The Missing Piece

A  new format for public debate by way of the Schematic for Sustainability is what we will be discussing today.   (PDF available at www.holisticsoul.com  and click on “Sustainability.”)  Using it will have several positive effects:  1) It provides a non-traditional process for the discussion of public issues that also educates the public concerning issues of sustainability;  2)  it effectively separates the design process from funding debates;  3)  it moves public issues from polarized “yes-no” funding options to a continuum of options; and, 4) it will provide a check on the influence of lobbies and attendant corporate ethos behind profit making.

This “Missing Piece” is a format that enables public debate to become effective — effective to help move our nation its societies and communities into a sustainable future.  The missing piece is needed to move public bodies around immovable partisan positions and attendant discussions to action plans that move communities and the nation into social sustainability.

By using the Schematic for Sustainability, and  Schematic for Sustainability — Instructions rational, and progressive public debate can be achieved.  The Schematic provides a logical and rational process based upon the fundamental values that are the raison d’etre of this American democracy and all democracies.  Using the Schematic, all discussion pivots on the Intention of Sustainability, with action plans being developed in the Criteria for Fulfillment, both of which are qualified by the primary values of  the sustainability:  Life (qualified as “the quality of life”), Equality, and Growth.  These values are not arbitrary.  No civilization is sustainable without all three values being in place operationally, in societies.

Most traditional public debates has been “my plan is better than your plan” without having a qualifying standard for comparison.   Using the format for sustainability, debaters must be able to qualify their points of argument/discussion by showing how the points contribute to social sustainability, and support the fundamental values of a sustainable society.  Whether it is funding for a new school, a weather station outpost, or a voluntary program for immunization, debaters must validate their answers by qualifying them through the Schematic.

Conclusion:  If you compare this process of public debate to traditional public debate that has been going on between the bitter partisan camps in this early part of the 21st century in the United States, you will see that what is being proposed has far more potential for social progress.  Traditional bi-partisan debate is competitive, divisive, and position-held that contributes to the grid-lock of public issues from moving from proposals to action through Congress and state legislatures.  If our democracy is to evolve and become more mature and productive, new processes of public debate must be explored so that the business of the public is engaged and fulfilled.  //Daniel Raphael

Sustainability Schematic Ctd (2)

Let us continue from the last post, “Health Care – Using the ‘Schematic for Sustainability’”

Again, the first elemental question needs to be asked again, “Do you have a vision for a sustainable society, nation(s), and civilization?”  Without asking this question, what you are reading is simply an academic exercise for pleasure or information.  But if you are reading this to learn how to design sustainable social institutions (family, community, health care, educational services, criminal justice, religion, etc), whether in your own family, community, neighborhood, or the world, you have taken a step toward becoming co-responsible for your and their survival and sustainability.   // Now let us pick up where we left off, with writing the Global Statement of the Project.

Column 4, CRITERIA FOR FULFILLMENT (Global Statement of Project):   “A national health care system that provides health care services from pre-conception to death.”  Again, this statement is very general, but more defined than the STATEMENT OF INTENTION.  Beneath this statement, we will list the various criteria that will define this project.  // The process of generating a design does not argue points of the design from positions.  Rather the work is to develop a complete continuum — in this case, health care services from pre-conception to death.  Our primary interest and focus is to build a design that fulfills the Intention and Global Statement.   Position-taking can be done later in different venues.

In this example I will not attempt to design a fully developed continuum of services.  The example is being developed to give you enough information to help you work this process on your own.  I will mark each new criterion with a “+”.  Again, this is not a fully developed continuum, but only a cursory example of its parts.

CRITERIA OF FULFILLMENT:  + Birth control education;  + Pre-natal care (diet, nutrition, abstinence from drug use, education for post-natal care) including food support and supplements;  + Natal care for mother and child; + family social education; + preventive care; + emergency services; + health care education (continuing through life); …. + elder care involving diet/nutrition, self-care and self-observation, emergency contact procedures, elder health education, elder networking, etc; + end of life choices; + hospice; ….

