The following outline is a draft for discussion. Its meant to be a set of principals. We’ve always had difficulty in difining what we do maybe this will help.
Pls comment it’s important that this is developed as a multi stake holder porcess. It reflects what we have been saying meetings and what i think we all feel. as it is it’s too long and still needs alot of improving.
Shane
Creative Forum Principles Draft.
To create.
Local events globally connected.
Ethics in both process and event.
Open, transparent and inclusive.
Diverse multi-stakeholder processes.
United diversity - an ecosystem not battle field.
Linking and interdependence.
Not a locus of power.
Valuing people - beyond money.
Aware of the problems - not defined by the problem.
New mind set, not accepting the solutions given by the old culture.
Vision of another world.
A Creative Forum (CF) is; like the Social Forums, a platform for the convergence of the movement of the movements, bringing together individuals, organisations and movements; including, charities, NGO’s, activists, trade unions, peace groups, women’s movements, environmental movements, human rights movements and the many others committed to the slogan “another world is possibleâ€. The CF is an open meeting place for all people to come together and develop creative visions of another world, for networking, reflective thinking, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and inter linking for effective and enhanced action and the development of an ways of creating the world we want; a planetary society that supports the well being of all beings through fruitful relationships among Mankind and between it and the Earth.
The CF is an open space for all people to express creative visions of another world; harmony, inclusivity, participation, empowerment, authentic communication etc.
To create. As a “creative†forum we focus on our ability as humans to “createâ€. In this respect all humans are creative beings and must participate in creating the world they want. Firm in the knowledge that the tools, ideas and the people that are required for a positive global transition already exist. We seek to communicate and connect all people to working alternatives, existing initiatives, as well as leading edge creative thinkers and artistic visionaries. Through On-line and off-line workshops, exchanges and seminars etc that go beyond the limitations of talking and everyday language that help each of us to tap into our own creativity and engage in action meaningful to each individual and to our collective positive future.
The spirit of carnival is what most embodies the political stance that the CF strives towards as well as the wider movement that CF is embedded within. In that carnival demands that there’s no spectators, that there’s interaction and flexibility, face to face contact, a feeling of collective ownership, it denies the existence of experts or rather insists everyone is one, that each posses something unique and essential and success depends on freeing that in us all.
At Carnival we learn to work and play together while revelling in ones freedom in a volatile mixture of revolution, creativity, and conflict, using music and rhythm to reclaim space, transform our surroundings and inject pleasure into politics. it teaches you to have fun, to experiment with the experimental and not take yourself too seriously. Who wants the tedium of traditional demonstration and protest, moaning of campaigners, verbose ralleys and dull speeches. Instead the CF aspires to a form of change that embodies the movements principals of inclusively, diversity, creativity, decentralisation, horizontal, and direct action. It embraces unpredictability, subservient to spontaneity, any individual can shape her environment, transform into another being for an hour or a day, creating a new world. Leaders appear and then disappear into the crowd with a direct democracy develops on the ground level where everyone can get involved, each has the responsibility of being part of a community
Spontaneous, unpredictable and irresistible, politics leaves the space of boredom and bureaucracy, participation becomes joyful and not a sacrifice, then the process of changing the world becomes dangerously infectious.
Local events globally connected. The creative forum event, web presences and processes have an international dimension and are not localised to a specific space. Programmed on a three monthly basis there a 4 evens each year (once monthly events until )ct 2004). One of these dates is a focused annual CF (starting autumn 2005). Communities across the globe are invited to produce CF’s on any date they prefer, which may fall on all, some or just one of these predetermined dates depending on their resources and availability etc. If they choose just one they are encouraged to all chose the date of the annual forum. These local events happen simultaneously across the globe and are virtual connected to the global collective in every town, village, city, community and region through online technologies and tools; web casting, interactive web pages, Online discussion, Online creative networks, satellites, web site ecologies and other communication mediums.
