A Very Different World
And so, as the current global order is being re-structured (Unity in Practice), for a variety of mainly negative reasons, people will want to introduce, for those which are mostly positive, 'A More Advanced Society.'
In particular, once the enhanced perspective that 'there is only one of us here’, i.e. ‘One Self', enters ‘The Collective Consciousness’, it will become generally accepted that ‘Self-Control’, the organisation of our own affairs by and for ourselves without recourse to hierarchy and domination, is the next logical step forward, politically, in our evolution.
For, in the light of this more complete worldview, how can there be any permanent 'bosses and bossed, preachers and preached, leaders and led'? How can there be any permanent rulers and ruled, ‘them-and-us', when 'We Are All One’?
RE-CREATING THE COMMUNITY
A New Social Framework
But History has shown, e.g. in France (1789), Russia (1921), Spain (1939) and, more recently, 'The Arab Spring', that, for such 'a cultural metamorphosis' to succeed (and not just become a rebellion), it will require the physical construction of 'A New Social Framework' within which the following 'amendments to society' might be introduced for its effective functioning.
A Community Centre
Further to the devolution of power from the centre to the regions, which is already taking place in this country and elsewhere (and, therefore, needs to be encouraged and extended), a major undertaking of ‘A One World Transition Party’, once in office everywhere, will be to introduce, in suitable places throughout the land, administrative ‘Community Centres’, each of which would be equipped with all of the necessary means and resources for carrying out the process of ‘Self-Governance.’
Thus, over a period of time, called ‘The Transformation’, all of the tasks and responsibilities of 'imposed control' could be gradually and carefully transferred to these decentralised 'Hubs of Self-Rule' (which would then be seen as the basic building blocks in the construction of this more mature and enlightened system.)
Its Catchment Area
Next, the ‘Catchment Area’ of each ‘Self-Managed, Intentional Community’ (SMIC) would be defined. In addition to the central area, probably containing distribution outlets and services of various kinds, this would consist of its ‘answerable-to-it, designated zones’ and residential districts.
The former would comprise all those areas of agriculture, industry, commerce, academia, research, country mansions, rural expanses and wild landscapes, etc., falling within the boundaries of these new forms of social organisation.
And the latter would be defined by grouping the houses where people live into ‘Sets (of Neighbours)’, ‘Demes’ and ‘Parishes’, working outwards from ‘The Community Centre’ and basing each of these groupings on and around the number seven, on average.
(The figure seven is being used here because this number seems to represent the optimum size for small group, face-to-face discussion. And a limit of three stages from the individual to ‘The Community Centre’ is being proposed because such an arrangement would keep this system personal and familiar.)
Hence, each ‘Set’ might consist of between 4 and 10 adjacent houses/neighbours, each ‘Deme’ of between 4 and 10 ‘Sets’, each ‘Parish’ of between 4 and 10 ‘Demes’ and each ‘Community’ of between 4 and 10 ‘Parishes.’ (Diagram 2)
(NB. It may be necessary to adapt this configuration, as these ‘SMICs’ grow or shrink towards their max/min size. The delineation, therefore, of each section of the ‘Catchment Area’ would remain flexible.)
Thus, ‘The Community’, under these new arrangements, could never become too big, as happens to many human settlements in today’s congested, densely populated, mainly urban locations which are allowed to expand enormously for such cancerous growth would be prevented by these numerical guidelines.
Community Ownership
Then, a major change to ‘The Rules of Life’ would be implemented for, when the time is felt right, the ownership of everything falling within ‘Its Catchment Area’ would be transferred to ‘The Community’ and registered at 'Its Centre.’
Accordingly, all parcels of land and any present or future buildings thereon, including all homes, schools, shops, retail outlets, workshops, offices, medical services, hospitals, parks and open spaces, etc., as well as roads, railways, canals, mains services and adjoining ‘designated zones’, would belong to all of the people who live there, i.e. its members, to whom they would now become accountable. (See 'G.O.D Talk' on: website under construction)
Moreover, within this new system, the principle of ‘Stewardship’ would be applied whereby, should anybody be found incapable of looking after anything or anybody entrusted to their care, they would be gently relieved of this task, the reasons for which would be carefully explained to them by the membership of each 'SMIC.'
Beneficial Outcomes
And so, this radical adjustment would get rid of the present laws of conveyancing (along with the stress often associated with the process of buying and selling) and society would become happier and more secure because, inter alia, it will no longer be affected by the fear of eviction or the distortions caused by inheritance. (Implementation)
But rest assured. While this adaptation is being introduced, nobody is going to be thrown out of the place which they currently inhabit or occupy. Indeed, when any land or building becomes vacant, it will be for each 'SMIC' to decide, using the participative methods of democracy outlined below, who will be the new inhabitant/occupier.
