For all who are interested in learning more seeing through the spiral lens about countries, global poltics ; Nation Building and geo-cultural stratification. I am mirroring a guest article of Alan Tonkin from Global Values Network who wrote on blog of Keith Rice:

Quo Vadis, Zimbabwe: An Issue Of Values

Keith E Rice's Blog

Random Thoughts of a SocioPsychologist - www.integratedsociopsychology.net

Quo Vadis Zimbabwe: An Issue of Values
Posted by keith at 6:17 pm, June 30th 2008.

(originally posted 17/04/08)

As the crisis in Zimbabwe worsens and the country slips further into turmoil, Alan Tonkin has forwarded this piece he wrote for the Global Values Network web site he runs. GVN is one of the most advanced projects in the world at using Spiral Dynamics to monitor shifts in societies and assess impacts at national, international and even global levels.

Alan's piece not only presents an incisive analysis; it draws attention to both the very real human tragedies being experienced in Zimbabwe and the dangers which could engulf the region if the country is allowed to implode.

I am honoured to publish Alan's work as a 'guest blog'.

Different Politics - Different World Views                                                    

The issue of the release of the final Zimbabwe Election results is being contested by both ZANU-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change but for very different reasons.  Before going into these reasons one needs to look behind the claims and counter claims in order to more fully understand why there is this dispute.  

Zimbabwe: A Brief Review of Recent History 

Going back over the period following the Second World War, Southern Rhodesia was still a British colony which in 1953 was incorporated into the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.  Following the independence of both Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia in 1964 (which became Malawi and Zambia respectively), Ian Smith rejected majority rule and declared independence from Britain in 1965 in order to protect Blue Order 'civilised values'. 

Shortly thereafter both Joshua Nkomo (ZAPU) and Robert Mugabe's (ZANU) forces took to the bush with assistance from Zambia and Mozambique.  The bush war took a terrible toll on the population of Rhodesia in the period leading to the Lancaster House talks in the late 1970's.  It was during this period that Britain put pressure on South Africa to persuade Ian Smith to settle with the nationalists under Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe.

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I followed the news about rescue of Ingrid Betancourt who was kidnaped in 2002 in Colombia. This story fascinates me as it has all ingredients of an excellent Hollwood Script. Moreover, however it demonstrates what integrated , sustainable , global project collaboration can perform. Embedded in broader poltical analysis about cycles and developments. Using advanced integrated communication design.

And with strategic, tactical and logistical imagination, combined with good feeling of timing.

Kudos to all engaged actors, stuntmen and directors and script writers:):)

And, of course, my best wishes for Ingrid Betancourt and her future. For her family, friends and all colleagues who stood and stand at her side.
 

Bold Colombia Rescue built on Rebels Disarray

Bold Colombia rescue built on rebels' disarrayBy Simon Romero and Damien Cave
Published: July 4, 2008BOGOTÁ, Colombia:

 At 5 a.m. on Wednesday, the sun had yet to peek through the jungle canopy in this country's Guaviare Department when the guerrillas told their captives to gather their belongings. A call had come in from a top adviser to Alfonso Cano, their new supreme commander. He said to move. Immediately.

Or so the guerrillas thought. In fact, the gravelly voice that sounded so full of authority belonged not to Cano, a grizzled leader of Latin America's most feared insurgent group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, but rather to a government officer.

The fighters had been duped. With the help of satellite telephone intercepts and a spy who infiltrated the FARC's upper echelons, the Colombian military had managed to plan and execute an operation that ended a long-running international hostage saga and upended Colombia's four-decade civil war.

The voice was simply the most dramatic touch in a daring rescue that exploited the recent disarray within the FARC. The insurgency has now lost many of its top leaders and its most prized hostage: Ingrid Betancourt, the French-Colombian politician whose captivity since 2002 has attracted attention worldwide. Its founder, Manuel Marulanda, has died, security forces killed its second-in-command, Raúl Reyes, this spring, and some 3,000 combatants have deserted in the last year.

The rescue, described by commanders of the Colombian Army and officials in Washington and Bogotá, was almost exclusively a Colombian operation that highlighted the growth of a military that has benefited from $5.4 billion in aid from the United States since 2000. And while many here and in Washington stressed that the FARC remained a powerful force of several thousand fighters, earning around $200 million a year from drug trafficking, some analysts suggested that the raid combined with continued pressure might push the rebels to negotiate for peace.


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I am re-pposting here something about the time before July 4, 1776. While

The Declaration of Independence

was celebrated yesterday in US and I always was fascinated by this defining moment of US History I see even more instructive dramaturgy in the period before. Right now, in the year 2008. lots of global decisions and fundamental changes demand no less from leaders across the globe. No swarms, green consensus driven constellations, clans, networks, tribes etc will do it.

Basically determined core groups and risk taking pioneers from all walks of life and from all continents . This is really about the power of decisions.

Adams, Hancock and the Power of Decision



Posted on Dec 12th, 2006 by Albert

This great story. -suppose its true basically -is reported in Chapter 8 of Napoleon Hill Classic "Think and Grow Rich".

While HIll of course was very partial and with fragmented and subjective Pre-integral knowledge equipped:):) this special chapter always again is fascinating me since 30 years.

The mastery of procrastination

Its a story of Emerson-like Self Reliance in even a life threatening context and for me one of the strongest and greatest moments of American history, over 200 years ago, but as fresh as yesterday:

"...But, the greatest decision of all time, as far as any American citizen is concerned, was reached in Philadelphia, July 4, 1776, when fifty-six men signed their names to a document, which they well knew would bring freedom to all Americans, or leave every one of the fifty-six hanging from a gallows!
You have heard of this famous document, but you may not have drawn from it the great lesson in personal achievement it so plainly taught.
We all remember the date of this momentous decision, but few of us realize what courage that decision required. We remember our history, as it was taught; we remember dates, and the names of the men who fought; we remember Valley Forge, and Yorktown; we remember George Washington, and Lord Cornwallis. But we know little of the real forces back of these names, dates, and places. We know still less of that intangible POWER, which insured us freedom long before Washington's armies reached Yorktown.
We read the history of the Revolution, and falsely imagine that George Washington was the Father of our Country, that it was he who won our freedom, while the truth is-Washington was only an accessory after the fact, because victory for his armies had been insured long before Lord Cornwallis surrendered. This is not intended to rob Washington of any of the glory he so richly merited. Its purpose, rather, is to give greater attention to the astounding POWER that was the real cause of his victory.
It is nothing short of tragedy that the writers of history have missed, entirely, even the slightest reference to the irresistible POWER, which gave birth and freedom to the nation destined to set up new standards of independence for all the peoples of the earth. I say it is a tragedy, because it is the self-same POWER which must be used by every individual who surmounts the difficulties of Life, and forces Life to pay the price asked.
Let us briefly review the events which gave birth to this POWER. The story begins with an incident in Boston, March 5, 1770. British soldiers were patroling the streets, by their presence, openly threatening the citizens. The colonists resented armed men marching in their midst. They began to express their resentment openly, hurling stones as well as epithets, at the marching soldiers, until the commanding officer gave orders, "Fix bayonets. . . . Charge!"
The battle was on. It resulted in the death and injury of many. The incident aroused such resentment that the Provincial Assembly, (made up of prominent colonists), called a meeting for the purpose of taking definite action. Two of the members of that Assembly were, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams-LONG LIVE THEIR NAMES! They spoke up courageously, and declared that a move must be made to eject all British soldiers from Boston.

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I received good news from the Sdi Constellation about an offering of American Psychological Association. Its about establishing the new branch of "Large Scale Psycholgy" .

Here are some excerpts, communicated directly from Dr. Don BecK. Its refreshing that the moment of this opportunity fits with big global devlopments, and especially with the timeline of US Elections. A new momentum shift for Integral Large Scale Systems approaches and the "Go Global " imperative for Integral.

"The American Psychological Association has asked us to introduce a new branch of psychology to be called "Large Scale Psychology," with an emphasis on cities, countries, cultures, countries etc. etc. Elza Maalouf and I will meet with APA officials in Washington DC on July 29 while at the World Future Society. We will debut the concept at the APA conference in Toronto next August. 
...

. No doubt several of you will be interested in what LSP could become, especially in academic/scientific research. This will open all kinds of grant possibilities and afford us the legitimacy that has been lacking, even in the Integral world. The Spiral Dynamics along with the Muzafer Sherif's concept of Social Judgment (Assimilation/Contrast Effect) will be included in the original design, as will several other models that provide ways to understand large, complex cultures. We will work with John Petersen at the Arlington Institute and his horizon scanning technology that he introduced into national leadership in Singapore as a primary assessment/monitoring process.

Peter Merry and the CHE-Netherlands are working on a project to design and implement the Hague Center for Global Governance (that is only a working title) and that could well be a laboratory for Large Scale Psychology. Dr. Jean Houston just sent a note encouraging us to move with all speed because, she says,  we are way ahead of the game, and will lend her full support.  She has observed how many people are now copying our work and claiming ownership of the ideas, the use of colors as communication devices, etc.. This is most certainly the case with our Transpartisanship language and Third Way process that we introduced in 2000 and I presented at No 10  Downing Street and with several national leaders in the Netherlands.  You will learn more about this in the months ahead as our presidential campaign and election focus on a number of issues we can address uniquely -- education, health care, community development, terrorism, sustainable cultures, environment crises etc..

