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A

About making a difference

Related Words: difference,positive difference,having impact,having positive impact,personal impact,contribution,making contribution,positive influence,meaning
Making a difference is a popular expression used by people to describe how they want to make a POSITIVE difference in the world, in some way. Naturally, we are all making a difference since we leave our footprints as living people and cannot help but to have impact on the people with whom we associate, our environment, our community, etc. Much of the difference we make is negative, however, such as carbon footprints and other ways of taking from nature or other people across the world. Most people yearn to contribute something meaningful and positive with long-term payoffs for the rest of the world. Being a positive influence on our loved ones, our communities, our countries and our world is a way of making a difference. Meaning is personal and we are all called to "make our difference" in different ways. This starts with our personal stands for whatever grabs our passion, and leads to their Personal Declarations for Action (PDA).

Adoption

Related Words: Personal declarations of action,PDAs,adopt,take on,commit,commitment
In the context of the Declaration, adoption is commiting to the Personal Declarations for Action (PDAs) posted by others as if it is one's own, as if you adopted someone else's child. It also includes asking others to take on your own PDA, and adopt yours as their own. Through this collaborative adoption process more power is coalesced for each and all adopted PDAs.

C

Citizen

Related Words: citizenship,responsibility,community
A citizen in the context of the Declaration means to be a responsible member of the global community of human beings on this earth. It implies working toward bettering this community without compromise to one's national or state citizenship. Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, the 1776 primer for the modern democracy movement, writes "My country is the world. My countrymen are mankind." One of the clearest definitions of citizen that matches the Declaration in intent, scope and meaning is described my U.S. consultant-author Peter Block in his 2008 book Community: The Structure of Belonging. In Chapter Six, Block writes about what it means to be a citizen: Choosing to be accountable for the whole creating a context of hospitality and collective possibility acting to bring the gifts of those on the margin into the center - these are some of the ways we begin to create a community of citizens. To reclaim our citizenship is to be accountable, and this comes from the inversion of what is cause and what is effect. When we are open to thinking along the lines that citizens create leaders, that children create parents, and that the audience creates the performance we create the conditions for widespread accountability and the commitment that emerges from it. This inversion may not be the whole truth, but it is useful. Next Block looks at the meaning of citizenship in a democracy: The conventional definition of citizenship is concerned with the act of voting and taking a vow to uphold the constitution and laws of a country. This is narrow and limiting. Too many organizations that are committed to sustaining democracy in the world and at home have this constrained view of citizenship. Citizenship is not about voting, or even about having a vote. To construe the essence of citizenship primarily as the right to vote reduces its power� as if voting ensures a democracy�.the right to vote I does not guarantee a civil society�. When we think of citizens as just voters, we reduce them to being consumers of elected officials and leaders. We see this most vividly at election time, when candidates become products, issues become the message, and the campaign is a marketing and distribution system for the selling of the candidate.

Commitment

Related Words: promise,commit,responsibility,personal
Commitment in the context of the Declaration is your personal promise to do your best to bring about whatever you are stating in your Personal Declaration for Action, the promise for the world which you posted when you signed the Declaration. The dictionary says commitment is "an agreement or pledge to do something in the future." (see also "word") �Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.� � W.H. Murray, Leader of the Scottish Himalayan Expedition in the 1950s.

Communication social change

Related Words: Change,social change,communication,improvement,civil society,human race,humanity,global change,communication for social change,communication global change,dialogue
The Communication for Social Change Consortium defines the meaning thus: �a process of public and private dialogue through which people themselves define who they are, what they need and how to get what they need in order to improve their own lives. It utilizes dialogue that leads to collective problem identification, decision making and community-based implementation of solutions to development issues.� The Declaration is a means of bringing together large numbers of self-aware, well meaning people around the world exercising responsible global citizenship. These signers may then interact and communicate among themselves, supporting one another�s commitments

Corporate responsibility

Related Words: CSR,corporate social responsibility,sustainable business,triple bottom line,stakeholders,green,green business
Corporate responsibility, sometimes called corporate social responsibility or "CSR", is the movement for organizations to operate in such a way as to have minimum negative impact on the natural environment. Many proponents refer to this as minimizing the "ecological footprint" of the enterprise. Many additional advocates of corporate responsibility include the manner in which employees are treated, empowering them as stakeholders rather than exploiting them. Also referred to as "green" or "sustainable" business, corporations are being encouraged to adopt a "triple bottom line" approach, expanding from focusing solely on the financial bottom line (profits) and including the well being of their employees and their communities as two additional groups of stakeholders in addition to shareholders.

