Synopsis
We can change the world by simply changing the way we think, organize and relate
On one level it’s really that simple—but human thinking, organizing, and relationships are among the most frustratingly complex systems to deal with, and thus to accomplish the massive change urgently needed now requires a holistic, systemic approach.
The purpose of Connecting the Dots is to address the questions that inevitably arise when people realize the game is rigged and the playing field is disintegrating:
“Is it really urgent that we do something now?”
“What can we do?”
“How can we do it?”
More and more people are asking these questions as environmental and economic ‘systems crash’ and increased inequality become impossible to ignore. For most people, the first question answers itself. But even those of us who are already aware of what’s going on tend to be unsure of even rudimentary answers to at least two of the three. So far, our failure to discern symptoms from causes complicates matters because it leads to bickering, distractions, and dead ends instead of actual change—and our handbasket to hell continues on its inexorable path.
Connecting the Dots weaves together an existing body of knowledge with original research and addresses these questions in three distinct but interrelated parts. The first part, The Disconnect, examines the historical background of the root causes--dominator hierarchies and disconnection--and explains how these are manifested today in the dominant paradigm of Industrialism with its symptoms of global warming, resource depletion, biospheric toxicity, and rising inequity. This section also clarifies why urgent action is necessary. The second part, The Reversal, explains what we can do differently and why we can reasonably expect it to be successful. Part three addresses the “how” question by providing the core toolset, strategies, and actions that can be used for our transition to a sustainable future. Together, these three parts
- Create a framework that can support the creation of a new story that is based on, and thus works with life
- Provide the tools and actions that offer life-affirming guides for personal and civil policy in our daily lives.
In other words, by explaining how we got into this life-threatening predicament in the first place and what to do about it, and even providing ways to go about it, Connecting the Dots is a roadmap and guidebook for desperately needed systemic change.