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Sparking a Paradigm Shift For Humanity
By Todd | December 18, 2007
Whether you choose to be aware of it or not, we are living in an extremely unique time in human history. Many of the fundamental “systems” we take for granted are proving to be unsustainable, and there is a burgeoning movement of environmentalists, spiritualists, writers, speakers, activists, humanitarians and even bloggers who are at the forefront of bringing mass attention to the “un”sustainability of our deep-seated ways of doing things.
One of those people is Duane Elgin, creator and founder of Awakening Earth, who has agreed to share his thoughts on paradigm shift with the We The Change audience. For over thirty years Duane has been speaking and conducting workshops with business leaders, educators, students, and others about the extraordinary time of transition we are moving through as a human family, and we are happy to have him here today:
TG: Your most popular talk is: The World at the Tipping Point: A Hopeful View of Our Future” what is the main point you try and relay during this lecture?
DE: The human community faces a whole systems crisis with the combined impact of climate disruption, the end of cheap oil, species extinction, dwindling access to fresh water, massive poverty (75% of the people on the Earth live on a real income of $4 a day or less), and the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
We face a supreme test of our evolutionary intelligence as a species: to either pull together in cooperation for a sustainable and meaningful future or to pull apart in conflict as we try to protect our family and friends. This is truly a pivotal time in the human journey.
Despite the enormous adversities that we face, to me it seems entirely natural and predictable that we would get to this place of difficulty given our great technological powers combined with a still awakening global consciousness. We are going through a stage of development together and can come out the other side with a strong sense of community and purpose.
TG: You also talk a lot about the “life-stage” of the human family. Where do you think we are?
DE: When I ask people around the world to describe the life-stage of the human community, I give them four possible answers: that we are behaving like: 1) toddlers, 2) teenagers, 3) adults, or 4) elders. With a little reflection, generally 75% will respond that we are in our adolescent stage as a species.
Many people say the human community is focusing on short term gratification, ignoring profound threats to our future, thinking we are immortal, etc.
However, there is a powerful positive side to this: If we are now behaving like teenagers, it means that if we grow up and mature just a bit, we can behave like adults do around the world–with concern for the family (the whole human family), for our collective security and sustainability, for everyone to have meaningful work and to make a contribution to a promising future.
I think we are now going through a rite of passage or time of initiation where we will have the opportunity to move from our species adolescence and into our early adulthood.
TG: You address global warming in a lot of your lectures, and according to the recent Time Magazine some experts suggest we are nearing “the point of no return”. What are your thoughts on this?
DE: Evolution moves forward on a bending curve and there is no turning back. I believe the starting gun of history has gone off and we are on our way to a new world. There is one major change and it makes all the difference: the circle has closed and there is no escape from the Earth as a unified system.
Now the entire human community must deal with the reality of climate disruption, running out of cheap energy, an enormous global population with most people living on the edge of subsistence, a massive wave of extinction for plants and animals, and much more. Our collective challenge is to adapt to this new world and learn to live in harmony with the Earth, in peace with one another, and in gratitude with the living universe.
TG: What essential things can every day people do?
DE: Conversation is the lifeblood of democracy. The single most powerful thing that we can do is strike up a conversation about all of this with our friends, families, work associates, and others. If we bring the conversation about humanity’s future into the living rooms, class rooms, board rooms, and so on, it will create a new consciousness and concern.
Actions can them come quickly and easily where, before, they were blocked by indifference and ignorance. It is important to step back from the rush of day-to-day busyness and to talk with one another about fundamentals: Who are we as a species? Adolescents or adults? Heroes or villains? Sleeping or wakeful? It is time for us to take a hard look in the mirror and to consciously acknowledge the steps toward a sustainable and workable future.
Opportunities to contribute to a promising future are everywhere: in the food that we eat, the work that we do, the home in which we live, the mode of transport that we use, the clothes that we wear, the causes that we support, the communities in which we live, and much more.
TG: We have an election year in 2008. How bad do we need a leader who addresses these issues?
DE: We urgently require a leader who will address these issues both individually and collectively. We also need a public that will do the same.
We confront something much more profound than “issues” that can be compartmentalized; we confront the perfect storm of a whole systems crisis: It is when we consider the interaction of climate disruption, the lack of cheap oil, and the depletion of fresh water combined with an enormous world population (that will grow from more than 6 billion to nearly 9 billion by mid-century) that we begin to see the true dimensions of the challenge we are facing.
A whole-systems challenge requires a whole-systems response–a deep reconfiguring of our relationship with the Earth, with one another, and with our sense of journey and story as a species. It also requires leadership for a sustained and searching national conversation about what kind of country we want to be in this new world and what kind of contribution we want to make. So far, I do not see leadership from the candidates in 2008 for the national conversation required to meet the whole systems challenges that are converging around us.
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Topics: Perspective, Environment/Sustainability, Alternative and Holistic Healing, Spirituality/Meditation |
Todd,
Nice interview. I was not familiar with Duane Elgin, but I will be checking into Awakening Earth closer. While I do not agree with all of his thoughts on the state of the Earth, he has some valid points. I do think that humanity needs to change on a personal and global level. Not only do we need to change for our environment, but for humanity itself. We have lost many of the basic morals and are in desperate need of a positive out look for the future.
www.JuiceofChampions
Posted by: Brad Baggett on December 18th, 2007 at 2:52 pmGreat interview Todd!
It helps remind us that we’re all in this together so we should all do our part.
Posted by: ZHereford on December 18th, 2007 at 3:29 pmExcellent interview!
Duane’s message must be spread far and wide … indeed, the planet’s future depends on it.
Thank you for your great website.
http://www.global-mindshift.org
Posted by: Alan Zulch on December 19th, 2007 at 4:07 pm