MANIFESTO
The natural state of the world is that it is unpredictable. We feel that one of the greatest challenges of our time is to understand this uncertainty and to resist the temptation of meta-narratives that seem to offer orientation. Crises show us again and again how fragile our system is and remind us of the openness and unpredictability of the future. We must learn to live with this and trust that crises bring an opportunity for transformation. The obvious answer is to externalize the causes of the meta-crisis, but we believe that this is not the best way and can lead to othering. There are no shortcuts through this process and we suggest a good way to begin is by looking inside ourselves.
Our species has not yet unlocked its full potential. We believe that we are moving from a subconscious to a conscious evolution. Part of our growth to a more equitable and efficient society is recognising this potential and understanding consciousness. Is consciousness materialistic or unbounded? Are we what we perceive, or something more? Most political and social theories subscribe to a static and materialistic understanding of humanity and we believe that this creates systems that are closed and dualistic in nature.
One can call this the unfolding of an 'Awakening’. When we think about being ‘awake’ our concept of this is of an ever-unfolding journey, an ever-increasing objective awareness of Self and other; ethically and morally, expanding our values and way of being in the world as intrinsically connected to the wider whole. This leads us to understand how to be both an individual, and an individual who can work inside a collective. This awakening begins when we begin to embrace other people’s perspectives and move from dualistic mind states, to non-dualistic and beyond. We believe that holding two or more seemingly paradoxical thoughts simultaneously is a natural and realistic state of being.
Looking around us we see patterns emerging that naturally embrace this awakening and give rise to hope for more synergised social systems; within education, mental health and political systems. There is talk of the development of horizontal rather than hierarchical critical thinking, healthy unlearning processes, sitting with uncertainty, learning together democratically regardless of age, gender or cultural background. These processes all offer the opportunity to bring back a connection to Self, each other and nature in joy, co-learning spaces, where we all feel seen and heard, and can grow. We want to offer a platform and content that helps progress these discussions, and be part of the conversations that help create these systems.
We stand firmly by the established method of fact checking in science. This is not a question of faith for us, but a basic attitude expressing a grounded, logical and respectful relationship to one of the greatest civilizational achievements of our time, which we treat with respect. We also value shamanistic traditions, art, spiritual systems, philosophy etc, that unfortunately do not always receive equal respect in public discourse. We believe that reliable experts are also always aware of the limits of their disciplines and personal biases and place their perspectives in a larger context through interdisciplinary exchange. Here we see enormous potential for development to which our project would like to contribute.
We are particularly interested in the connection between inner and outer work. We are convinced that sustainable change can only take place through a constant feedback loop and a mutual informing of inner and outer processes and consequential evolutions. To meet the inseparable connection of inside and outside, of the individual and community, of nature and culture appropriately is the greatest challenge of our time which requires a shift from competition to collaboration. Economics is defined by ‘the allocation of resources between two or more competing ends’. We believe that in an awakened society this would be redefined as ‘the allocation of resources between two or more collaborating ends’.
Growth and development begin when we begin to reflect on ourselves in relation to the complex fabric of our lives. A sharp eye for our privileges and the consequences of our way of life are indispensable for this. To be able to grow in the current situation is our privilege and our overdue responsibility. We advocate the provision of necessary resources for all on all levels; educational, economic, social, to give everyone the chance to use individual, collective and systemic crises as moments of growth and transformation and to alleviate the pain and damage caused.
Nothing is certain, it’s all a mystery, and together we have the opportunity, through our consciousness, to guide the trajectory of this great unfolding.