the step by yourself and start something like this, not knowing who is going to be there as a support system and community. If something like this got started, I would be all about it. If other people along with me were willing to spend a lot more time devoloping and planning these ideas you're suggesting, it would just exactly what I am looking for. In fact, this year when I was planning what I was going to do, instead of traveling to another country so I didn't have to think about the situation in the United States, I deciced I wanted to live in the United States and simply look for a place with a nice atmosphere that supported my way of life, and a place I could have conversations about holistic healing, medicinal plants, 2012, evolving, etc. That was the main goal and I found it, although with as many people interested in the same things, I am surprised there isn't a movement started already. I think the problem is, there are so many little tiny ones, and so many people out there that have great ideas but are completely independent, and like me, still need to make money. If we all formed one community and helped each other out, we could do things a lot cheaper and use all our power together to branch out more and create a strong movement that other people would want to be a part of. In this economic crisis, people are using their creativity to make money and as a larger unit with a focus, we could really do wonderful things. It is a tough situation....People NEED to be independent, as we aren't part of a tribe and usually our family is pretty spread out and/or doesn't support us. But we need to use that independence to find our personal purpose, or strengths, then use what we've delved so deep to find together with what others have found and put it all together. Most people aren't even using the gifts that they have been given. However, if we are moving to a barter system, having something to trade will be vital to our life situation
I fully support this movement to take action, It is exactly what we need.
Thanks for all that you've done.
Megan
Future of Exchange
— Mar 02, 2010
As a side point ... as more and more schemes are apparently out there to censor Internet communication, well the sooner we build a hands-on collective of shared minds the better.
Whether it ever comes to such or not is really secondary ... as ones inherent satisfaction will always be enhanced by local community ... and lessened by any other distant means ...
Exclusive and selective retreats and workshops will always remain in the pale background of day to day local Dharma, in communion with long standing brethren.
Each local spore, their own abode ... in entrainment with all other local versions.
In Sanskrit there is the term "loka" ... loosely referring to an actually conscious place ... as opposed to lines on a map.
Above and beyond mankind's "distribution of "area" are real areas of conscious connection ... like the natural areas where local language accents change and/or become standardized.
Locale can never really be generic in this sense ... each it's own abode ...
In our secular ways we may try to make neutral such personal mellows or humors of behavior by ideology alone, separate from one's actual organic and indigenous, conscious place.
If every one on Earth stopped all external communication ... just for a moment, if not for any other reason but to be present unto oneself ... each of us would realize just how little lack there is outside of our telling ourselves as a humanity who and what we are ... rather than listening to the potential within.
The cost of payment is always self created .... and the payment of cost is always at the expense of creation of self
heaven is in the details...
— Mar 02, 2010
If I provided money in exchange for membership in this venture would I receive details on where the money was spent or do you see this as an open gifting concept? "When you fix your heart on one point, then nothing is impossible for you" - Buddha
Chewing on it
— Mar 02, 2010
I'm chewing on it.
It sounds like a political party, which it is hard for me to get excited about.
(see: Dream: Re-imagining Progressive Politics in an Age of Fantasy.)
the political
— Mar 03, 2010
Hi LionKimbro,
Well it might be a bit like a political party - although we won't get involved in ordinary politics as MoveOn does - crossed with something like the Elks Lodge. It would function as an advocacy group for the alternative culture, which needs to transmit its message to the mainstream as fast as it can.
I always hated politics until I started to study the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt. In her book "The Promise of Politics", and other works, she seeks to rehabilitate the essence of the political. We associate politics with mainstream parties and corrupt hierarchies. Arendt points out that the origin of "politics" comes from the Greek word polis, which referred to the city where free citizens would gather to decide on the important issues of the day. Being part of the polis was also a spiritual responsibility.
I think that Arendt has a good idea that we need to rehabilitate the idea of politics. As a matter of act, much of what we do is inherently political - certainly the choices we make in what we buy or what media we absorb are inherently political choices.
I think the idea that we can separate out politics from other spheres of life and reject it is a mistaken one. It makes far more sense to develop an authentic politics, which requires a movement to build it into a social force.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
Hey, that's cool!
— Mar 03, 2010
This is practical and solid. May I suggest some kind of permaculture involvement? For instance, seed library/ tool exchanges? I believe permaculture is one of the most immediate and direct means of toppling hierarchy. People need to know how easy and possible this kind of thing is- right away! Tasty tasty mushrooms are ultra high in protein and are super easy to grow- lots of people have room for at least some produce.
An idea I had for my community which hasn't been executed yet is a gardening collective in which a group of us will announce that we will help vegetable gardens appear in your backyard for 25% of the resulting produce, to be pooled through our organization, basically a decentralized community garden. I think this would be popular with older people and people who are generally too busy to garden. If we had a bunch of gardens going we'd have quite a lot of food... My friend had the idea of combing this with a Food Not Bombs style free food stall downtown- This could definitely work.