As you write each criterion in the fourth column do so considering columns 1-3, asking “the question” that each column asks of each criterion.  e.g., Does this criterion support the value of Life?  This question is further qualified by “the quality of life.”  When considering public debate about health care as a social issue, know that this qualifier has its origins in the phrase from the Declaration of Independence, “…that they are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”   These last four words are directly related to the quality of life.  King George VIII granted life, but it was the quality of life that was contested by our nation’s Revolutionary and Constitutional founders.   This single factor, and the right of political self-determination, have been the political turning points for generations of Americans and other democracies around the world.

Let’s now turn to “the question” for Beliefs, and then next to Expectations.  For Beliefs, the question becomes, “What are our beliefs for sustainability of the quality of Life, Equality, and Growth, regarding public health care?”  Here are only a few examples of beliefs that emanate from the value of Life and contribute to the sustainability of our societies:  “We believe that,*a sustainable public health care continuum is intrinsic to the general health of our nation and the quality of life of each citizen;  * that this quality of life begins  with the health of future citizens before they are born in the healthy environment of their mother, father, and family; * and when pregnancies are wanted; * that good nutrition is essential to enable the greatest endowment of genetic potential both before birth, after, and continuing into adolescence; ….”  And more.

EXPECTATIONS:  “We expect that:  * a continuum of health care options is available for all citizens; (We expect that) * health care information, training, and education is available for all citizens; (We…) * health care information, training, and education is more than adequately developed to help citizens of child bearing age to make informed and responsible decisions to beget children, or not; …;  (continuing); * health care services are provided for the various care needs of all age groups of citizens until death.

Finally, back to column four, CRITERIA FOR FULFILLMENT:  Fund, design, build, and operate local health care educational services, clinics, preventive services, emergency facilities, hospitals, aftercare, (continuing)… and hospice services.  As you might guess, the Criteria would become line items in budgets.  The criteria are written in a manner that are measurable, definable and fulfill the VALUE(S), BELIEF(S), and EXPECTATIONS given for each criterion.

Yet there is one more Criterion that is essential — the quality of service that is so directly related to the quality of life of citizens.  Considering the sustainability of a healthy nation, not only that measurable criteria of fulfillment include, for example, the number of citizens per clinic, but also the quality of those services.  Those measures must be written into the CRITERIA FOR FULFILLMENT.  For example:  number of teen pregnancies, number of infections incurred during hospitalization, number of deaths while in hospital … per 1,000 patients, and so on.

The Schematic for Sustainability is holistic in its application(s), for public health care and all other designs for social sustainability.  The functioning of sustainable social institutions requires a much different mindset for the relationship of governmental agencies and citizens — a move from overt paternalistic policies to co-responsible policies.  This movement produces a much more responsible citizenry, with the educational processes behind, that support a population that thinks in terms of social sustainability.  //Daniel Raphael

Health Care – Using the “Schematic for Sustainability”

Today we begin a new series of posts using the Schematic for Sustainability and Schematic for Sustainability — Instructions. These two documents are available at my personal website  www.holisticsoul.com  then click on Sustainability. A full discussion for using the Schematic will take several posts to train you in the basics of the Schematic and Instructions.

A number of readers have contacted me saying that the Schematic and Instructions are so “out of the box” and unfamiliar to their thinking that they are not able to use them, even though they are very intrigued with the idea of actually designing socially sustainable social institutions.   So, let us begin with a current and highly visible public issue “public health care.”  Keep in mind that health care is not limited to only public health care, but private health care as well.  Sustainable health care is actually a continuum of health services.

First, an elemental question needs to be answered, “Do you have a vision for a sustainable society, nation(s), and civilization?”  A vision for a sustainable future is an essential personal investment to begin this process.

Here is the INTRODUCTION to the Instructions:  “INTRODUCTION — Working the Schematic is a straightforward process that produces exceptional results.  Team environments seem to produce results quickly.  Rules of order: Participants agree that they will qualify their arguments to support social sustainability; and use the Schematic as the framework for developing actions plans.   Developing designs of sustainability sets an ideal that will require progressive stages of designing, planning, and then fulfilling programs that lead to sustainability.”

