Ideas for Change - Latest Comments

Re: CONFLICT THEORY AND CULTURAL PARADIGMS

Tom Ball — Wed, 05 May 2010 06:35:09 -0000

Have you ever stepped foot in the "historic" monastery building you speak of in your example? I have. It was barely inhabitable when the TM organization purchased it. It's dilapidated. In the U.S. it would be condemned. Yes, there is clearly a conflict of needs between the two "cultures:" the need of the local community to feel secure in their current notion of heritage preservation, and the wish of the Transcendental Meditation community to effectively "administer" positive social change worldwide.

But I would like to point out what I see as a more interesting element operating in your discussion:

The architectural principles you speak of dismissively, if not with thinly veiled derision, are not merely "the guru's architectural theories," but are derived from a system of architecture thousands of years old, from the ancient Vedic Tradition, which is highly respected by hundreds of millions of people throughout Asia and around the world. With due respect, I draw attention to a subtle prejudice in your language to reveal a vital principle at work: one cannot discuss "cultural conflicts" and address others' paradigms with clarity, objectivity or real rationality, because one's own cultural paradigm inevitably determines one's interpretation and perception of "others." It's a case of the observer influencing the observed.

Your way of referencing the TM organization ("the group’s many glossy pamphlets") suggests perhaps a curious bias against the meditation group, a prejudice that is probably more personal than cultural, considering that over 6 million people have learned TM, that the National Institutes of Health has awarded $26M over the past 20 years to further the scientific research into TM's health benefits, that the AMA has published research on TM, the American Psychological Association routinely highlights papers on TM and brain research, and so on.

How might this background bias toward parties in your examples color your discussion of cultural conflict?

And what if the principles of Vedic Architecture reflect actual principles in nature, what if a person is indeed influenced by the building he or she inhabits? (Not such a far-fetched notion if you've ever heard of "sick building syndrome" or have a keen sensitivity to your environment.) Perhaps your own thought processes are being thwarted by your surroundings, further contributing to a distortion in your judgment.

Seriously, my point is, in your discussion of conflicting cultural paradigms, there are deeper principles (and perhaps forces) at work that you may not be aware of—cultural and personal assumptions and beliefs that are the true determinants in the outcomes of human discourse. At the most fundamental level, I would call this, ultimately, one's "state of consciousness," or, in a societal sense, "collective consciousness," which should always be the basic reference point. Oddly, this deeper field is typically omitted in cultural theory. Why? "We don't know we're anything different from that which we are mixed," said the Maharishi you reference above. We don't see it because it's so close to us. This is suggestive of Thomas Kuhn's old theory of scientific paradigms.

What makes this line of reasoning practical, and eventually inescapable, is that individual consciousness and collective consciousness and be made coherent, as scientific research has shown. When consciousness becomes coherent, people's viewpoints and behavior change, thinking becomes more rational and behavior becomes more harmonious; interactions between cultures becomes more respectful and cordial. Again, I reference Maharishi and the technologies of consciousness he revived from the Vedic Tradition, the effects of which are supported by hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific research studies. (See www.permanentpeace.org for references.)

A program that includes this practical element will be an effective means to resolve conflict, not through feeble words but through real and much needed transformations in individual and collective consciousness.

Just wanted to point out something you may be missing in your summary—something of import right under your nose. Will your personal and cultural paradigm allow you to take it seriously, or must we wait for future generations to recognize the value of CONSCIOUSNESS?

Tom Ball
www.TM.org/blog

Re: GLOBAL TRADE LOGISTICS IMPROVING, BUT MORE NEEDED TO BOOST RECOVERY

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Re: Olympic games versus political games of 2010:My love-hate relationship to Iran

ggrge — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:54:21 -0000

hich khabaree nist

Re: Holocaust Memorial Day

George — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:22:06 -0000

Thank You for this video . I appreciate the most important thing on this Planet- Human Life .
May God bless you , and let this animals who are responsible for the Holocaust to have their own Destiny. We patiently forgive them, because we know, that they dont know their actions .They just listen the Fanatics orders.

Re: We open up for new bloggers

Sardar Mohkim Khan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:31:17 -0000

Impressive move, this is perhaps the best way to have better ideas and more importantly 'thoughts' coming out from the people!

