But it will not be enough. Why? Because all of these problems are symptoms, not causes. In order to find the originating 'cause', you have to go way upstream because all of these problems originate from the same place. And that place is the value system that overlays every system–family, community, schools, businesses, medical, economic and justice systems. This value system sets the stage for all of these problems to develop–each cascading down on each other until they are now so intertwined that all it appears we have time for is catching the crisis at it tumbles over the falls.
This "value" that pervades everything is the "dominator" value system. It is the basic premise that 'domination' is normal–and the only two options available on this planet is to either dominate, or be dominated. From this 'dominator value system' springs forth the stream that starts in our families–men over women, adults over children, and this merges into a river that sets up economic systems that enables a few to reign over the many–rich over poor, white over black, first world over third world countries. Because we are all acculturated to this system before we even know what has happened to us, we all "accept" this domination story as inevitable. Then, we start to play the game–either hoping to be in the 'few that reign over the many' or if we are in the many–get our position as high up as possible. As a result, everyone accepts that 'those below'–those without health insurance, those without food, those without financial resources, those without homes, must accept their lot. This is such a subtle and all pervasive story that no one actually recognizes it–its just the way it is.
And then of course, as the crisis' occur, we rush in to fix it. But unless we change the value system that sets it up in the first place, one solved crisis is at best a temporary fix. Because the value system of domination will continue to be a flowing river of crisis.
Let me give you an example. A friend was sharing about the good efforts a woman from Rwanda was expending to help the 400,000 orphans that are the result of the Tutsi and Hutu civil war (one group's attempt to dominate another). She's fundraising for orphanages and of course, this is important. However, one of the biggest blocks for her was the 'anger' of the locals to these efforts because it required the Hutus and Tutsis to forgive and work together–and that wasn't possible because essentially, their value system reflects the dominator story–and each is trying to dominate the other.
This woman's focus is on the crisis/need for orphanages–but that crisis started way upstream in the dominator value system. As important as it is to deal with this crisis, it will be more important to go way upstream and show people how they've been taught to be part of the dominator story. Because without getting to the root cause, without making visible the dominator story–no matter how successful she is at providing orphanages for these children, eventually there will be more homeless children, more cultural fights as one group works to dominate the other.
It is time to go all the way upstream. We have to look at the 'story' we've all been taught and recognize that that is all it is–a story. We no longer have to perpetuate it, but we can change the value system from domination to caring. If we corrected the value system–the needs of these children–as well as many of the major crisis' we're chasing after year after year would be solved. We have this choice–we can stand at the bottom of the cliff as the roaring crisis river keeps flowing or we can go upstream, change the flow from domination to caring and in doing so, divert the torrential river into manageable streams that stops the crisis altogether.
To start the change, Riane Eisler's book, The Real Wealth of Nations www.rianeeisler.com shows how we can transition the value systems and doing so, create a world that works without constant crisis. www.realwealtheconomy.com
www.realwealtheconomy.com
I'm a Licensed counselor working in OR, but I'm also aligned with Riane Eisler/Real Wealth of Nations...creating a caring economics.
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I'm a Licensed counselor working in OR, but I'm also aligned with Riane Eisler/Real Wealth of Nations...creating a caring economics. |
Partnerism... You're right...they are two sides of the same coin--because they're based in a domination value system. Eisler is proposing "partnerism" which is based in a value system of 'caring' --for humans and the planet. It is a full spectrum economic system (www.partnershipway.org www.realwealtheconomy.com). Reading this book will show us how we can transition the economy into one that works for all of us--humans and the planet. Here are 7 steps toward a Caring economics: 1. Recognize how cultural devaluation of caring and caregiving has negatively affected economic theories, policies and practices. 2. Support the shift from dominator to partnership cultural values and economic and social structures. 3. Change economic indicators to give value to caring and caregiving. 4. Create economic invention that support and reward caring. 5. Expand the economic vocabulary to include caring, teach caring economics in business and economic schools and conduct gender-specific economic research. 6. Educate children and adults about the importance of caring and caregiving. 7. Show gov't and business leaders the benefits of policies that support caring and caregiving and work for their adoption. by
Ann Kramer (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 6 comments)
on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 8:47:34 AM
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FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLES. Read Eckhard Tolle and see it is even more basic than the dominator and dominated. The problem is not systematic in esscence. It is individuals that have a very human characteristic. We all have a little voice in our head that pops in there. It says I want, I am, I do, You cannot, you shouldn't, you better not, ad infinitum. This , for want of a better term, "ego" has taken control over us. We need to fight the greatest battle in our lives to remove this destructive force. We must awake and remember that we all are part of the Universe. We all are one entity. We are our brothers and sisters of every religion and race and creed and culture. Once we make a false decision to discount others desires in vaunting our own isms and selfish miens, we have lost our way back into the garden. (sorry to Crosby, Stills and Nash ((Rambler)). Wolfie must remember that both pedigree and mongrel are all dogs and we each have a right to sit under the table to eat scraps! by
Wolfie (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 355 comments)
on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 10:35:41 AM
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I'm a Licensed counselor working in OR, but I'm also aligned with Riane Eisler/Real Wealth of Nations...creating a caring economics. |
We learn to disconnect.... While a huge fan of Tolle's work....it is important to remember that we humans are equipped with a neurochemistry that gives us pleasure when we care for others, be it for a child, a lover, a friend, or a pet. It is the dominator culture--the lessons we learn as children--that interferes with our biological impulse to care! Learning to live in a caring culture would allow us to reblanace ourselves to our natural biological state. (from The Real Wealth of Nations by Riane Eisler www.partnershipway.org) by
Ann Kramer (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 6 comments)
on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 10:57:06 AM
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Major Royal Australian Infantry (Inactive) RFD, Former Mayor City of Greater Dandenong, CPA, University Lecturer Risk Finance, Wife from Arabic speaking coutry, Former Lecturer Arabic & Islamic culture - Army Reserve Command & Staff College. |
Mutual support As a soldier I was taught to devalue my own life and to promote the interests of the group. As an officer I was taught that mutual support is one of the key principles of war. The thought that other members of our army would provide mutual support meant that I would rarley be left to face lifes challenges on my own. This is win, win. Our current system has devalued win, win and celebrates 'winners' who 'win' by inflicting pain on others. by
kwalsh (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 73 comments)
on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 9:21:28 PM
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I'm a Licensed counselor working in OR, but I'm also aligned with Riane Eisler/Real Wealth of Nations...creating a caring economics. |
War is always win-lose.... The irony of the camaraderie that comes through war--is that it has to come at the expense of others. This camaraderie is an illusion of the dominator story--whereby we train our 'young' in the dominator story (on both sides) and with it the "rightness" of killing to support that story. Ultimately though, the soldiers belong to the "many who are dominated by the few" and thus, once you've done your job, you are expendable. At that point, the "every man for himself" reasserts itself and the group cohesion dissolves. This is upsetting to those who, thinking they were a group working to create a win-win for their "side", discover that a dominator story does not want to maintain these types of caring relationships. by
Ann Kramer (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 6 comments)
on Friday, May 9, 2008 at 10:56:31 AM
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I am a musician, an educator, and a concerned citizen. I don't write bios in the third person. I have yet to give up trying to change the world for the better. |
here is your root cause... by
lee barbour (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 3 comments)
on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 12:11:16 AM
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