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britannia
November 2009 
A summit and a Meetup in London about Britishness
Posted on Jul 3rd, 2009
by 
Albert
Albert
Two events in June -in London UK - dealt with national identity and Britishness in light of the beginning 21st century.
The United Kingdom with the rich and strong past as Commonwealth and recently as "Cool Britannia in Tony Blair Time always fascinated me as German too. I am working on a challenging Germany Special Issue for Integral Leadership Review. And the theme of national identity in the midst of global, regional and other shifts has always been relevant for me.
No galactic fantasies and/or global oneness mantras can adress it. The global space in Gaia is stratified. And the tectonic shifts need to be adressed very specifically. No magic formula will do it.
The more thrilled I am that in June 2009 2 events happened in London which refer to it in an excellent integral and evolutionary way.
Last weekend in London the SDi event "From rule Britannia to cool Britannia to Integral Britannia". Here is the comprehensive report from Keith Rice, British Center for Human Emergence:
Britishness at the Regents College Summit
The second event was at EnlightenNext London Center. A Meetup with the theme: Cynicism the British disease"
Chris Parish, the Director for the Center blogged these fascinating and insightful statements he opened up the event with:
Evolution, History, Culture and Me
My best wishes for my British friends from allover the world,
Albert
The United Kingdom with the rich and strong past as Commonwealth and recently as "Cool Britannia in Tony Blair Time always fascinated me as German too. I am working on a challenging Germany Special Issue for Integral Leadership Review. And the theme of national identity in the midst of global, regional and other shifts has always been relevant for me.
No galactic fantasies and/or global oneness mantras can adress it. The global space in Gaia is stratified. And the tectonic shifts need to be adressed very specifically. No magic formula will do it.
The more thrilled I am that in June 2009 2 events happened in London which refer to it in an excellent integral and evolutionary way.
Last weekend in London the SDi event "From rule Britannia to cool Britannia to Integral Britannia". Here is the comprehensive report from Keith Rice, British Center for Human Emergence:
Britishness at the Regents College Summit
The second event was at EnlightenNext London Center. A Meetup with the theme: Cynicism the British disease"
Chris Parish, the Director for the Center blogged these fascinating and insightful statements he opened up the event with:
Evolution, History, Culture and Me
My best wishes for my British friends from allover the world,
Albert
Access: Public
Rightly Steve McIntosh
www.stevemcIntosh.com
blogged these statements in JUly 2008 (about nature of diverse shifts):
“Question: How could this collective coming together of leaders be most instrumental in bringing public awareness to the great shift that is occurring?
Answer: First, we could demythologize the idea of “the great shift”, recognizing that there is not just one shift, there are actually many shifts in consciousness going on simultaneously in the world—a shift from pre-traditional to traditional in Africa, a shift from traditional to modern in Asia, and in America, and ongoing shift from modern to postmodern, as well as the beginning of a shift from postmodern to integral.
We could also be more discerning about the nature and behavior of cultural evolution, and recognize the fallaciousness of the wishful thinking that expects that the world is going to “wake up” and suddenly become “cultural creative” in a miraculous transformation..”
What made me smile was the amazing number of generalizations - at times it read like the blog of a number of astrologists meeting on, say, the influence of Saturn on society at large…
That made it too difficult to enter the - probably very valif arguments - in any depth. Ah, well, I'm probably much too green to appreciate the lofte yellow reasoning :-)
its more about about healthy blue foundations. it was amazing for me last years to finally discover in Germany similar feelings too. So its not about arguments, its about a deepeining of identity within the process of widening it.
And, seen in global context: nearly nations have it already. I am asked from people outside Germany -especially in BRIC countris and Mideast - again and again. Why is it that Germany inst acting more powerfully and future oriented?
The Brits are now asking themselves healthy questions. And they FEEL the situation. After Thatcherism is gone and cool Britannia istn doing it alone..
In Germany the way into the future needs this spotlighting too.):) Never alone via arguments…..and ratio…As we have elections this year….in a really boring and bloodless mood with few perspectives..immersing exclusively into the fashion of collective memories:
Quo vadis, Gemany?
Healthy blue - yeah, Saturn it is. Shrinking back troublesome Green to Blue rules and regulations that, typically, the others (the 'irresponsible' whoever they are) are not following. It's comparable to frustrated parent's reaction who are loosing the understanding of the multi-dimensional, highly complex interdependent world.
What is forgotten is that the old rules do not fit the new situations.
Integral politics is just conservatism in a new disguise.
British identity - I mean how silly can you get? German identity - as a remedy to what?
The national identity (or healing it by getting in 'healthy Blue') as a remedy for whatever it is that is considered to be 'the problem' is simply a 19th century recipe for 21st century problems.
But it's a nice confabulation anyway…
lol….in no way its about old rules.
We see it in Germany.
Why is it that there are no more great debates? No real sparkling conversations in public media spheres?
The German language has a strong focus on nouns. However its about processes. Not about labeling or/and new terminology. its about creating fresh constellations and perspectives.
Taking together all newspapers, TV media and blogs in German speaking countries there are rare and few takes with breathe this readiness. Seems to be a transition zone between the new and the old.
Between old cynism, postmodern relativism and cultivated irony etc etc.
Recently I participated at take off event of European Leadership acdemy in Berlin. For an article at Integral leadership review. The readiness is emerging. Yes. But lacking real passion, fire and humor for the basics of all change.
No single approach is doing it right now. Globally as much as in the respective cultures. Same in Mideast or whereever.
So having some fun and humor within all the small gestures is already a win win win. The old dusted mantras and sound bytes do not work any longer.
Lets see when and how the German Center for Human Emergence is taking off.):)
This is what I like about you, Albert, you dance around these heavy topics every which way, and then come up with this great point: Humor in politics, passion in discourse, fire…
And, mind you, hanging out with the Integral Bunch doesn't very often seem like a humorous affair. As if having the greatest theory in the world is going to help solve the problems! What nonsense. No big social, political or even business problem, I would dare to venture, was ever solved through thorough analysis or finding the proper causes. (Except, maybe, they satisfied the elite/intellectuals which were needed in support of…)
People passionately doing their thing (even if we consider it 'bad') on the contrary… well, you get my drift.
So yes, would be lovely if the German Center for Human Emergence would take of with maybe a huge sense of humor and pragmatism…
:):) yes!
Mushin, its really my pleasure to have these playful talks with you.
Would be wonderful to collaborate with you and others. Lighthearted and doing our thing. Lets celebrate it all.
Thanks for your friendship here. its a pleasure to hear your voice and highly appreciated!
Hugs,
Albert
Update of Centre for Human Emergence UK