Sunday, February 5, 2017

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT


HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

The Core of an Infrastructure of a

Culture of Democracy


Preface

This is a mission in intellectual diplomacy. The ideological systems employed in the world today are obsolete and are no longer safe to operate. Historically, the process of developing and implementing new systems has been effected via violent revolution. Such revolutions are inevitable without proactive leadership which recognizes when a system has become obsolete and no longer safe to operate. Under such crisis/reaction dynamics a system is operated beyond its safe operating parameters and it either implodes or explodes. Revolution ensues followed later by counterrevolution.

This mission in intellectual diplomacy seeks to break this cycle and create a new historical dynamic. However, no diplomatic mission can be accomplished without the credible possibility of large magnitude undesirable consequences as the only other alternative to diplomatic negotiations. It is not necessary for any party to threaten to bring about such consequences because they are inevitable in the current world context if this mission is unsuccessful. The core objective of this mission is maximum sustainable stability for humanity.

GENERAL PLAN
Human Development will be a parent entity which will provide management, planning, and consulting services in the areas of economic development, community development, and the development of a culture of democracy.

Historically, there has been a conceptual separation between economics, community, and politics. Various ideologies view these spheres with varying degrees of separation ranging from total integration to total separation. Both extremes are unreasonable and dysfunctional, yet we have no system designed to facilitate integration and flexibility. The result has been disharmony, disunity, waste, and inefficiency.

Economy, community, and democracy are not incompatible. To the contrary, they are inseparable. One cannot function properly without the other. Neither capitalism nor communism recognize this. Economic democracy does.

Lincoln said that, "democracy is the last best hope of mankind." He also said that a truly free political system requires a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." By the same reasoning, a truly free market requires an economy of the people, by the people, and for the people. Economic democracy puts people first; recognizing that markets exist for people, not vice versa.

Worker ownership and democratic management of companies are essential principles of economic democracy. Corporations of the people, by the people, and for the people will be responsive to the community and all of its concerns -- family, schools, environment. With each worker being an owner and businessperson, the community will likewise be more responsive to business. The smooth integration of economy, community, and democracy can be accomplished. Prosperity, productivity, quality, dignity, and self-realization can all be accomplished.

There will be no more labor vs. management disputes because they will all be members of the same team; a team which will be loyal to its company, its community, and its country; and whose loyalty will be reciprocated. We will not be divided and we will not be conquered. Furthermore, the workplace will foster the creation of a culture of democracy.

Most people spend more time working than doing anything else. We spend most of our lives in thoroughly anti-democratic environments. We go to work 250 out of 365 days each year while we vote only once or twice. With democratic management of corporations we will practice democracy at least 250 days each year. With a huge barrier to democracy removed, there will be a synergistic effect on the culture of democracy.

While democratic corporations will be necessary for the development of a culture of democracy, it will not be sufficient. A culture of democracy will require an infrastructure of democracy. This infrastructure will serve community organizations, small businesses, and individual citizens. It will facilitate empowerment, communication, congregation, coordination, and networking. Additionally, resource economization, minimization of duplication, and management of resources -- human, material, and information -- will be functions of the infrastructure of democracy.


The General Plan will be implemented in three phases:

PHASE I
Human Development
Community Development


PHASE II
NEXUS Communications Center (NEXUS)
Free Enterprise Staff Management (FESM)
Citizen Empowerment Resource Center (CERC)


PHASE III
Freedom School
Community Corps
Democracy University
United Students of America

(For organizational abstracts see Appendix B.)


PHASE I

Human Development will be formed first and will then form the first Community Development corporation. Community Development will establish the first Phase II core group. Human Development will continue forming Community Development corporations which will each establish Phase II core groups in their locales. Concurrently, Human Development will begin work on Phase III in coordination with the various Community Development corporations, and anticipate additional needs as may occur. Human Development and Community Development corporations will have similar structures and functions.


PHASE II

Community Development corporations will work with Phase II core groups. All four entities should share facilities with adequate capacity for expansion. Efficiency and economy are paramount. NEXUS will require retail/storefront space as well as abundant office space for clients. FESM will be a client of NEXUS for space and services. NEXUS will be a client of FESM for human resources. CERC will be a client of NEXUS and FESM. Community Development will be a client of NEXUS and FESM. Ideally, retail space and office space will be maximized to accommodate other traditional, independent businesses and to provide additional revenue.


PHASE III


United Students of America will enable students to assert their views and participate in their schools and communities as full citizens. Students possess an enormous amount of political capital which is blatantly abused and mismanaged by school administrators and public policymakers. Freedom School will supplement public schools. To reform the public schools to include the Freedom School cirriculum would require too much time to wait. And it is questionable whether it could happen at all under present circumstances. Freedom School would teach speed-reading, applied mathematics, practical economics, and democracy. All the basics required for personal, economic, and political freedom. Recruiting is underway for the Community Corps and the first class will enter Democracy University.



