Hi all,
Tend to agree that drawing from examples of how wisdom-based approaches are leading to significant and sustainable change is the best way to inspire others and get noticed - underlined by a 'manifesto' of sorts. Most social enterprises, NFPs and NGOs will have missions and visions that are short, sharp and memorable.
In terms of other places/people to contact, The Conversation (http://theconversation.com/uk - online news outlet) is my go-to source for news, and has the right kind of audience (academic, discerning, university-based). As above, a short, sharp and memorable note..." our mission is simple: to provide you with a reliable source of high quality, evidence-based information."
I'd also point out that UCL, IOE, Sheffield Uni and Lancaster (and 8 international institutions) are partners in a new funded Centre in higher education called the Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE): "Our centre is grounded in three overarching and interfaced principles: (1) global higher education engagement, (2) social and economic impact of higher education, (3) local higher education engagement." It's early days (doesn't have a website I believe) but could be interesting... Headed up by Prof Simon Marginson, at UCL/IOE - so close to home Nick! https://www.ioe.ac.uk/research/112125.html
Beyond news outlets and bodies that might have an interest in these ideas, the other - and more resource heavy/extensive! - activity would be to mobilise in some way: attend/contribute to events; promote projects that propagate the values and orientation of AoE/Wisdom-inquiry and, as with Phil's note, ones that are accessible and not esoteric/deeply academic; find like-minded enterprises and scope opportunities for convergence of message or resource(s)...
Along the lines of thinking of a short, inspiring mission/value statement, I recently saw a meme (stay with me...) quoting a recently passed astronaut, Edgar Mitchell; the image was of Earth as seen from the Moon, with the following quote: "You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that you [offensive slogan!]."
I know nothing about Edgar Mitchell, but on the merit of the quote alone...wouldn't it be great to be able to take to the moon those people who could make change happen here on Earth?
Regards,
Will
-----Original Message-----
From: Group concerned that academia should seek and promote wisdom [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Philip Webber
Sent: 09 February 2016 00:03
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Possible Manifesto for Friends of Wisdom
I think that it is a good idea to include clear examples of case studies.
I personally find the URL's referred too excessively academic - I don't think that most people will read them or relate to them.
There is certainly a problem with universities. But in my view an even more insidious problem is the lack of active enquiry in the media and press.
"News" routinely parrots government press releases and a range of assertions and prejudices are presented as facts until most people either believe them or reach levels of cynicism and scepticism where they don't belive anything. This is a potential growing medium for all sorts of extreme politics.
I find it very Orwellian. Commentators such as Media Lens and Noam CHmosky are a great corrective. But they struggle to be heard.
If FOW could become actively engaged (maybe most of us are?) and try to raise real issues such as Nick raises that would help enormously in my view.
For my part I am focusing on opposing the proposed replacement to the UK Trident nuclear weapon system, less aggressive non nuclear forces and arms and arguing for better low carbon policies. The tide is in the opposite direction...
Regards
Phil Webber
(Chair, Scientists for Global Responsibility, sgr.org.uk)
PS Our research has shown that Universities are heavily funded and influenced by fossil fuel, arms companies and big pharma. They are routinely highly secretive about this.
> Nick asks, in his note below of the 20th January 2016,
>
> 'Could this constitute a sort of agreed manifesto for Friends of Wisdom?’
>
> I like very much the rhetorical power in Nick’s statements. I agree
> with the statements. However, to constitute an agreed manifesto I
> think that it should go beyond rhetoric and into living accounts of
> learning as individuals put the problems of living at the heart of
> their academic enterprise. Here are a couple of accounts to show what I have in mind:
>
> How I am trying to lead the best possible life: Towards a more helpful
> framing of my practice <http://ejolts.net/node/261> (pp. 32-75) Moira
> Laidlaw - http://ejolts.net/node/261
>
> Generating my own living-theory: An interim report
> <http://ejolts.net/node/262> (pp. 76-99) Arianna Briganti -
> http://ejolts.net/node/262
>
> Do we not need a brief statement we can send to people, as the
> occasion arises, that indicates what it is that Friends of Wisdom
> stand for, and seek to help bring about?