By the way, I really appreciate this stuff... It's really good. It needs to become apparent to people, especially young people that there's actually hope, that you don't need some kind of tentacle-ponytail and blue skin to connect to nature, that there's people working hard toward actual goals that make sense. I see this as a kind of war against machine consciousness- what makes people act like robots. Here's hoping we survive this century...
Albert Surjik
good ideas
— Mar 03, 2010
Hi Albert,
Good ideas! Once we have defined the basic parameters of the Evolver Social Movement, we can undertake collective projects such as the one you describe. At some point we will put out calls for ideas for projects that can be funded by the revenue that comes through the membership. You should propose this as one of those projects.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
currency
— Mar 02, 2010
I think we need a global Evolver currency to complement this package.
But I also worry that this will turn off many in our local Evolver group, and cheapen the novelty of what we are doing by asking for money for a .Net.
I guess the bigger question is, do we really need the centralized infrastructure to build a sustainable movement? Do we need the flashy media to make change happen? Do we need Evolver.net, AND the spores? Or are the Spores enough?
After reading Charles' comment, I wonder whether this is an either or situation, and if both are really sustainable. If it's too much of a financial undertaking, maybe we should scale down the infrastructure, using a site like .ning, which is free and pretty darn integrated.
Obviously Facebook is way more useful that Evolver.net, which is why doing 2.0 is so important to this online exchange to improve in quality. But can we undertake this on the backs of Evolvers who are simply trying to work on localized solutions?
No way Jose.
— Mar 02, 2010
Daniel I love you and you are a good friend, so with all respect, I could not disagree more. As a recovering old paradigm activist, I don't join membership organizations any longer. I dont think we need this, nor want it. This is nothing more than trying to co-opt and control the "revolution." The whole point of the last hundred years is for us to learn that in regards to social change, centralized control is bad and easily disrupted or neutralized. What we need are autonomous groups working on locally relevant issues, along the lines the Spores have been developing. No need to fix what ain't broken. We are all leaders, we don't need to be paying a Central Committee to tell us what to think and do.
Charles Shaw
Author - Exile Nation
"followers"?
— Mar 03, 2010
Hi May Day,
Honestly we don't think there should be "followers" - personally I refuse to have followers - but I also find that in a very tangible sense, it helps many people to have a scaffolding or even a brand to plug into, so they don't have to reinvent the wheel in everything they do.
Another way to look at it is that all of us have some areas in life where we are happy to be amateurs or followers, and others where we are appropriately masters of leaders. I am a "follower" when I work with a shaman. I may be better in other areas, such as writing.
One thing I have been considering a lot lately is the whole area of personal freedom, and how we can learn to make a positive, disciplined use of our freedom, rather than turning it against ourselves or using it to harm or harass others.
As I said in another thread, I don't consider my role to be that of a leader, but someone who serves and supports the transformational process.
"Groupthink" often develops over time - personally, my tendency is to break up "groupthink" or "guru-itis" whenever I see it starting to crystallize.
We want to create a scaffolding for a movement that rewards the maximum of creative freedom within a set of helpful guidelines - perhaps think of Burning Man as a model, but without a physical locale? One of the things that amazed me about Burning Man was that it proved there didn't need to be a dualistic split between the individual and the collective - that the individual can become more deeply individuated while the collective becomes more fully collectivized. This seems to depend on the underlying guidelines and principles created by the community.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
limits of elder wisdom from counterculture figures
— Mar 03, 2010
As much as I love the counterculture elders like Hakim Bey and RAW, they were products of a different time, and they weren't able to embody their ideas in new systems or social structures. (Genesis P-Orridge perhaps came the closest with his Temple of Psychick Youth).
My mother was involved with Kerouac and the Beats. I believe that from the 1950s through today, the counterculture ethos of personal freedom, individual creative freedom, the liberatory zest to follow any impulse or sex drive, has had to face the reality that earthly life, and the evolution of consciousness, requires taking responsibility. Not just tearing down but building up. In my own life I have learned those lessons in a myriad of ways.
We need to find a way forward that encourages individual and creative freedom within the larger construct of social and ecological responsibility. As much as I like the elders of the scene, I don't think they were psychologically ready to make this type of investment. I know this, because it is quite difficult - quite a stretch - for me as well.
One reason I find Rudolf Steiner far more compelling than Crowley or even Gurdjieff is that Steiner was able to embody his visionary ideas in practices and institutions that helped and healed and educated people long after he was gone. That is true genius and true responsibility.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
i don't get it
— Mar 03, 2010
Hi Charles,
I totally don't get what your problem is and why you don't see this would be a good solution. When you were editor of Conscious Choice, I assume you enjoyed getting paid for your work (by private investors)? If we had money from the Evolver Social Movement, some of it would probably go to you and other people like you so you could actually be paid to write investigative journalism involving travel and research, we could produce professional video documentaries based on "Exile Nation" and similar books, we could hire PR people and organize conference and events. It is absolutely the case that "it takes money to make money," and without resources we can only do a bare fraction of what we would like to do, things that would benefit many people in our community.
