A New Frame

Our current, highly dysfunctional world and culture are the result of prejudices and power struggles that have existed for centuries. Especially with the conditions arising from the Industrial Age (World 4), we no longer have the luxury of time to heal our culture and world.

World 5.0 is a framing concept, where we, the people of Earth, need to migrate to culturally. This to ensure our survival and the optimum quality of life for as many of our human and non-human neighbors as possible.

World 5.0

World 5.0 takes the popular concept of an operating system and applies it to our world culture. It presumes that we've been through four previous cultural "operating systems" - hunter, gatherers (>10,000 BC), farmers and clan-dwellers (10,000 - 2,000 BC), cities dwellers and colonialism (2,000 BC - 1,700 AD) and the Industrial Age (1700 AD - present). It also presumes we can understand and potentially reshape our world culture, or in this case, create a whole new level of organization, understanding and integration. More on this in the overview.

George Lakoff talks about the importance of framing our ideas and words, highlighting a curious phenomenon - facts, or truth, really don't mean much if they're not within a frame we understand. The Bush administration is particularly adept (and dishonest) with their frames. "Healthy Forests" "Clear Skies" "No Child Left Behind" "Culture of LIfe" - they sound great, regardless of reality. World 5.0 provides a context for progressive ideas and their honest implementation.

Central to the World 5.0 paradigm are the core values of integrity, truth, compassion, justice, commonality, non-violence, ecology, transparency and balance. This crucial aspect of World 5.0 is discussed further in principles.

Technological Adolescence

Carl Sagan reminded us that we are in our technological adolescence, the idea being that we've got dangerous toys like nuclear bombs and genetic engineering, and not the maturity to use such toys with responsibility.

It could be suggested, taking a step back and looking at the state of the planet, that we're currently doing a poor job of growing up. The games, deadly as they are, that corporate and government leaders play with us and the resources of this planet, point to a bunch of selfish, spoiled brats. And yet, they are caught in their personal bubbles and the mentality of World 4. Can they be blamed for not seeing through the cultural veil they were conditioned toward? Perhaps not. But they can be blamed for the havoc they have wrought.

The beliefs and lust for power that these people hold to will literally be the death of us, if they are not transformed or removed. Personally, I prefer transformation, as it is far more elegant. But history has taught us that such things are not always possible. Still, the change will come. The only questions surround the time it takes to flip, how painful the transition will be, and what will be left of our planet and people to work with once it occurs.

The Movement

While World 5.0 is a new term, it's not a new idea. The seeds of World 5.0 were sown in the 1960s, when people around the world first awakened to the idea that life can be more than Viet Nam, corruption, pollution, nuclear families with women, gays and people of color as second class citizens. We've learned a lot since then, not the least being the tremendous resistance to change by those in power.

Today we have heroes all over the world who are living "World Fivers." They exist in all areas of human endeavor, and their contributions are beyond measure. They're Cindy Sheehan and Bill Moyers and Arundhati Roy and Barack Obama and David Orr and Lester Brown and Archbishop Tutu and Rabbi Learner and a countless host of other planetary brethren.

Like millions before us, we must reject the mantle of oppression imposed by corporate behemoths and corrupt politicians. The mantle enforced by every TV ad, every assumption underlying pundit commentary, every mantra that claims war leads to peace, every derogatory comment, every dehumanizing attitude, and on and on. The time has come. If not now, when? If not us, who then?

We need to support ourselves and each other in every way possible. Support ourselves in creating new lifestyles, new friendships, new passions, new advocacies and new methodologies for dealing with the world's many woes.

Five Actions

There new paradigm is emerging as we speak. We won't see it on the tv. We just have to start connecting the dots and making honorable decisions. Everything else will fall into place. A starter list might include:

1) Throw the bums out. The United States government in its current form has lost its credibility at home and abroad. It is but a tool of multinationals, drumming for war, depleting resources and degrading our lives. Of course, this is true in most countries, but we're supposed to be the leader and we're leading the world to destruction.

2) Get educated. Forget major media as a resource, it is but a propaganda machine for the powerful. Go online, read, talk - and mostly think for yourself. When the media fixates on the absurd, or the pundits run wild, turn if off. Don't waste your moments on trivial pursuits.

3) Spend wisely. A dollar spent at Walmart is a contribution to their whole business model. A dollar spent at a local farmer's mar keket for some organic produce - much wiser. If you don't know why see the last point.

4) Get your ass off the couch. Help out in your community in whatever suits you. Go hiking, make something, find out about neighbors, see who needs help, support your local ecologies. Run for president.

5) Open your heart. Ultimately, we will heal our planet to the same porportion that we heal ourselves. We must forgive and release all our pent up fears. Let go our hatreds and shames for something far better. Peace starts with each of us. Love Now is the great mantra.There's so much about World 5.0 that we don't know yet, but it should be fun figuring it out! Too bad there's kind of a deadline. Please join us.