Also, I have seen the proofs of Dr. Marilyn Hamilton's new book entitled Integral Cities and it is quite remarkable and informative. She uses a bee hive as a model for a city and does so in an interesting and attractive fashion. You will detect Howard Bloom's Pentad  - conformity enforcers, diversity generators, inner judges, resource shifters, and intergroup tournaments --- in Marilyn's "human hive" application.. I will send Howard a copy of the book when it becomes available. He will be pleased to learn of this application of one of his evolutionary, metaphoric models of change and transformation. By the way, he is now leading a global effort to find ways to beam energy directly from the sun to the earth and has a number of NASA engineers and others working with him. The man is quite resourceful.

...."

it seems to be official. Barack Obama speaks in Berlin in two weeks. Tough Love SPIEGEL ONLINE is describing the awaited speech. See it the same way. The level of transatlantic relations has to be raised from both sides. Its a good sign that Barach chooses Berlin as the European City which is in the heart of East and West, North and South.

Tough Love Expected in Obamas Berlin Speech

By Gregor Peter Schmitz in Washington, DC

Barack Obama wants to hold a keynote speech on trans-Atlantic relations in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate during his visit later this month. SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that he wants to outline a new foreign policy that consults partners more, but also makes clear demands on Europe.




REUTERS

Barack Obama would like to hold a speech in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, symbol of Germany's Cold War division and subsequent unity.

When is he coming, who will he meet, and, more importantly: What will he say? For days now, Berlin has been abuzz with speculation over plans for Barack Obama's first trip to Europe as the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate. A July 24 date has been set by the campaign for a Berlin visit and more details are gradually emerging. During his visit to the German capital, Obama plans to hold a keynote address on trans-Atlantic relations.

"During this campaign, Senator Obama has been criticized for his lack of interest in Europe," an Obama campaign adviser with knowledge of the planning for the trip told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "This trip is partly a response to this, and I am sure he wants to address the issue of trans-Atlantic relations."

The possibility has not been ruled out that the speech could instead be given in Paris or London -- the other stops on Obama's short Europe trip. But Obama's team likes the location of Berlin and the Brandenburg Gate. "The setting would be great," the advisor said. "The memory of John F. Kennedy's famous Berlin speech is still alive. Berlin is a bridge between East and West, and the German-American relationship is very strong," said the advisor.

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Se also this fictive speech one my favorite journalists Roger cohen has written down for Barack:):) A good script. It has everything I see as essential too.


Cohen: Obama's message to EuropeBy Roger Cohen

Published: July 6, 2008 BERLIN:

 Senator Barack Obama is expected here on July 24 to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Democratic presidential candidate is scheduled to make a speech at the Brandenburg Gate that aides describe as the major address of a European tour also taking him to London and Paris. Here's what he should say:

I am honored to be in this great city as a guest of your distinguished chancellor, a true friend of the United States. No place evokes the strength of the trans-Atlantic alliance like Berlin. As candidate for the presidency, I feel humbled to be in this city where visionary American and German leaders fought pivotal battles for freedom. Those battles are won, and the wall we confronted has fallen, but the trans-Atlantic bonds that ushered Berlin and Europe to unity and prosperity endure. These ties remain critical to our fast-changing world.

The Brandenburg Gate, now open and delivered from a no-man's land, proclaims what the resolve of Europe and North America can accomplish. Together we are strong. Divided we falter. That has not changed.

But much else has. An alliance like NATO cannot be static. It involves give-and-take. It demands respect from both sides of the Atlantic. It benefits from curiosity. We have spent too much time talking past each other. If elected president I promise you this: I would reach out and listen to our allies!

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I received this invitation from Nancy Roof- Editor in chief and founder of Kosmos Journal.
Gaia Users from many different perspectives and with all kind of values and hori-zones might be attracted to to write something. Of course, you should be a reader already of Kosmos Journal.

Here the invitation:



We at Kosmos are looking for more ways to interact with you, our subscribers. We know we have a treasure in you from the notes and letters we receive. In Phase II of our growth, we envision pooling our resources in creative and sustainable ways for the global common good. You are invited to participate with a Letter to the Editor, or by submitting an Essay on a Current Theme Involving You! And finally, to give us feedback for our enhanced Kosmos website.

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR REGARDING OUR CURRENT ISSUE

Our current issue of Kosmos,  Changing the World Together  has evoked some animated conversations from many quarters on the potential of groups to change the world through collective intelligence, wisdom and creativity. We would like to hear your comments about any article in this issue that stirs your interest. We invite you to send your comments to Letters to the Editor - a new section in the upcoming Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Kosmos Journal. Please let us hear from you at
 
info@kosmosjournal.org.

WRITE AN ESSAY OF 450 WORDS FOR THE FALL/WINTER KOSMOS

We invite you to send us a story about You! Tell us your own story about how you are creating a better world for the common good.

If telling your story excites you, we invite you to submit a short article to Kosmos by August 20, 2008 to info@kosmosjournal.org . We will select four representative articles to publish in the Fall/Winter issue of Kosmos Journal. Please be sure to give a title to your article, and include your name and organization where applicable.

Please note the IMPORTANCE of a 425 WORD LIMIT. Due to space limits we are unable to consider any article that goes beyond this limit.

WHAT WOULD MAKE OUR WEBSITE MORE VALUABLE TO YOU?

We are also considering developing our website to make it more interactive. We would like to hear your ideas about this. We are looking to provide an opportunity for sustained and elevated conversations, with the hope that the usual slip into the lowest common denominator can be avoided? We are open to all creative input that will make our offerings and interactions meaningful and purposeful. Most of us do not have time for anything else. Please let us hear from you at info@kosmosjournal.org.

We at Kosmos look forward to hearing much more about you, your ideas about a Kosmos Community and what you are doing to create a world that works for the benefit of the common good.

After 30 years dealing with integral approaches and after 28 years especially with the Aproach of Ken Wilber I paused the last 2 or 3 years with explicit statements. Nevertheless I started my Gaia Blog in feb 2006 with an exposition taken from Wilbes Excerpts to Kosmos Trilogy2.

As I felt Zaadz somehow near to Integral, Gaia more inclined to Paul Rays approach of Cultural Creatives. The lines are blurring and its not so much important here to specify distinctions for the moment.

Then I pursued the timeline of preparation of first 1st Biennial Integral Theory Conference

4 essays on Frank Vissers site document several critical arguments  regarding integral theory and the Conference.

Though I am in favor of Esbjörn Hargens and Formans points I thorougly miss two worlds at the Confernce:

First, less than something aboive zero the European presence as presenters. The big countries UK, France, Germany, and the active country Netherlands :Where are they? And why?

Second, though organizers explicitly refer to development of Integral than Wilber Centric event....Integral seems to be kidnapped by AQAL like positions and its derivates. Everybody knows how strong I am inclined to KW approach. Simply for historic reasons not to discuss here.

I am not amuzed that SDi in toto isnt as reference highlighted. Will see post festum if anybody did it from the participants. And I am most curious how Don Beck, recently suggested by American Association for Psychology for establishing the new branch of Large Scale Psychology ,would see this.

What the hell is going on here?

I will check the backgrounds. This seems most unhealthy for me. And I suggest the organizers should re-think, re.imagine and re.define what "Bridging the gaps " means.
The puzzle of reality is a bigger than life one.

Spiral Dynamics Integral belong definetly in the first line of integral pioneering efforts in the conceptual space! Respect, appreciation and deep Valuation of this aproach is a MUST for me.

Otherwise these 4 following mosaics of integral essays are to be diagnozed as sensoric and verbal Aphasy as described in clinical mediicine.

REBUILDING INTEGRAL BRIDGES
Frank Visser

 THE INTEGRAL PUZZLE
Steven Wallis

THE ACADEMIC EMERGENCE OF INTEGRAL THEORY
Mark Forman & Sean Esbjörn-Hargens

 ASSESSING INTEGRAL THEORY
Frank Visser

I got an invitation to participate 2009 in this conference:

While I have to calibrate this with other priorities regarding Europe, Mideast and global business it seems to be a good opportunity to comunicate the bright green qualties of "Cultural Creatives" in context of pre-green nexus on a large global scale and trans-green yellow/turquoise emergence. Points 2 and 3 suggest this possibility. Would be nice to meet some globally acting and oriented Integral colleagues from across the globe in Washington.

Hoping to see and detect Howard Bloom's Pentad  - conformity enforcers, diversity generators, inner judges, resource shifters, and intergroup tournaments -at work.

And communicating with full force-if not offered - the necessity of meshworking purple/red//blue complexes around the meridian systems of global trouble spots - at the stage. While Global Mind Shift, -Brain and other green-on-steroid-approaches (incl Peter Senge and Otto Scharmer) are already full speed ahead these foundations (with ovrewhelming necessity) have to be laid before and simultaneously.

South Africa, Dubai, Singapore, South East Asia, Eastern Europe, Shanghai, Russia, Brazil , India, Ireland and other most fascinating emerging areas with a crucial mass of over 50 Percent of World Population (remember the 70_30 ration Alan Tonkin from Global Values Network mentioned earlier)

"The basic split in the world is that around 70% of the world population cover the spectrum Purple/Red/Blue with the other 30% covering Blue Order, Orange Enterprise and Green Environmental issues. If the UN was based on a Security Council based on one man one vote it would become a Red/Blue organisation. Until there is a fundamental shift in values the developed world is going to battle to get Western style democracy to work however much they might like to think it will work. In terms of our findings with the Global Values Monitor (GVM) there are minimal percentages in Yellow Integral with almost no Turquoise to speak of"

And really wonderful to do it close to White House with next US President Barack Obama.

