Robert Theobald is a New Orleans community futurist who has been working on large-scale, transformative change for over thirty years. He can be reached at 509 Conti Street, New Orleans, La 70130. Tel.: 504-524-5374. E-mail: rtheobald@igc.apc.org. In this paper he describes his vision of transformational learning communities. Full participation in the system he describes requires e-mail access.
Introduction
"How do we find myths for the future,
By spinning them one strand at a time,
And letting chaos weave them together."
The core distinction between people today is whether they believe that we can continue with industrial-era success criteria, goals, models and institutional structures or have recognized that we must move into a new era. This paper describes an initiative which is pulling together people who are committed to removing the barriers to the necessary transformation and supporting each other in positive thought and action. The technique proposed is to find opportunities for transformational players to think and work together.
A number of science fiction writers have managed to create a world which is real enough, and exciting enough, that others want to create stories to enlarge the understanding of this world. This effort aims to communicate an understanding of the transformed real world which is sufficiently clear that people feel comfortable being active within it. Obviously, the complexity of the "real" world is far greater than any fictional universe but I am convinced that until people can "get inside" the new world they cannot be thinkers or actors.
I am also haunted by an old-testament image. Moses was prevented from entering the promised land because of his sins on the journey. It seems to me that we are still stuck outside our promised land. It is time to pass over: to start to explore the new world which we must inhabit, its positives and its problems.
Why do we need to unblock the transformation
Irresistible forces of change are now clashing with immovable traditional ideologies, theologies and theories (e.g., population pressures vs. reproductive beliefs, ecological limits vs. maximum economic growth theories, knowledge of health promotion and cost controls vs. medical traditions, technological change vs. stability beliefs, system thinking vs. centralizing government).
The result of these clashes is inevitably very rapid, surprising and unpredictable change. As a result, things are getting better and better and worse and worse, faster and faster. Events and trends are heavily affected by timing: e.g., reactions to Rwanda would have been profoundly different before rather than after Somalia. Some examples of "surprises": the fall of the Berlin Wall, the revival of ethnic rivalries, the decline in standards of living in the developed countries and the rise in unemployment, the movement against smoking and toward health, the Mexican financial crisis.
Our probable future will be dominated by inertia: past nightmares, hates, ideologies, theories will continue despite their obsolescence. This would lead to our current global culture collapsing.
The desirable future can only be born if we become hopeful realists, facing the future with courage, persistence, laughter and joy. An enormous range of small-scale initiatives are required as well as political and legal shifts which unblock imagination and courage. We can reinvent citizenship so as to manage inevitable mindquakes and heartquakes. We can support all those moving in desirable directions even though their priorities are different from ours: whether they are shifting current systems in desirable directions, imagining and creating more suitable structures or helping people understand the inevitability of fundamental change and its possible positive outcomes.
Institutions, organizations, socio-economies and cultures will be structured profoundly differently to be appropriate in today's and tomorrow's world. The Western tradition, which we are now spreading worldwide, is to search for efficiency: we assume we know what to do and that the challenge is to do it better. Continuation of this approach will be disastrous.
We can develop systems which struggle toward generative learning, which are life-supporting, encourage self-consciousness and become self-evolving. We could then achieve movement toward a higher worldwide quality of life.
There are two primary elements in the search for generative learning. One is discovery of today's realities and driving forces. This can only be achieved by honest tough dialogue among those with different points of view, historical perspectives, economic needs, cultural traditions. A primary challenge is therefore to create open space for dialogue which both clarifies thinking and enables us to rebuild an understanding of the importance of healthy relationships. The other step is to struggle to understand how change takes place. Theologies, the perennial wisdom, system theories, etc., can converge toward a common view. A positive future will be based on a movement toward a more open society using the values of honesty, responsibility, humility, love and a respect for mystery (uncertainty/chaos) as a compass. A new compassionate era is being born. We are not in charge. Our task is to provide the needed support and to permit the process to continue.
Why transformative change is profoundly difficult
There are unfortunately major blocks to all of the required changes: These relate to the arguments in the previous section:
Traditional ways of thinking emphasize continuity and attempt to understand the future in terms of the past. We drive looking in the rear-view mirror. (The strength of this pathology was shown in "The End of History" which argued that no further major changes would take place in the world.)
Our political systems are not normally designed to develop a more humane future: rather they aim to return to the past and wipe out the result of perturbations. Theologies tend to concentrate on past realties (values as anchor) rather than on the future (values as compass). Organizational development assumes a move from one stable state to another.
Information overloads are today so severe that surprises are easily forgotten. Attention passes from one event to another. The new becomes the commonplace without reflection, whose importance is deeply undervalued in our culture. Instead of taking time to recognize the need for a mindquake, we continue to operate in old styles. We therefore find it almost impossible to distinguish significant trends from short-run blips.
Our attempts to deal with current crises all too often repeat, and deepen, past causes of failure. The problem is that we fail to recognize that when one is in a hole, the first necessary step is to stop digging it deeper.