The Schematic presents us with a series of questions that lead us into a sustainable future.  One of the primary elements of the Schematic is to ask questions that help us design a consistent set of public policies that lead to sustainable social systems.  As this has never been done before, I am sure most of you have more than a wee bit of skepticism!  So, let’s begin.

1.  Beginning at the top of the Schematic, answer the question, “Is the issue being designed for sustainability Social or Material?  Circle One.”   //  Circle “Social.”

2.  (Circle One:)  Global — Global Region — National — National Region — Community — Family — Individual.  //  Better refer to the instructions:  “All to the right of the selected area becomes included.”   // If you circle “Global” then you are designing a sustainable global health care system.  Obviously, our world is not at that stage of development so circle the area (National?) that you want to design a sustainable health care system.  Just for example, let’s circle “National.”  Because our form of government is a federal democratic republic, that means that the 50 states would come under this design.

3.  STATEMENT of INTENTION (briefly):   [Instructions:  Answering the question, 'What is our intention for developing action plans for sustainability for this topic/issue?' will help focus your efforts in using the Schematic. ...."]  And it will guide the detailed development of the fourth column, “Criteria for Fulfillment.”   //  Write out your intention.

Here is my example, your example may be different.  “The intention for designing a sustainable national health care system is to provide all citizens with options for health care.”  If this statement of intention seems awfully general, think of public health care as an option much as public educational services are an available option to the public.   In the case of public education, parents have a choice of private or public educational services from pre-school all the way through post graduate programs.

Before we move ahead to #4 Criteria for Fulfillment, let us discuss VALUES.  As you can see, the three primary values that are the foundation for a sustainable society and civilization are:  LIFE, EQUALITY, and GROWTH.  Without any one of these values, a society or a civilization will decline, collapse, and eventually disappear.   See my 4-part YouTube video presentation:  http://www.youtube.com/user/Gabriel071659#p/u/3/HxAqbSsUv5U for a discussion of the decline of civilizations.

Concerning VALUES, only processes of governance that incorporate these values into their founding, organization, and operation have a real chance to become sustainable.  The founding of the United States of America began with,”We hold these truths [values] to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with the certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Two of the primary values of social sustainability are directly stated, (equality, life), while the value of  “growth” is alluded to in the phrase, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” that leads to an improving quality of life.

We are already at over 800 words, so before we close today’s post regarding public health care, consider that public education emanates from the value of “growth,” which is a fundamental value supporting sustainability society.  Then, would not the fundamental value of a sustainable society, LIFE, have the same foundation for the establishment of public health care?

In the next post, we will continue our discussion beginning with 4.  CRITERIA for FULFILLMENT.  //Daniel Raphael

Public Dialogue

Please see:   www.holisticsoul.com  — Click on Books  — Click on, “e-Democracy — PDF Abridged version”     This will provide you with a printable, PDF version of this document.

This document provides for a 24-7 virtual process of democracy that is much more rational and capable development of democratic process than the aging, antiquarian processes now used by our legislatures and Congress.  Using it will have a tremendously diminishing effect of lobbies upon legislative bodies and executive branches.

I have found, painfully, that not everyone will be able to appreciate the nuances of this process.  Once you “get it” you will begin to discover the value of it.

I apologize for my absence from posting to this blog, as I have been away working.  Know, though, that the wheels have been turning in my mind, ready to post again when the moment provides.  //Daniel Raphael

Strategic Global Planning Pt 2

From a spiritual Planetary Manager’s perspective strategic global planning takes on a very, very different approach to the development of sustainable societies and their social institutions.  //  By now you have developed the insights that the spiritual development of a planet eventually engages all forms of positive and constructive social development.  The form of governance is no exception.  All aspects of living and all that which supports its growth and development on the continuum of social evolution are directly related to the spiritual maturation of a global population.