Networking Creativity to Solve Global Challenges


    STATE OF THE WORLD FORUM
Networking Creativity to Solve Global Challenges

November 9-15, 2009

Washington, D.C. Hilton Washington

Conference Overview

There is nothing more critical in the world today than to bring people together from around the world to work together to solve our mounting and ever more critical global challenges. State of the World Forum, in partnership with Wisdom University and Rough Cut Productions, is convening a new State of the World Forum in 2009 designed to catalyze the innovative ideas, action oriented people, and enabling technologies required to shape constructive change. The 09 Forum will have three central themes:

1. The first theme is that the world is rapidly running out of time to solve our global challenges. Our lack of action on global warming is now threatening human civilization itself. James Hansen, Chief Scientist for NASA, has stated in an article in Science magazine that "if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm." Hansen details six irreversible tipping points, including massive sea level rises and dramatic changes in rainfall patterns, that we will soon pass if we don't get back down to 350 soon; and the first of them, judging by the recent melt of Arctic and Antarctic ice, may already be behind us.

Add to this the statement of Indian scientist Rajendra Pachauri, who accepted the Nobel Prize on behalf of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: "If there's no action before 2012, that's too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment."  He said this in December 2007.

Nothing is more urgent than a mass mobilization of people and ideas that can compel our governments and international institutions to confront head on the challenge of global warming and the reformation of politics this implies.

2. The second theme of the 09 Forum will be that there is a new cultural group emerging in the United States, Europe, Japan and around the world that understands the gravity of the multiple crises confronting the planet and which holds values consistent with positive visions of the future. Sociologist Paul Ray pioneered the initial studies of this group and is currently completing a new one, the findings of which will be released this July. He has coined the term Cultural Creatives to describe the people comprising this new culture. The conference will feature studies from France, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Japan, and Sri Lanka indicating that this emerging culture is in fact becoming a global phenomenon.  Related studies will be featured showing that a high percentage of the new Millennium Generation (young people aged 15-25) shares these values, suggesting that this phenomenon is not only global and cross cultural but also cross generational.

The study in the United States is being conducted under the aegis of Wisdom University's Institute for the Emerging Wisdom Culture, directed by Dr. Ray, which is also developing the global network of similar studies around the world.  For further information on the Institute:

3. The third theme of the 09 Forum is that complimenting the emergence of new values around the world is the emergence of the enabling technologies that can solve our global crises. We are not in a situation in which we have a crisis but no solutions. The solutions are already here. They are simply not being implemented. The Forum will profile the visionaries and activists developing cutting edge solutions, both technical and social.  The people selected will be those who can frame our current crises within the context of their solvability. The emphasis will be on the "bright green" and "Veridian design" environmental approach to dealing with global problems and will focus on integral thinking and systems analysis. The goal is to link the emerging population that understands the need for urgent and constructive change with the innovators of the enabling technologies that can implement that change. The purpose is to catalyze people, solutions and resources into a movement of global activism.

In this spirit, the 09 Forum will highlight and network the technical and social aspects of the solutions we need to implement at a global level. A double helix of solutions -- one technical and one social, both emphasizing innovation - will be profiled, designed to enable people the world over to share ideas, compare experiences, and come together to build solutions to the challenges we all face. 

The urgency of our time and the imminence of the crises that could undermine human civilization itself make decisive and constructive action imperative. Barack Obama's presidential campaign has demonstrated the kind of mass movement that can be organized if political leaders speak with authenticity and hope to progressives that have essentially been left out of the political process.  The data on the Cultural Creatives explains this emergence. A new moral majority is in formation.  Leaders who speak with authenticity about the future rather than moving cautiously to the center can galvanize enormous support among people who have been waiting for years for someone to speak to the values they really care about.

The Dubai School of Governement

http://www.dsg.ae/

is an example for me how transformational perspectives and blueprints, roadmaps and devlopment maps could be seeded and implemted in the Arab gCC Region. it has collaboration as much with Lee Kuan School of Public Polica in Singapore as with Dubai Intitiative of Harvard University. (See links in the homepage)

Here the introduction from its Dean:

Introduction
"The leaders of tomorrow are our focus and the foundation of the future. Our duty is to advance their skills and knowledge to continually enhance the quality of public administration."
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

The Dubai School of Government is a research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world. Established in 2005 under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, in cooperation with the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the School aims to promote good governance through enhancing the region's capacity for effective public policy.

Toward this goal, the Dubai School of Government also collaborates with international institutions such as the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the World Bank, the UNDP and the Brookings Institution in its research and training programs. In addition, the School organizes policy forums and international conferences to facilitate the exchange of ideas and promote critical debate on public policy in the Arab world.

The School is committed to the creation of knowledge, the dissemination of best practice and the training of policy makers in the Arab world. To achieve this mission, the School is developing strong capabilities to support research and teaching programs including

• applied research in public policy and management;
  
  
• master's degrees in public policy and public administration;
• executive education for senior officials and executives; and,

• knowledge forums for scholars and policy makers.

Author Parag Khanna gave a lecture there which can be heard as Audio or seen as video.
He is one of the new global journalists -like Fareed Zakaria, Mark Leonard and Gabor Steingart -who is on spot about global patterns and geopolitical nexus.


The Emirates in the Geopolitical Marketplace

DSG welcomed Parag Khanna, Director of the Global Governance Initiative and Senior Research Fellow at the American Strategy Program, New America Foundation, for a lecture and book signing on June 29. Speaking about "The Emirates in the Global Marketplace," Mr. Khanna noted that the UAE has taken advantage of its geographic position and unique leadership to establish itself as a capital for Arab civilization, navigating with increasing confidence among the emerging power centers of the EU and China, as well as in managing the United States and regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Drawing heavily from his recent book THE SECOND WORLD Empires & Influence In The New Global Order(2008), characterized the success of the UAE as a confluence of three factors. The country enjoys a geographic advantage whereby "first world skills are joined with third world labor." Secondly, the UAE has blended indigenous and colonial structures to become a rare post-colonial success story. And the country has thrived in the age of globalization.

Khanna elaborated specifically on the attraction of the "Dubai model" for countries throughout the region, characterizing Dubai's success as being built on visionary leadership, administrative efficiency, openness and tolerance, and a partnership between entrepreneurs and government. He pointed out examples of other cities and countries in the region emulating Dubai's special economic zones, and attempting to make a similar transition away from commodity- to service-based economies. Describing the "Dubai model" as the "new Arab pragmatism," Khanna noted the city's evolution from a rentier into a stakeholder society, with new levels of citizenship and grades of residency, and praised the growing role of Dubai as an emerging thought leader within the region and on a world scale.

One of all the important contributions of new Integral leadershipr Review is the conversation of Keith Bellamy with Robb Smith, CEO of Integral Institute and CEO of Integral Life. Its breathing a new realism and longitudinal perspective of Integral Institute. The passages where Robb is speaking are marked in the conversation


Life at the Spear Point of Evolution



Keith Bellamy
in Conversation with Robb Smith-CEO Integral Institute, Chairman & CEO Integral Life

Just over a year ago I was given the opportunity to interview Robb Smith, the newly appointed Chief Executive of the Integral Institute. When I heard on the grapevine that Robb was making a flying visit to New York City, I thought that it would be a good time to catch up and to see how things are progressing at Integral Institute. My request for a meeting, in what is undoubtedly a hectic schedule, was met with the grace that I have come to expect from my interactions with Robb. So it was, on probably the first day of Spring, that Robb and I sat down in the bar of the boutique hotel where he was staying with his wife and young son, and had the chance to revisit the past 12 months or so.The first thing that I noticed was that Robb no longer looks much like the photographs he uses on his blog and elsewhere. The stark haircut of a successful Private Equity Capitalist has been replaced by slightly longer and much softer style. Dressed in jeans and a multi-colored shirt that would not have been out of place at Woodstock, it is clear from first sighting that Robb has personally made great strides away from the industry in which he had been so successful. That said, I guess that I no longer look the same as in the photograph at the top of this column as both Robb and I stood around in the lobby of his hotel anxiously eyeing one another but neither certain that the other was whom we had come to meet.

After exchanging pleasantries, catching up on the health of Ken and the progress of his young son, my first question to him was to understand how, with the benefit of hindsight, things have been at the Institute compared with his expectations.

Without batting an eyelid, he responded, "Really there have not been a tremendous He went on to add, "It was a classic turnaround, and that's neither good nor bad." He acknowledged that there were presentational issues that needed to be tackled, especially in respect to promises being made and broken in the marketplace. He also reflected on the fact that there was some housecleaning to be done financially, which was structural. When I asked him how far he thought he had come in resolving these issues, he responded, "I would say we are 70% through it with another 30% to go with respect to technology and getting the right people on-board."

He went on to say, "The thing that was not a surprise was the opportunity that exists for Integral out in the world are just as significant as one might have expected." With a humility that ran throughout our conversation, Robb was the first to admit that in making bold assertions and setting expectations, the Institute had done itself little good and probably had hindered its ability to serve as well as it might. As he reflected, "When one engages the world in a more humble way you do find it a more promising place." In his mind, he has no doubts that the policy that he instituted of not making brash promises to an eager community has helped to stabilize Integral Institute and better position it for the challenges that he sees ahead.

For the past four months, Robb has been on a road-trip seeking to understand the opportunities that exist for applying Integral Theory and identifying opportunities in which the Institute can engage more effectively. As he succinctly puts it, his objective was, "To see whether we are relevant or not?" After weeks of travel, and many hours sat in rooms with extremely bright world leaders at multiple altitudes, he concludes, "I knew that we would be relevant at some point but I didn't know how it would look. I know now that Integral has an important role to play." He now recognizes, that his job is about listening and then determining, "how do we fit?"

