An integrative framework

Blog – an integrative framework

How can we unify a diverse movement that is not yet aware of itself around the need for a new development paradigm focused on being?

My ambition with the politics of being is to propose an integrative framework that can accommodate all relevant claims and initiatives.

I have mapped the different avenues through which such a wisdom-based approach to politics is currently emerging. These correspond to some of the highest values that have become subjects of science in the last decades and are entering the political field:

• Understanding (Systemic, integral and complex thinking): moving beyond a reductionist approach is key to understanding our fundamental interdependence, our systemic crisis and potential responses to it. This way of thinking resonates with wisdom teachings and highlights the importance of changing mindsets/paradigms for systemic transformation.
• Life: recognizing that we are a part of this living planet and need to learn from and harmonize ourselves with nature’s ways is at the core not only of many wisdom traditions but also of new approaches such as biomimetics, buen vivir/vivir bien movements in South America or the China’s commitment to become an ecological civilization.
• Happiness: widely recognized as the legitimate goal for development, it is becoming more and more influential as a new development paradigm as with Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness or New Zealand’s well-being budget.
• Love or empathy: the emerging science is starting to replace the old story of egoism and competition with a new story of goodness, altruism and competition. Our potential for altruism is being leveraged for social change by many initiatives such as the charter for compassion, which supports the development of “compassionate communities”.
• Peace: a culture of peace or partnership has been put forward as an alternative to the culture of domination and its tragic social and environmental outcomes, for example through UN General assembly resolutions and programmes of action for a culture of peace.
• Mindfulness: like a medicine spreading through every organ of our sick social body, mindfulness is being leveraged in many sectors to foster resilience and well-being, creativity, performance and much more.
• “Mystery”: there is a growing recognition of how little we know of our world and how surprising it is, as is the case with quantum physics. This should translate into a different scientific agenda that is more open to dialogue with spirituality, as well as more attention to traditional forms of knowledge and solutions to deal with issues like the environmental crisis.

In many sectors, you can find strategic visions — and proposed policies to turn them into reality — labeled with key words emanating from these values such as “integral,” “regenerative”, “positive,” “compassionate,” “caring,” “nonviolent,” or “mindful.” Together, these policies form the natural substrate of the politics of being.

These growing bodies of research highlight their importance for sustainability, while framing new narratives, new understandings of our human and social potentials, as well as the possible policies and institutions that could help realize these potentials. They also shape new political debates and agendas, concrete policies and initiatives, overcoming long-standing divides and traditional alternatives.

In the next blog I will make deeper sense of this list of values. Stay tuned 😊