The recent compliment by one subscriber of the post having to do with Strategic Global Planning sparked my interest — partly because I have been diligently working on a 38 year project involving the development of the next step of democracy for the 21st century.  The project at hand was to abbreviate the original document (about 45k words) into a much more tractable edition entitled, Virtual Democracy – Sustainable Democracy.  The following is the capsule statement from the cover page:

“(CAPSULE:  The following  describes a virtual, reality-based, 24-7 personal democracy, accessible via computer, Blackberry, or other Internet connected device, allowing personal input relevant to local, city, county, state, national issues and international issues with links to unbiased topic-related educational materials, to citizen-jurisdiction data bases, and linked to personally chosen social, political, and special interest data bases.  // See “www.my-democracy.us” p.2. //  Think in terms of Google-like, Wikipedia-like, FaceBook, and Twitter-like functions related to personal, 24-7 democratic practices that are supported by profit-making centers, as advertising, sales of reports, etc.)“

This is free to you in PDF format with request via my email address  d2.raphael@comcast.net, SUBJECT:  PDF Virtual Democracy.

It would seem to me that this process could provide a significant income stream of some browser entity, without compromising its integrity.  But, perhaps, I am naive.

For a spiritual Planetary Manager, there is no disconnect between the development of an evolved, more egalitarian form of democracy and the spiritual upliftment of the planet’s population.  The connection is the improved ability of individuals to satisfy their innate need of self-determination and the control of an ever larger environment that affects their life and living.  The point is that unhappy, unfulfilled, disgruntled and politically angry people have a greater difficulty aspiring to spiritual growth than people who are happy, fulfilled, and satisfied.  The ability to engage the self-determination of their lives has a direct effect upon growth at all levels of personal development.

The timing seems right for this development:  many countries seem to be rudderless in many regards; technology has developed to the point where individuals could connect to an interactive website to share their opinions and comments concerning public issues, known and unknown; and have their opinions collected, demographically qualified, and combined with those of millions of other subscribers into know blocs of public opinion; and linked to issue-education materials; and pumped to their respective city, county, district, state, national, and international public offices.    Waiting to share your opinion on election day is just sooooo 18th century!  … and antiquarian.  I’d like to see 21st century technology applied to move our public into a participatory democracy, and then immediately into an interactive democracy.

While this process will surely have an effect upon political sentiments, in itself it is not a political entity or take any political positions on issues.  (See p. 19-21.)

Enjoy the read.  Forward it to those who might be interested in the process.  //Daniel Raphael

Local Developments

What has developed locally for me are the following:  1)  A weekly Mystics Circle gathering every Monday evening, 7-9 pm, beginning March 8th;  2) A monthly workshop every second Saturday morning beginning March 13th; and I will be doing Psychic-Intuitive Readings every Friday, 1-5 pm — All located at “Four Elements,” in Evergreen, Colorado.  Please see the schedule below:

~   Workshops By Daniel Raphael, Ph.D.   ~

Sponsored by “Four Elements”

COST: Workshops are $20 p/hour per student.

DAY/DATE/TIME: 2^nd Saturday of each month, (8-9) am until noon.

LOCATION: Workshops are held at “Four Elements,”  28186 Hwy 74, Evergreen, CO, formerly “Skintique” —  Creekside from Java Groove and Beaujos Pizza.

REGISTRATION: Four Elements, 303/670-1180;     28186 Hwy 74, Evergreen, CO 80439.

INSTRUCTOR: Daniel Raphael, Ph.D.  See websites for professional credentials. Contact information:  daniel.raphael@comast.net,  303/641-1115

WHAT TO BRING: Notebook and pen, seat cushion if you need it, water.

Building and Using a Merkabah — (Saturday, March 13, 9-noon).  The Merkabah is mentioned in the Kabala, Book Enoch, and numerous other sources.  Students will learn how to use it to make their prayers more effective and powerful; and, how to use it in groups to project healing, and divine order and right action.  Students will come to understand why prayers work and why they fail; and, why “love” heals all.      3 hrs.