Corporate social responsibility

Related Words: CSR,corporate responsibility,sustainable business,triple bottom line,stakeholders,green,green business
Corporate social responsibility, sometimes called corporate responsibility or "CSR", is the movement for organizations to operate in such a way as to have minimum negative impact on the natural environment. Many proponents refer to this as minimizing the "ecological footprint" of the enterprise. Many additional advocates of corporate social responsibility include the manner in which employees are treated, empowering them as stakeholders rather than exploiting them. Also referred to as "green" or "sustainable" business, corporations are being encouraged to adopt a "triple bottom line" approach, expanding from focusing solely on the financial bottom line (profits) and including the well being of their employees and their communities as two additional groups of stakeholders in addition to shareholders.

Covenant

Related Words: sacred promise,solemn contract,binding agreement,sworn oath,relgious
The dictionary states the definition as "a usually solemn and binding agreement." Many consider covenants as 'sacred promises." Wikipedia states "a covenant, in contrast [to a contract], is a one-way agreement whereby the covenanter is the only party bound by the promise. In a spiritual context, a covenant is considered sacred, similar to a sworn oath, and is referenced in many of the religious text of Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

D

Declaration

Related Words: Personal declaration for action
A statement or written document which uses explicit and or powerful language to create a new commitment in the world that can be adopted by one or many people. A declaration is a statement of intent and does not require evidentiary proof as it is a call to action that did not exist prior to its communication.

E

Earth citizen

Related Words: global citizen,citizenship,global citizenship,earth citizenship
Earth citizens (also known as "global citizens") are people who think globally even though they are also citizens of a country. With people in the world becoming so interconnected there is a greater need for more people to think in terms of what's best for the entire world in addition to what's best for one's nation. Earth citizens are not abandoning their nationalities or foregoing their citizenship in their home countries. They are expanding their sense of citizenry to include the entire planet. See also "citizen" and "citizenship." Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense in the 1770s, is often referred to as the father of modern democracy. He wrote: "My country is the world. My countrymen are mankind."

G

Global citizen

Related Words: earth citizen,citizen of the world,mankind,humankind,citizenship,global citizenship
Global citizens (also known as "Earth citizens") are people who think globally even though they are also citizens of a country. With people in the world becoming so interconnected there is a greater need for more people to think in terms of what's best for the entire world in addition to what's best for one's nation. Global citizens are not abandoning their nationalities or foregoing their citizenship in their home countries. They are expanding their sense of citizenry to include the entire planet. See also "citizen" and "citizenship." Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense in the 1770s, is often referred to as the father of modern democracy. He wrote: "My country is the world. My countrymen are mankind."

Global transformation

Related Words: Change,transformation,social transformation,humankind,system change,large scale system change,new paradigm,paradign shift,transformed humanity,sustainable,just,conscious
Global transformation in the context of the Declaration is for enough people in the world to take on worldviews that include sustainable development, business and relationships allowing for human beings and nature to be in harmony, recognizing our interconnectedness with all things. This transformation would transcend the predominance of the established worldview which is based on separateness, short-term thinking on most matters, exploitation of nature and resources, and scarcity. This would be primarily a cultural transformation which, once it starts to occur, human-made systems such as law, education, science and others will be changed so they are consistent with the new cultural paradigm. Structure changes will follow the culture change. Many belief and that current path of global society is unsustainable in all facets, not simply environmental but in all human endeavors. It is this view of the future which leads people to conclude transformation at the global level is essential. Czech President Vaclav Havel expressed it this way: "Without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness, nothing will change for the better in the sphere of our being as humans, and the catastrophe toward which this world is headed - be it ecological, social, demographic or a general breakdown - will be unavoidable."