Ethics in both process and event. The quality of both the event and the organisational process to produce the event are given equal importance. One isn’t sacrificed for the other. In both process and event the CF is an experiment in the highest level of social, environmental and economic ethics. Ethical choices undertaken by CF’s are not however, a format of prescribing what’s right or wrong, or a weapon for excluding or policing participants. Rather they’re tools for engaging people in the experimental learning process, where problems are seen as opportunities for innovations and where infinite possible solutions are embraced. Ethical frameworks should be determined locally as they are dependant upon locality, resources, time and diverse attitudes. The onus on ethical performance is placed on defining progress and the time scales for achieving progress, rather than focusing on peferction. No one choice is the right choice, we all work differently and all are works in progress.
Open, transparent and inclusive. As a key element of the event organisational process and processes; decision making methods, conflict resolution, authentic communication, process to enhance inclusively, openness and transparency are very clearly defined locally. These processes are upheld and reviewed regularly.
Diverse multi-stakeholder processes. The CF process seeks to engage a broad spectrum of people, cultures and ideologies as early on in the process as possible, as well as continuously throughout the intirity of all it’s processes. It’s organised and co-ordinated through a mix of autonomous, horizontal non hierarchal structures, self organising systems. With a loose central co-ordination designed as a support network for coodinating inter linking of practicalities and program etc.
United diversity - an ecosystem not battle field. A forum open to pluralism and to the diversity of activities of organisations and their ways of engaging in the forum, as well as the diversity of genders, ethnicity’s, cultures, generations, physical capacities, cultural, spiritual, environmental and social ideologies. We seek a response to our differences that goes beyond the standard entrenching and choosing of sides. We need to recognise that we are now in a complex field of relationships that works much more like an ecosystem than a battle field. The creative response is going to be one that bridges differences. Not only bridges within the movements but also into the mainstream and the local communities.
Linking and interdependence. Moving beyond the narrow specialised view point, that focuses on cultivating a constituency. The creative forum is about getting a synoptic view. getting all the parts and laying them out side by side so that we can understand the interconnections and interdependence. The problems are braided and there is a need for interweaving solutions that take a whole systems perspective
Not a locus of power. The creative forum is not a locus of power to be fought over. No one can own the forum, it’s processes, structures, web sites and assets. it seeks frameworks of governance that empowers and includes all. Providing space for individuals and organisations who are constantly marginalised and for those who’s voice seldom herd. Seeking a democratic experience which searches for the best possibilities - rather than the worst tendendencies within us all.
The CF brings together and inter links organisations and movements of civil society from all the countries in the world, but intends neither to be a body representing world civil society, nor do the meetings of the CF deliberate on behalf of the Creative Forum as a body. No one, therefore, will be authorised, on behalf of any of the editions of the Forum, to express positions claiming to be those of all its participants. Nonetheless, organisations or groups of organisations that participate in the Forum’s meetings must be assured the right, during such meetings, to deliberate on declarations or actions they may decide on, whether singly or in co-ordination with other participants.
Valuing people - beyond money. In a world where capital transactions are the predominant valuing system overriding all others and oversimplifying complex relationships, while reducing us, our work and the planet to quantifiable amounts. We seek not to ignore monetary systems but increase our use of other systems and methodologies. We seek to experiment in other ways of valuing and appreciating others, other ways of gaining high levels of personal satisfaction and well being while supporting the well being and good of all beings.
Aware of the problems - not defined by the problem. The CF is a platform that seeks to provide a balanced understanding of the nature of the global and local problems. Always seeking improved and better information. However overall themes and focus is on solutions and a direction that go beyond the nature of the problem and enters into the deeper desires and passions of the culture.
New mind set, not accepting the solutions given by the old culture. While not attacking existing predominant organisational frameworks the Forum doesn’t just except the solutions supplied by the old culture and supports a new culture that invents it’s own solutions. A new way of making decisions and taking action, A new organisational mindset for getting things done and engaging people in creating the communities and world they want.
Vision of another world. The CF supports a rapidly growing new sub culture of people who are changing social codes and creating the world they want. This change community, is emerged in a coherent sub culture - except for one essential thing; They have not yet formed a sense of “us†a sense of identity. They need a picture of what they are doing and what it means. They need visions of another world, charting into unknown territory there are no maps for where we are heading, and map makers are stepping up to the challenge. creating a shift in the collective identity of a people.
The Creative Forum is an open space for all people to express creative visions of another world: harmony; inclusivity; participation; empowerment; authentic communication.