Sender: Jacob Hess
Subject: Re: An Integral Transpartisan Alliance - Action Proposal
Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2014
Msg: 100898

Interesting stuff, Bruce...I love your enthusiasm. And what a perfect preface to our April conversation theme as Mark Gerzon articulated ("Clarifying Transpartisan") - as well as looking towards our July endpoint ("Taking Action").

No question "big forces are converging right now" (not all ennobling) - and that huge possibilities are before us as a society. As a social conservative member of this group, I especially appreciate that you're proposing engaging "the broadest possible spectrum of American politics and governance within a kind of universal civility alliance." I believe there is a hunger in many conservative groups for this kind of conversation, this kind of engagement - this kind of unity.

So excited to see where this leads! --Jacob

On Thu, Mar 27, 2014 at 9:49 AM, Bruce Schuman wrote:

> Hi Rich, thanks for the comment. I took a close look at your article and > some of your other links. > > > > > http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/03/26/shark-tank-for-social-good-michigans-innovative-plan-to-end-poverty/3/ > > > > I thought I would go through it and identify what looks to me like > "transpartisan themes". I like the idea of being explicit about what is > new and innovative - maybe I'm following your insights on "the power of > simple and clear definition" from your article at > http://www.ssireview.org/blog/entry/the_power_of_a_simple_and_inclusive_definition > > > > *Meanwhile, global abject poverty has actually been reduced by half over > the last twenty years; countries like China and India with top-down, > centralized governments allowed for bottom-up, free market innovation that > moved millions of people out of poverty.* > > > > *America needs to learn from this global trend by getting beyond dualistic > thinking that pits capitalism against the poor. Instead, we must combine > the best of capitalism's innovation, ownership, and financial reward with > the best of the social sector's compassion--and that's exactly what Michigan > is doing.* > > > > "Get beyond dualistic thinking" - or maybe "simplistic dualistic thinking" > - and "combine the best" - of various constructive influences. This takes > real creative imagination, and its emergence can be hard to predict. This > is one reason we need real "co-creativity" - we need the real stakeholders > in the room - in a cooperative/creative/mutually respectful spirit - > exploring innovative new approaches. > > > > *HOLDING THE TENSION: MUTUAL RESPECT AND AN OPEN HEART* > > > > In her introduction posted here on Monday, Joan Blades described this > approach as she sees it in Living Room Conversations: > > > > *I have seen the dysfunction of partisan behaviors and believe we must and > can do better. I have seen the good will, intelligence and power of > citizens. It is time to rebuild respectful civil discourse while > embracing our core shared values. Adversarial solutions will not > suffice, to create the solutions to the big challenges we face this > century. We must learn to engage in collaborative problem solving - > holding the tension of our differences while working together with respect > and an open heart I believe we will create solutions that are better than > any group alone could devise.* > > > > I like this phrase: "holding the tension of our differences while working > together with respect and an open heart." > > > > The way I see it, that's the key to empowering social change. This energy > - "holding the tension while working together with an open heart" - is the > driving energy and power-source for transformative social revolution and > the birth of cultural renaissance. We have to learn to do this at scale - > "all over the place". This might be the core message of the transpartisan > revolution. This is the primary skill for cutting-edge transpartisan > social-change activists. > > > > *HOLISTIC AND INTEGRAL - LIBERATE THE CREATIVE POWER OF COMMUNITY* > > > > One small point - is that this inclusive mutually-respectful approach - is > inherently "holistic and integral". It "combines the best" of elements > brought into the conversation by the participants. And this inclusive > approach makes a co-creative and transpartisan conversation inherently > unpredictable. It is raw creativity itself - emerging from the > constructive relationships in the circle. Another point - is that this > approach helps overcome "cognitive bandwidth" limitations. Nobody can hold > all this simultaneous complexity in their heads at the same time. But a > group "holding the tension of our differences while working together with > respect and an open heart" CAN hold this complexity - because each person > is holding their part with integrity. This is why we need community - and > probably what the Berkana Institute means when they say "Whatever the > problem, community is the answer" - http://berkana.org > > > > In this sense, I think we are following Don Beck's call to "connect ALL > the dots" - and Leonardo da Vinci's injunction to "Learn how to see." > Listen with an open heart, hear with respect, build a bridge, understand > "the other" - what are they bringing, how does our proposed solution work > for them - as well as for us - and for all other stakeholders in the field > -- ? > > > > *Michigan, it turns out, is full of civic-minded social entrepreneurs who > have been waiting a lifetime to share their ideas. In fact, so many > participants asked for coaching on their business ideas that Michigan Corps > had to hold a solid week of half-hour coaching clinics to meet demand.