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)
