Opening Insights: The Art of Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude, for what we have and for the opportunities that lie in front of us. Opportunities hold the grace, so we can observe our choices and make decisions about ourselves, those we love, mankind and civilization.
Informational Insights: Dinner and a Show for the Ages
At last night’s Thanksgiving Dinner, the topic of philanthropy came up. Our founder, Dr. Richard Jorgensen, took a position on the topic and suggested we examine: not just what philanthropy can do for civilization, but what civilization can do for philanthropy. He spoke of the necessity of bilateral sharing of responsibility that needs to occur between civilization and philanthropy. When asked to explain, he shared:
We must always keep in mind that a civilization’s task is to grow and evolve to become independent in its commitments. What does this mean?
We need to ask the question does philanthropy feed or seed? Is the job of philanthropy to feed or to seed? Do we inspire or create entitlement?
Our role in the world of Corporate Social Responsibility is not one of money, but of strategy and the application of money. Our goal is to make existing organizations work more effectively and create organizations that are a growth on capital not a drain on capital.
For any transaction to be effective, we need to get 2 bangs for the buck:
- Get the job/task done, AND
- Have a social benefit that goes beyond the task.
The social benefit must leave a residue like that of a plant. A plant breathes in CO2 to grow and survive, to photosynthesize with the sun, to create nutrients and leave behind, breathe out O2 to nurture and give back to the world. Plants do this naturally by design. This is the same model that we must mimic, if we are to be the caretakers of civilization.
This represents not only the magnitude of the opportunity, but rather the magnitude of the responsibility.
Dr. Jorgensen continued to discuss civilization and the necessity for humanity to find value in those who came before, and those that are present today, so we may learn from the past, rather than repeat it.
Civilizations are made up of sub-societies. We need to go beyond looking at things from a societal viewpoint. As a species, we need to go beyond thinking just of ourselves or others. We too, must think in terms of civilization... the future of the human species.
When we look at history we see evidence of the rise and falls of many great civilizations like the Greeks, Romans, etc. Each civilization that fell took with it valuable insight and wisdom. How many civilizations have fallen on planet earth and their insight and wisdom is lost forever?
Possibilities for Consideration: Plant a Seed, Grow a Garden?
- What if philanthropy could plant the seeds of tomorrow, today?
- What if philanthropy could ensure deliverable, measurable and evidence-based humanitarian solutions?
- What if philanthropy seeding could work with businesses, organizations, schools and communities to create the symbiotic shared relationship needed for our civilization to stop trying to survive and start collaborating, cohabiting and LIVING?
Philanthropy seeding within the structured Co-Lab environment creates three dimensions needed for any project to become viral:
- Self-Funding (by Private Donations)
- Self-Perpetuating (Attraction Based on Proven Success)
- Self-Regulating (Resulting in Active Membership Contribution)
This process allows philanthropic resources to be guided and to deliver in-real-time / on-demand research data. Sentiment and sentience data analysis drives sustainability, progress and advancements to continue to grow and nurture the seeds of self-funding, self-perpetuation and self-regulation.
Add Your Insights: The Power of We
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
MAIMONIDES
Deep down we are all philanthropists of life. Deep down we all care about ourselves, one another, our civilization and world. In light of this comes the words of Dr. Jorgensen, “We must look at philanthropy, not to feed us as children, but to seed us with enough fuel to start an idea and teach us how to grow to become strong and independent.”
To support his vision, Dr. Jorgensen developed AwareComm’s Collaboration Laboratories (Co-Labs™). Co-Labs are app-based Collaboration eFabrics that wrap around, and are woven through, the traditional structure of organizations. Co-Labs empower individuals with the tools to learn how to fish and how to plant their own seeds of insight and wisdom – as followers and leaders, but ultimately, as unified human beings – to support our collective freedom and common good.