Not that his travels have not brought a fair amount of frustration along the way. He recounts a recent gathering at the Aspen Institute on science and spirit. In a room filled with 30 participants all donors and principals of the Aspen Institute, covering a subject that he feels passionate about he recognized that to have meaningful conversation with a group of individuals all operating at different levels of altitude requires that a meaningful container be in place.

He tried, several times, to help create such a container, but in his words, "it was largely a failure." He went on to add, "I find something particularly unmotivated, uncourageous, unenlightened when one does not put oneself through the hard work and processes needed to use Integral to look "AS" rather than to look "AT." This was a theme that arose several times during our conversation, and is clearly close to Robb's heart. As he points out, "We are so good at analyzing; we are so good at creating a two dimensional analysis of where people are coming from, from an AQAL perspective. But we are doing a very poor job, in my experience, of getting into the trenches and doing the hard work of figuring out how do we make of this stuff work? How do we make it successful for those experiencing real, hard problems? This is what it means to look as and not just at."

Read More..

Dubai: A Guide to an Unsustainable

City

Ghanem Nuseibeh - United Kingdom

This is an article from TT30 member Ghanem Nuseibeh. TT30 is a thinktank of 30 members of Youth Organization of Club of Rome. They established a project called "Sustainable Dubai". which has a provisory place at

www.twine.com already.

Sustainable Dubai

Thanks to Jordan Bruce Macleod from Canada, who introduced me to it. Jordan is co-author of  upcoming book "Integral Cities" (author Marylin Hamilton from SDi Canada)and member of TT30 too. The book is right now in print and will be published in November of this year.

I am very much engaged in fostering Dubai Transformation from various points. No size fits all. And while I am profundly endorse any strategic endevor to devleop the GCC Region and recognize its dynamics in terms of mega projects, real estate growth and even initial momentum of knowledge economy- all in baby steps of course -I am aware that the basics of cultural adaptive intelligencies and codes lack stable and healthy blue foundations in Spiral terms.

I do not share all points. As it is NOT about greed and megalomany. its about the urgency of fast paced diversification in Dubai. As Oil is running ouit. And ANY strategy , development map, masterplan and/or blueprint for growth in Dubai Has to demonstrate its abiltiy to contribute to the economic basics.

And the fact that the emirates Abu Dhabi and Dubai are doing some competition in tribal Arabic manner is of course a red purple downward momentum which can only be adressed in context of a complete natural design perspective in spiral terms.

The article gives however insights into important themes. Unfortunately the grafics could not be transferred. For all who are interested in this growing space "Sustainable Dubai" I recommend the group "Sustainable Dubai" at Twine.com

 

Many contend that Dubai is one of wonders of our generation. Its very existence makes

one certainly wonder but this dump of concrete on sand is far from a wonderful, civilized or

indeed sustainable place.

The development of Dubai is unique in human history and offers ample opportunities to

study and investigate the fallacies and greed of the human kind and how they negatively

impact on our human civilization.

I will present a case demonstrating how Dubai is currently unsustainable socially,

economically or environmentally. While this is a criticism of the current state of affairs, it

should be seen as an alarm bell to save Dubai from sinking into deeper trouble.

History of Dubai

Located at the edge of one of the planets harshest environments, the Empty Quarter,

Dubai started off as a relatively insignificant port. The discovery of oil in the then equally

insignificant post - Abu Dhabi coupled with increasing trade activity, thrusted Dubai into

becoming a significant regional player.

In 1971, Dubai - together with six other emirates - that were then little more than small

desert towns, were granted indepdance by Britain and formed the United Arab Emirates.

Abu Dhabi with its massive oil reserves was made capital and Dubai became de facto

financial capital. Britain maintains two embassies in the UAE, one with an ambassador

based in Abu Dhabi and a Consul-General in Dubai. The fact that the mother country that

created the UAE maintains two embassies reflects a lack of trust in the long-term viability

of the unity of the federation.

Indeed Dubai maintains semi-autonomous rule. The most profound manifestation of the

strength of the autonomy was the 2003 freehold property law that the ruler of Dubai

approved, allowing foreign nationals to own properties in Dubai, a first not only in the UAE

but also the Gulf region. This law will prove to be the single most important factor shaping

Dubaiʼs growth, development and future.

Dubai and UAE Economy

Figure 1 shows the structure of Dubai and the UAE economy in 2006, based on

government figures. The stark difference between the structure of the UAE and Dubai

leads to the inevitable conclusion that Dubai is moving in a different direction than the rest

of the country.

Dubai: A Guide to an Unsustainble City

Real estatert & CoomunicationsManufactr (inc tourism, financial seastatthe

The Dubai economy relies mainly on construction and related services. Estimates suggest

that over half the residents of Dubai work in the construction industry and that as much as

80% of the economy is fueled by construction activity. Thus a collapse of either the real

estate sector or the construction activity signifies the near-collapse of the Dubai economy.

Dubai: A Guide to an Unsustainble City

Figure 1: (a) above: Dubai

economy by segment in 2006;

(b) UAE

Population of Dubai

Over 80% of Dubaiʼs 2 million residents are expatriates. Prior to the 2003 freehold property

law that gave property owners the right to a residency visa, the majority of expatriates

living in Dubai were migrant workers whose ability to live in Dubai was subject to

sponsorship by a local citizen or a registered company. As a result of the property law, an

increasing number of expatriates are now living in Dubai because of their property. In other

words, the freehold property law not only allowed the sale of properties to expatriates, but

also sold an important piece of the countryʼs sovereignty. It is by no means an

exaggeration to say that the fulcrum of where Dubai will head in the future is the

population impact of the freehold property law.

A stable socially and politically sustainable community requires the full integration of those

new residents into the decision-making levels of society, something that has hitherto been

restricted to the local population. Those “new citizens” will sooner or later request a say in

the running of the country, particularly when it comes to social issues that have a direct

impact on their lifestyles (e.g. operations of food outlets in Ramadan, alcohol

consumption). Many may argue that those newcomers should integrate into the society

they moved to and accept its customs and laws, as for instance one would expect of

migrants to Europe to adhere to European values. The difference between Dubai and, say,

Europe is that expatriate residents in Dubai form the overwhelming majority of the

population. The dilemma that faces Dubai is to either give the expatriates full rights to

integrate into the society and allow them to become equal citizens or continue with the

current system. The former signifies the end of Dubai as we know it and instead becomes

a modern democracy and the latter will lead to inevitable unrest and given Dubaiʼs reliance

on the expatriates to serious problems.

Dubai: A Guide to an Unsustainble City

Figure 2: Labourers working for

Sharjah Municipality being

transported in open-roof trucks, in 50

degree heat.

There remains an important segment of the Dubai expatriate population the treatment of

which has drawn significant criticism from international human rights organizations. The

labour work-force, forming over a fifth of but totally isolated from the rest of the population.

The so-called “labour camps” provide accommodation that in Western countries would not

even be fit as prisons. The current - and recently updated labour accommodation law gives

each labourer a living space of 3.6 m2. Labourers often work 60 hours a week and receive

less than decent food and are often on no more than US $ 5 a day. If Dubai wishes to

compete fairly with developed countries, such abhorrent practices should be abolished.

The argument that is often put as justification for these conditions is that those labourers,

who mainly come from the Indian sub-continent come from places where the living

conditions are even worse than is being offered. Such justification merits no reply.

However, what is clear is that Dubai is being built by the sweat and blood of expatriates

who live in conditions that modern human values cannot tolerate. The dilemma that Dubai

faces is that without those labourers, Dubai will no longer be able to continue with the

pace of development that is keeping it alive and will also loose its competitive advantage.

So what we see is economic development at the expense of human rights. This is not what

sustainable development is about.

Environmental Sustainability

The UAE is one of the worldʼs worst pollutants on a per capita basis. In absolute terms, the

UAE emits about 150,000 thousand metric tonnes of CO2 which on a per capita basis is

equivalent to over twice the per capita emissions of the United States and fifteen times that

of India. On average and given its population size (including expatriates), the UAE emits

10 times more than its fair share even at current emission levels. Contributing to this high

pollution level is the amount of construction going on. However, the lifestyle that is

attracting so many expatriates to Dubai is the main culprit in making it such an

unsustainable city.

Dubai residents consume more water and use more electricity than most other countries,

thanks mainly to the harsh climatic conditions. The environmental impact of using more

water is also higher in Dubai than in most other countries as most of the water is

desalinated seawater, which uses a great deal of energy and leads to significant

emissions.

Dubai residents own one car per 1.84 residents compared to 1 car per 2.88 in London and

1 per 2.25 in New York. What seems to be an acceptable difference between car

ownership in Dubai and well-established world cities is overshadowed by the fact that

private cars in Dubai are the main - and in most situations only form of transport available

as Dubai currently lack a significant public transport sector. The roads infrastructure is

barely coping with the number of cars on the roads, which is the reason why the Dubai

government is planning to increase the use of public transport. The National newspaper

(Volume 1 Issue 8) reported that “Dubai authorities plan to force drivers out of their cars

and on to public transport in a campaign to ease the cityʼs notorious traffic congestion”. It

quoted a director of the Roads and Transport Authority as saying that “....driving will

Dubai: A Guide to an Unsustainble City

become a lot more expensive in the next few years”. While this looks like a welcome

development from the outside, it is in fact removing one of the attractiveness of owning

relatively cheap high-end cars that attracts so many expatriates. In addition, the way that

Dubai is planned and the harsh weather conditions combine to make effective use of

public transport a dream that is difficult to realize. An example is the Dubai Metro which is

scheduled to open in late 2009. Distances between metro stations are far and for most of

them not within walking distance to the destination they are supposed to take passengers

to (the Burj Al Arab station is about 5 km away from Burj Al Arab and the Marina station is

on the other side of the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road from the Marina itself! Furthermore,

the metro does not reach the northern neighbour of Dubai, Sharjah, where the majority of

workers in Dubai live and most of the traffic congestion is attributed to. While the metro

may alleviate some traffic problems between certain parts of the city, it is unlikely that it will

become a viable public transport option, particularly in the summer months when

temperatures reach well above 50 degrees.

