Expanding on the Plan 2023, I've been continuing research on what the world has been up to. I've expanded more into the SCIM/INAM space, and started focusing more on the psychological and higher level aspects of what people/groups/organizations need, beyond what people physically need to live. I've built piles and piles of spreadsheets, tracking all sorts of international groups and economic frameworks.
Based on last years plan, I've found a ton of solid sources of data. I know where to get UN/global data to find metrics around the world, which will be useful for future analysis. There were a few mapping/database options that I thought I'd want to make, but was able to find. The way all the actors say they're going to do things, and the things that turn out is quite disconnected, so I think there's more value in following "what is" instead of "what is said will be". Nothing worth doing any trading or fancy financial plays over, that's not the game I want to be in. Time for a bit of a pivot.
Current Information
I believe that with the way the world has been run, we've built up so many systems, frameworks, and cultural "requirements" that our societies are no longer supporting what we really need. We get lost in this rat race, struggling to hold things to "the way things are", instead of focusing on what we need. This leads to burnouts of all types, record amounts of depression and anxiety, and entire generations starting to think "What's the point? It's all coming down eventually"
Its time for a First Principles redesign of society. What are we designing for? What allows us to live happy, fulfilled lives? How can our environments and societies reflect and amplify those aspects?
If life is an infinite game with no win condition, then the only "winning" is continuing to play to the best of your ability, as well as allowing the game to go on as long as possible. Next level play is not only protecting your own welfare, but allowing others to play as much and as strong as possible as well. The systemic risks would be those that end the game, or those who try to force different rules on everyone. The goal is to optimize your own gameplay, as well as help others level up their gameplay, while avoiding systemic risk.
From SCIM framework, there are the 4 tiers of cooperation that exist around us. There's the Individual, which comes together to make Groups, which create Organizations, which make Nations. I've noticed 2 other categories, like Group+ and Organization+. Communities and Villages. Communities such as spiritual retreats, yoga retreats or any "off grid" style area. These act similar to group dynamics, there is a core leadership/activity that people come to rally around. The people coming are not meant to stay long term, its based on "visiting".
Villages are more based around Organizational requirements. These are built to be more long lasting, people would move there and live there. They have core principles that extend beyond the founders, and have a way of continuing on when the people who initiated and first settled have moved on. Finding these that have lasted a long time (multiple decades or even generations) is difficult. The Amish would be the clearest example of a society outside of society that's long lasting, though they're far to large to be called a village. Charter cities are an expansion of this, trying for experimental levels of governance.
With the rise of Industrialists through the industrial revolution, we've had plenty of companies existing through multiple generations and transfers of power. That's given us the opportunity to see what lessons there are to learn that keep stable organizations. We've had explosions of startups, allowing us to see what it takes to lift companies off the ground. This gives us tons of materials on how to build ideal organizations, this is one of my favorite: https://www.amazon.ca/Great-CEO-Within-Tactical-Building/dp/0578599287/ Having documents like that allows people who want to build an organization a guide of where to build, and what details to pay attention to. It's not a prescriptive model of "This is what you have to do to succeed", it's a guide to build off with your own new ideas.
Its been promising to see that recently (past 10+ years?) there has been a large social push to normalize therapy and getting help with personal issues. We've also got lots more self development material being published as well, though that has a much wider range of quality. Looking at it, all, we're starting to have some materials on what makes a good individual, beyond fulfilling the physical requirements for survival. When thinking of designing for optimal outcomes, the SCIM framework is focused on "What kills you", so there needs to be an expansion to what allows us to not only survive, but thrive. That requires an additional layer of mental/emotional needs being filled.
New plan/Work done
If it's possible to explore new ways of societal design, and to build some guidelines, then those guidelines should be applicable in many different situations. There should be a smooth pathway between "What a community should be like" and "How to fix a community in crisis". This allows communities around the world to participate, and explore different solutions on all different levels. Communities and organizations in developed countries are a baseline to experiment with new ideas, and deploy them to communities in developing countries once the kinks have been worked out. It's immoral to force experimentation on those who have no other choice. At the same time, its arrogant to think that just because "developed nations" have higher GDPs, that they have higher levels of happiness and community. There's knowledge to be shared both ways.
Bringing all that together, I've come up with 3 rough points, with some subcategories:
- SCIM Infrastructure and Psychology Map for Individuals, Groups, Orgs
- Build best practice docs from SCIM roots for various levels
- Experimental Communities (group+) and villages (org+) enabling best practices - Develop/share new appropriate tech for infrastructure requirements
- Shared Wiki for knowledge storage and collaboration
- Coordination between charities, NGOs, Int orgs to provide baselines
- All learned efforts are saved for rebuild after incoming crash - Research Institutions for most effective locations/deployments
- Deploy tech for in recovery/developing communities/countries
- Online mapping for where experiments and deployments are
I've already been doing some work with those points. I've built a collection (100+) of the top rated charities, focusing on infrastructure development and self-sustainability. I've been exploring existing mapping solutions for projects, charities, and communities around the world. I've found some very nice open wikis, some active and some archived, that are holding a wealth of information on many of these sustainable topics. Now that I've had my couple years of research, and am able to write these ideas down, its time for networking. I've noticed that one of my favorite types of work is to find someone with a cool idea, and help them grow that idea into what they imagined it could be. That's why I've always loved my R&D and prototyping jobs. My short term goal is to find a few promising projects, or a few communities that could use a boost/reignition.
Work to be done this year:
- Continue research
- Contact charities/orgs to improve networking
- Mapping project analysis, see what barriers for expansion the existing solutions are running into
- Join new communities/groups
- Travel to visit places to see what things are like on the ground and what projects are being implemented.
So far, I've got a trip to Germany planned for the end of summer to explore what climate collapse could look like.
Stay tuned for the 2025 update!