The world celebrated the end of empire and the rise of a new era of democracy, peace, prosperity, and community. Its contemporary resolution may determine the fate of humanity for many generations to come. Insisting that economic growth increases the wealth of all and is a fitting proxy for human benefit, the forces of empire create an illusion of progress that hides a reality of decline in the economic security and well-being of the persons and households that bear the costs. A case in point is the call to grant the World Trade Organization the power to set and enforce uniform environmental and labor standards that would supersede the right of the sovereign people to democratically determine standards appropriate to their local conditions. It opens the way to accepting responsibility for the consequences of the human presence on planet Earth and marks the beginning of a new stage in the evolutionary journey of our species. “You have your game. The struggle between empire and community is moving into a new phase. Less visible was the on going work of articulating and demonstrating positive alternatives. Global civil society is raising the processes of authentic cultural regeneration to the level of conscious awareness and intentional choice. These are classic empire responses certain to prove futile in the current context. The massive unaccountable power of global corporations will continue to invite fraud and corruption. The melding of ancient spiritual wisdom with advanced scientific knowledge and a planetary perspective is unique to the present moment in history and opens the way to an evolutionary leap to a new level of human social, intellectual, and spiritual function. The underlying dynamics of empire compel it to continuously expand its dominion through conquest and exploitation. These movements emerged in rapid succession in response to an awakening consciousness of the possibility of creating truly democratic societies that honor life and recognize the worth and contribution of every person. Those who will bear the consequences of a decision must have a voice in making it. We are all members of an Earth community. private interests. We are the one’s we’ve been waiting for. We articulate our perception of this convergence here as a contribution to dialogue. In each instance, the formations of civil society declared victory and disbanded or redirected their energies to more conventional community development and service delivery functions — abandoning the work of mobilizing civic engagement to hold the political system accountable to the popular will. Empire’s current agenda also calls for eliminating social safety nets while privatizing, commodifying and monopolizing essential public services, such as education, health care, water, and sanitation — thus depriving those who lack the ability to pay of the most fundamental of all human rights — the right to live. Keywords: global civil society, democratic change, global citizenship, technical deliberations, public responsibilities, global governance. We must be prepared for the possibility that in their growing desperation the ruling elites will attempt to usher in a world order even more draconian and destructive than the one we now behold, using the most sophisticated of advanced technologies to introduce new and historically unprecedented forms of control. Empire controls the institutions of political and economic power — including military and police. Its emergent strategy can is defined by five essential elements: The awakening occurs individual by individual, but each instance creates a new role model to inspire others. Belief that community will ultimately prevail is grounded in the premise that for the vast majority of people a life of love, hope, generosity, compassion and spiritual connection is more attractive than a life of ruthless competition, fear, violence, and hate — and that it is within our individual and collective means to consciously choose the former. This is not a new A regime of household, community, and national food security is replaced with a global regime of food security for the rich and food insecurity for everyone else. PRINTED FROM OXFORD HANDBOOKS ONLINE (www.oxfordhandbooks.com). 2. - David Korten, Earth Community: An Indigenous Perspective, Life’s Ability to Self-Organize and Learn, Why Strengthening Failed Institutions Is the Wrong Path, Ten Essential Principles for Healthy Markets, When Corporations Rule the World – Introduction (Excerpt), When Corporations Rule the World – Conclusion (Excerpt), When Corporations Rule the World – Excerpt, When Corporations Rule the World – Reviewer Comments, Change the Story, Change the Future: A Living Economy for a Living Earth, Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth 2nd edition, The Story Behind Agenda for a New Economy, Agenda for a New Economy – Table of Contents, Agenda for a New Economy, Part I – The Case for a New Economy, Agenda for a New Economy, Part II – The Case For Eliminating Wall Street, Agenda for a New Economy, Part III – A Living-Economy Vision, Agenda for a New Economy, Part IV – A Living-Economy Agenda, Agenda for a New Economy, Part V – Navigating Uncharted Waters, What Others Are Saying about Agenda for a New Economy, The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community, The Post-Corporate World: Life After Capitalism, Getting to the 21st Century: Voluntary Action and the Global Agenda, Living Earth Economy Column for YES! However, when we assail government for failing to provide leadership in directions not supported by an evident cultural consensus, we engage in a contradiction. In societies where love, trust, and sense of connection prevail, we are more likely to find cooperative partnership models of social organization that favor deeply democratic self-organizing processes mediated by an ethical culture that values equality, justice, the creative freedom of the individual, and the willingness of each individual to act with a sense of responsibility for the interests of the whole. This was an initial step in forming the complex web of alliances committed to creating a just, sustainable, and compassionate world we now know as global civil society. Farmers and entrepreneurs in the Philippines are creating zones of freedom within which they are organizing associative economies based on similar principles. The U.S. administration of George W. 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