The UAEʼs geographic location means that travel into and out of Dubai is almost

exclusively by air. With expatriates forming the majority of the population traveling more

frequently than in their countries of origin, this base-line air travel forms a significant

addition to the per capita emissions of Dubai that is often ignored by emissions studies. In

addition, with over 75% of Dubaiʼs food and drink imported from overseas - often traveling

distances of over several thousand kilometers, a larger base-line carbon footprint from

transport of food than other countries is expected. Dubaiʼs climate renders it incapable of

supporting home-grown food produce.

The authorities are slowly introducing new green regulations in the construction industry.

However, given the urban planning (or more accurately lack of urban planning) of Dubai,

such green regulations will have little impact on reducing the overall per capita carbon

footprint. An example where green construction is encouraged is the new Waterfront

district of Dubai (planned to become home to 1.5 million) where all new buildings have to

become accredited by the US Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

scheme. New buildings have to score minimum number of points that are based on

environmental assessments. So-called “easy-points” include providing for bicycle racks for

residents as this is seen to discourage use of cars and encourage more envirnomentallyfriendly

travel. Bicycles cannot be used in Dubai unless within closed communities as

distances are very large and the roads network does not allow for bicycle use. The

Waterfront district itself will feature a new palm-shaped man-made island, similar to an

earlier man-made island in Dubai. Those islands are thought to result in a detrimental

effect not only on the marine environment but also on the shoreline itself. So even efforts

to go green are little more than an artificial colouring to an ugly reality.

Conclusion

The fast pace of construction in Dubai that is sucking so much attention is eclipsing the

reality that the worldʼs most unsustainable city is being built. Dubai is at a cross-roads. If it

is to become an important world city it has to adapt and become in-tune with both its

residents and the environment. Even then, it will face significant challenges to remain a

sustainable, clean and safe world city. Neither its geographic location nor its harsh climate

help. One wonders whether Dubai is more of a guinea pig than a viable sustainable city.

Dubai: A Guide to an Unsustainble City

 

SPIEGEL ONLINE summarizes the state of preparations 1 day before Baracks Berlin visit. Some atmospheric irritations about secondary questions are to be noticed. Personally I appreciate very much this presence in Germany and , of course it must be tough love which will be expressed.

I expect from German Poltical leaders a much stronger participation in global poltics to. and this means the readiness to engage in more military engagement too.

Barack rightly realizes, and his Foreign Policy Advisor Susan Rice speaks it out , that Afghanistan f.e needs more German troops besides stronger contingents of Americans too.

This special aspect set aside Germany and Europe need to activate its global shaping power.

Welcome Senator Obama! Its pleasure and privilege to have you here in Berlin. Wishing you a pleasant stay and we will listen carefully. Yes, together we can change!

BARACK IN BERLIN

Debate over Germany Trip Leaves Team Obama Frustrated

By Gregor Peter Schmitz in Washington, D.C.

Cheering is guaranteed at Barack Obama's speech in Berlin on Thursday, but his campaign is still frustrated and nervous. His appearance in the German capital will be a major test for Obama -- and 40 American journalists will be there to report any faux pas he makes back to the US.

REUTERS

Candidate Barack Obama's team has been driven to the point of madness by the debate about his upcoming speech in Berlin.

Barack Obama's campaign is frustrated over all the vehement discussions about his speech in Berlin on Thursday. SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that the recent criticism took the campaign by surprise and frustrated Obama's advisors. At first many Europeans complained about Obama not coming to Europe, but then the criticism shifted to his keynote address on the trans-Atlantic relationship -- and fears it might lack substance. The reaction has left members of his team frustrated.

Although the discussions over where Obama will appear in Berlin are finally over -- he will speak at the Siegessäule, or Victory Column, at around 7 p.m. on Thursday -- another debate is already heating up. Is Obama using Berlin merely as another prop for his election campaign? In an editorial, theInternational Herald Tribune is demanding greater "sobriety" from Obama. The Economist is complaining of "disquieting signs of a tendency on Mr. Obama's part to tailor his message to whichever audience he is talking to." The magazine asks if one will be able to find any real clues from his talk about the future course of US policies in the speech. Others bemoan the fact that the senator isn't even bothering to make a symbolic visit to Brussels, the capital of the European Union. How can he truly be interested in positively transforming the trans-Atlantic relationship if he doesn't make a stopover in the city, they are asking? Paris and London are already frustrated: The two countries feel neglected because Obama is paying them only brief visits.

Germany, however, certainly can't complain about a lack of attention. Yet that still hasn't stopped politicians here in the past few days -- including the head of the center-left Social Democratic Party, Kurt Beck -- from expressing their surprise about statements made by Obama's chief foreign policy adviser. Susan Rice called for more involvement from the US's NATO partners in Afghanistan in a SPIEGEL interview published on Monday. Beck responded by saying, "As far as expanding the mission is concerned, no more can be done." This also sparked concerns the senator could demand something similar from Germany regarding its role in Iraq or that he might emphasize his hard-line position on Iran's nuclear program.

SPIEGEL has learned that the Obama team is frustrated by the controversy surrounding the candidate's Germany visit, with some asking why the trip is so difficult for the Germans to comprehend. The candidate merely wanted to drop by for a visit with America's allies to share his vision of US-European relations. It is said that the address he plans to give in Berlin will not be a stump speech, but rather a substantive speech on trans-Atlantic relations. Of course, as a presidential candidate, Obama is limited to talking about this vision, since he doesn't have the ability to sign documents or treaties or even make policy. And as a man running for the presidency, he obviously has to keep American audiences in mind when he makes appearance abroad.

Obama is said to want to signal to voters back home that he has the necessary gravitas for a president and that he is a man who can reconcile America with the international community following the Bush years. His team believes images of Obama against a backdrop of enthusiastic Europeans will strengthen his campaign. At the same time, he must make sure that he doesn't appear to be more popular abroad than at home.

The reality is that Thursday's appearance in Berlin will be a tight-rope walk for Obama. So far his international trip has gone off without any hitches. His itinerary took him to destinations that are far more controversial than Berlin -- Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East -- but he was also very cautious in his public statements. His TV appearances were tightly orchestrated and he barely spoke to journalists during press conferences.

But with his speech in Berlin, Obama will be thrown directly into the spotlight. Here's what he wants to achieve:

• Obama wants to signal that he will pursue a different foreign policy course than George W. Bush. The word "listen" will pop up frequently in his speech. And he is not expected to openly criticize Bush or Republican candidate John McCain while on foreign soil. He can't show too much sympathy for Europe's frustration with the Bush administration, either. His team is also preparing for the possibility that people who come to see his speech in Berlin may shout epithets against Bush or McCain. To that end, they have also banned posters and placards from the event.

• In order not to appear overly friendly to the Europeans, Obama will also issue concrete demands during his speech. He said last week he wanted to strengthen NATO by demanding more from America's partners. He said he will "seek greater contributions -- with fewer restrictions -- from NATO allies." In other words, he'll be showing some " tough love." He is expected, for example, to clearly state that Europe must take on greater responsibility in the international community. Still, Obama's advisors apparently aren't overly worried that he will lose his magic in Europe. His advisors are also well aware that the Germans won't like everything he says over the next eight years if he is elected. But he has to be careful not to take things too far. In Berlin, for example, many politicians may have prepared themselves for the demand that they increase Germany's presence in Afghanistan. But that doesn't apply to Iraq, even if the request were as modest as more humanitarian or civilian aid. The annual German Marshall Fund's Transatlantic Trends poll has shown again and again that a radical shift in the US's Iraq policy is the most important precondition for trans-Atlantic rapprochement. If Obama allows Europeans to become doubtful about his Iraq policy intentions, the euphoria could quickly fade.

• Obama wants to include Germany in this discussion. In addition to his speech in Berlin, he is also meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. (During his stops in France and Britain, he will not be meeting with Steinmeier's counterparts.) In the run-up to Thursday's speech, his team has described German-American relations as "well-established" and stated that Obama believes Merkel is more influential than French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. In order to assuage frustration in London, Paris and Brussels, Obama will have to provide a focus in his speech on broader trans-Atlantic opportunities. Unlike famous predecessors who held addresses in Berlin like John F. Kennedy or Ronald Reagan, he won't be able to tap into specifically "German issues" like the Cold War.

It will only take a few hours after his speech on Thursday for Obama's team to see whether they succeeded in their tight-rope act. And they won't need to pay any attention to the Berlin media, either. A pack of 40 US reporters, many of whom have followed Obama throughout the campaign -- are coming to Berlin. So are the American news channels. CNN will be broadcasting live from Berlin and the hosts of the three major US TV networks -- ABC, CBS and NBC all plan to broadcast their prime-time newscasts from the German capital.

They will go on air at 12:30 a.m. German time.

