Some days it feels very much like our world is stuck; the
ever-increasing complexity of social systems moving faster than the speed of
our ability to understand them. While the advance of technology allows experts
to sort through information faster than ever before, many individuals still
feel lost in the information gap. Bestselling author David C. Korten shows in
his book Change the Story, Change the
Future that the fundamental problem stems from an inadequate cosmology, or,
a story that describes where we came from, why we are here now, and guides us
to where we should go in the future.
At Emerging Ecology, we agree with that premise, and have
articulated a small but promising way to begin addressing the challenge of
discerning a worldview for the next generations’ solutions. In Renaissance-era
France, contemporary advances in art and philosophy were spread and exhibited
in public gatherings called salons. Although eventually these fell into the
hierarchy of what was deemed “acceptable”, we are inspired by the concept that
progress can be made through public gatherings and discussions of social
progress and obstacles. In fact, we believe it is absolutely necessary for a
forward-moving cosmology to be constructed with complete transparency and input
from many sources.
Thus far, we have hosted two of these Worldview Salons at
the Kathleen Clay Edwards Library in Greensboro, North Carolina. Eager
attendees at the first session contributed their ideas of how human actions are
guided by their worldview, and the promise of how a new worldview can change
actions. At the second session, we explored the idea of cosmology more deeply,
sharing personal stories about mutually enhancing relationships that exist in
the world, creating a sense of optimism that the challenges of complexity can
be addressed.
Won’t you share your ideas with us?
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