As for the Spores, at the moment they are being organized by Jonathan Philips, who works more than full-time for a very modest salary by New York standards. At the moment, we can't afford to pay that salary. If Jonathan is forced to leave, the Spore program collapses. So in fact, the Spore program is broken at this moment. If we have more money for Evolver, we can hire a few more people and expand the Spores to 50, 60, or 100 cities. Plus we can give them more support and budgets for events and so on.
For me, we have seen that pure consensus-based organizations tend to fail badly, while top-down structures tend to become too rigid over time. The goal, then, is to find the right flexible balance between bottom-up and top-down. That is our intention with Evolver. The for-profit or corporate structure actually gives us more latitude to experiment.
I don't think any of us or the company as an entity have any interest in telling people what to think or do. Yet I think it is quite clear that is useful to have some organizational scaffolding and connectivity. Obviously there is nothing compulsory about this - if a local group no longer wants to participate in Evolver, then can leave at any moment with no hassle.
We are talking about a minimal input of cash - $5 a month, one latte at Starbucks. I think it is reasonable and makes good sense, as the only option is to continue to seek outside investment, which is not only proving difficult due to the radical nature of the project, but will force us to develop revenue streams in other ways.
I am currently seeking to convince my fellow Evolver staff people that we should make our budgeting entirely transparent. The problem with this is that people are delicate about having their salaries revealed, even when they are modest. Personally, I would like total transparency, but I also can respect the desire for privacy. I think we can offer budgets with figures that it make it absolutely clear to everbody what we are talking about here.
People on the Left tend to be irrational and extreme about money. I hope we soon supersede this form of it, but while it exists, we do need it to make any movement happen.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
Easy fix to the privacy issue
— Mar 03, 2010
Personally (and I imagine I speak for a lot of us) I could care less how much individual staff are getting paid. At the same time it's nice to know how much is going to salary. So: just publish the total figures, for all paid staff, so we can compare that to the total budget. That way we all know what the salary overhead is as a percentage of the gross intake, thus how much bang we're getting for our buck.
The Revolution is Within
Pie Chart
— Mar 05, 2010
Hi Psychegram,
What we're currently considering is to do a pie chart that shows how our budget is spent, by category. The largest chunk, by far, goes to the RS/Evolver editorial and community staff. We have 3 full time and 3 part time people doing editorial and community work. Everyone multitasks, handling responsibilities for both RS and Evolver.
As far as bang for the buck goes, we're doing a lot with a tiny team.
the paradox of capitalism
— Mar 03, 2010
Daniel,
"The modern corporation is the worst poison on the planet, so it should be possible to transmute this corporate form into a great medicine."
This requires SO much trust on our part, but I think we may just have to make that quantum leap, and then step forward to participate in meaningful ways. One thing I love about the spores is the way you catalyze us and then trust us to do our thing well. The network could definitely benefit from some revenue to expand the events.
So in short, I think you make some excellent points as you engage our criticisms, and that the potential hokey-ness of being "a card carrying member of the evolution" is far outweighed by the potential for transmuting the medium of the for-profit and creating sustainable solutions.
Plus, it's great that you're not asking much per person. Maybe upping it to 7 might be a better call, though.
Kudos on taking on such a challenging, controversial project...in the end, member-supported might be the only way to go if we are really building a social movement.
Well, gosh, since you put it that way....
— Mar 03, 2010
...you make a wildly compelling argument, Daniel. >:0)
Of course I would love to be paid, and funded to do more, and of course I would love to see everyone else paid, and Evolver's expenses met. I would love to see all those projects you mentioned come to fruition, and I am certain everyone else would too. So, I would like to see more on how you plan to make those things happen.
To take you back to the point I was making, my only concerns are in centralizing control, and in replicating failed or obsolete models.
Come on, let's be real... Name one membership organization that is effective, let alone transformative in the way we aspire to be? The fact that you want to stay as a for profit enterprise does make a significant difference, since the NFP advocacy model is useless, a kind of regulated resistance ouroboros that spends all its time in self-serving fundraising and putting on socially acceptable "awareness" campaigns. I'm not interested in "lobbying my elected officials," I'm interesting in building alternative institutions. I am also not in the least bit interested in a "consensus-based organization." I am interested in helping to develop a decentralized, autonomous, locally-focused network of change.