This is from the new issue of WIE:

"Constructing the New Man
Perspectives on Masculinity in the 21st Century
Continuing the inquiry that began with last summer’s widely discussed issue on women, WIE presents an in-depth look at the twenty-first-century man. What is authentic masculinity today? How has the move toward gender equality changed society’s rules—and roles—for men? Is there a “new man” emerging on the horizon, ready and willing to reshape our culture in the coming decades? Approaching these questions and others through a multidimensional lens, WIE delivers one of our most culturally provocative issues yet. Featuring: Ken Wilber, Andrew Cohen, Ani DiFranco, Harvey Mansfield, Jean Houston, Jenny Wade, Erwin McManus, Rebecca Walker, and more."

I can only welcome-once again- the WIE endevor to pull some most important challenges into the spotlight of attention. Since many years -30 years - these provocative issues were part of my own life too. The book King, Warrior, Magician, Lover from Moore and Gilette picked up some aspects earlier.

 
A new dynamics of masculine feminine and male female energies is emerging. I found deep resonance especially in conversations with very strong, intelligent and conscious , female women in the last years. As much with men of this new consciousness. However this communication at the edge is seldom seeing the light of a broader public up to now!

New agy stereotypes of men and their supposed androgyny dominated the post Johnn Wayne time for a long time. Now the time has come to manifest something radicaly new.
Thx to Andrew and the WIE Team a new round of discussions will be initiated.


 
Editorial

by Andrew Cohen


What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be a man at the beginning of the twenty-first century in a post-traditional, postmodern world? Who are our exemplars, and to whom can we look for mentorship as it relates to gender identity in our own time? If we look backward for indications of how to be men in the new world that we're all creating together, we're unlikely to find what we need. Why? Because the world that we're living in is changing at a faster rate than it ever has before. Cultural evolution, which has progressed through history from traditional to modern to postmodern values, is very much in a state of flux, transition, and to put it bluntly, existential confusion. The truth is, these days most sophisticated men and women aren't very clear about what it's supposed to mean to be male or female. I know in my own case, being a late-blooming boomer from a liberal, progressive family, the subject of what it means to be a man literally never came up. (Although I must admit, Superman was my favorite superhero when I was a kid!)

In order to address this enormous void in our evolving culture, we at What Is Enlightenment? have put together what we believe is a very compelling collection of articles, interviews, and dialogues that, I must admit, raise more questions than give answers. But that's what we felt we needed to do: Get the conversation going! I, for one, am pleased with the result. This has been an educational journey for all of us here and one that we feel will hopefully bring a little bit of light and energy to an important dimension of our collective lives that needs to be illuminated.

In our special feature, "Constructing the New Man," we present four perspectives on manliness in the twenty-first century from men with very different backgrounds, ages, and viewpoints. In "What Ever Happened to the Vikings?" senior editor Elizabeth Debold presents a provocative and hard-hitting exposé of the predicament in which men find themselves in some of the most progressive countries on our small planet. In "Speaking of Men," we ask nineteen powerful, influential, thoughtful, and accomplished women to describe their vision of what the next step for men might be. In "Confessions of a Formerly Sensitive New Age Man," my colleague Ross Robertson describes in excruciating detail what it was like to grow up in the 1970s in Northern California, guided carefully into manhood by an adoring psychotherapist who happened to be his mother. Finally, in my "Guru and Pandit" dialogue with philosopher Ken Wilber, we endeavor to embrace this entire topic in the biggest context we can.

I'm sure you will enjoy this heady brew!

On another note, we're all thrilled to announce that with the next issue, we're changing the name of our publication from What Is Enlightenment? to EnlightenNext. Turn to page 4 for an explanation of why that is and what other exciting changes there are to look forward to.

Thank you for your interest, enthusiasm, and support!

Yesterday there was an overhwelming resonance and enthusisam for senator Barack Obama in Berlin. More than 200.000 people, the greatest perhaps ever crowd to whom Barack Obama spoke live. Sure, mixed feeelings , but after 8 years o frozen interim time in transatlantic realtions this was clearly an ice breaker.

Here are some quickshots from SPIEGEL ONLINE.

OBAMA'S BERLIN SPEECH

 

People of the World, Look at Me

The people of Berlin experienced the full range of Barack Obama's charisma on Thursday evening. At times he was reserved, at others engaging. Sometimes combative, and also demanding. Ultimately, though, the message he delivered at the Siegesäule was meant for audiences back home. By Gregor Peter Schmitz in Berlin more... [ Video ]

• SPIEGEL TV: Highlights of Obama's Speech 
• Opinion: No. 44 Has Spoken
• Obama Live Ticker: 'America Has no Better Partner than Europe'
• Obama's Berlin Speech: 'A World that Stands as One'
• Obama in Berlin: Huge Crowds Left with Mixed Feelings
• The Campaign Comes to Berlin: Obama Calls for Greater European Role in War on Terror
• Photo Gallery: Obama Charms the German Capital

OPINION

No. 44 Has Spoken

Anyone who saw Barack Obama at Berlin's Siegessäule on Thursday could recognize that this man will become the 44th president of the United States. He is more than ambitious -- he wants to lay claim to become the president of the world. By Gerhard Spörl more...

• SPIEGEL TV: Highlights of Obama's Speech 

GERMAN POLITICIANS REACT TO OBAMA'S SPEECH

'A Strong and Gutsy Message'

"The speech of a global citizen," "perfect performance," an "homage to Berlin" -- After Thursday's big Obama show at Berlin's Siegessäule, German politicians seem quite impressed by the US candidate's performance. "This will strengthen the trans-Atlantic bridge," said veteran politician Edmund Stoiber. more...

• Obama in Berlin: Huge Crowds Left with Mixed Feelings
• Obama's Berlin Speech: 'A World that Stands as One'
• Photo Gallery: Obama Charms the German Capital

I read this wonderful, illuminating text first 25 years ago when I was practicing Ki, Aikido and Wing Tsun and some Initiatische Therapie with German Teacher Karlfried Graf Dürkheim and one of his master students. Takeharu Teramoto was Zen teacher of Dürkheim and Admiral AD and Professor at Naval Academy in Tokio.

For all who have ears to hear...and listen deeply...

Only today, 25 years later , I understand it in my heart.......

 The Marvelous Cat Translated by Takeharu Teramoto and Fumio Hashimoto

From Zen Master Ito Tenzaa Chuya

Takeharu Teramoto was an Admiral and Professor at the Naval Academy in Tokyo. His form of practice was sword fighting (Gyo). His own Master had been the last Master of a school of combat in which the story of five cats had been handed down from Master to Master since the beginning of the seventeenth century as a form of instruction, and had finally reached Teramoto through his own Master.


ONCE UPON A TIME there was a Master of combat called Shoken. His house was plagued by a big rat. It ran about even in broad daylight. One day Shoken shut the room door and gave the household cat an opportunity to catch the rat. But the rat flew at the cat's face and gave it such a sharp bite that it ran off screeching. Evidently the creature couldn't be got rid of so easily. So the master of the house collected together a number of cats that had won a fair reputation in the neighborhood and let them into the room. The rat hunched itself up in a corner. As soon as a cat approached it, it bit the cat and scared it off.

The rat looked so nasty that none of the cats dared to take it on a second time. That put Shoken into a perfect rage. He went after the rat himself, determined to kill it. But the wily beast escaped every blow and feint from the experienced Master; he just couldn't wear it down. In his attempts to do so, he split doors, shojis, karakamis, and so forth. But the rat flashed through the air like lightning, jumped up at his face, and bit the Master. At last, running with sweat, he called out to his servants: "They say that six to seven cho from here there is the toughest and cleverest cat in the world. Bring it here!

The servant brought the cat. It didn't look so very different from the other cats. It didn't look particularly sharp or bright. So Shoken didn't expect anything special from it. But he thought he would try it all the same, so he opened the door and let it into the room. The cat entered very softly and slowly as if it was expecting nothing out of the ordinary. But the rat recoiled and stayed motionless. So the cat approached it slowly and deliberately and carried it out in its mouth.

That evening the defeated cats met in Shoken's house, respectfully accorded the old cat the place of honor, paid it homage and said humbly: "We are all supposed to be highly efficient. We have all practiced and sharpened our claws in order to defeat all kinds of rats, and even weasels and otters. We had never suspected that there could be a rat as strong as that one. But tell us, what art did you use to vanquish it so easily? Do not keep your art a secret. Let us into the mystery." The old cat laughed and said: "You young cats are indeed efficient. But you don't know the right way to go about things. And so when something unexpected happens, you're unsuccessful. But first tell me how you have practiced."

A black cat came out to the front and said: "I come from a line of celebrated rat catchers. I too decided to become one. I can jump over screens two meters high; I can force myself through a tiny hole that only rats can negotiate. From the time I was a kitten I have practiced all the acrobatic arts. Even when I wake up and I still haven't quite come to, and I see a rat scampering across the balcony, I get it straightway. But that rat today was stronger and I suffered the most frightful defeat that I have ever experienced in my whole life. I have been put to shame."

Then the old cat said: "What you have practiced is only technique (shosa), sheer physical skill. But your spirit is preoccupied with the question: 'How am I going to win?' And that problem is still consuming you when you reach the target. When the ancient Masters taught 'technique', they did so in order to show their pupils a 'means of the way' (michisuyi). Their technique was simple yet contained the highest truth. But posterity has been preoccupied with technique and technique alone. In that way much has been discovered according to the rule: if you do this or that, then this will happen. But what does happen? No more than dexterity-skill pure and simple. The traditional way has been abandoned; much ingenuity has been applied to an exhaustive pitting of technique against technique, until we have indeed reached the point of exhaustion. We can go no further. That always happens when people think of technique and success and put no more than ingenuity into play. Ingenuity-cleverness is however a function of the spirit, if it is not based on the Way and aims at perfect skill, then it falls victim to error and what has been achieved is lost. Think about this and practice from now on in the right spirit."