Re: Pass It Forward

arlan — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:13:50 -0000

www.loveitforward.com

Re: Climatechange or Climategate

Michael C Looma — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:33:15 -0000

"Let’s hope that the sub-debate which is discussed not only on the web but also in mainstream media, won’t delay that necessary decisions are made now."
But the mainstream media doesn´t exist anymore. Mainstream is the social web.
Real change can be done when people wake up and your text woke me up. Thanks.

Re: Climatechange or Climategate

Name — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:22:46 -0000

Jonathan, yes we have reasons to hope and believe and you are so right about the fact that history has showed us that democracy can be abused. I really loved your text and your arguments.
Sandra Nilsson

Re: Important messages are best said through entertainment

Steve A. Mumba — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:33:20 -0000

The wast ammounts of information makes us confortable. We think that we know all, and reach all.
But maybe we are not!
/Steve Mumba

Re: Being human

Viola Zabeti — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:53:01 -0000

Thank you dear Jonathan for your comment. Please do not hesitate to contribute with your own ideas to increase the knowledge in the world. Best wishes, Viola

Re: Being human

Jonathan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:41:32 -0000

Beautiful and mind-blowing text. If all mankind just lived in the moment and after the motto that all actions counts, both big and small ones the world would be a better place. You have inspired me to open my eyes. In the future I will offer my seat at the bus or subway to anyone that seems to need it more than me.

Re: Urgency and utopia

Jon Brunberg — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:35:49 -0000

I should perhaps clarify that the embedded clip is from the 2005 film Zizek!http://www.imdb.com/title/t...

Re: Global warming is not keeping us warm

Nick Krant — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:41:44 -0000

Am impressed by this ideas.

Re: Urgency and utopia

Ben Favile — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:54:04 -0000

Wow. This film is amazing. It´s easier to imagine the end of the world from a virus then a small modest change in capitalism.....!!!!

Re: Carbon footprint

liaonet — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:46:19 -0000

Actually if the reforestation is sustainably designed and occurs in a warm climate the extra cooling effect of the clouds that the forest produces can be even more beneficial by a multiple than the carbon offset benefit.

Re: Today marks an important day

CristianDmc — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:30:03 -0000

I've beeen there and I saw all the movements and changes during the years and after 22 years,watching all the changes and trying to do something better for us and for our families, I decided that the only thing we can help to be better for the future is to bring people from Romania to see what means to be civilised, to value the money and the work and also to respect the people next to you...and to do that we need more than just "to do something"!

All the best!

Re: Award winner DAVID SUZUKI, Canada (Honorary Award)

drrosaliebertell — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:48:34 -0000

I just want to recall my first meeting withDavid Sazuki back in 1980. He was Moderator of a Science Panel at a major venue in Toronto, Canada. The audience must have been about 500 to 600 people. Some Nuclear "experts" from Chalk River Nuclear Research Center were on the panel. One of the panel members reported on a new research confiring that there were human measureable genetic effects from low level radiaton. One of the Chalk River nuclear experts dismiss the report (without reading it) saying that when their expets read this (peer reviewed and published) paper they would point out it errors and it would be discredited. David Suzuki was outraged at this smug "political" approach to science whith a second political review of published papers after they they have been accpted by the scientific community. He spoke very strongly about the manipulation of research practiced in protection of a dangerous industry. Congratulations on this recognition of your honest scientific communication to the public David!
Rosalie Bertell

Re: I left communism 20 years ago

Kristina — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:29:23 -0000

Good point! We all have to struggle to make this a better world.

Re: Yes we can- are ma mitonim

Ed Nokana — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:24:13 -0000

Loved this text! Please keep them cumming.

Re: We are launching globaly today.

reginamiranda — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:55:57 -0000

Bravo! That's a good way to start. If it is not complete, we feel as part of the team! I will follow the example very soon:-).

Re: We are launching globaly today.

Bürgerwirken — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:28:43 -0000

Congrats and all the best from Germany.
And as a global-citizen: Thank you for your engagement...
Greetz
Jochen

Re: We are launching globaly today.

arlan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:02:33 -0000

How can our online community servants help Ideas For Change? We are updating our server as we need more bandwith. It should be up within 24 hours with an updated server.

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Re: We are launching globaly today.

marianne kihlberg — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:51:22 -0000

It looks thrilling!

Re: Great Things Together

Name — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:49:17 -0000

Congratulations on the launch!

Re: Award Winner CATHERINE HAMLIN (Ethiopia)

carolyn Jones — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:39:19 -0000

It makes me so happy that C.H get this award. Her work at Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital gives life and honor back to so many women.