If all you want is to charge a fee to fund the Evolver/RS operation, that's one thing. I'd pay it, so long as the accounting is transparent. But after seeing first hand what happened to Entheon Village and a few other noble minded "membership organizations," its hard to trust those in charge without strict oversight. And if the terms of "membership" means that Evolver Central calls the shots on everything, like the Spores, or "central messaging," or the like, and your intention is to run it like a political party, with you as the head of the movement, then no, I won't support that. Nothing personal to you, but how is that any different from the obsolete models? My sense is that's not what you want, but I still have to say it. I won't support the creation of a hierarchical organization or any kind of cult of personality that centralizes power, around you or anyone else. Like I said before, No Way Jose. >:0)
Anyway, our true strength is in the collective harnessing of the collaborative energy of our community, which is what the Spores are doing. So yes, help them stay afloat, but no, don't muck about in their affairs.
Lastly, oh, Daniel, I can't believe I'm letting you goad me into responding to this...
"People on the Left tend to be irrational and extreme about money. I hope we soon supersede this form of it, but while it exists, we do need it to make any movement happen."
a) I dont consider myself "on the Left", so you mean who?
b) The Left is extreme (but not irrational) about money because they by and large don't have any.
c) Yes, of course, we do need money, but at what price, literal and figurative?
Daniel, I believe in this enterprise, I just think that what you are hearing from the community is to be a bit more original in your thinking, and develop something with us, not for us. I'd be happy to help out any way I am best suited to, and I know I'm not alone.
Charles Shaw
Author - Exile Nation
the nature of experiment
— Mar 03, 2010
The nature of experiments is that they keep on failing until finally one succeeds and some new amazing compound or potential is realized.
Social structures - whether governments, NGOs, corporations - are also experiments, prototypes that eventually break down when their time is past.
I think we are seeking to create an organization that is as leaderless as possible and eventually will be completely leaderless. In my ideal scenario, we will eventually create education and training systems so that communities can set up good decision-making methods, based on the capacity to analyze all aspects of a situation from a generalist's perspective, as Buckminster Fuller discusses. At the same time, it is true that there are different character types, and some people are leaders by nature while others prefer to follow along. That is not a value judgment on anyone - it seems to be determined by personality type. This is lucky anyway, as we couldn't really survive in a world where everyone needed to lead.
I honestly would much prefer to make films and experiment with weird avant-garde dramatic forms, become a true yogi, or just travel to strange lands than be one of the people running this, but it is what the logic of my own work has pointed toward, and I am simply following the flow.
I don't think that fully "decentralized, autonomous, locally-focused network of change" tend to be very effective, but if Evolver is not your thing and you think that can work, feel free to do that instead, or as well.
It seemed there was a lot of adolescent ego involved with Entheon, and maybe no transparency, which is why it failed, perhaps. Those of us operating Evolver are older and have been more deeply brutalized by life, so we may be in a better position to stay humble. I agree with Yogananda's comment that life is a continual choice between humility or humiliation, and feel that whenever I start feeling I have got it all worked out, I quickly get humiliated again (and by this point actually kind of enjoy that when it comes along).
I don't know, Charles, the hour is getting late. The economy is soon going to collapse, while the progressive community keeps pointing fingers and bickering and not doing much. Meanwhile the radical right are buying guns, preparing for civil unrest and fundamentalist takeover. I am afraid the progressive people (since for whatever reason you don't like the term Left) can't get over themselves or crawl out of their individuation crisis, which is another form of ego trip.
I am trying to be optimistic about this whole thing, but I would also be happy to give up on it at this point, to be honest.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
Daniel,
— Mar 04, 2010
You wrote: "I don't think that fully "decentralized, autonomous, locally-focused network of change" tend to be very effective..."
I think that they are very effective to a certain point, but always tend to reach their capacity and/or self-destruct. We've all seen the many different attempts throughout history at centralized power consolidation and the atrocities that emerge from such systems.
I feel that what we are all trying to accomplish is a meet-in-the-middle type structure. Everything focused locally in a fully sustainable way, but at the same time mirrors of one another (not exactly the same of course). Finding this balance is fucking tricky to say the least - I mean we (as humans) have been around a little while and haven't figured it out yet.
I know that we all realize that change must begin from within - and I feel that "locally-focused networks of change" are prime examples of starting from within. Adding a "cool-person" badge with a VIP tax isn't gonna change anything in a meaningful way.
Why don't you guys just grow and sell some fuckin weed already?! HAHA I'm sorry - I couldn't resist that one. Pretty childish thing to say - but did I get you to smile about this whole thing yet?
Which brings me to my next point, lets all just step back, breath, and laugh a little.
Evolver is the Platform
— Mar 05, 2010
Hi Charles,
I'm glad you think it's a good idea that some of us get paid! Phew.
Seriously, though, the question is: what do we get paid for? Is it for providing political leadership to an emerging movement. I don't think so. This movement doesn't need a crusty leadership hierarchy. But what it does need are platforms where participants can come together, make connections, share knowledge, and organize.
That's always been our approach to RS. We've never had an "editorial position" to hold or defend. We don't feel that we have to agree with every article that we post. Our criteria is whether the article contributes something provocative or thought provoking that should be considered by the community. We treat RS as a kind of speaker's corner - a platform for reaching this community.
