SOS - Save Our Society - an invitation to dance

 

Here is an overview of the global challenges that we face as a society.

The Global Challenges are transnational in nature and transinstitutional in solution. They cannot be addressed by any government or institution acting alone. 

 

They require collaborative action among governments, international organizations, corporations, universities, NGOs, and creative individuals. 

 

Although listed in sequence, Challenge 1 on sustainable development and climate change is no more or less important than Challenge 15 on global ethics. There is greater consensus about the global situation as expressed in these Challenges and the actions to address them than is evident in the news media.

 

The 15 Global Challenges:

1. How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change?

2. How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict?

3. How can population growth and resources be brought into balance?

4. How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes?

5. How can decisionmaking be enhanced by integrating improved global foresight during unprecedented accelerating change?

6. How can the global convergence of information and communications technologies work for everyone?

7. How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor?

8. How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and immune micro-organisms be reduced?

9. How can education make humanity more intelligent, knowledgeable, and wise enough to address its global challenges?

10. How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts, terrorism, and the use of weapons of mass destruction?

11. How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition?

12. How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises?

13. How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently?

14. How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition?

15. How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions?

Source: https://www.millennium-project.org/projects/challenges/

 

For many years I have seen that change initiatives, either from the public sector or the private sector, have not solved these challenges, have not stopped the decline of society.

You can pick almost any topic, from LGBT to inequality to climate change, and there is a lack of progress. That is the polite perspective.

To put it more bluntly, most of the elements of our ecosystem are falling apart, while people are becoming more impoverished, unhappy and unhealthy.

 

Many leaders in society, either from government or large multinationals, have no experience in innovation, have other priorities and perceived time constraints.

 

Therefor it is urgently required that we, the people, take responsibility and action.

We need to drive change – in a coordinated way - from the bottom up.

We do this by addressing the underlying root causes, rather than treating the symptoms.

 

·      Real economic, social, and environmental change requires changing the operating systems that dominate the world. 

·      Real personal change requires re-education. 

·      Real innovation requires collaboration and integration.

 

This a huge challenge and we can do it.

If we do nothing, if we, the people, are not taking responsibility, our future will be bleak, or even black. Hence, I call this document a blackpaper and not a whitepaper. 

If we, the people, don’t take back control, we are screwed. 

 

“We are prisoners to a system that if left unchecked will, it is no exaggeration to say, destroy most of life on Earth.” ~ Ziya Tong

 

With the document 'Save Our Society (SOS) – a global bottom-up initiative - '

I am merely starting the dance, hoping to create a ripple effect. 

This document is intended to initiate both the re-creation work and the mobilization of people who are willing to Save Our Society.

Here is the document.

 

Your contribution is crucial. 

Only our collective action can make a difference.

 

We have to.