The other day, I had a most unusual conversation with long time friend and colleague Bill Veltrop and a more recent colleague Max Shkud. Max has joined Bill in an extraordinary visionary endeavor – forming a guild of “evolutionary architects” that will bring about what they describe as a “societal metamorphosis, an irreversible transformation of our organizing forms, a shift in beliefs and culture unlike anything seen in our short history as a species.” This is how they show it in a diagram:
[Note: the hot links included in the text below will take you to the website where Bill and Max have embedded definitions of these terms. To return to this blog simply back up on your browser.]
Bill and Max assert that a metamorphosis of our social systems can become as natural for us as it is in nature. They further assert that the emergence of the Information Age within the last half century has set the stage for this “Age of Conscious Evolution.” They envision that we humans will design our social systems to serve the well-being of all life — for all time! This requires a rethinking of our social architecture or what they are calling “evolutionary architecture.”
I had been aware of the phrase “social architects” as people who design and redesign social systems but I had not heard the term evolutionary architect until Bill and Max invited me into the conversation.
Here is their definition of an evolutionary architect:
….a social architect who:
1. Is committed to free humanity from the tyranny of unconscious social design — to make the shift from “mechanistic” to “generative design principles.”
2. Sees humans and their social systems as having the potential to consciously evolve to ever-higher levels of well-being — and is committed to that quest.
3. Strives to achieve the same level of design excellence for our social forms as is present throughout the rest of nature.
4. Is concerned with the interplay of whole ecosystems — natural, social, economic, etc., in the service of maximizing the contribution of these systems to the well-being of all life — for all time.
5. Is committed to master the emerging field of generative design as it applies to all systems at all levels of system.
While an individual evolutionary architect can have a powerful influence, we see the “evolutionary architect” needing to take the form of a unique kind of community — generative action-learning organism.
This community or “organism” they talk about is one they envision as a guild - a community of allies who help grow generative alliances with pioneering leaders, providers and organizational entities “who are ready and able to step up to this great evolutionary challenge and opportunity.” The name of this community is Global Guild of Evolutionary Architects (or “GlobalGEA” for short).
Who will be these allies, these leaders and providers, these organizations who will step up? They will be visionaries – able to see the real possibility of bringing this kind of future about. They will be entrepreneurs – able to launch this initiative, take it from vision to reality. They will be system thinkers who can see the relational dynamics amongst and between everything and everyone. They will be critical thinkers - very skilled at how they think. They will be talented – very skilled in what they do and how they do it. They will be transformational thinkers – familiar with taking huge leaps in worldviews, frame changing, and comfortable in the midst of paradigm shifts. And they will be collaborators – people who can be part of generative alliances, leaving their egos at the door. Instead of asking “what’s in it for me?” these people will ask “what’s in it for the world?”
Make no mistake here: while this is a huge undertaking it simply means we must work together. A societal metamorphosis on this scale, an irreversible transformation of our social systems, a paradigm shift in our collective beliefs and cultural norms unlike anything seen in human history is beyond the ability of one person or one organization. But, together we can do it.
If you or anyone you know could be a candidate, as an ally, leader, service provider or organizational partner in this global metamorphosis, check out www.GlobalGEA.net and immerse yourself in the content. Dive deep – don’t stay in the shadows. When you feel you have integrated the scope and vision there, you will be directed to the initiative’s Offer, Request and Promise, then to contact Bill or Max.
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