Evolver.net is a also a platform, though with a different character and purpose -- a place where folks can offer ideas still in development, explore new possibilities, and to engage in dialog. Again, our role is to hold space for this conversation.
With the Spores, we're facilitating the off-line meet-ups for this community, creating opportunities for people to connect in meat space, and make community happen on the local level.
With the Evolver Intensives, the books (like Adam Elenbaas' memoir, which comes out in July), the events, etc., we see ourselves as media producers, offering information and experiences that the community can participate in and learn from. We also see these as ways to bring in revenue, to help support the entire operation.
In many ways, the thousands of people who are at the core of this community are already "members" in Evolver. And we're very much aware of this. We feel that people have a stake in the outcome of how we decide to move ahead. In that way, Evolver is really a public trust. That's how I see it, at least.
I'm Charles Shaw...
— Mar 05, 2010
...and I endorse this message. >;0)
Thanks, Ken.
Charles Shaw
Author - Exile Nation
Semi exciting
— Mar 02, 2010
The extent of my excitement is marked by my waiting around for you or whom it may concern to step up and mark a balance point or fulcrum between what you feel you're contributing to the spiritual and what others are. The line you're drawing is one which you hope, when crossed, will open the wallets of your 'spirit based community' (best thing I can gather to call this stuff you've been up to based on your media outputs) because you are doing more for it and deserve it.
I'm still not fully excited by this though... I don't believe you believe any of what you speak is possible. And for the simple reason that you're not taking into account what pippalayana pointed towards.
I'm ravenously hungry for the Earth. I have reduced my consumerist impulses to the point that I nearly starved in order to understand what I cannot seem to feed. I've concluded that it's a deep connection to the Earth which I hunger for. When I work with the Earth, have dirt under my nails, I feel satiated. This is not possible everyday, however. So, in order to sustain myself and curb my appetite for consumtion I've dedicated shy of 5 years to having constant unfettered access to the Earth.
While I agree that more of us must be aware of the psychic, I do not think it should come about at the demise of the biological.
Setting your sights on ending excessive dependence on the biological through psychic awareness.. That's an idea and something I might get excited about. To utilize a computer for this... well, stranger things have happened but I'd ask the salmon what should be done. Can't subsist on computers after all!
And it's the Earth that's psychic, not these poor representations of organisms.
Long winded rant cut short:
understand: Computers aren't enough or the end.
evolve: Unlearn how to use them.
encourage: It's infantile how easy it is, stop complicating it.
prosper: Well, you all know this right...?
Again, I've said too much
Edit:
You're willingness to engage and capacity for contact is astounding. If I had half your ability to temper my misanthropy I'd be much happier.
yes computers are not the answer
— Mar 03, 2010
I think we agree that computers are not the answer - we don't in the future want to see people staring for many hours at a stretch into tiny glowing screens. We want to see them fully reembodied and attuned to the natural and supernatural realms.
At the moment the computer and the social media of the Internet are powerful tools that we must seek to use to bring about the transformation we seek. Never before has it been possible to share information, new social systems, new ideas, more immediately. I think that social media has a big role to play in the transformation - and once we have completed it, we will probably leave the computer behind for more overtly psychic technologies.
In other words, I concur with Arguelles who saw the "technosphere" as an artificial bridge leading from the biosphere to the noosphere, a psycho-technic phase of civilization. Whether this happens in one generation or ten or fifty matters less than that we now recognize and accept the direction that we want the transformation to take, because once enough of us understand it, we will be able to help each other get there.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
Nyet, Svet
— Mar 02, 2010
i agree with charles shaw. it seems the old ways aren't working, or profitable. the "needs" of evolver, inc. will continue to grow and thus, more membership fees and financial burdens on the community. sounds a little familiar. next thing you know, we're waiting on line for our self-sufficiency and local resilience manual kits....
open donation policy
— Mar 03, 2010
Hi Helge,
We have definitely considered an open donation policy, but at the moment we are leaning against it, yet still willing to be convinced otherwise.
Personally, I don't like calls for donations very much - as you get with TruthOut and other sites. I feel a flat $5 a month fee (or people can contribute more if they want) is preferable. It is somehow clearer and cleaner. I also think it is likely to work better if the terms are defined in this way.
I don't know if you are involved with your local Evolver Spore, but part of what we do is bring in people from other groups to speak and have tables, so the Spores are continual efforts in coalition building in this way.
I would be interested in hearing more about the slow money movement - I interviewed Woody Tasch recently and heard some of it from him. How does it apply to Evolver? How could we partner with them?
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
What would be a better idea?
