What kind of World do we really want?

[Jeremy Snowsill]

Have you ever really stopped and thought, or dreamed about, what type of world you would want to live in?

To wonder how amazing could our civilisation really be. To explore our potential. How do we get there? What lessons haven't we learnt, and who is going to make the change necessary to create this vision?

All revolutions and movements have started from the ground up. It has always started with a grass-roots movement swelling and condensing.

We are at a crossroads. We have our destiny in the palm of our hand. Future generations will look back on this moment as a pivotal point in not only the way we see ourselves, but our relationship to the totality of life. We are remembering a deeper sense of life that offers to take humanity into a golden age.

We are at this point. We are at this crossroads. Are we going to stand collectively, embracing the dawn of a new era of wisdom and knowing, or turn our back on acknowledging our cosmic heritage?

[Paul Stevenson]

------S.O.L. Intention-------
I simple reqire a serious investor with a good amount of money to lay down to implement the plan.
I propose to buy a large piece of land (village) here in S. Africa that has on it a natural spring and plenty of room to build a few needed structures and grow organic crops. The core idea came to me through "The Ringing Cedars of Russia Series" by Vladimir Megre'. Though this is where the corcept originated I have since added a bit to the vision. The plan is, upon aquiring the land, to invite commited people/families to take for free or at small cost 1 hectre (2.5 acre), which is call a "Space of Love", and begin planting at least 1/2 of the hectre with trees in order to create a forest on the hectre. I, through the funds from the investor, will provide seedlings and seeds for the S.O.L.'s. This is the cocept from Vladimir's books.
Where I have continued beyond Vladimir's vision is a way to reproduce the village and start new ones with the progress of the original village. I propose to refinance the village after enough impovements have been made and take the proceeds to buy another suitable piece of land and keep doing the same thing with more and more villages. This idea blends with the current monetary situation in that it uses debt as a way to prosper and transform the planet into a paradise.
Sincerely,
Paul Stevenson

[Jeremy Snowsill]

Paul Stevenson said:

------S.O.L. Intention-------
"Space of Love"

What a fantastic vision! I have often thought about how collective and mutual resources and creativity could come together to create a living eden. The idea was a much smaller scale, looking to see how we could create a similar vision but on a much more intimate scale with mutual friends or like-minded people.

I had envisaged a space where all of the fundamentals were taken care of collectively. Independently produced energy source, communal crops, central facilities, creative spaces, sculpture gardens. We see this starting to take shape in much more commecial endeavours. I work with an Urban Design company here in New Zealand, and the ideas I am exposed to through their work, look to implement many of these processes in the name of sustainability and green developments.

Is it an idea people could adapt on a smaller scale? Can a small group of people look to develop their own utopia?

It is great to see such creative responses starting to emerge. I haven't come into contact with Vladimir's work but it sounds very poetic!

[Paul Stevenson]

It will have to start a bit small I feel, as people are not so acustomed to living this way. I have written here the bare bones of the idea only. There is of course in my head much much more, but this is the core of it. I feel it needs to be done on a smallish scale first then move bigger and bigger. Please read "The Ringing Cedars of Russia Series" you will not regret it.
I am keeping it out there to attract an investor for the plan and hope that if anyone reading this knows of someone with a kind heart and large wallet to point them my way, the investor will not regret it either :)
My idea will be an "off the grid" project and I have unique plans on how to do that as well. We must do it together. My vision is a Hogwarts kind of situation, if you are familiar with Harry Potter at all. The village will be home to a world school of magic :)

[Odette]

Great concept Paul. I wish I could be the financial investor you are looking for but alas I'm not. Keep moving with the idea and I'm sure it will happen.
I agree that things need to be approached on a smaller scale - people are not accustomed to this idea of living. I believe the real challenge is establishing these "communities" in urban areas. As we are being faced more and more with limited land space and an ever growing population (with decreasing food supply), the capability to have large areas designated to growing food and produce is limited.

I believe new architecture is taking into consideration our need for communal areas that could potentially be developed into "SOL"s but existing structures pose a problem. Perhaps we are going to have to resort back to old style bartering whereby an individual supplies a certain produce or food that is contributed to their "community" in return receiving a share of goods and produce from the communities contributions? The certain produce an individual contributes would be dependent on their living space I guess? Too archaeic? :)

[Paul Stevenson]

The idea is to have an outlet such as an export company or natural food company send their trucks around and pick up the produce and pay the going rate. Everyone can benefit :)
Odette said:

Great concept Paul. I wish I could be the financial investor you are looking for but alas I'm not. Keep moving with the idea and I'm sure it will happen.
I agree that things need to be approached on a smaller scale - people are not accustomed to this idea of living. I believe the real challenge is establishing these "communities" in urban areas. As we are being faced more and more with limited land space and an ever growing population (with decreasing food supply), the capability to have large areas designated to growing food and produce is limited.

