Vision to Transform the World - Table of Contents

“Be the Change You Want to See in the World”
Mahatma Gandhi

Executive Summary of Solomon Source
Rural Revitalization & Empowerment Strategies

Mission: To awaken people to the heart of the matter: our relationship with the planet – we’re all in this together, we must save Our-selves, and each other.

Introduction

This document describes a simple concept of “people helping people, and the planet”.

This document has developed over the last twenty three years from looking at issues behind environmental degradation that are usually driven by economics, and ignorance of the ultimate costs of environmental destruction. The solution has to do with educating people and providing opportunities for people to get exposure to the wonders of nature, and for them to experience nature in new ways – leading to an awakening of the spirit. To this end the founder of Solomon Source has been on a personal mission to develop solutions that can be adapted and utilized in the current socio-economic paradigms.

Guiding Principles, Conceptual Foundations and Action Centers

Prior to presenting the specific “action centers” of the RRES, it is important to provide five theoretical/conceptual principles for a project of this sort. This document is organized as a progression from overarching “Guiding Principles” to specific components, initiatives and organizational structure. We additionally provide a case-study of a project that was implemented in 2003 in Texas which became the initiator of projects in a dozen states in the United States. This technology based “community network” project is still core to the RRES in regards to the creation of this holistic, community empowerment strategy. The final section provides a summary with the diagram entitled “The Big Picture in Simple Terms”, and some concluding comments.

Guiding Principle 1) Systems Thinking – Understanding Context
a) the Duality of the Engineered vs Human
b) the Context, or Opportunity Space – the Urban Rural Nexus

Guiding Principle 2) Focusing Energy—Creative Synchronicities: The Mandala/Lotus Flower Metaphor
Guiding Principle 3) Creating Systems that Serve People
a) The Infrastructure Serving People Community Model, and
b) Success Across Scales

Guiding Principle 4) Extracting Knowledge and Converting (idea creation & development)
a) Merging the Silo’s, and
b) Creating Effective Interfaces for Service Exchange
Guiding Principle 5) Grounding Education Principle: Experiential-Service Model – Next Generation Education

The Bridge - Moving from Concept to Functional – The Puzzle: A Conceptual Vision with Practical Implications

Action Center 1) RRES Institute (Hub for Education and Outreach)
Action Center 2) Product and Idea Visioning & Creation Center
Action Center 3) Technologies – the Platform for Success:
a) The Network – Creating Critical Mass and Supporting via Technologies
b) Electronic (Virtual) Meeting Places – An Interface for Commerce and Education
c) Case Study: Creating the Platform the Traveler Tourism and Community Network
Action Center 4) Community Empowerment Toolbox
Summary and Conclusion - The Big Picture a Contextual Summary