— Mar 02, 2010
I love this idea, the problem I see with it is expressed in these comments. Not the problems that the comments are pointing out, but that on a website that was started by this very movement, to cater to these people, a lot of them have a huge problem with money. If I was a millionaire that shit wouldn't last, because I would give most of it away, or spend it on things I believe in. What do I believe is worth spending money on? Things that will help more and more people to wake up to self-realization. Daniel isn't asking for money for himself, he is asking for it to support a group that will help more people become more self aware. So a lot of people on this site have realized that we would be better off without money, that's great, but there are still 6 billion other people that haven't. As much as I love reading, commenting, and writing blogs on this website I'm well aware of the fact that a movie or TV show is going to make a bigger impact on the planet. TV isn't bad, Commercials aren't bad, Money isn't bad, the things they currently represent is what we have a problem with. When I did my spore on Food (permaculture, GMO's healthy diets, meat based diets vs. vegetarian diets, etc...) I did a big piece of it on GMO's. You know what, half the people that went to that spore no longer eat GMO's even to this day. Those people aren't even members of Evolver either. They were people that I know that have nothing to do with this movement. The only reason they came to the spore is because I'm doing it and they wanted to support me. So if this movement gets bigger and bigger how does it do it? People have commented to take it off line. So what? Become door to door sales people, or stand in the street with pamphlet's? I bet a website, magazine, documentaries, TV shows, Movies, retreats, and classes would do a lot more than the door to door pamphlet hander-outer's. Another thing if money is so bad, then why would you care about giving it to someone? If it's bad you don't want it right? And if you don't want it can you think of many things better than Evolver to spend it on? I can't. So I'm all for this idea Daniel and I will do whatever I can to keep evolver alive. I'm already doing the spore and I will do whatever else I can also. If someone ever comes up with a better idea to actually reach and teach a large number of people I'm in on that also. But so far I've only seen people knocking this one without presenting any alternatives. When there are memberships, sign me up, sounds better than spending the same amount of money on a pizza.
The only one of those things
— Mar 02, 2010
The only one of those things I would donate to is the Community Gardens, because the people there are people that need a place to put there knowledge into use. The rest of those things are hand-out's. Which are fine I'm cool with hand-outs, but I'm a pretty big believer that the only thing that is wrong with the world is the way people are educated. Everything could be fixed if we educated people properly and I don't think that a retirement home is going to do anything close to what Evolver would to educate the world, sorry I just don't.
Donating to a homeless
— Mar 02, 2010
Donating to a homeless shelter is good, Ending homelessness is better.
Doing homeless rights
— Mar 02, 2010
Doing homeless rights activism, every homeless person (displaced-former-tenet) has always said they'd rather sleep on the street than in a shelter. Shelters are more like prisons. These people need HOMES, not shelters.
donate to these organizations
— Mar 03, 2010
Hi Helge,
For a long time now, we have had people donating money, time and energy to these types of organizations, and it has not led to a deeper transformation of society. Our civilization has systemic flaws, and these need to be addressed at a systems level, at someone like Buckminster Fuller understood. Helping with after school programs or homeless shelters is a good thing to do, but it doesn't affect the meta-level of the crisis we are in - the fact, for instance, that the financial system is an instrument of mass destruction, based on unsustainable debt, with money issued and controlled by private banking interests.
My hope is that with Evolver - which will combine media, direct action, outreach, and education - we can reach into this deeper level of systemic change that needs to take place.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
It seems to me like the
— Mar 03, 2010
It seems to me like the reactions which are being provoked on both sides of this argument are further divorcing everyone involved from the principles they wish to perpetuate. Love, higher consciousness, etc... Where are they now?
"Soon we'll find out who is the real revolutionaries." -- Robert Nesta Marley
yes exactly
— Mar 03, 2010
well put.
let's continue to examine the options but so far we really think this is the best one. I am hoping we can develop it so the Spore Regional leaders get paid work out of it soon, which means they can devote more energy to the brilliant and amazing efforts they are making.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
While I would loved to get
— Mar 03, 2010
While I would loved to get paid for some of my effort as a regional coordinator, I don't really care about the money. I am extremely lucky to have a job that is 50 hours a week consisting of 95% down time. If there is anything more I can do to help Evolver I am so down Daniel.
chris - send me an email
— Mar 03, 2010
hi chris,
please send me an email - daniel@evolver.net - I am not sure I know much about you, or it has gotten lost in the deluge.
where do you live? what types of professional skills do you have? what innate skills are you developing?
yours,
daniel
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
it's not about the money
— Mar 02, 2010
...that I am not fully sure about it. It is more about the fact that it will be a membership-card-waving group. I.e. paid for my card and now all will be ok (just thinking how many members are here on Evolver and how many actually do contribute with sharing their thoughts, ideas, ponderings what have you).
And as much as I love Evolver and the people on here as well as RS et al, I get a bit frustrated by the fact that the vision is to be the next-saviour-thing. There are so many groupings around (as some of you have pointed out above) and all trying to pull us in, into their realms.
It feels to me the one or the other tries to be "better" than the rest. I really doubt that.