>
> I think that we do need a brief statement such as the one below from
> Nick that indicates what it is that Friends of Wisdom stand for. I
> also think that the statement should use live urls to show what
> individuals are doing as they hold themselves accountable for living
> as fully as possible what it is that Friends of Wisdom stand for.
>
> If the above is inadequate, what is wrong with it, and how can it be
> improved?
>
> I have suggested that it could be improved by including explanations
> of educational influence by Friends of Wisdom as they seek to live as
> fully as possible what it is that Friends of Wisdom stand for.
>
>
>> On 20 Jan 2016, at 22:50, Maxwell, Nicholas
>> <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> In order to solve the grave global problems we face - climate change,
>> population growth, extinction of species, war, inequality and the
>> rest - we need governments to act appropriately. But governments are
>> unlikely to be much more enlightened than electorates. Hence we
>> require the public to have a good understanding of what our problems
>> are, and what we need to do about them. That in turn requires that
>> universities are devoted to intelligent public education about our
>> problems and how to solve them. At present universities, devoted
>> primarily to the pursuit of knowledge, fail disastrously to do what
>> is required. As has been spelled out in detail in Maxwell's From
>> Knowledge to Wisdom (Blackwell, 1984), we urgently need to bring
>> about a revolution in academic inquiry so that the basic intellectual
>> aim becomes social wisdom and not just specialized knowledge.
>> Problems of living need to be put at the heart of the academic
>> enterprise. Disciplines, the relationship between disciplines, and
>> the relationship between the university as a whole and society, all
>> need to change in quite specific and radical ways. A new paradigm
>> for academic inquiry is required. The outcome would be a kind of
>> inquiry rationally designed and devoted to helping humanity tackle
>> problems of climate change and other global problems effectively, intelligently and humanely.
>>
>> Could this constitute a sort of agreed manifesto for Friends of Wisdom?
>> Do we not need a brief statement we can send to people, as the
>> occasion arises, that indicates what it is that Friends of Wisdom
>> stand for, and seek to help bring about? If the above is inadequate,
>> what is wrong with it, and how can it be improved?
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> Nick Maxwell
>> Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/from-knowledge-to-wisdom
>> <http://www.ucl.ac.uk/from-knowledge-to-wisdom>
>> Publications online: http://philpapers.org/profile/17092
>> <http://philpapers.org/profile/17092>
>> http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/view/people/ANMAX22.date.html
>> <http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/view/people/ANMAX22.date.html>
>>
>
>
> Love Jack.
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> When Martin Dobson, a colleague, died in 2002 the last thing he said
> to me was 'Give my Love to the Department'. In the 20 years I'd worked
> with Martin it was his loving warmth of humanity that I recall with
> great life affirming pleasure and I'm hoping that in Love Jack we can
> share this value of common humanity.
>
> Jack Whitehead , Visiting Professor in Education at the University of
> Cumbria.
>
> Life-time member of OMNIBUS (All Bath University Staff).
>
> Secretary of Bath and West Co-operative Party.
>
> web-site http://www.actionresearch.net with email address.
>
> See the Educational Journal of Living Theories (EJOLTS) at:
> http://ejolts.net .
>
> Do participate in the open review process of EJOLTS at
> http://ejolts.org and see the submissions.
>
> You can access the Community Space of EJOLTS at
> http://ejolts.org/login/index.php
>
> Latest publications:
>
> Whitehead, J. (2015) The Practice of Helping Students to Find Their
> First Person Voice in Creating Living-Theories for Education, pp.
> 247-255 in Bradbury, H. (Ed) (2015) The SAGE Handbook of Action
> Research, Third Edition, London; Sage.
>
> Whitehead, J. (2014) Enacting Educational Reflexivity in Supervising
> Research into Creating living-educational-theories. Journal
> Educational Research for Social Change 3(2); 81-93. Retrieved 20
> October 2014 from
> http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/jack/jwERSC6-2-031014.pdf
>
> Coombs, S., Potts, M., Whitehead, J. (2014) ‘International Educational
> Development and Learning through Sustainable Partnerships: Living
> Global Citizenship’ London; Palgrave Macmillan.
>
>
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