I

Integrity

Related Words: honesty,integral,integrous,walking the talk, keeping agreements
Integrity is a key factor for the Declaration having any real impact in the world. So let�s make sure we all agree on what we mean by integrity. Webster�s New World Dictionary defines integrity as �1. the quality or state of being complete; unbroken condition; wholeness; entirety; 2. the quality of state of being unimpaired; perfect condition; soundness; 3. the quality or state of being sound moral principle; uprightness; honesty and sincerity.� The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states: �What is it to be a person of integrity? Ordinary discourse about integrity involves two fundamental intuitions: first, that integrity is primarily a formal relation one has to oneself, or between parts or aspects of one�s self; and second, that integrity is connected in an important way to acting morally, in other words, there are some substantive or normative constraints ion what it is to act with integrity. How these two intuitions can be incorporated into a consistent theory of integrity is not obvious, and most accounts of integrity tend to focus on one of these intuitions to the detriment of the other.� A Harvard Research Paper states �Integrity is the state or condition of being whole, complete, unbroken, sound, perfect condition. For a person, add integrity is a matter of that person�s word, which includes what is said by action and behavior.� The Declaration relies on signers� words, the stands represented by those who�ve joined as signers. Those who sign the Declaration agree to hold themselves accountable to abide by its tenets and to stand for their Personal Declarations of Action � their word. Archimedes said, �Give me a place to stand, and I�ll move the world.� When a stand is taken it inspires everyone. It elevates the quality of the dialogue and engenders integrity, alignment, and deep trust. Taking a stand brings forth new paradigms and shifts the course of history. Thus, the integrity of the Declaration is as good as the stands of the signers. Without the signers� word � and aligned action - the Declaration has no integrity. If signers merely add their Personal Declarations of Action with no intent or commitment to act on them, if they merely post something that sounds good with no intent to stand for that Declaration, the integrity of the Declaration and all the other signers is compromised. The Declaration - and the additional promises for the world added by the signers - is an example of how individuals can come together to change the world, to achieve together what cannot be achieved individually.

Interdependence

Related Words: relying on one another,dependent yet separate,mutually dependent,partnering,federation,union,interconnected
Interdependence is a fitting principle behind neo.org. We are all separate beings yet we are related and interconnected at the same time. We have come to a stage in our evolution where we must cooperate or perish, live and work collaboratively or start down the road of extinction. Five members of the David Suzuki Foundation team wrote the Declaration of Interdependence in 1992 for the United Nations' Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. In 2001, Finnish composer Pehr Henrik Nordgren wrote his Symphony no. 6 "Interdependence" based on the declaration, which also served as lyrics to the piece. It was performed for the first time in Sendai, Japan in December, 2001. Here's the document.

M

Making a difference

N

Neo

Related Words: declaration, personal declaration for action
Simply speaking Neo refers to something new particularly something that someone has not personally said before such as declarations and promises that are based in generative language that does not merely describe the world or the person state of being, that instead creates a new commitment to taking actions and or enrolling others in taking actions to make a better world for all.

P

Paradigm

Related Words: change,whole system change,belief systems,tradition
Mirriam-Webster defines paradigm thusly: "a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws and generalization and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind." Much too wordy. Paradigms aren't usually apparent since they serve to provide the context of things we take for granted every day. They are assumed to simply be the truth, not a "framework" and they don't usually become apparent to the average person until that framework is challenged or when a pending paradigm change is about to occur. Examples of paradigms changing include the Copernican Revolution when the truth was the Earth was the center of the universe and the Sun revolved around it. Copernicus discovered that was false and it took a couple of centuries for that paradigm, that set of assumptions about the truth, for his discovery to become the new truth. Another example is the fall of the Berlin Wall, when days before it was unthinkable to attack the boundary between East and West. The the legitimacy for that kind of thinking evaporated from the culture and down came the wall. A old paradigm had people believing the earth was flat until enough people started realizing it was a sphere. The change in thinking took over 2,000 years but it did change! Modern paradigm changes in the works today include business shifting from an exploitive relationship with Nature to one that is more eco-friendly. The widespread loss of legitimacy for driving while intoxicated in the U.S. thanks to MADD (Mothers Against Drnk Driving)'s activities in raising awareness. The Declaration is part of a paradigm change that might be described as shifting from a popular attitude of "leave the future to the experts" or "leave the future to world leaders" to individuals taking personal responsibility for the future of humankind.

