Creating a Critical Mass of People Who Live by the All-Win Principle

Some Principles that Can Help Us to Build a Critical Mass of People Who Live by the All-Win Principle.

The actions mentioned on this web site are but a fraction of the millions of actions being undertaken worldwide to create a world that works for all. And yet, all these millions have not been able to lift the shroud of fear and conflict which are caused by, say, the war on terror and other movements which encourage us to divide the world into good and bad. Thinking in polarities actually blinds us to the possibility of a global community which works for all.

To shift the mindset that is trapped in fear and conflict, it is important to look at the types of resistances we are up against at this phase of our evolution and which set our present evolutionary leap apart from others that have taken place before. For instance,

1. Many believe that as long as enough people are "spiritual" that evolution will take its course and human beings everywhere will become inspired by spiritual principles. Yet, as humans, we differ from other members of the Mineral, Plant and Animal Kingdoms through our ability to close our consciousness to the spiritual and creative processes which determine how all else develops. By doing this, we have been able to create a human world which is largely run by fear, greed, lust and other forces which are not sustainable.

This human-made world penetrates our consciousness from all sides. Even if a large number of people were to be dedicated to a spiritual life, their spiritual values will not necessarily penetrate the consciousness of those who are open only to the human-made world. Many people "just being spiritual" may therefore not be sufficient to enable us to build a sustainable global community that works for all. It may be necessary for "spiritual people" to relate deeply with one another and with those who are committed to the non-spiritual values if we are to succeed.

2. Our spiritual worlds are often contaminated by biases which stem from our individual cultures or experiences. So just opening ourselves to what we individually consider to be the spiritual dimension place us out of harmony with one another and out of sync with the forces that run the rest of the Universe. Here, too, being open to one another and being willing to learn by working together may be required if we are to succeed in creating a sustainable global community.

Here are some suggestions if you would like to design combined actions with other groups and organizations:

1. Think of your relationship with others in terms of networks, rather than one group taking the lead over others. This will allow each person and group to decide how best to mobize their zest and strength, a process which no one can do for another.

2. Consciously apply the all win principle to all actions you undertake. When all are dedicated to allowing all to flourish then all are pulling in the same direction and their efforts reinforce one another.

3. Allow all to determine their own individual direction and how they wish to approach working together. That enables each to act from her or his strength, ensures that each is respected for who or what he or she is, and it generates goodwill.

4. By focussing a series of activities within a short period (of a week or a month) it is possible to create a greater impact on the morphogenetic field - to impact the atmosphere, as it were.

5. Consciously emphasize the all-win principle in what you do, mention it, describe it and show how it works. Then, those who have not so far been exposed to the experience of all-win relationships will be affected by the atmosphere and can absorb the experience of all-win relating without having to make an effort. It is impossible to experience both win/lose and all-win at the same time.

Those who have experienced both will be in a better position to compare the two experiences in terms of the feelings of security versus insecurity, belonging versus feeling alienated, caring versus feeling hate/fear and the urge to put "me first" versus the benevolence which comes when one feels secure in oneself and ones relationships withothers. It also becomes possible for them to recognize the all-win relationship when it comes their way again and so the all-win experience can spread naturally.

6. Remember that we are taking an evolutionary leap whereby individual human beings have the opportunity to become integral parts of a global community which works for all. This community consists of human relationships: feelings, motivations, actions undertaken together, structures of thought and communal living which enable all to live harmoniously together. The more we are able to cooperate at all levels together, spiritually, emotionally, socially, in planning and thinking challenges through, in creating structures for a new civilization which work-the greater the impact on the whole we shall be able to have.

7. Make your (all win) insights available to the United Nations where they can be used for the well being of all. The All Win Network and the Association of World Citizens can act as go-betweens.

8. Publicize what you are doing via the All Win Network (contact info@allwinnetwork.org or info@worldcitizensaction.com)

Some Useful Principles when Designing your own Actions

1. Use all your faculties.
Both intuition and reason. Intuition is the umbilical chord which connects us to the promptings of the natural order and provides us with the insights that are necessary to take a leap into the unknown as we create this new global community. Our reason and experience are essential tools to help us plan and build, once intuition has helped us establish the course to take.

2. All Win Relationships
As world citizens, we realize we are interdependent with people, other species and the natural order. We are each like a cell in the body of humanity and must get on with others to survive. Relationships in which all can flourish without harming others can be called all win relationships.

All win relationships are based on the following premises:

i. All is interconnected;

ii. All know intuitively (from within) how best to relate to their worlds.

iii. It is in therefore in the interest of all to treat others as we, ourselves, would be treated;

These 3 premises form a strong foundation for a sustainable world: they ensure that no person, no species, nor natural system is consciously harmed and that a spirit of goodwill prevails. All win relationships are self-perpetuating, for it is to the advantage of all to do so.

2. Make Use of the Facilities of the All-Win Network

An All-Win Network, inspired by the novel, Samenzwering Samenspel. Naar spiritueel wereldburgerschap, written by Lisinka Ulatowska, was founded by Pim van Monsjou. It now has member organizations on 4 continents, dedicated to introducing all-win norms and values as a standard for all human interactions. You can make any insights you may have that will benefit others know via www.allwinnetwork.org. Also you can advertise your all-win projects and activities there.

Representatives of the All-Win Network and the Association of World Citizens are in touch with the United Nations. They may be able to introduce any compelling ideas and projects.

Examples of All-Win Collaboration between Organizations

Both in the Netherlands and Belgium, organizations which are dedicated to the all win principle are working together on a series of events to deepen participants understanding of what it means to live in all win relationship. Each event is dedicated to deepening the understanding of participants and participating organizations and creating a critical mass. Initiators of these series of events are finding that by pooling their expertise, knowhow and resources as well as sharing costs, they are each able to work more effectively than if they were working alone. Their hope: to together influence peoples understanding of the all win principle in ways that none can do alone and to form a stepping stone toward a critical mass.

Toward A World that Works for All

At the international level plans are being made to focus the efforts of networks and organizations, using above principles, and to generate a critical mass of people who are dedicated to living by the all-win principle.

This can be done if enough organizations and individuals join hands and emphasize the all-win theme for a short burst of time, so that the media, is saturated with the theme for ten days, or so. Such a burst of activity could take place around United Nations "days", "years", and decades which are dedicated to building, making or keeping global peace (all are all-win themes), using the principles outlined above. At the United Nations NGOs activities have increased in number and diversity around the celebration of the UN's Day for Peace, itself, which is on the 21st September. To create a critical mass, one day may not be enough. It may be necessary to focus peace actions over a period of a week or 10 days.

Just imagine if all the main groups whose activities are in harmony with the work of peace of the UN were all to focus in a short burst of time on projects with an all-win theme. There would be 191 Governments, Members of the UN, and 4200 affiliated NGOs, most of them international. Sustainable businesses could organize events to show how their business works and promotes sustainable development at the same time.

The BBC World Service with its millions of listeners would almost certainly join in, publications like the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle which feature series of articles to bring understanding to global issues (all of which are also dealt with by the UN). The Network of First Ladies and the world's religions which focus on charitable causes would be able to join and if all would focus on an all win theme such as human rights or sustainable development, each organizing events every day for the same short burst of time, then the atmosphere would become saturated with a concern for our planet as a whole and all its inhabitants and with projects demonstrating how aspects of this process works. The possibility of living in a world that works for all would become clear and undermine the war on terror without increasing the conflict.

B a c k . . .