Every member, therefore, will gain because they will now jointly own the whole of their ‘Community’, including its ‘accountable, designated zones’, for which they would all be responsible. Consequently, the use to which any land, belonging to ‘The Community’, is put, would become subject to the members’ approval and control (thereby ensuring, for example, that there will be no more empty buildings left to decay or factories polluting the environment.)
And all of its residents would begin to experience that ‘sense of belonging’ which is so lacking in today’s alienating and divided world and which can result in the emergence of negative and harmful outcomes, such as gangs and/or loneliness.
Community Finances
In the meantime, any ‘surplus profits’ created by its economic enterprises, now organised on a democratic and collective basis, operating within its ‘Catchment Area’, including its ‘designated zones’, and an agreed percentage of each member’s income could be passed over to each 'SMIC', in place of all current taxation, to be used as and how its members think fit.
And any funds left over would be sent to and shared amongst those who are in need (just as happens in nature, e.g. in the strawberry patch.)
Each ‘SMIC’, therefore, would have its own ‘Bank’ which would eventually be interconnected with all others and in which every financial transaction would be conducted in an atmosphere of complete visibility and transparency - eventually using a single, one-world-transition (OWT) currency.
Consequently, selfish and greedy individualism and making a profit at any cost would disappear, while the current huge disparity between the extremely rich and the rest of the world’s population would automatically evaporate, as the life-blood of this system is drained away and it becomes extinct.
Yet, it should be noticed, a difference between the top and the bottom of the pay scale might still exist but it would be much less. (However, in such an enlightened civilisation, the value of work done will be redefined. Thus, certain types of employment, such as refuse collection and caring for others, may well receive a greater reward than they do today, while for others, such as sports stars and entertainers, their remuneration could become less generous.)
But, of course, these measures will no longer be necessary, once 'a world of free access', in which money has been abolished, is eventually and voluntarily introduced, as we all become 'more evolved' and adopt very different values and attitudes. ( Book List 4, Mullin, D., The Failing Logic of Money.)
Direct Democracy
Then, as each ‘SMIC’ begins to establish itself, with its Community Centre, Catchment Area and Community Ownership/Stewardship/Caression in place, Deme Houses and Parish Halls could be provided, by converting existing buildings or constructing them from new, within each Deme and Parish in order to enable the operation of a system of ‘Direct Democracy.’
Accordingly, meetings could be held, by turn and on a regular basis, in the home of each member of a Set (of Neighbours) and, then, by a process of delegation, at the Deme House, Parish Hall and Community Centre, thereby enabling everybody who lives within each 'SMIC' to participate in making decisions on matters affecting them and their neighbours - locally, regionally and globally. (Diagram 3)
Of course, larger meetings for the presentation of affairs which initially require a more general airing and discussion could take place in the Parish Hall or Community Centre, as and when required.
In addition, the Deme House might also be used for storing useful, shared, community-owned, made-to-last, easily-repaired items, such as office and do-it-yourself equipment and the Parish Hall for holding group activities, such as sports clubs and live performances (thereby enabling power and wealth to be literally shared in practice!)
Regional Networks
Thus, 'SMICs', acting like anti-bodies to the cancerous growths of this globalised system, such as remote and distant bureaucracies, mega-corporations and huge conurbations, would begin to appear everywhere.
But, of course, these individual cells in the body politic would not stand in isolation from one another. Over a period of time (called 'The Transformation'), they would become interconnected via Coordinating Offices into ‘District and Regional Networks’ which themselves would become horizontally linked to one another within each land mass or continent and eventually throughout the world. (Diagram 4 and Diagram 5)
However, it should be noted, these Coordinating Offices would not have any decision-making powers. They would exist solely for administrative purposes, i.e. to implement the decisions made by each 'SMIC' in conjunction with their neighbours, using the methods of participative democracy, outlined above. (See: Book Excerpts 1 on: website under construction)
An Elevated Civilisation
And so, out of the existing landscape, a new social framework would begin to emerge in which every aspect of human existence - such as the production of food and the manufacture of goods; the service industries, distributive trades and commerce; all means of transport, both near and far; information, communications and technology; the provision of essential services, e.g. water, energy and refuse disposal; health, welfare and the social services; education, training, research and development; recreation, leisure and entertainment; the care of those with special needs; retirement and the role of the elderly; law, order and ‘defence’ - could be organized more satisfactorily than at present under chasing-the-dollar-at-any-price conditions (examples of which are given on: A Possible Future)
[NB. A constructive way, perhaps, of kick-starting this new system, after some initial experimentation has taken place (see: Implementation), might well be to circulate every household with the business agenda of all local and central authorities so that every household could then discuss these matters in small groups, i.e. Sets (of Neighbours), Demes and Parishes, and relay their opinion back to them, thereby initiating the geographical outline of each Community (Diagrams 2 and 3.)
Such initial meetings need not occur too frequent initially (say, 3/4 times a year, leading, maybe, to once a month.) At the very least, it will enable the public to get used to this direct, participative method of organising human affairs; at the very most, it will get them used to this New Social Framework.