I believe (and Chris you were asking what else could be done) that only joining forces is the way forward. To get momentum. Get over egos and over who's saving the planet (us here on Evolver or the guys of the Zeitgeist Movement or what have you).
Who cares under what flag we will sail through as long as we do. That's what I feel.
And finally, I feel with moving Evolver into a members' only club - focusing largely on the US - the rest of the globe will be left out. And to be honest, and with all the talk here of "we are all one" this is not what I feel to be the right path, well at least not for me. I have no problems donating, and chipping in as long as it is meant to be for everyone anywhere on this planet.
I do like the fact that this issue was brought up though, and that we can have a debate on it. With this, each of us able to listen and share, we can work on a way forward. And to follow helge's call...hopefully also get to "act" on it as well...
so long
ck
It wouldn't be an exclusive
— Mar 02, 2010
It wouldn't be an exclusive membership site with what Daniel is proposing. All he is talking about doing is having a bunch of bonus features for the people that want to donate and help out, while still having the original site for everyone else. And yes not drawing lines between groups and uniting everyone is the goal, of evolver also. Everyone of the Evolver Regional's conference calls we listen to Jonathon say Outreach outreach outreach. Outreaching is one of the main goals of Evolver. Every goal that you just lined out about wanting for the world Evolver is working on and getting a membership card for donating is what they would like to do for you. You don't have to like the membership card or use it, it's just an added bonus for donating.
let me be a bit more blunt
— Mar 02, 2010
...I hear what you are saying Chris and this sounds all good to me...
but actually, I think underlying all of this, is the fact that I think with just chipping in money, or getting a membership, for many it will be an easy option out.
what I mean by this is the following: "now that I've paid, am a member of xyz and they will do all to change the world, I am safe, no need for me to do anything, let them get on with it and hurray...the world will be a better place...(and I can live happily ever after)".
my concern with it is, that a membership (donation/card/etc) will not mobilise in the same way as actually lining out a plan, a course of action. I love the talk (am a theoretical kinda gal myself) but I think there needs to be a point where we need to go beyond the talk...and start the action. I know the regional spores are getting more and more attention which is fantastic.
but I also think about Evolver (and all the others) as a concept. There is willingness to take it further...but is that only further down the line of talk and sharing information globally or will there be some kind of shared "plan of action"?
I think they have squeezed a
— Mar 02, 2010
I think they have squeezed a ton of volunteer work and action out of the Evolver community, but they still need something a little more to get it the next level. If someone can read blogs on here, watch videos produced by Evolver, Read magazines and books on these topics, and still not want to help change the world, then nothing will make them want to change the world and I'd take their 20 bucks for a membership card.
true
— Mar 02, 2010
...but that's a bit of an "old-fashioned-way" of looking at it don't you think? no disrespect...
I admit being impatient, but the issues Daniel laid out...at least half of those have been on my mind for years...and are written out in my notepads as "what needs to happen to change the world"...all great stuff...and yet...nothing has changed...
apart from myself...I know I can only start with myself and maybe through this "influence" others around me (which has happened as well to my surprise - not because I forced but just because)...but if we continue with these baby-steps, and only the talk and no plan of action...it will take years...and I am not sure if we have 100 years or more to get to where we envision we want to be...
You influencing others
— Mar 02, 2010
You influencing others around you is precisely my point. The more people that we can get involved with Evolver the more people will change, and influence others around them. It's not just Evolver, but I think this is a good start. I wasn't at all saying that all we should do is blogs video's, and books, or that that is all evolver is going to do. All I was saying is if someone spends 20 bucks or so on a membership card and reads all the stuff the website is putting out I think it would be really hard for them to not want to strive to do more. I have seen a lot of really amazing profound things happen to me and people close to me as a result of my involvement with Evolver.
I'm with Chris.
— Mar 02, 2010
Thanks for those thoughts, that's exactly where I was going.
And thanks, Daniel. These kinds of ideas are what move things forward.
It's easy to misinterpret efforts to reach the masses as the formation of yet another institution. I think we all agree that the old-fashioned ways of doing things are undesirable. But there are alternatives. Some that we haven't even discovered or thought up yet! So I'm in favor of this sort of idea and my favorite part is how it can grow and "evolve" as the community needs it to.
I definitely think a donation system is a good bet. I notice Wikipedia doing a fund drive now and then and I wonder how much of their operating costs are raised from the user donations alone. A fair warning: "Membership" usually creates false barriers between people (member vs non-member)... brings up nasty connotations of the Righteous baptizing and saving the sinners. Just a note to be careful about.
I think the best way to really spread organically is to teach the Evolver community members to be teachers. The Spores are an amazing first step. People getting organized. Now the community has to step up and learn how to fish. Many of us still pay our taxes and rent movies from Blockbuster so how can we possibly imagine a world without any money or currency at all? This is where I like the idea of encouraging the spread of alternative currency systems (though be careful of coining an "official" money system, as we all have a bad taste for that as well). Education is paramount. Organizing community eco-drives where money is pooled to help the whole community get off the grid. This is the real potential of such a movement, communities helping each other to be self-sustaining.