Insights into Holistic Life Coaching — (Saturday, April 10,  9-noon).   This workshop will give you a quick but thorough tour of holistic coaching as it applies to the whole of your life.  You will see where your life is in balance and where it isn’t, and why.  //  This workshop will also give students a global view and insights into the whole of your life from a “soul” perspective; and, strive to help you answer the deeper questions of your life.  For example, Why did you chose this lifetime?, Why you are having life-transition problems?, Who are the members of your “soul” family who chose to help you in this lifetime?     3 hrs.

Sacred and Intimate Relationships — (Saturday, May 8, 9-noon).  In this workshop students will learn the difference between sacred and intimate relationships, and how sacred relationships begin, first, with your self.  Come prepared to bring examples of your relationships.  (This only sounds like a Dr. Phil show!)   This workshop is based in part on Dr. Raphael’s book, Sacred Relationships, A Guide to Authentic Loving, available at the Workshop.  Contact Dr. Raphael if you want a pre-workshop copy.     3 hrs.

Psychic / Consciousness — (Dates to be announced.)   How does psychic awareness work?  What are the common elements that tie the material world to the psychic?  Why is consciousness such an important element to psychic awareness?  Anyone want a psychic-intuitive reading during the workshop?  Does anyone know why people who have suffered TBI (traumatic brain injuries) often become psychic?    Answer these questions and more in this very interesting workshop.    3 hrs.

Preparing to Meet Your Guardian Angel — (Dates to be announced.)   In this workshop, students will discover how easy it is to contact their Guardian Angel and other Spiritual Beings of Light, and what prevents many from actually doing so.  You will learn the fundamental steps to holding conversations with your personal Guardian Angel.  Students will be given the opportunity to ask questions and talk with an Angel during the workshop.    3 hrs.

Conscious Working Relationships with Unseen Spiritual Beings — (Dates to be announced.)   Students of this workshop will discover the work of the Spiritual Planetary Caretakers who have already demonstrated a proven process where unseen Caretakers work with people as you in a team environment to begin the design process for sustainable social institutions.  Students will be able to dialogue with one of the Caretakers to get acquainted with this process.  You will become very aware of why they are here at this time, and why only they can help (co-creatively) overcome the challenges of a world in tremendous change.    [Background materials available:  www.starbridgetrust.org  click on “Articles”]  3 hrs.

Designing Sustainable Social Institutions — This workshop will describe in detail the operation of the Co-Creative Design Team Process … and strive to replicate the experience of the Evergreen, Colorado Developmental CCDT with YOUR participation.  You will learn the various roles of operational Team, and interact with the Team’s unseen Spiritual Consultant.  If the world were to change dramatically in the next year, what social institutions would you want to help become sustainable, and why?  [Background materials available:  www.starbridgetrust.org  click on “Articles”]  3 hrs.

~ ~ ~ ● ~ ~ ~

—  Other Services Provided by Daniel Raphael  —

Psychic-Intuitive Readings, 1-5 pm Fridays at Four Elements. Every Friday, beginning  March 5^th.    Daniel has over 5 years continuous service as a psychic-intuitive reader at Mountain Books, Aspen Park, Colorado.  By appointment (Four Elements:  303/670-1180) or drop-in.   What’s in your future?!   Cost:  $2 p/minute.

The Mystics Circle – deep meditation group,  every Monday evening 7-(9) pm beginning March 8^th.   Cost:  Love offering to cover lights, water, janitorial costs.

Holistic Life Coach – Call for an appointment.  See  www.boulderlifecoach.com for information.

I am available to fulfill international teaching and speaking invitations.

Sustainable Global Strategic Planning…is missing.

It pains me to write about such terribly dry stuff as strategic planning, but as this blog is an educational blog, there is something here we can learn.  And I say “we” because as I write this “stuff” comes through to my consciousness from Spirit as insights, “ah-ha!s” and I learn right along with readers.

The intention of discussing strategic planning is 1) to share with you the absence of sustainable global strategic planning by national and global leaders; and, 2) to tell you about the sustainable strategic plans that our planetary caretakers have in place.  Hopefully one day that planning will be coordinate and congruent by both realms.