Personal declaration for action

Related Words: declaration, pda,commitments,statements of commitment
A Personal Declaration for Action is a statement of what you are committed to doing in to make a better world for yourself and everyone else that other people can take up or adopt and support you in. Sometimes referred to as "PDA" these statements of commitment can be modified, expanded or changed any time by the people who created them.

Personal empowerment

Related Words: Empower,empowerment,consciousness,consciousness raising,awareness,human consciousness,empowering,self-actualization
Merriam-Webster defines empower as �giving authority to� or �to promote the self-actualization� of oneself or others. Personal empowerment allows one to stretch beyond their existing limitations whether they be their self-esteem, self-confidence or other personality traits that may curtail one�s ability to be maximally effective at having impact in the world. Empowerment allows people who have been marginalized or subjugated in some way by society to obtain opportunities they would not otherwise have available. Often, the term empowerment suggests one person or organization does something that empowers someone else. This is commonly referenced, for instance, in the field of Human Resources (HR). However, people can empower themselves though their own efforts (reading self help books, attending self-esteem workshops, psychotherapy, etc.). This weans the individual from relying on someone or something external to make them feel more powerful and effective in the world. The Declaration calls for people to empower themselves and transcend any personal limitations in their worldviews, beliefs and prior condition thus committing themselves to bold and audacious objectives for the betterment of the world. The Declaration provides a structure for this to occur.

R

Reframe

Related Words: recontextualize,to think through a different lens or paradigm,seeing things differently,alternative mindset or worldview
Popularized by Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioners, the term "reframe" has also come into vogue inn recent years to describe a new way of thinking about a subject. Political strategists use it to "spin" and manipulate their constituents so they agree with their points of view. In the context of the declaration, collective reframing may be needed for people of the world to start seeing themselves as the responsible partries for the state of the world and not elected officials or "someone else" outside of themselves. Individual responsibility for the whole is, after all, a new idea. Reframing can be challenging if one is very attached to or very used to thinking one certain way. Those experienced in reframing report it does get easier as experience in reframing is accumulated. Another way to describe reframing is thinking from a different paradigm or hold thoughts in a different context. UC Berkeley linguist George Lakoff says, "Reframing is rethinking, sometimes a conceptual overhaul....Reframing is reconceptualizing � using your mind in a different way." Lakoff, a self-declared liberal/progressive, shares the following example of reframing in a blog on the Rockridge Institute's progressive blog: "For example, the conservatives successfully reconceptualized taxes. Taxes were understood up to the late 70�s as what you pay to live in a civilized society and get services that most individuals cannot afford. Conservatives reconceptualized taxes as useless burdens, afflictions placed on us by an inefficient, immoral, and bloated government � afflictions requiring �relief.� So-called 'tax relief' is a short, memorable phrase that evokes the new set of ideas about taxes. But don�t confuse the slogan with the underlying ideas."

Responsibility

Related Words: accountability,accountable,word,promise,commitment
Mirriam-Webster says responsibility is "moral, legal and mental accountability." In the context of the Declaration, we're addressing personal responsibility on two levels: responsibility as a citizen of the world, a global citizen enjoying the benefits of being a human being and responsibility for your word, your commitment to your promise for action, your commitment as expressed in your promise or Personal Declaration for Action (PDA). "Be true to your work, your word, and your friend." - Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) "Your word is your bond." - Melvyn Douglas

S

Social impact

Related Words: Society,social,having impact,having social impact,positive impact,making a difference,having a positive effect on society,making a contribution,change,social change,social transformation,global transformation
Social impact is defined by Wikipedia as �In business and government policy, social impact refers to how the organization's actions affect the surrounding community.� In the context of the Declaration, it is intended to mean a noticeable improvement in the way society functions. Unless declarations or commitments result in positive influence on society it is empty rhetoric. Having social impact has meaning when there is also commitment to action so work is implemented that improves the conditions in the world, local communities or whole regions. Not all social impact is done through organizations such as the UN or NGOs or national governments. Much positive change comes about from one individual taking a stand, such as the Nobel Prize winner who started a global movement to eliminate land mines or the U.S. mother who started a campaign that made it socially unacceptable to drive while intoxicated. American anthropologist Margaret Mead said it nicely: �Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.�

