When Margaret Meade said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has," she spoke with knowledge and understanding of a fundamental truth about our capacity as humans to reinvent ourselves. I assume like many of you, the critical problems in our cities and rural areas, environmental crises, inequities, wars, rumors of wars and tragedies on some days leave you feeling helpless and hopeless about what you can do as an individual.
In a refreshing contrast to all the dismal news last week, I received a truly compelling invitation about an unprecedented global ONLINE conversation taking place in December 1-3, 2005. First, it came to me from a "good neighbor" in the distance that I don't even know and it wasn't SPAM. It's FREE. It's open to everyone in the world. In fact, great steps are being taken by volunteers to bring the messages and voices of those who would normally be excluded from such an event.
What really captivated me ...
and everyone with whom I've shared the news
is the VISION of being part of a solution----a goal-directed, action-focused happening with tens of thousands of world citizens uniting online in an unprecedented conversation to discuss, debate, and mobilize how we can make this a better world than we know today.
How could anyone possibly want to miss out on putting their mark on history?
Oh, you'd be surprised to hear a few naysayers, questioning whether any good comes out of such a gathering. Well, it's a reasonable response, but the answer to the question rests with us. 99% of the answer is about SHOWING UP ... CONTRIBUTING ... BEING THERE. Famed futurist, Joel Barker (who will be showing up), in his landmark film, Paradigm Pioneers, stood on Independence Rock on the Oregon Trail to deliver his message about pioneering the future. It speaks to those who question:
"It is easy to sit in your easy chair and watch the future being created in the distance. It is a lot harder to pack up your wagons and labor in its birth."
JAM. Canada Canada
Thursday, December 1 – Saturday, December 3, 2005
Register NOW www.habitatjam.com
Open to everyone interested in creating a better world.
Come for an hour or stay online for three days.
Sponsored by the Government of Canada, in partnership with UN-HABITAT and IBM, the Habitat JAM promises to engage, empower and stimulate tens of thousands of global citizens, rich and less fortunate alike, with the ultimate goal of turning ideas into action on critical issues related to urban sustainability.
Under the leadership of the Honourable Joe Fontana, Minister of Labour and Housing, the Government of Canada is taking a highly innovative approach by investing in global sustainability and funding Habitat
Topics for discussion will include:
§ improving the lives of people living in slums,
§ access to water,
§ environmental sustainability,
§ safety and security,
§ finance and governance,
§ the future of our cities.
The Habitat JAM will bring together academics and students, planners and builders, politicians, governments, the private sector and ordinary citizens from across the globe in real time, all contributing ideas and expertise during the 72-hour global problem-solving session. Moderators will include government leaders, renowned experts, and key thinkers.
To ensure the most inclusive event possible, grass root organizations, institutions, women, youth groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are helping to bring people to the technology who might otherwise not have access or opportunity to share their experiences and ideas with others around the world.
In hosting and providing the technology for the JAM, IBM is enabling this innovative democratic process where, without hierarchy, people from all walks of life have the opportunity to come together to present and evaluate ideas on how to solve a focused set of issues or problems. “IBM has used JAMs internally to involve employees in over 75 countries to collaborate in real time on the company's values and then to develop pragmatic solutions and best practices around growth and innovation," said Irving Wladawsky-Berger, Vice President of Technical Strategy and Innovation, IBM. "JAMs enable a kind of mass collaboration and problem-solving that has simply never before been possible on a global scale. This is innovation that matters for the world.”
For additional information on Habitat JAM and to register for the event, visit www.habitatjam.com.
Thank you so much for your support of Habitat JAM. (Disclaimer: I am a PR rep at IBM, one of the event's sponsors).
To help everyone better understand what they will experience when they participate in this worldwide event Dec. 1-3, today IBM released a podcast, “IBM and the Future of our Cities," featuring a discussion between Charles Kelly, commissioner general of the World Urban Forum III, which is using the Habitat JAM to help develop the agenda for its June conference in Vancouver and Mike Wing of IBM, who leads IBM’s jamming activities internally.
The podcast can be dowloaded at http://www.ibm.com/investor/viewpoint/podcast/16-11-05-1.phtml.
And don't forget to register in advance at www.habitatjam.com.
Posted by: Michael Maloney | November 16, 2005 at 03:28 PM
Michael,
Thank you for sharing the IBM podcast with all those stopping by...I just listened and it truly is inspiring to imagine the possibilities of all the people coming together across the world. We will add it to our information at our site too.
Our Global Dialogue Center community will be there to share in this historic day!
Debbe Kennedy, Founder
Global Dialogue Center
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
Posted by: Debbe | November 16, 2005 at 06:59 PM