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Visions are always only ever glimpses unconcealing partially the multiple ways society and nature can potentially emerge; to develop; to become. The glimpses are seen symbolically in the natural wildness of people and all creatures; in our creativity; in our cultures and traditions. Associated with each glimpse of clear understanding there is also always a call and challenge to live more meaningfully to help society and nature to fulfil our destiny of development into community. Different glimpses have emerged out of different conversations at different times. In 1998, seed visions were articulated and woven together in recognition of their intrinsic inter-connectedness. They were:
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These seed visions were glimpses or insights,. It was intuited that together they formed a greater whole, but the greater whole remained hidden. The greater whole was known to be emerging however as a learning system, and known to be weaving itself into self-awareness. It was also known that it was being woven by persons growing through participating in the process of learning and doing, guided by the Spirit, to restore the great rainforest of the Wilderness Community. A New Zealand registered and incorporated charitable trust, the Wilderness Learning Trust, was established to assist the process. In 2003 the Sustainable Community Development forum emerged and began theorising how to utilise understanding of the dynamic interconnectedness of the multiple glimpses or insights. A coherent vision of multiple glimpses began to be emerge, revolving around the metaphor of an adaptive cycle found in adaptive environmental management literature. Vision was considered reflexively, to be an intrinsic part of all living systems. Vision was seen to be awareness of the path, the movement and meaning and purpose, of Life; what civilisations of the past have variously called, the tao, dharma and logos among other names, and what we now term “sustainable development”. All these civilisations of the past recognised a divine Spirit which is the source of Life, and which also inspires visionary awareness of the path of Life. Vision came to be seen as a divine gift from Life that enables us to find and participate in the path of "sustainable development" to fulfil Life.
Life
is evolutionary, and creatively developing; coming to self-awareness in
vision of its creative evolution. The biophysical aspect of it comprises of four nested
levels of systems: the global biosphere; ecosystems; social
systems of populations within ecosystems, and individuals within social
systems. Humans, like all creatures, participate in these nested systems.
Unlike other biological creatures however, humans can also perceive vision,
to come to awareness of the dynamics of creative evolution\. This
enables us humans to grow in wisdom and compassion as persons in communion
with all other creatures to self-sacrificially nurture the life of all other
creatures. In doing so we fulfil Life, and become united with the source of
Life, having discovered and now living the meaning and purpose of Life. Each system is an adaptive cycle, comprising of changing natural capital, organisational structures and creative evolution. Each system at each level is continually moving around the adaptive cycle while creatively evolving, making a gradual spiral of growth. The global biosphere is the spiralling creative evolution of Life on our planet. Each system, except for the global biosphere, is a spiralling growth within the adaptive cycle of a system at the next level up. Vision is awareness of the spiralling adaptive cycle of personal development nested within societies which are nested within ecosystems, all of which are nested within the one evolution of Life on the planet.
Vision
is inspired by divine Spirit to perceive the horizon of spiralling growth of the
adaptive cycle of the societies we live
within, and which in turn live within
the slower spiralling growth of ecosystems within and making up the
global biosphere. The
inspired horizon revealed by vision, provides a context with which to see
the potential the Vision is also inspired by divine Spirit to perceive the slower spiralling growth of the adaptive cycle of ecosystems within the global biosphere system of Life. This is inspired awareness of the potential wholeness of Life (Nature), revealing to us how to sustain our human social development. Coupled with the revelation of what is true human social development, it reveals sustainable development.
Responding to vision of the potential wholeness of Life (of society and Nature) is the
good work of sustainable development. To respond to vision with good work is
to be responsible. It is to develop personally and to live meaningfully, to belong within community
and place.
There are two types of knowledge gained during personal development. Both are necessary for sustainable development. One looks backwards over previous experiences to obtain scientific certainty. The other looks forwards hopefully and creatively to the vision of sustainable development. Together they provide the content and context of holistic knowledge. In 2008, the Sustainable Community Development Research Institute (SCDRI) was been established out of both the Wilderness Learning Trust and the Sustainable Community Development forum, to focus on participatory action research and rites-of-passage to facilitate personal and community development. The SCDRI runs wilderness retreats as a means by which to facilitate rites-of-passage to holistic knowledge. These are sought to become run on a commercial basis, whilst continuing to provide the service to all who wish to participate. The SCDRI also facilitates forums and workshops to explore practical and collegial ways to responsibly apply holistic knowledge for sustainable development. There are already multiple ways to participate in these. They are sought to become integral to SCDRI run participatory action research programmes in the fields of: community development; ecological engineering and sustainable technology; and alternative economic and governance structures. The intent of the SCDRI is to facilitate and to get its participatory action research published. Most importantly, the SCDRI seeks to effect real sustainable community development through practical projects within its participatory action research programmes, in New Zealand; in the South Pacific; and globally.
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