Re: Let's Get Coherent! (was theory & praxis)

I like your term "values shift" for something I describe as "social
energy". Both terms point to an enormous resource which needs to be
focused. You suggest a "leader" as a focusing instrument, but what about
institutions? What would you answer to the following:

<<The second foundation is the centrality of parties. Citizenship cannot
produce sufficient change when it flows outside party systems. Only
"politics" can act directly on "the system". Citizens are conducting
hundreds of political experiments throughout the world. For example,
should one create new political vehicles to compete against the existing
ones, but would they produce clarity at the cost of marginality? Or
should one work through existing structures - something which the Empire
does to its advantage? If one follows the second path, this generates
new questions. Should activists work on anti-Empire platforms within
each party? Or should they seek to create a rift between pro and
anti-Empire parties, thus bringing back the right versus left
polarization? Answers to such practical questions will show people how
to transform social energy successfully.>>

These practical questions are part of the "Conclusion" in
www.athenian.net/invisible-strengths.htm where success is defined as
follows: <<This project succeeds if it generates politically enforceable
decisions, using the strength of states and international bodies, which
the Empire - wisely from its own viewpoint - seeks to bypass, weaken or
control. The way to achieve this is through committed political groups
and parties, mobilizing social strengths which are mostly spontaneous
and uncoordinated.>>

Petros Haritatos, Athens

-----Original Message-----
From: Marguerite M Hampton <ecopilgrim@juno.com>
To: FixGov@egroups.com <FixGov@egroups.com>;
Alternateculture@egroups.com <Alternateculture@egroups.com>;
wsn@csf.colorado.edu <wsn@csf.colorado.edu>;
renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org
<renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org>
Cc: assherer@cs.com <assherer@cs.com>; editor@islandtimes.com
<editor@islandtimes.com>
Date: &Dgr;&egr;&ugr;&tgr;&eacgr;&rgr;&agr;, 11 &Dgr;&egr;&kgr;&egr;&mgr;&bgr;&rgr;&iacgr;&ogr;&ugr; 2000 3:57 &mgr;&mgr;
Subject: Let's Get Coherent! (was theory & praxis)