I'm in and I look forward to more thoughts on the matter.
membership
— Mar 03, 2010
People who are not paying members will still be able to access the vast majority of the content and create a profile, etc.
I agree about teaching the Evolver community to be teachers - this is an idea we have had for months. Evolver could become a "university of the streets" where we re-train people for self-sufficiency, nonviolent communication, and teach them to teach others. We are totally with you on this.
I think you will find our new film, 2012: Time for Change ( www.2012timeforchange.com) begins to do what you are talking about: It uses slick commercial media tools to teach deeper lessons. Also our video series, "Toward 2012" at www.postmoderntimes.com .
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
I imagine sharing a beverage
— Mar 02, 2010
I imagine sharing a beverage (how American is that) and thinking together about existence (and gee, Terence, will you visit me in my dreams? I promise I'll pay more attention!).
I just keep moving *forward*.
Saw you in Boulder last year, but we didn't find a path to connect.
Anyway, you got it going, Daniel. With or without the {insert adjective: irresistible, baroque, predictable, banal}, decor of modern commercialism, Evolver will keep itself up (she says, as the rollercoaster leaves the station).
The membership idea is visionary, but the venue premature.
Evolver.com has become a conscious virtual wave in a vortextual sea. Rather than commercialise the concept of evolution (how novel), let's sit back and see what happens rather than predicting pomp and circumstance.
Evolver[s].net may choose to follow this ship - or not. Your vision is unthreatened.
With Gratitide, from many Dimensions -
Peace.
Stace
non-profit
— Mar 03, 2010
I think at some point we can create a non-profit or partner with a non-profit such as the Buckminster Fuller Institute.
We could for instance ultimately make the Evolver network a nonprofit while making the membership program and card a for-profit subsidiary of the non-profit.
I don't think it is worth the time or legal fees to work on this now. For-profit companies are also more streamlined in how they can act.
"Will the transformation."-Rilke
Why Not Not-for-profit?
— Mar 05, 2010
As a non-profit veteran, I'm wary of going down that road with Evolver. The reason that most organizations choose to be non-profits is because they don't have good options for bringing in revenue -- for instance, they do charity work of some kind or another -- and so they structure themselves to pursue grants from foundations or wealthy individuals. Most non-profits also accept small donations from individuals, but donations rarely cover more than 25% of expenses. Once you establish non-profit status, you then have to comply with many restrictions set by the IRS which limit your flexibility to act quickly and respond to circumstances. It's a bureaucratic morass.
At the same time, what we do with RS/Evolver falls outside the narrow interest buckets that foundations have set up. We don't focus on standard topics like education, health, poverty -- at least from their perspective! There'd be no obvious place for us to apply for grants (though if you have ideas about possible grant-giving institutions, please let us know...).
As a socially responsible business, with a reliable revenue model, Evolver would be better positioned to pursue its mission. And that's what we're trying to set up now.
Forget New Age, New World Order, Welcome to The Consciousness..
— Mar 02, 2010
http://www.evolver.net/user/sailing_beyond_knowledge/blog/forget_new_age...
Hi Daniel, this reminds me of a blog I just wrote a few days ago, especially this part-
''Creative and personal freedom within the context of ecological and social responsibility. Freedom of self-determination of consciousness
Bring an end to the dominance of the corporate military complex''.
It would be a real shame to dissolve a social movement that is a symbol of autonomy rising from the dust and grime of the capitalistic machine. To turn this movement (that explores consciousness and sustainability), into a monopoly that requires membership identity cards, fees, more money and expanding staff with expanding salaries, would be a disgrace.
No more hierarchy, this is a free social movement that does not need old ways or currency anymore. Many people on evolver are looking for a gift economy or something to replace the the present currency system. It would please many if those that ran evolver.net, kept evolver as free as possible,it a valuable resource to network through and we realise how we can use it to establish local and international sustainable aware communities.
Please consider supporting this growing community in new ways that operates on a free communal and voluntary effort without more money being demanded from us. What would make it revolutionary is if it became a blueprint of sustainability where very little money was required to keep the movement alive - ''pay the effort forward''. Please no more corporate membership identity card or fees...
We are an ever evolving conscious community with awareness that our minds can manifest whatever we focus on, is that not a powerful force connected to abundance and therefore providing what resources are required along with an inspired willingness of communal effort? =)
Running a not-for-profit for 4 years is good practice in learning how much one can 'manifest from thin air along with expanding with simple voluntary resources and effort, without needing to think like a capitalist, so much can be achieved, simply through people collaborating together through group voluntary efforts to help build and realise a project.
If need be, just place a donations button on the site and have fund raising music and spoken word poetry events if it becomes a great anxiety.
http://sailingbeyondknowledge.podOmatic.com
unfolding an ever evolving humanity