Developed and developing nations do actually have national strategic plans in place.  BUT, those plans are usually military in nature, and then expansionary economically, rather than planning for sustainable social existence.   I know of NO nation that has any national strategic planning in place for developing social sustainability.  Yet, social peace, social balance, social harmony, and social growth are fundamental, basic, and foundational for national security even for global military and economic dominance.  Social unrest and social violence in the national homeland immediately threaten national dominance on a global scale.  The United States simply could not maintain global dominance if its societies were in disarray and upheaval.  The most effective preventative for this is national social strategic planning and implementation for the sustainability of its social institutions.  Yet, the United States it does not have a strategic plan for developing social sustainability!  Do you think this is known to those who threaten its welfare and stability?  (Well, duh?!)

What is essential for national peace, growth, and social health are intentional programs that not only maintain social peace, harmony, and balance, but promote the development of a sustainable society.  Due to human selfishness, self-centeredness, fear, and rapacious wanting for dominance, control, and authority, sustainable global strategic planning is not likely become an intentional program with any nation for many decades, if not for centuries.   Yet, NOW is the moment in time to take the opportunity of the chaos and social disruption of this Transition Era of our planet to develop those plans, avoiding lost decades.

Lost except to our spiritual planetary caretakers, managers, and administrators who have put into place global plans to take advantage of this Transition Era’s chaos and social disruption to bring about a sustainable civilization on earth, and sustainable global peace not later, but now.

The situation we see so vividly in the news about Haiti is indicative of the immature and unevolved state of our civilization, its global organizations, and its national governments.  The absence of a global strategic plan for social sustainability is prima facia evidence that our global civilization is immature and unevolved!  Were our civilization mature and evolved, there would exist planning as that.  We would know that there will always be earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, cataclysmic mud slides, floods, droughts, and other earth changing natural events, and that there would always be the need to rebuild — but with a plan in place to do so.  Then families and communities could be rebuilt SOCIALLY! along with the physical rebuilding.

What is missing globally is a program for designing sustainable social institutions NOW, BEFORE more cataclysms affect others population centers.  This speaks to a need now to begin using the Co-Creative Design Team Process to build a library of sustainable social institution designs; and, plans for implementing those designs.  [Note:  If you look at the 4th column of the Schematic for Sustainability you will find "Measurable Criteria for Fulfillment," which is where the specifications for implementation would be stated.]

The question that must be in the mind of an advanced thinker as your self, and asked of emergency social aid workers,  is, “What do we need to do to rebuild the families and communities of disaster-struck regions?”  But don’t ask the question unless you have the answer already in mind because the emergency social aid worker will not know of any plans, procedures, or designs to answer your question.  And they will ask you, “What do you mean?”  wherein you can the provide the answer regarding the CCDT Process.   //Daniel Raphael

Haiti – Microcosm of the World

Monjoronon’s recent NOCO #113 transmission includes a comment by him that Haiti is the “perfect storm” of sustainability problems in the world.   (See:  www.tmarchives.com  Click on:  “Click Here for Latest Transcripts” )

If you have read, “GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY and PLANETARY MANAGEMENT, The Revealed Future of Humanity as Seen Through Celestial Eyes,” you are already acquainted with the reasons for the early phases of the Magisterial Mission:  To design sustainable social institutions (sustainable child rearing practices through a sustainable global economy) BEFORE cataclysms, as the Haiti earthquake, occur.  As we are all witnessing from expert aid workers from around the world in Haiti who are saying that after the immediate healing and rebuilding has occurred … then what?  Had there been sustainable social institution designs already available to relief workers and aid workers, they could begin with the rudiments of building a sustainable society from ground zero into the future.  Sure it would not be a perfectly sustainable society immediately, but it would point the direction for the next decade of work — with the hope it would last into the future.

It is of paramount importance to have those designs immediately available for implementation anywhere in the world.   In the future, I would hope that some “Institute for Human Sustainability” would have collected all of the designs produced by hundreds of Co-Creative Design Teams around the world.  And, also, there would be plans and procedures for implementing those designs that came out of hundreds of Co-Creative Working Teams from around the world.