>(Note:  I am both replying to a new message from Richard Hutchinson and
>forwarding the message to FixGov and AlternateCulture Lists. For full
>text of Hutchinson msg, pls see below.  I have also cc this to some
known
>leaders in the Seattle movement for consideration, comment, and further
>dissemination as appropriate. )
>
>Richard N Hutchinson <rhutchin@U.Arizona.EDU writes:
>
><If you prefer to use a broader, everyday sense of the term, then I
would
>argue that effective leadership can take many forms. >
>
>Yes, I am using a broader, everyday sense of the term 'charismatic
>leader' to describe the type of person who can catch and spark the
>imagination and passion of people from disparate walks of life.  Just
as
>so many vote in an election based on 'emotion,' followers in a protest
>movement will do the same.  The Beatles set out to 'change the world
with
>their music' and millions followed them.  If you recall in my initial
>post I wrote:  'A more pragmatic approach may be . . .
>
>You continue:  <There are the more visible spokesperson sort of roles
>(which might be called charismatic), and the behind-the-scenes
>organizational builder sort of roles, and others, and they rarely all
>come together in one person.>
>
>They don't have to come together in one person -- but the focus has to
be
>on one person.  Once the leader emerges from the pack,  the rest of the
>organization falls in behind and the 'pecking order' is 'intuitively'
>established.  But without a leader the organization will remain
>incoherent as it tries to speak through many voices giving mixed
>messages.  Incoherence has continually been the call of the
conventional
>media with regard to the Seattle movement.  While this may be a
somewhat
>biased observation it does seem to have some validity as differing
>factions protest their individual issues leaving an observer with no
>clear view of what the whole thing is about.  Yet there are underlying
>themes that could be woven into a 'whole' view' and presented through a
>'charismatic (and respected) spokesperson.'
>
>Values researcher Paul Ray reveals that as many as forty-four million
>people, whom he labels as 'Culture Creatives,' and whom are
'intuitively
>led' and unaware of their numbers, are now 'a major and growing
cultural
>response to the accelerating failures of modernism' (which includes
>capitalism) here in the U.S. alone. Using data from a 1990-1991
>World Values Survey, drawn from forty-three nations representing 70
>percent of the world's population, Ronald Inglehart identified clear
>evidence of a shift toward the values of an integral culture in a
number
>of societies, including Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland,
>Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Britain, Canada, and the United States.
>(Korten-1999.)
>
>Korten notes that the 'real test of a values shift is the behavior that
>accompanies it.'  The Trend Institute reports that large numbers of
>people are volutarily choosing to limit their consumption and reduce
>their income in favor of simpler lifestyles as they become less
>interested in striving for economic gain and show an increased interest
>in environmental conservation and other things such as more meaningful
>work and time for family. (Korten - 1999) This shift is also evidenced
by
>the growing numbers of people who are joining Internet Lists such as
the
>Center for a New American Dream (CNAD) where people share their
feelings
>and experiences in 'making the shift' while encouraging others to do
so.
>
>
>With the large numbers of people involved in this movement away from
>moderism rapidly approaching critical mass and ready to move forward,
it
>is imperative that a charismatic leader (spokesperson) emerge in short
>order to bring a coherent voice to, while also uniting, the different
>factions in protest if we are to successfully bring an end to
>neoglobalization.  The opposition would prefer to 'divide and conquer'
as
>they have done in the U.S. election this year.  We cannot and must not
>let this happen.
>
>What is imperative is that we quickly identify the person best
qualified
>to fill the role of 'spokesperson' or 'charismatic leader' and get to
>work intuitively organizing in a variety of ways so that those who are
>searching for change may find an organization or 'field unit' to which
