The Idea
Imagine living in a healthy environment, in peace and justice, with social conditions, work and production developing creatively, arts blooming, people realizing their potencials. 99% of humankind would prefer that, right? So how can we optimize our efforts to get there?
One strange thing is that although every good physician knows that treatment of the patient must complete diagnosis and prognosis in order to get well again, the „physicians“ of the world seem to mostly lack the treatment part.
Where do we find constructive thinking, where do we see the stories of success, where do we find the images of a better world, the ideas of what might be possible?
Media as well as research and public debate seem to be in love with criticism of the status quo and warnings of the breakdown of the world – and yes, both is clearly neccessary. We definitely need the diagnosis for the healing.
But what, then, does healing mean? How do we get there?
What can we do FOR, not just AGAINST?
Old wisdom says that only what you can imagine is what you can go for.
So that is what we want to do.
TFF changes name to The Transnational
TFF will celebrate ist 25th anniversary in January 2011.
From then onwards, the foundation will emphazise and focus on the treatment part – constructive proposals, projects and ideas.
It will do so by drafting creative plans for the future and by making peace visible in the already existing social and cultural production of alternatives.
And there will be a lot because there is a lot already! Although bad news and worse conditions for so many people in this world seem overwhelming – there’s much more peace than war each single day. So let’s make that visible in order to encourage us and others.
Imagine a Better World
Our means will be a totally new website: www.imagineabetterworld.org
Imagine a comprehensive internet platform that highlights the pro-peace aspects of our time, all around the world and on many dimensions.
A place that gives „Aha“, „how wonderful“, „I-did-not-know-that“ experiences.
A place that shows visitors that „Yes, there is hope – people have done it, so I can make it too“ and tells them where to link up to make a difference.
Imagine sections for music, literature, poetry, painting, photography, movie. Sections for philosophy and social science, psychology. Sections with proposed and ongoing peace projects; constructive proposals for difficult and seemingly unsolvable problems and conflicts. Sections with positive politics; with creative activism and ideas for all kinds of solutions.
Imagine a world famous architect talking about how she shapes her buildings to further personal harmony and partnership with nature. A city planner drafting ideas about the connection between buildings and social encounter. An exposé on forgiveness in Mozart’s operas. Another one on reconciliation in Baremboim’s orchestra.
Is there such a thing as peace photography? A link between Lady Gaga and Gandhi?
And so on.
Imagine analyses of the wars that “should“ have happened according to theories, but did not – e.g. the „Third World War“ between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
Imagine getting introduced to the people in the places we bomb and occupy. Who are the peace lords and ladies in war zones we never hear about? Meet the success of the globalizing schools. How whistle-blowers and other individuals have changed the world. Studies of cultures without violence, languages that can’t express hatred. Success stories from development and ecological work around the world.
And so on.
Imagine competitions and awards and winners publishing and selling their awarded peace work online. Like: here is our draft for a peaceful, constructive solution with Iran – please contribute!
That’s what we are about to start – and we will go online with this pro-peace platform at some point in 2011.
It will be multi-dimensional. You may post your own articles there. We need co-editors for each section. We need YOU.
What do you think? How would you be able to contribute to this exciting, unique new initiative? Please reply to TFF@transnational.org
For further information, please contact:
Jan Oberg, TFF director
+46 – 738 – 52 52 00
TFF@transnational.org