APPENDIX A

Mission Statement

MISSION
  • Promote democracy.


VISION
  • A culture of democracy.
  • A culture in which true civilization exists.
  • A civilization in which the people have the ability to build and maintain an infrastructure of democracy which will, in turn, enable the people to build and maintain community.
  • A civilization in which the government, politics, economics, society, community, family, and values are of the people, by the people, and for the people.


PRINCIPLES
  • Democracy
  • Justice
  • Harmony


GOALS
  • Government of, by, and for the people.
  • Markets of, by, and for the people.
  • Communities of, by, and for the people.
  • Schools of, by, and for the people.


APPENDIX B

Organizational Abstracts

Human Development

  • Developing democracy, business, and community of humanity, by humanity, and for humanity.

  • Project Management
Planning and Coordination
  • Planning
Business, Financial, Marketing
  • Communications
  • Public Relations and Media Relations
  • Conduct Research and Prepare Publications
  • Conduct Surveys and Focus Groups
  • Meeting Facilitation and Mediation
  • Event Coordination and Promotion
  • List Management, Mailings, and Fundraising
  • Consulting
  • General Management
  • Organizational Renewal
  • Human Resources
  • Total Quality Management
  • Total Customer Service

  • INITIAL PROJECTS/CLIENTS
  • Community Development corporations
  • Free Enterprise Staff Management
  • NEXUS Communications Center
  • Citizen Empowerment Resource Center
  • Freedom Schools
  • Community Corps
  • Democracy University
  • United Students of America

Employee-owned and democratically-managed.
Staffed by FESM.
Located at NEXUS Communications Center.


Free Enterprise Staff Management (FESM)

  • staff leasing firm
  • temporary staff (short and long-term)
  • entrepreneurial opportunity and dignity for workers
  • economic efficiency: no duplication of costly bureaucracy
  • small business owner can focus on marketing and Total Customer Service.

Employee-owned and democratically-managed.
Located at NEXUS Communications Center.


NEXUS Communications Center

  • modeled on Mailboxes, etc., POSTNET, Kinko’s Copies, etc.
mail boxes, shipping services, copies, faxes, office supplies, etc.
  • network of services
direct mail, lawyers, paralegals, DocuPro (legal documents), accountants, bookkeepers, facilitators, mediators, computer professionals, FESM, couriers, project management, business planning, management consulting, etc.
  • executive suites, office space, meeting rooms, etc.
  • equipment rental
audio/video presentation equipment, computers, office equipment, etc.
  • Community incubator
space for networking and spontaneous conversations, facilitation of communication between groups, individuals, and businesses.
  • Business incubator

Employee-owned and democratically-managed.
Staffed by FESM.


Citizen Empowerment Resource Center (CERC)

  • clearing house for information
  • incubator for community groups
  • TimeDollar Bank (Barter Bank)
  • resource network/inventory
  • shared equipment and facilities
  • shared staff and services
scheduling, planning, fundraising, volunteer management, data entry, mailings, list management, coordinated purchasing, event/media management

Employee-owned and democratically-managed.
Staffed by FESM.
Located at NEXUS Communications Center.


Democracy University

  • education for creation of a culture of democracy, for building and maintaining the infrastructure of democracy, and for building and maintaining community
  • 4-year accredited institution Degree program: B. A. Democracy (possibly others eventually)
  • liberal arts base cirriculum
  • democracy skills
  • community building skills
  • entrepreneurial development skills

Community Corps

  • Trained and educated troops to rebuild America (its economy, its community, its democracy)
  • Recruiting would emphasize the poverty draft focusing on disadvantaged youth from both urban and rural areas
  • Training and education would emphasize teambuilding and the latest innovations in team-oriented, learning organizations
  • Groups would commit to a certain area and recruit citizen leaders to whom they would teach the skills they have learned
  • Citizen leaders would, in turn, recruit new leadership for future development

Employee-owned and democratically-managed.
Staffed by FESM.
Located at NEXUS Communications Center.

Freedom School

  • Supplemental education for pre-K, K-12, 12+ (supplements public education)
  • Speed-reading, practical mathematics, practical economics, practical computing, and democracy
  • All the basics required for personal, economic, and political freedom
  • Skills for the 21st Century
  • Skills to take back our democracy and regain our competitive edge

Employee-owned and democratically-managed.
Staffed by FESM.
Located at NEXUS Communications Center.


United Students of America


  • enable students to assert their views and participate in their schools and communities as full citizens
  • Students possess an enormous amount of political capital which is blatantly abused and mismanaged by school administrators and public policymakers
  • Empower students to make better choices about their education and their futures so that they can become captains of their own fates

Student-owned and operated independent organization.
Staffed by FESM. (HOPEFULLY)
Located at NEXUS Communications Center. (HOPEFULLY)