>they feel comfortable joining, and which can ultimately link to the
>'spokesperson.'  Ideally the Internet plays an important role here and
>serves as an organizing tool which permits communication to flow in all
>directions, creating what Korten refers to as a 'planetary
>consciousness.'
>
>He writes:  'Much as capitalism uses the power of secrecy, centralized
>authority, and massive financing to champion the cause of money, a
>globalizing civil society is using the powers of openess, voluntary
>commitment, and the ability to self-organize everywhere at once to
>champion the cause of life. . . .The many physical and cyberspace
forums
>in which we gather serve as 'learning centers' (my quote) to help us
hone
>our capacities for mindful choice and participation in highly
democratic
>processes as we reflect, think, share, and deepen our sense of the
>creative possibilities that lie ahead.  We learn as we participate,
>growing in confidence in our ability to function as part of a conscious
>self-organizing, life-serving planetary whole.'
>
>Korten continues:  'We must now learn to live as one with the planet,
>taking only what we need, and discovering our place of service to
life's
>continuing quest.'   (This statement by Korten carries out my
philosophy
>of 'bioregion as the first unit of organization and that everything
must
>emanate from this point with the Earth (land, topsoil) being of first
>consideration as it is to this that we 'owe' life. )
>
>(Note:  In replying to R. Hutchin's post as above, I have also gone a
>little further and addressed, from Korten's perspective (which is also
>mine), some recent issues discussed on the FixGov Forum as there are
some
>interrelated issues here.)
>
>marguerite
>
>Here is the original message from
>
>--------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Richard N Hutchinson <rhutchin@U.Arizona.EDU>
>To: Marguerite M Hampton <ecopilgrim@juno.com>
>Cc: FixGov@egroups.com, Alternateculture@egroups.com,
> wsn@csf.colorado.edu, renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org
>
>> I suspect that 'charismatic leadership' is to the 'passionate
follower'
>
>> what 'beauty' is to the 'eye of the beholder.'
>
>No, this is precisely my point.  There is a theory of charismatic
>leadership, developed by Max Weber and others, that is both different
>from, and to the extent that it overlaps with the everyday use of the
>term, more specific than that usage.
>
>Charismatic leadership, according to this more rigorous definition, is
>associated with *an informal organizational structure, centered on the
>charismatic leader*.  So leaders of routinized, bureaucratized
>organizations cannot be charismatic by definition.
>
>If you prefer to use a broader, everyday sense of the term, then I
would
>argue that effective leadership can take many forms.  There are the
more
>visible spokesperson sort of roles (which might be called charismatic),
>and the behind-the-scenes organizational builder sort of roles, and
>others, and they rarely all come together in one person.  A team of
>leaders with various complementary attributes, in my experience, is
>best.  It doesn't always, even usually, exist.  This "team" can be
called
>a critical mass, but that gets into another rigorous theory of social
>movements (see Marwell and Oliver for starters).
>
>[What I am saying about effective leadership in movements, by the way,
>applies regardless of ideology -- effective leadership is just as
>necessary, for instance, among anarchists as among anyone else.  I
throw
>this in as a response to the last post.]
>
>RH
>_________________________________________
>
>Marguerite Hampton
>Executive Director - Turtle Island Institute
>EcoPilgrim@juno.com
>http://tii-kokopellispirit.org
>http://egroups.com/group/fixgov
>
>
>
-----Original Message-----
From: Marguerite M Hampton <ecopilgrim@juno.com>
To: FixGov@egroups.com <FixGov@egroups.com>;
Alternateculture@egroups.com <Alternateculture@egroups.com>;
wsn@csf.colorado.edu <wsn@csf.colorado.edu>;
renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org
<renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org>
Cc: assherer@cs.com <assherer@cs.com>; editor@islandtimes.com
<editor@islandtimes.com>
Date: &Dgr;&egr;&ugr;&tgr;&eacgr;&rgr;&agr;, 11 &Dgr;&egr;&kgr;&egr;&mgr;&bgr;&rgr;&iacgr;&ogr;&ugr; 2000 3:57 &mgr;&mgr;
Subject: Let's Get Coherent! (was theory & praxis)