Haiti provides the world with the perfect storm situation to see a worst case scenario of what earth would look life if all of the cataclysms that are predicted for the next 5-20 years occur.  Haiti is an exceptionally perfect example of the world’s situation:  Lots of aid is available to rebuild the country, but experts are already aware that simply rebuilding Haiti will only re-install the same unsustainable social, economic, and political institutions and society that existed BEFORE the earthquake!  Further, they already know that Haiti will become even more dependent upon the aid and largess of other nations after it is rebuilt.

What the experts in Haiti are missing is the technique for designing sustainable social institutions.  That technique is embedded in the subtleties of  the Schematic for Sustainability.

A sustainable society sustains itself by a holistic sustainable system of sustainable social institutions.  That might sound redundant, but it is not.  An educational system that teaches sustainable social practices (child rearing, family design and practices including family birth control practices, for example) in the context of education (reading, writing, arithmetic, history, skill training, etc.) becomes the foundation for teaching sustainable practices from the youngest students to the oldest citizens.  This is the foundation for a sustainable system of sustainable social institutions.

If Haiti isn’t enough to get you thinking about what plans are being developed for the reconstruction of YOUR area as a SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY, then you haven’t been taking this information to heart for your own family and neighborhood.  Maybe you live in one of those areas that will be unaffected by those disasters?  //Daniel Raphael

The Quality of Life vs the Quantity of Life

Quantity of  life = the quantity (number) of people living.

Quality of life = the material, social, cultural, educational, etc resources available to each individual to develop their innate potential.

In either case, the value of life and living usually remain the same for everyone despite great differences in material abundance or lack.  Even those people we see from photos and videos who are malnourished and desperately starving do not crave to end their lives.

Within the context of working with the Schematic for Sustainability, LIFE as a value forces participants in a Co-Creative Design/Working Team to hold “life” out as an ultimate value.  For example, whether you are considering decreasing petroleum supplies, child rearing practices, clean water, or health care the Team is forced to consider how designing those topics supports the sustainability of life of individuals, families, communities toward a global population.

It is not unusual for team members to become confused when they consider the sole, ultimate value of LIFE out of relationship to EQUALITY and GROWTH, the other two ultimate values of sustainability.  But when LIFE is considered in conjunction with EQUALITY and GROWTH, team members have an easier time of devising a list of Beliefs for each of those three ultimate values of sustainability.

Although there are subsets of values under each of those three ultimate values of sustainability, for now, let us set that chore aside so we can focus simply upon devising a list of Beliefs under LIFE.  As we do so, you will see, just as I just now understand, is that LIFE is the sole ultimate value, and that EQUALITY and GROWTH are actually sub-sets of LIFE.  When we consider LIFE as a value, we cannot escape the necessity of considering EQUALITY almost immediately.  LIFE for whom?  Just for me?  Just for you?  Surely not! for life is necessary to the sustainability of our global civilization — as it is expressed by each individual globally!  Each individual must be considered when sustainability is considered for our global civilization.  To deny life as more important to some than others is to deny life for yourself, when EQUALITY is put into the matrix.

Now the next ultimate value of sustainability that provides the qualifier to LIFE and EQUALITY is GROWTH.   This third value of sustainability for a global civilization provides the third leg of this three-legged stool that supports a sustainable civilization as it does a meaningful life for an individual.  Life without growth is stagnant, virtually lifeless, for growth underlies the provision for enjoying a meaningful life.  And considering EQUALITY, is a meaningful life reserved solely for individuals or groups of people who are more important than others?  Surely not, for when that judgment is drawn, that could exclude you, or me, as well.

These three ultimate values of sustainability provide a dynamic for designing sustainable social institutions and for designing and developing strategies for using limited material resources.

In designing strategic global plans for global sustainability and the sustainability of nations, the wild card that throws it all into chaos is the factor of population.  Population (quantity of life) will always determine the nominal average quality of life for each individual.  Cutting to the chase:  the lifestyle and standard of living of most Norwegians, Swedes, Fins, Canadians, US citizens, the French, German, Danes, and Hollanders, to name just a few, are not possible for a global population of 7 billion, simply because there are not enough material resources to attain that level for everyone.

