Development Team Workspace

We all share mother earth and what one person does, for better or worse, affects the rest of us. Commoning provides benefits that corporations can’t provide such as healthy ecosystems, economic security, stronger communities and a participatory culture.

Radical transformations require revisiting our fundamental assumptions; cleaning up unnecessary confusion and re-establishing the beauty and wonder in the world that had been nearly forgotten.

People who speak different languages cannot understand each other without benefit of Translation. And sometimes people think they're speaking the same language when they're not. Translation takes place when any two worlds of discourse are bridged. Think about the critical role of Translation and, if possible, become a translator or — when the need arises — a person who can help bridge a gap of understanding.

Students identify with good teachers and value their knowledge highly. This might mean, however, that students might be reluctant to “go against” the teaching of their mentor/hero/professor. Teaching to Transgress actively questions and tests society's “received wisdom.” Teaching to Transgress helps instill the idea that societies must change and that we all have responsibility for promoting that change.

The art and practice of design must recognize sustainability as both ends and means in designing the objects, systems, and services we need. The ethic of Sustainable Design suggests that future existence — as well as justice and beauty for humans and for the rest of nature —should be possible.

Opportunities are critical as they help determine possible paths to the future. Opportunities can include classes and seminars, volunteer positions, jobs, timely announcements, contests, access to the media, mentoring, scholarships, grants and others. It is imperative to devote attention and resources to help create new (and improve existing) Opportunity Spaces for people and communities who need them.

As problems become more and more intractable, more—and more diverse— people much work together. While diversity is a necessity and can be a source of strength, it introduces problems that can worsen if we don't address them effectively. We must acknowledge the importance of Open Action and Research Networks while resolving the issues and building on the incipient wisdom.

Because wicked problems can't be solved through universal or precise approaches for all times, think about "interventions" not "solutions" and be aware that further actions will always be necessary.

Despite the significant effort that goes into decision making and design, bad decisions and designs are often made because a critical and relevant perspective was not heard. This is especially true if the perspective is that of a stakeholder. Remind people of voices that aren't present through procedures, diagrams, or, even, songs.

The purpose of Future Design is to get people actively engaged envisioning better futures and making plans on how to get there. Through "rehearsing for the future" we hope to create possible scenarios that could become the positive "self-fulfilling prophecies" of tomorrow.

Schools with unchanging assumptions can't meet society's changing needs. This is unfortunate now when the need for public problem-solving is most acute. An Experimental School attempts to accomplish positive aims while adopting experimentation as a guiding orientation. The key concepts are respect for learning, reflection, and faith in the importance of reasoning and, especially, reasoning together.

A vision should express values, purpose, and aspirations for a better future in simple terms that everyone can understand as the basis for participation in the group. Developing a Shared Vision may be the single most important task for the group to accomplish at the outset. It will guide strategy development, decision-making and goal-setting of the group or organization and for individual projects that the group undertakes.

Stories have the power to link many threads into a coherent whole that can animate and reveal hidden purposes. To link many threads into a coherent whole we must weave words and images, scientific information and poetic inspiration, and incorporate multiple voices to tell multi-faceted stories of our earth communities.

A worldwide network of Thinking Communities that brings people together in groups that build on common purpose and cooperative spirit will be critical as we search for sustainable solutions to the problems of our complex global society.

come up with a good version of VO so Doug doesn't have to adlib every time.

impromptu! hey hey