The escape from crises comes when we look more broadly at the situation and discover new positive directions. We are increasingly aware that people are baffled, frustrated and angry. If we do not tackle root causes, this will lead to breakdown. If we do face up to current crises, then we have the possibility of moving in positive directions.
Rewards go the efficient and not those who engage in generative learning. One must often work against narrow, short-run self-interest if one's actions are to enhance potentials for collective long-term societal and ecological health.
On the other hand, a correct, broad, long-run understanding of trends will lead people to see that they will benefit from supporting patterns of behavior which develop both themselves and others. Enabling people to see new patterns requires that we change our success criteria and also the way we conceptualize the world. We need to learn to operate within a profoundly changed set of conditions.
We live in a cultural trance: the most vital topics are rarely discussed because they are too threatening: e.g., the infeasibility of full employment, the failure to promote health, our attempt to pretend that objectivity is feasible. We have been taught to reach our conclusions from a given set of assumptions rather than to work to discover whether assumption patterns, drawn from the past and applied in the present, are still relevant.
The most critical failures of understanding are not between two "sides" of a defined argument where positions are clear but rather between those who can see a new issue and those who deny its very existence.
The very way most modern languages are constructed (particularly English) makes intelligent dialogue very difficult. We should regard the loss of languages around the world as seriously as we regret the loss of biological diversity. Languages, such as the Gaelic, force us to understand in more artistic and consciousness-driven terms.
Another problem is that we think in dichotomous terms. We either see the world as fixed, tidy, objective and unchallengeable or we move to the opposite extreme and deny the relevance of any search for standards, morality and intelligent choice. It is only as we learn to live in tension between these extremes through exploration that effective choices can be made.
Most seriously of all, most of our patterns avoid the poetic, the artistic, the uncontrollable forces which affect our lives. Humanity wants to run things: not move with forces larger than ourselves. We need to be entrepreneurial stewards, not policy makers.
Producing effective thought and action models
If we are to be effective we must develop a new understanding of how the world works and how we interact with that world. We must, above all, recognize that each of us works from a picture of reality which is inevitably subjective, partial and flawed. The further people have moved on their personal journey, the more interesting and coherent their picture will be but it will never be accurate, complete or objective. Our learning processes should therefore be set up to ensure continuous compassionate challenge of our ways of thought, action, visioning, etc, so we can develop our own capabilities and those of others. Our challenge is to "art" a new universe as well as to develop new intellectual understandings.
We must also recognize that people learn in different ways. Some think, some act: some find playing with ideas exciting, some do not. We need to support a wide variety of patterns which make it possible for people and groups to change their thinking to keep up with new realities. We need to help people achieve small, continuing mindquakes.
The statement I've just made necessarily implies a hierarchy of skills. Some people, through luck, experience, teaching, hard work and other factors, have moved further along in the way. They therefore have the responsibility to teach what they know as effectively as they can. The implications of this approach are very different both from industrial-era patterns and "meritocracy" models: nobody is skilled in all fields and each of us should be assumed to be competent in making our own decisions unless there are overwhelming reasons to challenge this belief. This discussion moves us into the field of servant leadership and sapiental authority. This is one example of the "tension" issue with which we must struggle if we are to be effective. Hierarchies which fail to recognize their fallibility are dangerous: but so are systems which deny the reality of a hierarchy of skills. We must learn to live in the middle ground.
The skills of each one of us are necessarily a very small portion of those which are needed for clear thought and effective action. We need to work very closely with others who have other skills than our own. We need to tease out the threads of our agreements, disagreements and differences of emphasis far more carefully, slowly and tenderly than we have yet had the patience to do. We need to learn how our assumptions blind us to key parts of reality and to become progressively more skilled at managing the mindquakes which occur as we understand factors we have previously ignored.
As we struggle to develop appropriate models we must recognize that approaches which fail to deal with the reality of excess stress, overload, infoglut and gigo will inevitably collapse. People need the opportunity to interact in small competent groups which are concerned with specific opportunities and directions. There also need to be ways for this information to be shared broadly and rapidly.
Basic challenge and task
The learning styles, success criteria and institutions of the twenty-first century must be profoundly different from those of the twentieth if we are to survive. We can only discover what will be effective if we look for the strengths in various groups, cultures, political traditions and religious emphases while discarding their weaknesses. This requires tough dialogue so that new understandings can be achieved.
Three areas need primary attention:
Creating a transformed system
Transformational Learning Communities will encourage competent people to interact and learn from each other. It will also develop new approaches which emerge from the assumptions of this effort.
This is a generic idea so there are a very large number of ways to achieve interactions and a number are already emerging. Here is one specific approach set out as a way to encourage other people to think about alternative patterns:
A group of about a dozen people choose to work together on a subject of common interest. (Note that one looks for "a" suitable group -- not "the" group.)