I believe new architecture is taking into consideration our need for communal areas that could potentially be developed into "SOL"s but existing structures pose a problem. Perhaps we are going to have to resort back to old style bartering whereby an individual supplies a certain produce or food that is contributed to their "community" in return receiving a share of goods and produce from the communities contributions? The certain produce an individual contributes would be dependent on their living space I guess? Too archaeic? :)

[rebecca evans]

There definetly is a change rumbling through all our conciousness at this time like the foundations are no longer feeling stable and not resignating with the growth that is coming throughGenerationally there are questions knocking down our doors everyday just this sense that there is more. Can we bravely turn our back on quenching our thirst with exterior wants and desires or move past these limitations and discover the joy of sharing and turn towards each other and discover the happiness of living from our full potentials not a blue print of what we should be living like.. a community in collective, sourcing from the world of each other all the growth and learning we ever needed....thats what i would love and harmonising with the knowledge of ancestors of growing and harvesting getting back to basics and start again return homexxx

[rebecca evans]

Right on karen!! i just spent 6 hours making a compost pile with seven others and the sharing was incredible and i looked around and felt greatly at peace..we all talked about the power of unity and getting together to get things done this would have taken days otherwise with just one!! Also felt that the motive of getting something for doing something needs to be eradicated just a return to giving without a motive or outcome just to share and help!That really came up for me today and i felt great about that exsposure in myself that often i think so whats in this for me..i really am moving away from that mind and into the heart as love and sharing can never run out!love you to you are welcome to the bach anytimexx

Karen Butel said:

I agree that a return to community, simplicity and more refined levels of intention are what we need to hook into. If we look around and use our awareness, this is already going on. In greater Auckland city for example (as well as many others) there are community gardens popping up all over the place. This is a grass roots movement in its truest sense. If you haven't heard about it already, check out www.transitiontowns.org.nz. (or http://transitionculture.org/) In a little over a year 50 of these community initiatives have grown in New Zealand and it is a world-wide phenomenom. I'm with you Bec - we need to look inwards and immediately around us to see what is. A small shift in our compass can change our entire course... we may not need to reinvent everything... and with every state of discontinuity doors open and opportunities arise.

love

[Aaron Mcloughlin]

Could be the most important question there is.

The questions we ask in this time of change have to be different if there is to be a uniquely different future.

The visions we create now will define the power of our resolve to create a future that is truly remarkable. The visions we define will have to come from a significant re-evaluation of our values and where we derive meaning in our lives.

I see myself, my wife and daughter standing together in the future. It is my daughters 21st birthday and she is grinning from ear to ear. There is a connection between us all that speaks of a strong relationship that has succeeded the upheavals/transitions that have come to pass.

Part of what I call Transition Thinking is generating a simple yet Courageous and Spellbinding vision that once ingrained into the cranium, nothing will shift it.

Engage your curious mind and your thinking will have to change accordingly.

Aaron

[Bernadine Bloemgarten]

Good to read a reccomendation of exploring Transition Towns ,which are growing here in N.Z.Although progress and getting initiatives happening can seem slow i think it is essential to establish an alternative framework which will be a practical working model when the existing ways are no longer working or sustainable.If the foundations are strong i am optimistic that we can take the quantum leap when needed. Regards Bernadine

rebecca evans said:

Right on karen!! i just spent 6 hours making a compost pile with seven others and the sharing was incredible and i looked around and felt greatly at peace..we all talked about the power of unity and getting together to get things done this would have taken days otherwise with just one!! Also felt that the motive of getting something for doing something needs to be eradicated just a return to giving without a motive or outcome just to share and help!That really came up for me today and i felt great about that exsposure in myself that often i think so whats in this for me..i really am moving away from that mind and into the heart as love and sharing can never run out!love you to you are welcome to the bach anytimexx

Karen Butel said:

I agree that a return to community, simplicity and more refined levels of intention are what we need to hook into. If we look around and use our awareness, this is already going on. In greater Auckland city for example (as well as many others) there are community gardens popping up all over the place. This is a grass roots movement in its truest sense. If you haven't heard about it already, check out www.transitiontowns.org.nz. (or http://transitionculture.org/) In a little over a year 50 of these community initiatives have grown in New Zealand and it is a world-wide phenomenom. I'm with you Bec - we need to look inwards and immediately around us to see what is. A small shift in our compass can change our entire course... we may not need to reinvent everything... and with every state of discontinuity doors open and opportunities arise.

love