* > > > > Very hopeful sign. I would bet this is true in many places. The creative > energy for transformative social change based on co-creativity has been > bubbling up for many years. All these creative hopeful talented people - > are part of our movement. Let's make a place for them - and create a > pathway to "assimilate their genius" into a widely shared movement.... > > > > *This effort--affectionately called the Michigan Model--showed that it's > possible to harness capitalism to address chronic social problems, thereby > laying the groundwork for a model that transforms business and charity. > These 10 winners could become pioneers of the future of American business, > combining the best our nation's entrepreneurial innovation with the > compassion to do good.* > > > > This looks like another very important factor - this is why it all works, > and isn't a bleeding heart model that will inevitably burn out. > > > > *The Michigan model moves beyond partisan debate, failed strategies of the > past, and old rhetoric toward real solutions to address poverty. Everyone > wins. The community takes on homegrown solutions. Social entrepreneurs get > to match their great ideas with expertise and investment. Sponsors gain > research and development from competition participants that they can use > toward solutions in their industry or target region. Colleges have a new > way to teach students that doing good and making money don't need to be > mutually exclusive. And society improves because we're all working together > for good.* > > > > Yes. This sounds like the pure elixir. Put it in a bottle, take it > everywhere.... > > > > *Probably the most amazing part of the competition was its cross-sector > nature. Republicans joined with Democrats, Progressives with Conservatives, > entrepreneurs with investors, blacks with whites, upstate MI with > "downstaters," government and business, nonprofits and for-profits, > colleges and faith-based groups all joined forces to make the competition > work.* > > > > "Cross-sector". This is another master-key for opening up the power of > "holistic and integral" solutions. All those sectors - so often viewed as > separate silos - within this new framework are seen as valuable creative > facets of a single inclusive whole - the broader "human community" that we > all are. We should be patient, be kind to one another, learn to listen - > as Leonardo said - "Learn to see" - "Everything is connected to everything > else" - and that includes people - and all these "silos". Yes, there are > often very real reasons for keeping things separate, and we don't need to > blur that distinction. But there are sometimes very real reasons for > bringing them together. This is something we all have to learn - and we > need our best integral visionaries to explain to us how this works, in ways > we find believable/credible. Otherwise, we are likely to remain skeptical > and see all of this hopeful creative energy as naïve woo-woo... > > > > *What happened in Michigan last year represents a new way to achieve both > social impact and a financial return. More importantly, it points to a new > way for Americans to really begin to solve social problems, with everyone > and every sector playing an important role and working together. As the > investment in the Michigan's Social Entrepreneurship Challenge winners > grows and they make a return for their investees as they solve social > problems, we can expect nothing less than a much-needed transformation of > capitalism. This win-win-win model might accomplish what nothing else has: > an end to poverty in America.* > > > > *Rich Tafel is the Founder of Public Squared, which provided the strategy > coaching and training for the Michigan competitions.* > > > > I like the "popcorn beginning to pop" model of social change. The kernels > that are ready get there first. They might be anywhere in the pan. > > > > *LEADING FROM THE CENTER* > > > > But for me - an important point is: this is not "leading from the fringe" > It's not like this kind of social change is being driven by fringe groups. > The real key to the power - is that this is "leading from the center". > > > > This is the true center of community, that emerges in the spirit suggested > by Joan Blades - "mutual respect with an open heart". > > > > Bruce Schuman > > NETWORK NATION: http://networknation.net > > SHARED PURPOSE: http://sharedpurpose.net > > INTERSPIRIT: http://interspirit.net > > (805) 966-9515, PO Box 23346, Santa Barbara CA 93101 > > > > > > **** > > > > On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 3:39 PM, Richard Tafel wrote: > > > > Great stuff Bruce, you've really thought this out. I agree if we don't > move to action this list will die out. A good example of transpartisan > success is the work in Michigan. Here's my oped in Forbes today. You'll > hear the transpartisan themes throughout. > > > > > http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/03/26/shark-tank-for-social-good-michigans-innovative-plan-to-end-poverty/3/ > > > > Thank you, > Rich Tafel > > www.thepublicsquared.com > mobile: 202-365-7764 > twitter @richtafel > > Skype richtafel > > > > **** > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the TRANSPARTISAN list, click the following link: > http://lists.thataway.org/scripts/wa-THATAWAY.exe?SUBED1=TRANSPARTISAN&A=1 >

-- Jacob Z. Hess, Ph.D. Co-founder, *All of Life* 801-712-1346, jzhess@gmail.com

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