>(Note:  I am both replying to a new message from Richard Hutchinson and
>forwarding the message to FixGov and AlternateCulture Lists. For full
>text of Hutchinson msg, pls see below.  I have also cc this to some
known
>leaders in the Seattle movement for consideration, comment, and further
>dissemination as appropriate. )
>
>Richard N Hutchinson <rhutchin@U.Arizona.EDU writes:
>
><If you prefer to use a broader, everyday sense of the term, then I
would
>argue that effective leadership can take many forms. >
>
>Yes, I am using a broader, everyday sense of the term 'charismatic
>leader' to describe the type of person who can catch and spark the
>imagination and passion of people from disparate walks of life.  Just
as
>so many vote in an election based on 'emotion,' followers in a protest
>movement will do the same.  The Beatles set out to 'change the world
with
>their music' and millions followed them.  If you recall in my initial
>post I wrote:  'A more pragmatic approach may be . . .
>
>You continue:  <There are the more visible spokesperson sort of roles
>(which might be called charismatic), and the behind-the-scenes
>organizational builder sort of roles, and others, and they rarely all
>come together in one person.>
>
>They don't have to come together in one person -- but the focus has to
be
>on one person.  Once the leader emerges from the pack,  the rest of the
>organization falls in behind and the 'pecking order' is 'intuitively'
>established.  But without a leader the organization will remain
>incoherent as it tries to speak through many voices giving mixed
>messages.  Incoherence has continually been the call of the
conventional
>media with regard to the Seattle movement.  While this may be a
somewhat
>biased observation it does seem to have some validity as differing
>factions protest their individual issues leaving an observer with no
>clear view of what the whole thing is about.  Yet there are underlying
>themes that could be woven into a 'whole' view' and presented through a
>'charismatic (and respected) spokesperson.'
>
>Values researcher Paul Ray reveals that as many as forty-four million
>people, whom he labels as 'Culture Creatives,' and whom are
'intuitively
>led' and unaware of their numbers, are now 'a major and growing
cultural
>response to the accelerating failures of modernism' (which includes
>capitalism) here in the U.S. alone. Using data from a 1990-1991
>World Values Survey, drawn from forty-three nations representing 70
>percent of the world's population, Ronald Inglehart identified clear
>evidence of a shift toward the values of an integral culture in a
number
>of societies, including Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland,
>Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Britain, Canada, and the United States.
>(Korten-1999.)
>
>Korten notes that the 'real test of a values shift is the behavior that
>accompanies it.'  The Trend Institute reports that large numbers of
>people are volutarily choosing to limit their consumption and reduce
>their income in favor of simpler lifestyles as they become less
>interested in striving for economic gain and show an increased interest
>in environmental conservation and other things such as more meaningful
>work and time for family. (Korten - 1999) This shift is also evidenced
by
>the growing numbers of people who are joining Internet Lists such as
the
>Center for a New American Dream (CNAD) where people share their
feelings
>and experiences in 'making the shift' while encouraging others to do
so.
>
>
>With the large numbers of people involved in this movement away from
>moderism rapidly approaching critical mass and ready to move forward,
it
>is imperative that a charismatic leader (spokesperson) emerge in short
>order to bring a coherent voice to, while also uniting, the different
>factions in protest if we are to successfully bring an end to
>neoglobalization.  The opposition would prefer to 'divide and conquer'
as
>they have done in the U.S. election this year.  We cannot and must not
>let this happen.
>
>What is imperative is that we quickly identify the person best
qualified
>to fill the role of 'spokesperson' or 'charismatic leader' and get to
>work intuitively organizing in a variety of ways so that those who are
>searching for change may find an organization or 'field unit' to which
>they feel comfortable joining, and which can ultimately link to the
>'spokesperson.'  Ideally the Internet plays an important role here and
>serves as an organizing tool which permits communication to flow in all
>directions, creating what Korten refers to as a 'planetary
>consciousness.'
>
>He writes:  'Much as capitalism uses the power of secrecy, centralized
>authority, and massive financing to champion the cause of money, a
>globalizing civil society is using the powers of openess, voluntary
>commitment, and the ability to self-organize everywhere at once to
>champion the cause of life. . . .The many physical and cyberspace
forums
>in which we gather serve as 'learning centers' (my quote) to help us
hone
>our capacities for mindful choice and participation in highly
democratic
>processes as we reflect, think, share, and deepen our sense of the
>creative possibilities that lie ahead.  We learn as we participate,
>growing in confidence in our ability to function as part of a conscious
>self-organizing, life-serving planetary whole.'
>
>Korten continues:  'We must now learn to live as one with the planet,
>taking only what we need, and discovering our place of service to
life's
>continuing quest.'   (This statement by Korten carries out my
philosophy
>of 'bioregion as the first unit of organization and that everything
must
>emanate from this point with the Earth (land, topsoil) being of first
>consideration as it is to this that we 'owe' life. )
>
>(Note:  In replying to R. Hutchin's post as above, I have also gone a
>little further and addressed, from Korten's perspective (which is also
>mine), some recent issues discussed on the FixGov Forum as there are
some
>interrelated issues here.)
>
>marguerite
>
>Here is the original message from
>
>--------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Richard N Hutchinson <rhutchin@U.Arizona.EDU>
>To: Marguerite M Hampton <ecopilgrim@juno.com>
>Cc: FixGov@egroups.com, Alternateculture@egroups.com,
> wsn@csf.colorado.edu, renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org
>
>> I suspect that 'charismatic leadership' is to the 'passionate
follower'
>
>> what 'beauty' is to the 'eye of the beholder.'
>
>No, this is precisely my point.  There is a theory of charismatic
>leadership, developed by Max Weber and others, that is both different
>from, and to the extent that it overlaps with the everyday use of the
>term, more specific than that usage.
>
>Charismatic leadership, according to this more rigorous definition, is
>associated with *an informal organizational structure, centered on the
>charismatic leader*.  So leaders of routinized, bureaucratized
>organizations cannot be charismatic by definition.
>
>If you prefer to use a broader, everyday sense of the term, then I
would
>argue that effective leadership can take many forms.  There are the
more
>visible spokesperson sort of roles (which might be called charismatic),
>and the behind-the-scenes organizational builder sort of roles, and
>others, and they rarely all come together in one person.  A team of
>leaders with various complementary attributes, in my experience, is
>best.  It doesn't always, even usually, exist.  This "team" can be
called
>a critical mass, but that gets into another rigorous theory of social
>movements (see Marwell and Oliver for starters).
>
>[What I am saying about effective leadership in movements, by the way,
>applies regardless of ideology -- effective leadership is just as
>necessary, for instance, among anarchists as among anyone else.  I
throw
>this in as a response to the last post.]
>
>RH
>_________________________________________
>
>Marguerite Hampton
>Executive Director - Turtle Island Institute
>EcoPilgrim@juno.com
>http://tii-kokopellispirit.org
>http://egroups.com/group/fixgov
>
>
>