|
|
  
|
|||||
|
||||||
|
The
Global Network for Social Threefolding July, 2002
he planet is fraught with challenges as it enters the 21st century. Dozens of aspects about the world situation are urgent and need attention. Foremost among these are the challenges of elite economic globalization, the decline of nation states, and the “clash of civilizations” as dramatized by the September 11, 2001 event. And all these are occurring amidst the resurgence of US global social dominance. These four driving forces deeply influence other aspects of the world situation including massive ecological destruction and the social and spiritual impoverishment of billions of human beings. These economic, political, and cultural, social, ecological, human and spiritual aspects of the world situation have led and are leading to world disorder and chaos. Billions of lives are affected and the future of the earth hangs in delicate balance. Concerned individuals from various countries[1] around the world have come together to make a constructive contribution in addressing these global issues from the perspective of comprehensive sustainable development through social threefolding. This is the Global Network for Social Threefolding (GlobeNet3 or GN3). GlobeNet3 advocates comprehensive sustainable development, an approach which addresses the ecological, economic, political, cultural, social, human, and spiritual aspects of development. As a network it also seeks to advance social threefolding, referring to either the resistance of civil society to totalitarian tendencies in the state and market or, where appropriate, the critical engagement of civil society with business and government to solve social problems in an atmosphere of principled cooperation and mutual respect. The basis for both the possibility of resistance or cooperation is the emergence of civil society as a third global force, joining the state and the market as the key social forces today that are shaping globalization. Vision and Mission GlobeNet3 envisions a world where, increasingly, by the second decade of this century, in different parts of the planet, human beings are working to realize their full human and spiritual potentials. Simultaneously, out of their enhanced capacities, they are transforming societies so that the three autonomous societal realms of economy, polity, and culture, through their key institutions (business, government, and civil society respectively) harmoniously interact with and mutually support each other in a united effort to bring about comprehensive sustainable development, especially poverty eradication, at the local, national, and global levels. The mission of GN3, as a cultural network, is to: · foster an understanding of the globalization process as a deep spiritual, social and ecological challenge to humanity and the planet and advance, in this context, social threefolding substance and processes, including a spiritual understanding of social dynamics, as an appropriate response to these challenges of elite globalization and opportunities for comprehensive sustainable development in various parts of the world · Encourage and deepen the role of individuals and civil society as countervailing and/or creative forces for social transformation, and, in this context, emphasize the importance of a conscious inner path of spiritual development for strategic, balanced and effective social activism. · Develop, facilitate, and/or promote best practices in comprehensive sustainable development and social threefolding partnerships among business, government and civil society, where appropriate and feasible. · link up with individuals, institutions and networks that also want to advance threefolding · develop a knowledgeable, horizontal, loose, cohesive and financially stable global network, made up of capable partners, to achieve all mission elements and the vision of GlobeNet3. The vision and mission constitute key elements in the identity of GlobeNet3. As a cultural network, GlobeNet3’s identity has several dimensions. It has an outer aspect that expresses itself in connection with engaging the world through social threefolding. This constitutes its meaning and service to the world. In addition, it also has an inner dimension connected with the conscious embarking on a path of spiritual self-transformation as the foundation for the creation of new social forms. Furthermore, GN3’s identity also has an organizational aspect. This deals with its inner capacities and relationships that need to be enhanced in order to achieve its social mission effectively. In addition, via its organizational form and processes, GN3 seeks to highlight, through its own example, what the new organizational forms need to be in an era of heightened individual responsible for the fate of the earth. Activities GN3 will continue strengthening its global network. Having participated as a global network in the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil (2003) and Mumbai, India (2004), GN3 will continue to seek meaningful points of engagement with externally organized strategic events and will help organize, for 2004 and 2005, additional strategic events, including conferences, in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia that will address the challenges of elite globalization and advance comprehensive sustainable development and social threefolding as responses to these challenges. Organizational Form GN3 is a loose, horizontal but interacting global network activated by geographic and functional “nodes” in strategic areas of the world. As such, GlobeNet3 is a global network of different kinds of initiative “centers” linked with each other in a horizontal, not top-down, manner. Geographic and functional “nodes” or “centers” arise organically in different parts of the world according to the presence and coming together of active individuals committed to the idea of achieving comprehensive sustainable development through social threefolding. Each node is both a center of excellence for geographic and/or functional affairs and a periphery at the same time. Any node or center can take initiative in connection with their own autonomous programs and operations. In this way, rapid decision-making and action by a “node” or “center” can take place while at the same time its members can be cognizant of what is taking place in the “periphery”. GlobeNet3 seeks to develop a complex network form where increasingly initiative and responsibility for the various tasks of the network are shared by many members of GlobeNet3. This is the reason for the concept articulated above that a node or a center is at the same time a periphery depending on geographic and functional considerations. In this manner, all kinds of differentiated responsibilities can emerge in GlobeNet3 without it getting bogged down with overly bureaucratic procedures. GlobeNet3 strives to attain a balance between too loose and too rigid a form, between autonomy and community, between innovation and precedent, between initiative and social cohesion. The Global Network for Social Threefolding looks forward to making a constructive engagement with the world situation in the months and years to come. For more information, contact us directly. One can also navigate the website, especially our articles and events sections to get an idea of the kind of concerns, issues, and approaches that GN3 is interested in. [1] Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, USA
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
GlobeNet3 Global
Secretariat |
||||||
|
|
||||||
