第3章 Preface

    HOWWEADDRESShestchallenges?Howwebreakthroughourmostentaus?Howwecreatesocialge?

    Ihavespetwentyyearsseargforaothesequestions.Myworkhasbeeeamsofleadersetogetherfromacrossagivensocialsystemtoaddressaparticurchalleallofthemwanttoresolvebutthathemresolvealone.Myrolehasbeenasadesigner,facilitator,andahesepracticalsocialgeprojects.Ihaveimmersedmyselfintheseinitiatives,andatthesametimehavepaidattentiontowhateningaroundandinsideme.

    Ihavehadtheprivilegeinthisway,alongsidemycolleagues,withallkindsofteams,onallsortsofchallenges,inallpartsoftheworld.WehaveworkediedStates,tomakecitieshealthierandmorelivable;inada,toacceleratetheshifttoalow-carboney;inbia,tocreateequitabledevelopmentamidtinuedporization;inGuatema,toimplementthepeaceaccordsthatehecivilwar;acrossEuropeandtheAmericas,tomakefoodsupplysmoresustainable;inIsrael,todealwithwideningculturandideologicalschisms;inSouthAfrica,toaddresscriticaldevelopmentalissuesiransitionfromapartheid;inIndia,toreducechildmalnutrition;inthePhilippiounblockapoliticalstalemate;andinAustralia,toeffeg-deyedreciliatioweenabinandnonabinalpeople.

    Theseexperienceshavegivenmeanup-frohedynamicsofsocialgeatmanylevels:individual,group,unity,society.Ihavebeenamemberoftensofdiverseteams;wtogetherovermonthsandyears;engagingheads,hearts,andhands.Ihavehadtheopportunitytoparticipateinmuchtriandmucherrorandmuchlearning.Ihaveworkedsidebysidewithremarkablegeagents,socialentrepreneurs,andactivists,andbeeoobserve,frombothoutsiderandinsiderperspectives,whatworksandwhatdoesn't.Basedonthesefirsthandexperiences,IhavewrittenthisbooktosharewhatIhavelearhotherswhoaretryingtocreatesocialge.

    Overthesetwentyyears,Ihavemadetwodiscoveries.IreportedthefirstonefiveyearsagoinSolvingToughProblems:AnOpenWayofTalking,Listening,aingies.InthatbookIcludedthatthekeytocreatingnewsocialrealitiesistoopenourselvesupandect:toourowntrueselves,tooher,andtoourtextandwhatitdemandsofus.

    Fiveyearsandmanyexperieer,Iseethatthisclusionwasright,butonlyhalfright,anddangerouslyso.

    PowerandLovepicksupwhereSolvingToughProblemsleftoffastheseddiscovery.Ioaddresshestchallenges,wemustindeedect,butthisisnotenough:wemustalsogrow.Inotherwords,wemustexercisebothlove(thedrivetounity)andpower(thedrivetoself-realization).Ifwechooseeitherloveorpoillgetsture-creatiiies,orworse.Ifwewanttocreatenewaerrealities-athome,atwork,inourunities,intheworld-weolearnhowtoieourloveandourpower.

    PowerandLoveisbothpractidpersonal.Manyresearchers-acrosspoliticalsce,peacestudies,ma,neuro-biology,sociology,psychology,philosophy,theology-haveusedavarietyofframingsandvocaburiestopointouttheimportanceofpowerorloveorboth.Thepurposeofthisbookisnottoreiterateorreviewthesespecializedtheories,buttoexplorehowingenerandinpracticeweworkwithpowerandlovetoaddresshestchallenges.Furthermore,Ihavenotstructedmyuandingofthesephenomenaoutofthesetheories,butinsteadoutofsiftingthroughandtryingtomakesenseofmyownmostfusingandchallengingexperiencesofsocialge.

    YearsagoIwasamazedwhehefirstpagesofthesedvolumeofLawrenceDurrell'sheAlexandriaQuartet.BalthazarhandsDarley,thenarrator,themarked-upmanuscriptofDarley'sfirstvolume:"apapernowsearedandstarredbyamassiveinterlinearofsentences,paragraphsaion-marks."ThesedvolumetheoretearadicallydifferentinterpretationofthesameeventsthatDarleyhaddescribedinthefirstone,ahirdandfourthvolumesdothesameagainfromtwoadditionalperspectives.

    Manytimesduritwentyyears,Ihavebeenhaernativeinterpretationsofmyownstories.Iammovingalongfidently,andthensomebodysayssomethingthatshowsmethingsarenotatallthewayIthinktheyare.Throughsuchdisciplinedre-viewingofmyownexperiences,Ihavegraduallybuiltupmyuandingofthedynamicsofsocialge.

    Thebookbeginswith"Introdu:Beyondeace,"whichsummarizeswhatIhavelearned.Chapter1,"TheTwoSidesofPower,"andChapter2,"TheTwoSidesofLove,"describethesetwofualdrivesthatgeesocialge.Chapter3,"TheDilemmaofPowerandLove,"expinswhyweotchoosebetweenthesedrivesbutmustfindawaytorecilethem.Chapter4,"Falling,"Chapter5,"Stumbling,"andChapter6,"Walking,"youtaprogressionofthreemodesofemployingpowerandlove-fromthemostporizedandstuostiedandfluid-inwcollectivelytoeffectsocialge.In"clusion:ToLeadMeanstoStepForward,"Isuggestawaytoworkindividuallythroughthissameprogression,fromfallingtostumblingtowalking,andsobeorecapableofaddressinghestchallenges.