JuliesConcept

CONCEPT: ''To engage heart to heart connection in supportive spaces (be it an individual or within a shared place, face-to-face or on-line). The development of a network of supporting roles, structures and activities that become the center (A Commons) of connecting, engaging and supporting people and partners to invest and contribute in their own well-being and the well-being of others.

• Our start-up centers begin with individuals as spaces. From which groups, teams and distributive networks (including their environments, activities and strategies)become centers that logically link and connect inviduals, groups and systems, based on alignment of principles and purpose for a healthy society.

• Our premise is to start small, and support the development of teams and generative leaders who orient, support and guide more start-ups and more leaders. Our mission is to seed our work in small ways, based on individual and team capacity, yet at the same time we are positioning ourselves to go to scale in a big interconnected way.

• The individual and collective work of our centers embrace the theory that individuals, families, organizations and community are part of an interdependent and connected human system. As such, everything else unfolds out of us (these individual spaces that become public networking centers that give life to the greater communities we live and engage within). Our goal, even if it is 40 years or more in the future, is to be part of the evolution of the Greater commons which is the unfolding of our common centers(cf GlobalChicago:PatternLanguage for reference to unfolding life out of design 'centers'). Consistent with the JourneyToPeace notion of 'zones of peace, in which ordinary people accomplish extraordinary acts of kindness for the betterment of humanity.'''

A SHARED SPACE

A shared space where everyone is visible and can be credited for their contribution. A place shared by multiple entities that facilitates mutual sharing of ideas, purpose and task in a trust-worthy environment free from any one agenda, yet educive to organizing around a unified and aligned voice for the collective good of the whole.

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Ted - This type of writing is new to me. And, I'm not sure how to jump in to the above content. James connected to the concept by my using simple words that were framed in a local community context. So, I'll offer up the following:

Uggg - lost my work... so, I'll start again but will finish later!

• A center on every street corner (an individual, a phyical and/or on-line space)
• Individuals - groups - teams - generative leadership
• Centers facilitate connection, capacity building and value transactions (money, time, intention, tools, space, actions...)
• Centers can be set up as public trusts that are owned, governed and operated by participants and partners. These trusts can be set up as interconnected entities using the 509 legal structure to form a Commons that is made up of various partnerships (for profit and non-profit,LLC's, etc). I like Phil's image: A central park with a greenway and shops around the borders.
• A Commons made up of interconnecting individuals, networks, webs, centers (much like the concepts described above)

A Shared Space:

A space where everyone is visible; a place shared by multiple entities that facilitates mutual sharing of ideas, purpose and task in a trust-worthy environment free from any one agenda, yet educive to organizing around a unified and aligned voice for the collective good of the whole.

Purpose:

To engage collective wisdom to make “it” happen by engaging whole system voices in dialog, critical thinking and community building that result in principle-based action, learning and shared wealth for a vibrant and just civic society, and a sustainable planet.

Principles of practice:

Work to ensure that all activities, governance, organizational process, contributions and exchanges of information are based in:

• Integrity
• Inclusion
• Shared power
• Principle-based action
• Generative leadership
• Whole system design

Principles of organization:

To engage diverse individuals, groups, sectors, systems and their stakeholders to participate in activities based in:

Continuous Learning: The understanding that nothing is permanent, yet the future is determined based on 1) past knowledge; 2) current beliefs & needs and 3) future desires. Work to ensure an on-going process of discovery, vision, action and reflection.

Agreements central to organizing body: The understanding that whole systems are made up of diverse mindsets with varying needs and capacity. Work to ensure that ethics create a trustworthy environment in which decisions represent pervasive benefit and are not driven by individual choices, agendas, and/or market outcomes.

Collectively managed resources: The understanding that we share common space and resources. Work to ensure that intention, time and contributions benefit what’s best for the collective whole.

Principle-based tasks: The understanding that diverse entities have different and varied beliefs, needs and want. Anticipate and respect that individual tasks will have unique and diverse outcomes using the same set of governing principles respected by the whole.

United voice: The understanding and appreciation of diverse views. Work to align deeply felt, broad based concerns that can be expressed through a unified stand while supporting individual and cultural beliefs, practices, preferences and language.

Principles of Delivery:

To work and govern as a commons where participants become owning members of a shared space, designed by its membership to take other people, places and things into account and thus increasingly develop compassion and wisdom that benefits its individuals, sectors and ultimately the survival of the whole. The commons is consciously created to facilitate individuals and their systems to transcend and include:

• What’s in it for me… my group… my agenda…?
• What’s in it for us… our group… our agenda…?
• What’s in it for all of us… a united stand?

Participants and each and every part will honor each other’s rights and obligation to:

• Determine their own identity and follow their own judgment
• Voluntarily organize with others to pursue their goals
• Create new parts of the system
• Protect their privacy and property
• Govern themselves in accordance with these purpose and principles

Work with others to:

• Educe not compel behavior
• Resolve conflict without resorting to violence.
• Freely and fully exchange information
• Honor obligations
• Deliberate and make decisions that reasonably represent all relevant and affected parties without any party dominating
• Govern themselves (includes setting policies, procedures, standards, etc) in accordance with these purpose and principles

Work as a community to:

• Remain open and welcoming to new participants and their entities
• Keep power, authority, resources, etc., at the smallest or most local part that includes all relevant and affected parties
• Ensure diversity and health
• Create no intrinsic advantage for any part or participant, nor create an intrinsic disadvantage
• Promote development and growth
• Govern themselves (includes setting policies, procedures, standards, etc) in accordance with these purpose and principles