Each person in the core group then writes the briefest possible statement that expresses core commitments, understandings and questions. This is made available to all the other members. Then for a given period, (say a week, fortnight or month), the group concentrates on the vision of one person. They challenge positively and creatively. At the end of the period, a new person's views are examined while the person who has been challenged rewrites his/her statement. This effort can be most easily conducted within a conference on one of the computer systems.
At the end of this process, everybody should be significantly clearer about their own views and about the questions which are unresolved. At this point, a second round could occur, possibly with some changed players. Or a face-to-face meeting might occur.
2. A further development is to let these conversations provide leading-edge discussions from which others can learn. Approaches will be developed to permit people to listen to these dialogues.
The simplest possible model is to provide "read-only" computer access to anybody who wants to learn about the topic under discussion. They will be able to follow what is being written but not to interact.
A far more exciting model would be to set up a model which would be mediated by mentors. Learners would read the material as it was produced and they would be able to interact (by e-mail or face to face) with a mentor who would guide discussion, clarify points etc.
In a still more complex approach, mentors would have their own conference and would be able to introduce the most important ideas which they, or their students, develop back to the core group. (Access would still be limited to prevent the core group from being overwhelmed.)
There are two primary types of organization which might set up learner and mentor systems. One would be in connection with existing and emerging educational systems. The other would be in communities working with existing service clubs, non-profits, foundations etc.
Transformational learning communities will create new knowledge as people work with each other and produce a shared vision of their topic. Once this has been achieved, there will be two tasks. The first will be to "translate" the material both in terms of various media and levels of difficulty. The second will be to find those who have the skills to move the created products and processes effectively and to get attention for them in our current overloaded world
The basic hope is that people will become aware of the degree to which an overall view of a new way of acting and being already exists. Here are a few other projects which could make a difference in moving toward this goal:
a) development of short booklists for various audiences which would provide a starting point for understanding of transformation:
b) development of a bookclub on transformational subjects,
c) development of a set of names for the media so they would know who to approach to learn about transformational thinking,
d) asking bookstores to install a section on transformation, as they did on women's studies,
e) creating "chautauquas" which combine the arts and speakers in communities across the country.
f) developing a transformational Whole Earth Catalogue
Results
Only people who are aware of the requirement for truly fundamental change will be excited by this proposal. It is not necessary, therefore, to stress that the most important outcomes of this effort are unpredictable.
This effort will go forward at three levels:
a) it will link a growing number of individuals and groups who are convinced that fundamental change is necessary in the immediate future,
b) it will develop, and support, specific strategies and tactics to move in this direction,
c) it is intermeshing with other significant large-scale efforts with convergent goals.
APPENDIX 1
UNBLOCKING THE TRANSFORMATION DIRECTIONS AND EVALUATION
The list that follows sets out ways of evaluating proposals one is considering and helps to determine whether one is moving in positive directions. It is highly improbable that all the criteria will be met for any effort but if the effect of an activity is contradictory to one of these principles, one may need to ask if it can be reorganized. The need is not for "purity" and "completeness" because this is impossible. It is to remain ever conscious of the patterns behind the models one creates so that one can watch for opportunities and problems as they emerge.
Does the activity one intends to develop:
APPENDIX 2
CHOOSING STRATEGIES TO UNBLOCK THE TRANSFORMATION
Effective change requires a multiplicity of tools, models, directions and strategies. Unfortunately, few people, groups and institutions recognize this. While it is appropriate for an individual or group to concentrate on its own strategy, nothing important will be achieved unless one supports and recognizes the efforts of others who are moving in convergent directions. True learning is mutual learning. We must discover the truths of others as we share our own. All our understandings must be seen as uncertain and in flux except our absolute commitment to move as best we can in directions which increase capacity and empower. (These words have been "polluted" but they are the best I know to convey my belief.)
Listed below are elements which should be considered as one develops approaches to unblock the transformation:
a) Levels of competence:
i) If people are unaware of the need for fundamental change, provide information on what is happening in the culture
ii)connected," help them grasp the impossibility of changing only one thing.
iii) If people are aware of change and connections, help develop action programs which support personal, institutional and community competence and capacity building.
iv) If people are committed to development of competence, get out of their way as they learn how to act for themselves.
v) If people are capable of acting for themselves, form positive coalitions and create synergies through creative quietness.
b) Scales of Action: One of the most important challenges is to decide on the scale at which you choose to work for a particular effort. The underlying principles are necessarily the same whatever your actions, but the patterns will vary depending on whether you want to move individuals, families, sub-neighborhoods, neighborhoods, communities, bioregions, global patterns or political entities including parishes, states, counties and nation states.
c) Learning Styles. The essential goal in the learning process is to communicate as much as one can through interaction. We can only teach people what they already know by providing language and images to clarify their understanding. There are many learning styles: if we are to unblock the transformation we must provide learning opportunities not only for those who are logical and rational but for those who gain understandings through action, personal interactions and internal reflection.
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