The equation is simple:  for a global population, quality of life is inversely proportional to the quantity of life.   As population increases, the standard of living (quality of life) decreases.

Until the global population (quantity of life) comes into some semblance of balance with material and social resources to improve the standard of living (quality of life), sustainability is impossible — yes, for nations as well as the global population — yes, for material sustainability as well as social sustainability.   Until then, social change in various forms of social unrest including wars will become more prevalent, pervasive, permanent, and intense.   More could be said, but I think that is enough to ponder, today.  //Daniel Raphael

A Schematic for Sustainability

The schematic is a visual guide to help groups make major contributions to the development of sustainable designs for material or social issues.  Because it is almost impossible to replicate the schematic via the blog software, I refer you to www.starbridgetrust.org  and  click on “Articles,”  then click on Schematic for Sustainability.  It is in PDF format and printable.

The Schematic works for social issues/topics and for material issues/topics.

A brief  Statement of Intention must be included when developing the Schematic.  This should be a simple, brief sentence outlining the purpose/reason/motive for the topic involved in the Schematic.  NOTE:  Due to the immature/unevolved states of sustainability that exist in our world concerning most topics of sustainability, it will be necessary to devise a series of Schematics for each topic.  The reason being that devising a single-step, idealistic Utopian design is usually unattainable.  Most often, several developmental evolutionary stages must be in place to enable later developmental stages to come into existence.  It’s a bit like asking an 11 month old child to jump over a 2 meter bar.  It is perhaps an eventuality, but many developmental stages, and time, must pass before that capability becomes evident.  The Intention should reflect the next anticipated stage of sustainability that is attainable.

The next section of the Schematic contains four columns.  The first column contains the three primary VALUES of sustainability;  Life, Equality, and Growth.  There may be more that you develop pertaining to the topic, but these will almost always be constantly included.  For each value, you would develop a phrase that joins the value to the topic or issue of sustainability you will be working on.  [As I write this, I realize that we will need another Post that discusses these primary Values in detail.]

The second column contains the BELIEFS that emanate from the primary Values.  If we have a value for life, for example, then we hold certain beliefs to be true about life.  What are those beliefs?  List them.  For each Value, you may develop several Beliefs.

The third column contains a list of EXPECTATIONS you have for each Belief.  Expectations have to do with actions that fulfill the Belief.  If you hold a certain belief to be true, then you would also have a set of Expectations (actions) that fulfill the expression of those Beliefs.  In other words, this becomes an IF – THEN sort of equation.  If you hold certain Beliefs to be true about a certain Value, then you would expect to take certain actions (Expectations) to fulfill that Value.  In other words, you would expect your self and others would take certain actions to fulfill each Belief that support the Values.

The fourth column contains a list of Criteria for Fulfillment.  This is a list of measurable, validating qualifications that lets us know when we have fulfilled (or not) the list of Expectations.

The Schematic is completely reversible!  For example, if you are working at a recycling station sorting bottles made of PETE from those that are made out of polyethylene, you may wonder what your job has to do with sustainability of the world in the forms of  life, equality, and growth.  Taking a discursive shortcut, reusing plastic bottles helps reduce the amount of petroleum that is pumped out of the ground to make more bottles.  This allows the petroleum that is not used today to be used later for the needs of others.  Reusing plastics supports the sustainability of life, and a certain quality of live and standard of living.

One bit of wisdom we have learned from working with the Schematic is that the Values and their eventual measurable expression (working from Column 1 to through Column 4) almost always results in appreciating and striving to enhance the quality of life as compared to the quantity of life.  This insight will cause many of you who establish operational Co-Creation Design Teams and eventually Co-Creative Working Teams to chaff at many traditional cultural values.  I won’t reveal those, here, at this time as I want you to work on this with some friends in an informal sort of CCDT setting.  I will say that you will struggle mightily with the two factors of the quality of life and the quantity of life that pivot around the Value of LIFE.

QUESTION:  What is the proportional relationship between the quantity of life and the quality of life?   //Daniel Raphael