Social justice

Related Words: civil society,just,right,justice,human rights
According to Wikipedia, "There are a number of movements that are working to achieve social justice in society. These movements are working towards the realization of a world where all members of a society, regardless of background, have basic human rights and an equal opportunity to access the benefits of their society." The social justice movement is aligned with the U.N.'s Commission on Human Rights and its Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Spaceship Earth

Related Words: Bucky Fuller, Buckminister Fuller,geodesic
"Spaceship Earth" is a term coined by the late visionary inventor Buckminister Fuller to describe a philosophy for human beings to think of themselves as crew members in a spaceship rather than passengers in an airliner. This implies individual responsibility for everyone in the spaceship as well as recognizing the vulnerability of being self contained so everyone's well being is linked to everybody else's. Fuller is perhaps best known for inventing the geodesic dome, the most highly visible example being Epcot's Spaceship Earth geosphere at Disney World in Florida.

Stand

Related Words: commitment,agreement,stand-takers,intention,intentionality,promise
From Getting to the Better Future, by John Renesch: One of the people I most admire in the world is a woman named Lynne Twist. Lynne is a living example of someone who has clearly taken her stand in the world. She is a founding executive for The Hunger Project and serves on several boards, including the Institute of Noetic Sciences, the Fetzer Institute and the State of the World Forum - an annual event originated by the Gorbachev Foundation in 1995. In a 1999 article for Yes! A Journal of Positive Futures, she writes about the power of taking a stand: Over two thousand years ago, the mathematician Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand, and I'll move the world." Taking a stand is a way of living and being that draws on a place within yourself that is at the very heart of who you are. When you take a stand, you find your place in the universe, and you have the capacity to move the world. What a powerful statement! So, let that sink in for a moment. Lynne goes on to say, "Stand-takers have lived in every era of history. Many of them never held public office, but they changed history through the sheer power, integrity, and authenticity of who they became as a result of the stand they took�.When you have taken a stand with your life, you see the world as the remarkable, unlimited, boundless possibility that it is. And people see themselves through your eyes in new ways; they become more authentic in your presence because they know you see them for who they really are." She quotes Buckminster Fuller who once said, "When you discover the truth, it is always beautiful, and beautiful for everyone with no one left out." This is also true of taking a stand. Lynne makes a distinction - the difference between taking a position and taking a stand. She explains that: Taking a position does not create an environment of inclusiveness and tolerance; instead, it creates even greater levels of entrenchment, often by insisting that for me to be right, you must be wrong. Taking a stand does not preclude you from taking a position. One needs to take a position from time to time to get things done or to make a point. But when a stand is taken it inspires everyone. It elevates the quality of the dialogue and engenders integrity, alignment, and deep trust. She summarizes the enormous power available in taking a stand, which can "shape a person's life and actions and give them access to profound truths that can empower the emergence of new paradigms and a shift in the course of history." A shift in the course of history! Just imagine what power people have to influence the way the world turns out simply by taking a stand about how it is to be.

Sustainabilitity

Related Words: sustainable development,social responsibility,green,healthy,lasting,sustain life,sustainable lifestyle,durable,commons
Sustainability is talked about a lot these days. Some think of it purely in economic terms. Others only in terms of preserving the environment (air, water, soil, living species). As humans, we naturally think of sustainability within the context of our own survival as a species. "Save the planet" is code for preserve our habitat so the human race can continue. The Earth will survive humans. It adjusts and goes on until it burns out as predicted many millennia from now. Sustainablity in this context is providing for a human existence that continues for future generations without substantial population displacement or diminishment. That is huge migrations around the world or major extinctions are avoided. Sustainable living responsibly engages the commons we all rely upon with respect and stewardship. The commons includes the atmosphere, soil, water, forests, oceans and rivers, other living species and all visible aspects of our environment plus the invisible - future generations who have no advocates or champions representing them today.