[Search-l] the notes of Stewart Brand on a recent long_now talk

[William Surowiec]

Stewart Brand, writing notes on a recent Long Now talk by Paul Hawken's, 
"The New Great Transformation,", uses phrases that I believe apply 
elsewhere.

Hawken became aware of the number of environmental groups and his 
thoughts about it lead to a book, his talk, and Brand's notes. An 
extended quote from Stewart Brand:

*** start quoted text ****
...
he estimates there are over 1,000,000 such organizations in the world, 
adding up to the largest and fastest growing Movement in history.

The phenomenon has been overlooked because it lacks the customary 
hallmarks of a movement--- no charismatic leaders, no grand theory or 
ideology, no "ism," no defining events.  The new activist groups are 
about dispersing power rather than aggregating power.  Their focus is on 
ideas rather than ideology--- ideologies are clung to, but ideas can be 
tried and tossed or improved.  The point is to solve problems, usually 
from the bottom up.  The movement can never be divided because it is 
already atomized.

What's going on?  Hawken wondered if humanity might have some collective 
intelligence that we don't yet understand.  The metaphor he finds most 
useful is the immune system, which is the most complex system in our 
body--- more complex than the entire Internet--- massive, distributed, 
subtle, ingenious, and effective.  The opposite of a hierarchical army, 
its power is in the density of its network.  It deals with problems not 
through frontal attack but complex negotiation and rapprochement.
...
*** end quoted text ***

Perhaps even cynics might pause to wonder if collective intelligences 
might be emerging - and recognize their role as a necessity to the 
healthy functioning of the whole.


The Long Now Foundation - http://www.longnow.org
Seminars & downloads: http://www.longnow.org/projects/seminars/
database created by Paul Hawkin: WiserEarth.org <http://www.wiserearth.org/>

Bill