Table of contents for Site In Focus
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What is, in your opinion, the most pressing issue facing this world today? Is it the possibility of nuclear warfare? Starvation of tens of thousands of people in third-world countries? Perhaps you believe that global climate change to be the biggest threat. Whatever it is you believe to be the biggest problem humanity faces, firmly envision this problem. I want you to try, if you can, to imagine all global issues solved with exception of your particular global issue. Hard to imagine, isn’t it?
Why is it so much harder to imagine an issue reaching critical mass when it is the only global problem? Seems counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? If I may suggest, perhaps it is because so many of our global issues are interrelated. It doesn’t make sense for humanity to be able to solve the issue of famine and starvation without disarming and finally putting an end to war. We cannot honestly picture bringing global climate change under control without making corporations responsible for the health and well-being of all their employees. Each one of these problems are so interrelated, that it’s hard imagining any one of these existing on their own. These global scale problems must be symptoms of an even greater issue.
According to Global MindShift, the issue is humanity’s perception of its identity and understanding of the world. The paradigm under which we live as a global community is inherently flawed. In order to effectively resolve this issue, humanity must be willing to take a good long look at itself. Such an awakening on a global level doesn’t happen easily, yet that is what Global MindShift seeks to initiate.
The enormous task of changing the world on such a fundamental level is a bit like swimming upstream through gelatin inhabited by a colony of man o’ wars. That it is to say, this venture is difficult. What is it that they are doing to accomplish this task? Their strategy is probably summed up best in four words: People, Conversation, and Memes. Through their website, Global MindShift.org they gather like minded people and encourage them to talk about the issue. From their conversations, ideas are concentrated into memes - a units of cultural information used to inform and reform the paradigm of our global culture. These memes then feed back into the site, drawing in more people with whom the memes resonate, leading to more conversation and new memes.
How is this site different from other “Save The World” type causes? It’s the first organization to attempt treating the root of humanity’s problems rather than to just ease the symptoms. That isn’t to say other organizations aren’t important, but rather the internal motivation for why we need to make support these organizations are as important as the organizations themselves. Global MindShift even has a collection of recommended charities and causes.
Are these memes effective? I can’t make that judgement for you. Take a look at the videos below (each under six minutes) and make up your own mind. Is this an organization and movement you would be proud to be apart of? Do you want to see yourself as apart of the solution?
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