Emerging Ecology is organizing a series of 1/2-day Think Tanks as a part of their Action Research Project focused on discerning the key elements of Living Responsibly in the 21st Century.
Beginning in 2018, Emerging Ecology launched a reading research project designed to provide a quick overview to contemporary literature centered on changing worldviews.
For additional details contact Emerging Ecology.
Emerging Ecology is conducting research on the role that an individual's, and the groups of which they are a part, worldview affects their actions and beliefs. Some of the insights of this research is available in the resources below.
On Feb. 26, 2017, Nelson presented an overview of "Change at the Level of Worldview" (now available on YouTube). The group then participated in a workshop focused on ""What are the BIG questions to which you and society are being called to respond?""
Participants in the April 2017 session produced a set of Guidelines for Responsible Action in the 21st Century.
A paper presented at the 2014 Thomas Berry Colloquium entitled "At The Species Level", contains much of the background context for the work of the Worldview Salon series and is foundational for the Action Research events. In 2018, this same material was presented to the leadership of Emerging Ecology and is now available on YouTube.
The materials developed during the 13 Worldview Salons held during 2015 and 2016 provide a context for the Action Research projects being conducted by Emerging Ecology as well as many of the other programs they initiate. These materials, along with more recent additions, are available for download.
- All That Is: a comprehensive diagram showing the components of any/all social structures. Based on previous work by the Institute of Cultural Affairs, this screen provides a way to insure comprehensive thinking when considering any entity or structure.
- Aspects of Indy and the Sierra Ecosystem -- two collections of 5-line poems which provide specific examples of the All That Is triangles. The document is entitled Deux Quatorze Cinquain.
- The Human Adventure: an overview of the Human Adventure over the long sweep of history. This chart provides a simple overview of the major worldviews that have shaped human society over the past 40,000 years.
- Contextual Foundation: an overview lecture giving the overall background for most of these documents. Given originally to a conference held in Talegaon, India in 1999, this presentation initiated the conversations that produced the above two charts.
- Cosmology Worksheet: an exercise for articulating an individual's big-picture cosmology.
- A Contemporary Cosmology: an example of a one-page history of the Universe. This simple statement provides a way to tell the long-term history of the Universe in a concise manner. The story, based on Universe Story by Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme, provides a viable alternative to the description of a fixed universe into which each individual must learn to fit -- the story that pervaded most conversations of the 20th Century.
- Donella Meadows wrote an essay on Leverage Points in social change. Her essay highlights the importance of focusing on change at the level of worldview and provides descriptions of other, less effective, arenas of action.
People interested in organizing an Action Research Think Tank can complete the contact form below.