Re; [Ailist] Positive Core of America -

[Robyn Stratton-Berkessel]

Hi John and others

The shift in the conversation to short-term thinking and the emphasis  
on financial, material ends, brings up so many layers:  what is the  
value (meme) that is lived out in the various cultures?  From our AI  
principles we see value in difference and look for best with the dream  
to discover not only  common ground but higher ground.  Don Beck,  
talks of sustainable cultures.   This resonates with our work.  Below  
is a segment copied from Don Beck's website. http://spiraldynamics.net/DrDonBeck/essays/sustainable_culture_sustainable_planet.htm

Quote:
Perhaps we should define terms before we launch even further into this  
exploration. What is it that makes a culture "sustainable?" What are  
the essential characteristics that display the full range of  
"sustainability" levels in various cultures? And, might it be possible  
to develop something of a S-Culture Index to measure various societies  
and cultures on these dimensions? Here is an initial list of such  
characteristics:

  * Sustainable Cultures develop, propagate and update a compelling  
vision, a sense of transcendent purpose, and a series of superordinate  
goals to create common cause for a complex culture.
  * Sustainable Cultures focus on systemic health and well-being  
rather than on one-time initiatives or any magical "quick-fix."
  * Sustainable Cultures embrace the evolutionary dynamic and  
recognize that the center of gravity for the culture will shift as  
conditions of existence change in the milieu, either progressive or  
regressive.
  * Sustainable Cultures accept that dynamic tension is part of life  
itself and have learned how to differentiate between destructive and  
constructive conflict.
  * Sustainable Cultures disseminate self-reliance and responsible  
decision-making at every level, in every function, and on every issue.
  * Sustainable Cultures mesh the four bottom-lines – purpose, profit,  
people, and planet – and realize that to accomplish any one of the  
four they must also experience success in the other three.
  * Sustainable Cultures develop a sense of collective individuality  
in that the two are seen as cyclical blends and ratios rather than  
extremes or poles.
  * Sustainable Cultures respect the past-present-future timeline and  
think of each as an element in the seamless flow of nature.
  * Sustainable Cultures deal with causes and symptoms in a  
simultaneous, interdependent fashion.
  * Sustainable Cultures possess the capacity to renew themselves  
whenever the problems of existence create greater complexity than  
available solutions.
  * Sustainable Cultures integrate economic, political, social,  
environmental, spiritual and educational domains in an integral fashion.
  * Sustainable Cultures transmit their codes to the present  
generation while, at the same time, prepare the youth for different  
conditions in the near and far future.
  * Sustainable Cultures transcend but include previous ways of being  
while always anticipating what will be next, thus living in open  
systems.

A couple of other thoughts:

What we are experiencing globally, from my perspective, is a natural  
phenomenon of long overdue self-corrective feedback loops.  Possibly,   
the systems  archetype of "limits to growth" and   "the tradegy of the  
commons".  (Peter Senge - Fifth Discipline).

One further insight into this topic raised by John Loty is the work of  
Hofstede's  on cultural and national differences.   By understand why  
and how we are different is to appreciate those differences. Looking  
at  Hoftede's cultural dimensions, you will be able to assess which  
cultures demonstrate the following characteristics.

Power Distance
Individualism
Masculinity
Uncertainty Avoidance
Long term Orientation.

What are your ideas, feelings, hopes and dreams for co-constructing a  
world we dream of?

Kind regards.

Robyn.
Robyn Stratton-Berkessel
Creator, Positive Matrix www.positivematrix.com
Founder, L.I.T. Global www.litglobal.com
+1 732 291 0462
+1 917 816 5597 (mobile)
Skype: robynsb


On Mar 5, 2009, at 4:13 AM, John Loty wrote:


Thanks Roger -- especially for "short-termism". That is precisely what  
is
going on.

It seems to me that we (all of us) have been living in some fantasy that
promises happiness without the hard work that usually precedes it.

Another AI practitioner wrote to me and observed that the mathematics of
credit is not something that is taught in our schools - which I think is
worth repeating.
The full implications of credit would, I think, come as a rude shock  
to many
people.

Interesting we, in Australia, teach our children to not dive in shallow
water and stay away from dangerous currents we call "rips" (on our  
beaches)
and have volunteer life savers on our beaches to rescue us if we get  
into
difficulty and yet everyone is left to their own devices to swim or  
sink in
the turbulent ocean of finance and credit.

Once upon a time you couldn't get a loan for a house here unless you had
saved the deposit and could prove that you earned 4 times the re-payment
obligations.

We seem to rush in where angels fear to tread and are encouraged to do  
so by
our own impulsiveness not to mention the sharks that swim in those  
waters.
And then came the easy credit and the belief that house prices would  
always
keep rising. (tooth fairies rule!)

Yes we seem to need some credit - and right now we need it like we  
need a
life support system when we are critically ill but I wonder whether we  
are
going to learn anything from this experience if we don't at least  
identify
what is going on.

John Loty
Appreciative Inquiry Advocate, Facilitator and Consultant

Director
Logistics Training International



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Robyn Stratton-Berkessel
Creator, Positive Matrix www.positivematrix.com
Founder, L.I.T. Global www.litglobal.com
+1 732 291 0462
+1 917 816 5597 (mobile)
Skype: robynsb