People are looking for ways to come together locally and globally that can create real change because they can sense the danger we’re in as a civilization. Scientists around the world have concluded that unless extraordinary measures are taken now, Global Climate Change and the Mass Extinction of Species (as many as 70-100 per day) will become irreversible with devastating consequences even in the wealthiest countries.
More and more people realize that our elected officials, our corporate CEOs, our mainstream media, and others in power are not sufficiently addressing environmental destruction, the mass extinction of species, escalating militarism and violence, the expanding epidemic of poverty, and the destruction of indigenous peoples worldwide (some of whom are the last remaining examples of cultures that have lived in sustainable harmony with nature for many millennia).
Even if somehow the huge obstacles were to disappear allowing emergency funding for the Kyoto/Copenhagen Accords, the U.N. goal to cut poverty in 1/2 by 2015 and other major initiatives, the underlying reasons for this rush towards global collapse will still be there. Beyond emergency measures, what’s needed is a major cultural shift, including a shift in consciousness and societal priorities, especially in the wealthiest countries. This is a shift away from what WE, the World Advisory Board member Riane Eisler calls Domination Culture (and it’s impending collapse) and toward Partnership Culture. This is a moment when great change is possible.
But don’t imagine that the change, the shift to peace, sustainability and transformation, is just going to happen on its own. The major changes brought about by social movements throughout history have not happened as a result of a few people with vision like Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. Tremendous organizing was needed, and everyone’s involvement counted. “Unless we see our vote [in the U.S.] as part of a commitment to involve ourselves consistently and unrelentingly in the political process, our vote is wasted.
This is because the forces that have led us to this economic, military, and political precipice exert such awesome power over the mechanics of Washington that no single candidate or group of legislators, whatever their intentions, can possibly go up against them unless armed with an irrepressible public mandate.” Eugene Jarecki, filmmaker who produced the acclaimed documentary Why We Fight To make the shift happen, we need “an irrepressible public mandate”. And for that we need a major public awareness-raising and mobilization program that benefits from what some people call “conscious” or “sacred” activism.
Social researcher Paul Ray estimates that there are 50-60 million people in the USA and 80-90 million in Western Europe who are what he calls Cultural Creatives who would love to see such a shift happen. But they don’t know that there are so many others with their values. WE, the World has begun to help make the Cultural Creatives visible to each other so they can begin to act collectively! But to fully implement this, via the WE campaign, we need full participation at this stage by those, like you, who share these values.
Together, you and WE have the potential to galvanize tens of millions of new people.
Please join us!