29 August 2008

Future or fantasy?


Today I attended a workshop run by AnewNZ on what matters most for NZers. One of the exercises was to write a personal vision for NZ. This was mine:

"My vision is that everything anyone does is done with the realisation that their action has an effect on their and everyone/thing else's being. That people's sense of connection paralyses them - for seconds, minutes, hours, days, even a lifetime - while they consider the impact of their action on the entirety of life and make a conscious decision that that impact promotes constructive progress more than anything else. And that, when there is doubt, it is seen as the opportunity to explore the nature of human beingness."

Other thoughts that surfaced for me through the day:

The media was created to reflect reality. Over time it has become more and more a reflection of fantasy, which we try to emulate in reality. Therefore, reality is becoming less and less real.

Global networks of sustainability activists who connect via the internet are becoming more and more common. But, in an environment where connectedness is recognised as crucial to a sustainable future, do these virtual connections actually disconnect us? Are communities of interest eroding communities of place?

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© 2008 Philip Patston & Diversity New Zealand Ltd (unless quoted or otherwise attributed). All rights reserved.