AN ELECTRONIC
UNITED NATIONS OF THE SPIRIT
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The task at hand | Creating momentum | What we need now | A print newsletter | Immediate outreachIt is clear to any serious online networker that the tools to develop a major interfaith network of the type described in this proposal are today very well established.
We now have the technical facilities and the expertise, and there exists a very wide-spread popular interest in the subject matter, as shown by the explosive growth in hundreds of network systems and sites related to "the emerging new spirituality". The growth in this area is fast, sustained, excited, and most promising.
Yet, at the same time, it is also true that there is a significant inertia to be seen within many established organizations. Those who are satisfied with the status quo, it would seem, are less motivated to creatively explore these powerful new potentials, and are not yet willing to devote their time and resources to the development of a new and as-yet untried system.
Thus, we who can "see the vision", and are convinced that these projects are feasible, have a substantial task ahead of us, if we are going to excite the participation of mainstream religious institutions, and their closely related interfaith organizations.
Creating Momentum As is the case in the development of anything new, we face something of a "chicken and the egg" conundrum. If something doesn't exist yet, how can we get anybody interested in it? If we can't get anybody interested in it, how can we create it?
The answer, it seems, involves faith, and the determination of the new pioneering visionaries, who are deeply convinced of the value of this work, and will invest their spirit and energy into the project, persuaded that this work represents the "Will of God" - and will, in the end, be sustained by God.
Today, in the development of this "Electronic United Nations of the Spirit" (EUNS) project, we are far from a raw beginning. We have a substantial project, and a mature network system already in place. In addition to the few specific resources brought into the project by ORIGIN Research, there are many thousands of related projects, developed by others, which can also play a significant role in this work. With the right kind of development support, we can quickly - almost instantly - develop a powerful framework, exploring the meaning of religion and interfaith affairs, at a sophisticated and comprehensive global level.
The current state of the Internet readily supports this kind of network, and one quick search through a massive database archive like yahoo.com quickly reveals the existence of many thousands of related projects. At last count, as I recall, there were over 10,000 Christian web sites alone. There are virtually an endless number of related sites, on alternative and esoteric spirituality, and the many aspects of religion and ethics that might be gathered together through the EUNS framework.
It is thus clear that the challenge we face today does not arise from a lack of technology, or a failure of Internet developers to bring their projects online. The real problem we face - a difficult one, that we must overcome - is the challenge of "building a bridge between paradigms",. We must build a connection, an "interface", between the existing and established religious and spiritual organizations, which today tend to move very slowly and perhaps uncertainly, and the explosively growing Internet and "new age/alternative spirituality" projects and organizations, which are extremely popular, and developing so rapidly that they cannot be monitored.
These newly emerging sites, and the philosophy that motivates them, are often not fully mature representations of spirituality. They can be experimental, sometimes radical or unbalanced, and may not be fully capable of the social role that a true and tested religious organization must assume.
As a society - globally, nationally, locally - we are in need of trustworthy, informed, and ethical spiritual guidance - spiritual leadership that is truly responsible for the welfare of its followers. This is the kind of network that we need to build, and creating such a network is the challenge we face.
Thus, this "Development Strategy" proposes a simple plan to confront this challenge, in an affordable way that can truly be successful.
What We Need Now In essence, we propose to some possible sponsor of this work that we create a modest initial budget for this network, set to work on its development on a full-time basis, and continue to expand its influence, its range of contacts, its substance, and every aspect of its various dimensions. We could use one part-time or full-time staff person, one full-time developer, and one part-time computer programmer, and a few items of office equipment.
With this kind of modest initial budget - $2,000/month or less - we could then continue to rapidly grow the core elements of the network itself, continue to develop position papers and articles related to this work, develop a range of edited publications, including a journal, and begin to concentrate on what seems most likely to be the strongest tool for unfolding the growth of this project - a print-based newsletter.
A Print Newsletter Through existing Internet media, we can quickly and inexpensively reach many thousands of people, who are already computer-literate, and who understand what it takes to become involved in a project of this sort. But our network musts reach outside the spiritually immature boundaries of the Internet, and contact the existing interfaith and spiritual organizations, whom we would wish to link together through our network system.
In order to accomplish this task, we must develop a means of outreach, a communications tool that will bring the sophisticated message of our network to as many religious and interfaith organizations as possible. Over time, we can develop a variety of means to accomplish this task. But for now, it seems most likely that the best tool for expanding this project is a simple and inexpensive print-based newsletter.
We need to develop a comprehensive mailing list of interfaith organizations, and of all other religious and spiritual organizations that we believe to be receptive to our message. We need to contact these individuals and groups on a regular basis with a solid and persuasive message that presents our work as an inviting and successful project, with a significant potential for advancing an agenda shared by almost all spiritual organizations.
We can say to these groups, "You are committed to the development of a better world through spiritual practice and belief, as presented in your organization as follows: a, b, c, d... And if you work within the context of our organization, we can jointly empower these aspects of your agenda, because you will be working with many other spiritual groups, who have this same agenda. By combining forces, our collective energy and effort becomes much stronger, and our impact on the spirituality of the world that much more effective. Thus, by cooperating and joining our network, you advance your own agenda."
On a regular basis, probably once a month, we can send out a mailing that introduces our work, describes some phase of our project n detail, and invites participation. We can include instructional materials, that explain how to contact our projects, and become involved. And, of course, we can create instruction manuals and other teaching aids, which will assist our membership in becoming involved in the most effective way.
We need to create this newsletter, and find the modest funding necessary to subsidize it in its initial form. As the project matures, we can request a specific subscription fee for the newsletter, such that it becomes a self-supporting project, and can continue to expand our outreach in the most effective and aggressive way we can.
Each issue of our newsletter can contain a poll - a set of multiple choice questions, to be answered by each network member, if they wish to participate - in a form that they can cut out, and mail back to us. With computer scanning equipment, we can read "tabular data" off these forms, and straight into our database.
Working with existing interfaith organizations, and their existing mailing lists and directories (such as the directory compiled by the Temple of Understanding), we can create a comprehensive mailing list for our newsletter. And once we have established this project, we can then advertise in appropriate print publications, drawing into this project organizations and individuals everywhere, who will be inspired by our vision of a cooperative global network.
Immediate Outreach Our challenge today is to introduce this project into the world, placing this proposal into the hands of the people who might be in a position to help establish the network. Now, in the beginnings of this outreach, our needs are very modest, and we are in a position where we can flexibly adapt to whatever opportunities may present themselves. Our existing network represents a powerful set of tools, which we can employ immediately in service to this cause. And in short order, we can establish this project as a forceful presence on the world religious scene, letting everyone know that we are in business, and developing a significant project with a very special potential.