At that a big tabby-cat came forward and said: "In the art of fighting it is a matter of the spirit, and it must always be so. Therefore I have always practiced strength of spirit (ki wo neru). As far as I am concerned, my spirit always seems as hard as steel and free and charged with the presence of the Spirit that fills heaven and earth (Mencius). As soon as I can see an enemy, he is already vanquished; no sooner do I see him than he is thrall to that mighty Spirit and I have already won the battle in advance! I do so quite instinctively, as the situation demands. I move according the feel of my opponent; I take the rat from the right or the left as I wish and I anticipate my adversary's every move. I never worry about technique as such. It happens of its own accord. If a rat runs across the balcony, I have only to stare at it for it to fall into my clutches. But the rat of which we are speaking comes without shape or form and goes without leaving any trace. What does that mean? I cannot say."

Then the old cat remarked: "What you have been concerned with is, of course, the effect of that great Power that fills heaven and earth. But what you have actually achieved is only a mental power and not that good power which serves the name of Good. The very fact that you are conscious of the power with which you intend to conquer prevents your victory. Your ego is in question. But what if your adversary's ego is stronger than your own? When you try to overcome the enemy with the superior force of your own power, he pits his own power against yours. Do you imagine that you alone can be as strong and that all others must be weak? The real question is how to behave when there is something that in spite of all one's willing one cannot defeat with the superior weight of one's own power. What you experience as 'free and tempered' and 'filling heaven and earth' within you is not the great Power itself (ki no sho) but only its reflection in you. It is your own spirit, and therefore but a shadow of the great Spirit. It appears to be the great power, but in reality it something quite different. The spirit of which Mencius speaks is strong because it is permanently illumined by great understanding. But your spirit obtains its power only under certain conditions. Your power and that of which Mencius speaks have different origins. They are as different from one another as the eternal flow of a river, for instance the Yangtse Kiang is from a sudden downpour one night. But what is the spirit that one should rely on when face with an enemy who cannot be conquered with any mere restricted mental power (kisei)? That is the real question! There is a proverb that says: 'A rat in the trap will even bite the cat.' The enemy is in the jaws of death he has no resources to depend on. He forgets his life: he forgets all need; he forgets himself; he is beyond victory and defeat. And thus his will tempered like steel. How could one conquer him with a spiritual power which one scribes to oneself alone?"

Then an aging gray cat came slowly forward and said: "Yes, it is indeed as you say. Mental power whatever its strength has a form (katachi) in itself. But whatever has form, however small it may be, can be grasped. Therefore I have for a long time trained my soul (kokoro, the power of the heart). I do not practice the power which overcomes others spiritually (sei), like the second cat. And I do not hit out around me (like the first cat). I reconcile myself with my opponent, get on to equal terms with him, and do not oppose him in any way. If the other is stronger than I am, then I will simply acknowledge that, and so to speak give into his will. My art is rather to gather the flying pebbles in a loose cloth. A rat tries to attack me may be as strong as you like, but it will find nothing to fly against, nothing to get to grips with. But today's rat simply didn't respond to my trick. It came and went as mysteriously as God Himself. I have never encountered one like it".

Then the old cat said: "What you call propitiation does not arise from being, from the Greatness of Nature. It is an artificial, botched-up reconciliation - a mere artifice. Your conscious intention is to elude the adversary's spirit of attack. But because you are thinking about it, however fleetingly, he realizes what your plan is. If you try to conciliate him, with a spirit thus composed, then your spirit (in so far as it concentrates on the attack) will be confused, mixed up, and your sharpness of perception and action will be considerably reduced. Whatever you do with fully conscious intent restricts the original pulsation of the Greatness of Nature as it takes effect from the depths of Mystery: it upsets the flow of your spontaneous movement. How then are you to put a miraculous power into practice? Only when you think of nothing, and do nothing, and in your movement surrender yourself to the pulsation of Being (shizen no ka), will you have lost all tangible form, and be so that nothing on earth can act as a counter-form; then there is no enemy left to resist you."

"I do not believe that everything that you have practiced is pointless. Everything can be a means of the Way. Technique and Tao can be one and the same, and then the great Spirit, the "governing Spirit", is already incorporated in you and is revealed in the action of your body. The power of the great Spirit (ki) serves the human person (ishi). He who has free access to (ki) can encounter everything within infinite freedom and in the right way. If his spirit is reconciled, it will not shatter ever on gold or rock, and need exert no special power in battle. Only one thing is necessary: that no trace of egotism of I-consciousness comes into play, lest everything should be lost. If you think about all that, however fleetingly, then all will be artificial. It will not arise from Being, from the original pulsation the body of the Way (do-tai). Then the adversary will not submit to you but resist in his own behalf. What sort of a way or art is to be used? Only when you are in that disposition which is free of all conscious of self, when you act without acting, without intention and stratagem, in unison with the Greatness of Nature, are you on the right Way. Abandon all intent, practice purposelessness and let it happen simply out of Being. This way is unending, inexhaustible."

And the old cat added something astounding: "You must not believe that what I have told you today is the highest of things. Not long ago a certain tom-cat was living in the next village to me. He slept the whole day long. No trace of anything resembling spiritual power was to be observed in him. He just lay there like a lump of wood. No one had ever seen him catch a rat . But wherever he was, there wasn't a rat to be seen! And wherever he popped up or laid himself down, no rat ever appeared. One day I looked up and asked what that meant. He did not answer me. I asked him another three times. He was silent. But that doesn't mean that he didn't want to reply. Instead he clearly didn't know what he should say. But that is how it is: "He who knows says nothing, and he who says it knows it not". The cat had forgotten about himself and everything roundabout him. He had become "nothing". He had reached the highest level of purposelessness. We can say that he had found the way of divine knighthood, which is to vanquish without killing. I am still a long way behind him".

Shoken heard all this as if in a dream, came by, greeted the old cat and said: "For a long time now I have been practicing the art of fighting, but I have not yet reached the end. I have absorbed your insights and I think that I have understood the true meaning of my way, but I ask you earnestly to tell me something more about your craft".

The old cat replied; "How is that possible? I am only an animal and the rat is my food. How should I know about human affairs. All I know is this: the meaning of the art of combat is not merely a matter of vanquishing one's opponent. It is rather an art by which at a given time one enters into the great clarity of the primal light of death and life (seishi wo akiraki ni suru). In the midst of all his technical practice a true Samurai should always practice the spiritual acquisition of that clarity of mind. For that purpose however he must plumb before all else the teaching of the ground of being of life and death (shi no ri). But only he acquires great clarity of mind who is free from everything which could lead him off that way (hen kyoku). When Being and encounter with Being (shin ki) are left undisturbed, to themselves, free from the ego and from all things, then whenever it is appropriate it can declare it's presence complete freedom. But if your heart even fleetingly attaches itself to something, then Being itself is attached and is turned into something arrested in itself . But if it becomes something arrested in itself, then there is something there that resists the I that is in itself . Then two entities face one another and fight one another for dominance."

"If that happens then the miraculous functions of being, even though used to all change, are restricted, the jaws of death gape close, and that clarity of perception proper to Being is lost. How then is it possible to meet the adversary in the right frame and peacefully contemplate "victory and defeat"? Even if you win, you win no more than blind victory that has nothing to do with the spirit of the true art of combat."

"Being free from all things does not of course mean an empty void. Being as such has no nature in itself. In and for myself it is beyond all form. It stores up nothing in itself. But if one grasps and remembers even fleetingly what it is and how fragile it is, the great Power will cling to it and it will contain the equilibrium of forces that flows from the Source. But if Being is even slightly subject to or imprisoned by something, it is no longer able to move freely and cannot pour forth in all its fullness. If the equilibrium that emanates from Being is disturbed, if its power is at all apparent it quickly overflows; but without power its balance is inadequate. Where it overflows, too much power breaks out and there is no holding it back. Where it is inadequate, the active spirit is weakened and wanting is never sufficient for the situation it is called on .

What I call freedom of things means only that if one does not lay up stores, one has nothing to rely on. Without secure provision there is no position to take up and nothing objective to have recourse to. There is neither an I nor an anti-I. When something comes along, one meets it as it were unawares, without any impact. In the I-Ching (the Book of Changes), it is written "Without thinking, without action, without movement; quite still. Only thus can one proclaim the nature and law of things from within, quite unconsciously, and at last become one with heaven and earth. Whoever practices and understands the art of combat in that sense is close to the truth of the Way".

When Shoken heard this, he asked: "What does that mean, that neither a subject nor an object, neither an nor an anti-I is there"?

The cat answered: "If and because an I is there, there is an enemy there. If we do not present ourselves as an I, then there is no opponent there. What we call opponent, adversary, enemy, is merely another name for what means opposition or counterpart. In so far as things maintain a form, they also presuppose a counter-form. But wherever something is present as a something, it has a specific form. If my being is not constituted as a specific form, then there is no counter-form there."

