20
years ago,
a ValueWeb formed - before ValueWebs
were
common - to provide a capacity aimed
at the ambitious prospect of transforming
human society, its circumstance
and fit upon Planet Earth and in
near orbit habitats.
At
the time, many considered this ambition
to be impossible and Quixotic. However,
the idea was based on a quarter of a
Century of action research and there
were many who were beginning to understand
that large scale systemic problems
could not be resolved by conventional
means.
The capability
existed. Why not organize it, apply it
and see if the objectives could be met?
In
early 2005, two high profile conferences
in Europe employed the RDS, with
great success, on
issues of global scope and impact.
It became clear from this exercise
that
there were a number of critical and
immediate
applications for this method that could
materially advance negative situations
that had festered
for years. It was after these “test
cases” were successfully
executed that the RDS finally
began its rapid maturation to the commonly
used social tool that it is today.
At
first, there was opposition. Many felt
that the cost was excessive, that any
environment was adequate as long as
people worked hard and any process
was useful as long as it was fair.
Others worried about the extreme degree
of inclusion and participation; they
worried that this would disrupt legitimate
order and threaten entrenched interests.
Still others did not see the crisis
and felt that things would work out
as long as good will was brought to
the table. Many believed that somehow
the “hidden hand” was at work and all
the obvious problems would go away
in time.
Two
events, one a crises and one an unexpected
breakthrough, changed a large number
of minds.
The
crises was the devastation caused by
a confluence of terrorist attacks,
ecological collapse and political
failure in Holland - a place no one
expected something like this could
happen. The RDS was
used to repair much of this damage
and did so far faster than
was expected.
The
breakthrough was the signing of new
Kyoto Accords in 2006 after a series
of RDS deployments
took the issue to the people, globally,
and created a broad consensus
to act on a workable agreement
that every nation could support.
It
was after this that the RDS was
but to work on a scale sufficient to
have
the impact required. A network of NavCenters
were created and many RDS units
deployed. Virtual technology made it
possible
for the best minds and resources, from
multiple locations, to be “present”
when needed anytime-anywhere on the
globe.
There
were many factors that lead to the
RDS success. First
off, it was a DESIGN process.
Humans are good at design - it just
seems that
the practice of tackling
complex social problems using design
methods never occurred on a sufficient
scale before. The process was INCLUSIVE -
no one was left out. It was UNCORRUPTABLE -
the integrity of each deployment space
was never violated and the administration
of the system itself remained beyond
reproach. For this reason it was TRUSTED across
communities that did not trust one
another. The agenda of the RDS was
simply to facilitate a good solution
- it did not work for anyone and
it did not start a deployment with
a solution in mind. It was never captured
by interests of any kind. And, some
very
talented
people got involved.
World
class CAPABILITY was
brought to every challenge no matter
its “importance.” Perhaps
most importantly, the effort was SUSTAINED in
good times and bad, when their was
optimism and
not; the effort never wavered.
It
is not that there were never problems
- there were. And many of you sitting
here tonight remember them. We moved
beyond these because we always used
the RDS process on ourselves to renew our energy and dedication
as we solved
the problems we confronted. As long
as the process is employed, the RDS is
a self repairing system.
Tonight,
we have much to celebrate. The world
is moving in a direction far different
from what we confronted when we began
this effort. We can legitimately claim
having contributed significantly to
this change. Much remains to be done.
It can be said that we have moved out
of crises and have bought the time
necessary to complete the work before
us. We are the generation that was
given the the task of creating a planetary
society. Many feared that this would
become some utopian nightmare gone
bad; that freedom and diversity would
be eliminated. Others feared that humankind
would cover the earth like a plague
and destroy all life - ultimately our
own. Neither has, of course, turned
out
not to be
true. What is true is that we have
begun to bring awareness to our own
human process.
20
years ago, the sum of all human activity
was adding up to a consequence that
no one wanted or understood. This was
the result of the immense complexity
of the growing human enterprise. We
have not learned to predict or control
the emergence of the human, we have
learned to co-evolve with each other
and with all life. We have learned
to employ the gifts that each culture
brings. We have learned to become artists
in the evolution of a planetary habitat.
This
is the last time I will be addressing
you as the speaker for our Board. As
is our tradition, I will be stepping
down with many of you to make room
for a new generation stewards. Renewal
is the essence of our work and sapient
leadership
our way. I can only wish them the joyous
experience that I have had and that,
when they also make their leave, they
will have the same measure of satisfaction
that I feel tonight as I stand before
you.
Always,
we must remember that our task has
just begun and that our greatest charge
is
to remain true to the principles of
inclusion, collaboration, comprehensive
design, systemic thinking and respect
for every living thing.
This
is not “goodbye” - it is “hello” to
a new beginning and a new era.
