What's Possible

The future does not need to be an extension of the present; history tells us this. There have been countless times when whole new social orders were brought forth in completely unexpected, unpredictable and positive ways.

Solutions Exist

Experts and laypeople around the globe have been working on creative, innovative, remarkable solutions for the problems we’re facing. There are numerous viable solutions addressing key elements in virtually every one of the issues, and momentum is growing in the work to link these into a comprehensive new approach.

Things are Changing

There is abundant evidence that something new is emerging already, consistent with our vision of a sustainable, peaceful and just human presence.

Consider, for example:

The Earth Charter, one of the most visionary documents ever created, the product of 10 years of global, cross cultural conversation – www.earthcharter.org

Bhutan Gross National Happiness - The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is determined to adopt positive aspects of development but avoid the pitfalls that have plagued other small countries. It has rejected the mad rush for an increase in gross domestic product (GDP) and instead has built the goal of maximizing GDH into its next five-year plan — gross domestic happiness

Sweden Goes Green - Sweden has declared its ambition to be free of fossil fuels by 2020 when it also wants greenhouse gas emissions, blamed by many for global warming, cut by 25 percent against 1990 levels.

Debt Forgiveness - There has been recent success in convincing international financial institutions and developed countries to forgive the debt that they are owed by least developed countries. While doubts continue as to whether governments will fully honor all of the pledges made, this is most definitely progress.

Corporate Social Responsibility - Major corporations around the world now have departments focusing on corporate social responsibility. Triple bottom line accounting means that organizations are now reporting their impact on People and Planet as well as financial Profits.

Microcredit Financing - This approach pioneered by Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh has been very effective in allowing people—particularly women— to lift themselves out of living in poverty. Environmental News Explosion – Both print and broadcast news media are now covering environmental and social issues at levels far higher than just a couple of years ago. Much of this has been lead by coverage of the climate change issue and the recent publication of the Stern and IPCC reports.

Spiritual Revival - Change is also occurring in the spiritual domain: According to the Institute of Noetic Sciences (a national education organization that promotes the study of human consciousness within scientific standards) we’re witnessing the greatest spiritual revival in history taking place now. More people are turning to meditation and spiritual practices than ever before in history. And more than 2 million people watched Eckhart Tolle and Oprah explore everyday spiritual awareness.

Relocalization Movement - This new movement aims to relocalize communities and adapt to an energy constrained world. It hinges on the belief that production of oil and natural gas will peak soon, climate change is worsening, and the current global economic system is unstable and reinforces huge disparities. The response is to promote drastically lower consumption, greater local self-reliance, and more cooperative and inclusive communities.

WISER Projects - WISER (World Index for Social and Environmental Responsibility) creates the space for civil society, the private sector, and government to collaboratively define, address, and solve social and environmental problems. It operates an open source platform for these bodies to work together.