A Nuclear Tale in Five Parts

Yesterday's announcement by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists at the University of Chicago has inspired me to complete a series on the Nuclear tale, one that I began in April last year spurred by the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. In the coming week I shall post five sides of story; from weapons and warfare to energy and the environment.

A Letter to the Delegates

A Letter to the Delegates of Solution 2006
A unique platform for positive change, hosted by AIESEC and the Two Wings Foundation, which I am most excited to be chairing in the beginning of February in Vienna.

"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe."- H.G. Wells

The struggle of human progress- in both politics and philosophy- is the unravelling of two fundamental paradoxes within our collective and individual humanity. The first is found in the ascent of human civilization. Over the last ten-thousand years we have learned through experience, reacting to the lessons of failure. This is how we have developed democracy and separation of powers, the fundamental rights of man and state, restricted use of nuclear weapons and complete environmental destruction. Although we have learned slowly, often tragically so, we have indeed learned and the potential for a human born in the 21st Century to experience, create, generate and protect is far greater than every before. However, in the approaching ecological/geological collapse we face a challenge that our time-tested reactive approach cannot solve. Simply put, if we do not learn before the fall, than we will learn because of it. There will be massive consequences for the cultural and technological achievements of humanity, yet it is these same achievements that give us, for the first time in our long history, a chance to learn proactively and change our fate. This is the first paradox I would like to explore with you in the rare thinking space provided by Solution 2007.

"What is education? I should suppose that education was the curriculum one had to run through in order to catch up with oneself, and he who will not pass through this curriculum is helped very little by the fact that he was born in the most enlightened age."
- Søren Kierkegaard, "Fear and Trembling".

Two questions underlie all schools of philosophy, psychology and spiritual development; what is? And, what should I do? This search for the self, for meaning and comprehension of reality has been critical to the development of political, intellectual, artistic and spiritual leadership throughout history. By looking to both the sciences and wisdom traditions we can gain clarity on this leadership path- but also explore the deepening paradox between self and selflessness, individuality and interconnection, experience and reality, that lines the way. The learning journey of leadership is challenging and personal, yet it holds the key to unlocking our potential for unique self-expression and the fundamental global changes necessary for the continued progress of our civilization. In the platform of Solution 2007 I hope you discover the map of your own leadership path, and by the end of our time together you find yourself already well upon your way.

peace

Arthur Josephson

Chair, Solution 2007
Leadership Development Consultant, ABN AMRO
Director, AIESEC International 04-05
arthursblog@gmail.com
arthur.nomadlife.org

ABC Linkdump- January 15

As Nostradamus did so prophecy for this 2007th year.

The fugitives, fire from the sky on the pikes:
Conflict near the ravens frolicking,
from land they cry for aid and sweet linkdump.

Uncannily accurate. Sweet salvation in the best of Xmas-NY internetage.

AJ- The Motherload of awesome learning resources . Berkeley Courses With Video Lectures, Free Online Documentaries, Education With Podcasting etc. The future of learning is now.
AJ- Citizenium; an experts wikipedia, proposed and lead by Larry Sanger one of the founders of Wikipedia, "will soon attempt to unseat Wikipedia as the go-to destination for general information online". Of course Wp's entry on Citizenium.
AJ- Directors Notes is an awesome site promoting independent filmmakers. Every week they release a short film and the next week they have a discussion with the Director covering aspects of film making from concept to completion.
AJ- 20,000+ of your favourite tv shows, music videos and anime online . It's another copyright infringing, low-resolution version of The Future of Entertainment.
AJ- A great podcast with Richard Linkater. Linklater made Waking Life (made my favourite film), as well as A Scanner Darkly, Fast Food Nation, Dazed and Confused to name a few. via the movie show podcast on a FBi Sydney.
AJ- Get some internet skillz with The Ultimate Google Search Guide. Zen mind, noobs mind.
AJ- Parking Idiots in Singapore is a blog testing whether the author can maintain his communalist rage at minor social infractions beyond the 500th post. Unintentionally hilarious.

Two-thousand and Seven Dawning

This has been a time in the coming.

In 1922, shortly before publication of "The Prophet", the great humanist poet Kahlil Gibran started to complain of the illness that would deteriorate until his early death nine years later. In his letters from the time we read,

“But my greatest pain is not physical. There's something big in me. I’ve always known it and I can't get it out. It's a silent greater self, sitting watching a smaller somebody in me do all sorts of things."

What strikes me about Gibran is his ability to express the deeply spiritual element of the Human, without religion or philosophy. Many other traditions, notably the Hindu sages, have delved deeply into these concepts. They name this greater Self the Atman, and this smaller somebody the Maya, or source of illusion. Perhaps looking at Gibran they would say that he knew only moments of this greater self, and that his end found him before be found his end. But I feel this is only a half-truth. Gibran was a sage of the seasons and knew their rise and fall within him. He played a game, that these bearded ones seem to shy from, and was duly elated and crushed by it. And how else could it be?


Depending on the moment, I am certain that there are many roads or one. For some time I have considered the benefits of this path or that, critiqued this choice or that. But I realised once again that I am well upon my way and a good many more footfalls is what is needed if I wish to see these mountains that loom so large upon the horizon of my mind.

Like Socrates I see sophistry everywhere; purveyors of packaged truths aimed at our recurring desire for the absolute- that impossible ecstasy of the answer. Yet I too see wisdom flowing abundant in the Great and the Human. In leading physicists and philosophers alike I see a depth of truer understanding, a knowledge which cannot be easily known, lest communicated, lest taught. Would it be folly to tease it out and make it one's work? And perhaps, as for Gibran, how else could it be?

Travel well my friends and may we meet at many crossroads in the coming year.
Peace.

Hallucinations- XKCD