"When there is no counterpart, no opposition, there is nothing which can come forth to oppose me. But that means that neither an I nor an anti-I is there. If one wholly abandons self and thus becomes free, from the foundations upwards and from everything, then one will be in harmony with the world and one with all things in the great universal oneness. Even when the enemy's form is extinguished one remains unconscious of it . That does not mean that one is wholly oblivious of it, but that one does not dwell on it, and the spirit continues free from all attachment and even in its actions responds simply and freely from the center of being. If the spirit is no longer by possessed by anything and is free from all obsession, then the world, just as it is wholly our world and one with us. That means that henceforth one apprehends it beyond good and evil, beyond sympathy or antipathy. One is no longer caught up in anything in the world. All oppositions which present themselves to us, profit and loss, good and evil, joy and suffering, have their origin us. Therefore in the whole spread of heaven and earth nothing is so worthy of discernment as our own being. "

"An ancient poet said: "A speck dust in one's eye and even the three worlds are still too narrow". If nothing matters to us any longer and is no longer of consequence to us, then the smallest bed is too wide for us. " In other words, if a speck of dust enters our eye, the eye will not open; for we can see clearly only if there is nothing within, but now the dust has penetrated to obstruct the vision within. Similarly with being that shines forth as light and illumination, and is essentially free of everything that is "something". When however something does present itself, the very presentation destroys its essence. Another writer put it this way: "If one is surrounded by foes, by a hundred thousand enemies, one's form is so to speak pulverized. But my being, my nature, is mine and remains my own, however strong my enemy may be . No adversary can penetrate my being my self". Confucius said: "You cannot steal the being of even a simple man". But if the spirit is confused, then being will turn against us."

"That is all that I can tell. Now return to yourselves and know yourselves. A master can only teach his pupil the lesson and try to justify it. But "I myself" have to realize the truth and take it as my own. That is called self-appropriation (jitoku). It is transferred from heart to heart (ishin denshin). It is a bestowal by extraordinary means, beyond instruction and erudition (kyogai betsuden) that does not mean that the Master's teaching is to be contradicted. All it means is that even a Master cannot pass on the truth itself. That is not only true of Zen."

"From the spiritual exercises of the ancients on the art of forming the soul right up to the arts proper, self appropriation is always the essence of the matter, and it is always transmitted from heart to heart, apart from tradition, from all teachings which are handed down. The meaning of all "teaching" is only to show what everyone possesses in himself without already knowing it, and then to make him aware of it. There is no secret that the master can "hand over" to the pupil. Teaching is easy. Listening is easy. But it is difficult to become aware of what one has in one's self, to mark it out and really to take possession of it. That is known as looking into one's own being. It is self perception, the self perception of being (ken-sei, kensho). If that happens to us then we have Satori. It is the great awakening out of the dream of errors. Awakening, looking into one's own being, perception of the self one really is - they are all one and the same thing".

An ECFR Newsflash about the European Defense Situation -as part of global security architecture - points to most interesting issues for me . Great networks of nations, corporations, persons, i communities,intitiatives--in short of all kinds of smaller or bigger holons demand :

1. Core Groups

No P2P system in itself will do crucial decisions.

2. Security and defense are spirally aligned to the blue Vmeme.

Expanding and growing global holons need a healthy blue conveyor belt. I showed it in lots of examples from last months here. Global Brain processes, Global Mindshift, Global Conectivity.....Gaia Consciousness itself cannot be reduced to bright green in spiral tems or airy fairy sescond tier endevors . As the basic split in the world is virtually as Alan Tonkin from Global Values Network reminds again and again:

"The basic split in the world is that around 70% of the world population cover the spectrum Purple/Red/Blue with the other 30% covering Blue Order, Orange Enterprise and Green Environmental issues. If the UN was based on a Security Council based on one man one vote it would become a Red/Blue organisation. Until there is a fundamental shift in values the developed world is going to battle to get Western style democracy to work however much they might like to think it will work. In terms of our findings with the Global Values Monitor (GVM) there are minimal percentages in Yellow Integral with almost no Turquoise to speak of."

3. Motto of EU is:

In varietate Concordia

United in Diversity

However the vertical proportions and dimensions in ALL layers has not be defined yet.
So its a great opportunity to do so.

Dr. Don Beck -Spiral Dynamics Integral -will speak this October in the town of Munich in Germany about:

"Germany and Europe in the 21st Century: A Case Study in Large-Scale Systems Design and Transformation"

This will be one of the most exciting seminars this year for me. It touches virtually all topics of European Integration and I hope lots of leaders from German speaking countries and its neighbours can make it to this event.

So heres to the Newsflash:

"The Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty has cast doubt over institutional reform within the European Union, but EU governments cannot afford to move at the speed of the slowest on defence, and should push for a 'multi-speed' Europe - according to a new report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). 

Author Nick Witney, who is Senior Policy fellow at ECFR and former Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, issues a stark warning about the state of European defence, arguing that "inertia and resistance in the defence machinery" are thwarting the European Union's declared aim to make a real contribution to global security. 

The report argues that Europeans will punch their weight - and be worthwhile partners for the US - only if they pool their resources and cooperate more closely. Reviewing the widely differing performances of the Member States (on defence spending, investment per soldier, participation record in operations), the report urges the formation of "pioneer groups" of the most willing and able. 

The idea could be operationalised within the European Defence Agency through the creation of a number of overlapping pioneer groups, which each specialize in areas such as research and technology, armaments cooperation, defence industry cooperation, and the pooling of civilian and military capabilities.  

The countries most active in various pioneer groups would constitute a European "core group" on defence - similarly to the "permanent structured cooperation" mechanism, envisaged by the Lisbon Treaty. Countries that do not meet some basic qualifying criteria (such as a minimum 1% of GDP spending on defence, and a 1% minimum level of personnel deployments in operations) should either commit to catch up, or leave the Agency altogether.  "

Link to full report: http://ecfr.eu/page/m/5734fa687b7981a0/Gs6AX0/VEsH/ 

European defence: Noises off

29.07.08 - Nick Witney

How gratifying for Europeans listening to Barack Obama's speech in Berlin's Tiergarten to hear him affirm that "America has no better partner than Europe", and to talk of how allies must "listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other".And how unsettling to hear him talk also of the need for "shared sacrifice", and to assert that "the Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban, and al Qaeda". The next American President, whether Democrat or Republican, will be politer to Europeans than the current incumbent; but he will also be more demanding - and harder to fob off.

For the EU's new French Presidency, with their priority of boosting ‘l'Europe de la Defense', these ‘noises off' can only be encouraging. And they will need all the encouragement they can get. For the European defence enterprise, launched at the famous Franco-British summit at St Malo nearly ten years ago, has in truth made depressingly little progress.

20 EU crisis-management operations to date sounds like a lot. But three-quarters of them have involved deployment of policemen or legal experts, not troops; half have comprised less than 100 personnel; and four of the five main military interventions, in Macedonia, Congo (twice) and Bosnia, have ridden on the coat-tails of either UN or NATO peace-keepers.

Meanwhile, efforts to make Europe's militaries fit for purpose - the purpose in today's world being expeditionary, multinational operations, not stopping invaders at the national frontier - have been even less productive. The original vision of a 60,000-strong rapid reaction force has been quietly shelved, in favour of 1,500-man ‘battlegroups'. 70% of Europe's land forces simply cannot operate outside national territory. Europe's 10,000 main battle tanks would be fine for a re-run of the battle of Kursk, but are little use in Chad or Afghanistan. Figures such as these highlight the extent to which Europeans' combined annual defence spending in Europe of some 200 billion euros is simply money down the drain.

Read More...

Olympic Games 2008 will start soon, next week in Beijing.

Michael Buerk  from BBC chairs a live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories: combative, provocative and engaging. The Panel can be listened to.

The Moral Maze

When the Olympic flame is lit in Beijing on August the 8th, the focus will be on much more than the sport. China is now judged to be the world's 4th largest economy and is predicted to be the largest by 2050. But what has been the price of this economic boom?

China is accused of mercilessly plundering Africa in its vast appetite for natural resources and to turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in regimes such as Iran and Burma in favour of its business interests. So is China growing too fast turning it into to a 21st century global superpower with ruthless economic colonialist tendencies? And if so what are our moral obligations to stop them? Or has China bashing become a new Olympic sport - a modern day manifestation of the 1950's "Yellow Peril"? And is the panic being driven by our own fears about the declining power of the West alongside an irrational fear of an Eastern culture who's traditions and moral norms we little understand?

PANEL: Michael Buerk (Chair), Melanie Philips, Clifford Longley, Claire Fox, Michael Portillo.

My own take on this complex isssue is we need new forms of journalism and public communication in these global value spheres. Communities like the WELL did it .

BUT:

New global realities , large scale systems change, geopolitcal shifts and the emerging new multi-polar worlds needs new voices and lenses which seldom come together : neither in the bloggosphere and other virtual deevlopments nor in conventional journalism and media orbits.
 
I am adding some excerpt of a post of me to  the SDi related learning forum.

 " I see it as big challenge to communicate...without watering down spiral and integral standards - the whole complexity of such events in the public spheres.   Journalists as Roger Cohen, Fareed Zakaria, Parag Khanna, Mark leonard, Gabor Steingart et al. have begun at least to adress again and again the global nexus and putting it into the light of emerging futures.  

US Strategy guy Thomas PM Barnett -known as afficionado of Sino American Joint ventures - see here: 

  Recasting the Long War of Joint Sino-American Venture  

drops this short notice in his blog: 

Beijing and masking-up for the Games
   
  A bit cynical? Not necessarily. However, as always lots of qualified explanation needed...A new journalism, how to be  defined exactly - is needed.   And he comments about Fareed Zakaria`s work this way:  

Zakaria: a serious style emerges

  Of course announcing already his own 2009 book:   GREAT POWERS: AMERICA AND THE WORLD AFTER BUSH 

  My strong wish for completely new chapters in development of Spiral Dynamics Integral is to create new venues for transformative media and these emerging public spheres of geopolitical realities and global strata. "