Glossary of Terms : Communities of the Future (Fonte)

[ Capacities For Transformation ] [ Chaos/Complexity Theory ] [ Citizens Congress ] [ Citizens Forum ] [ The Common Good/The Common Best ] [ Community-Based Process ] [ Community Buy-In ] [ Community Information Infrastructure ] [ Community Transformation ] [ Connected Individuality ] [ Consensus Democracy ] [ Core Group ] [ Demonstration Process ] [ The Knowledge Economy ] [ Edutainment ] [ Futures Context/Framework For The Future ] [ Futures Downtown ] [ Infrastructure For The Future ] [ Institutionalize ] [ Integrated Synthesis ] [ Interactive Futures Conference ] [ Learning Community ] [ Multimedia ] [ Paradigm ] [ Process Leader ] [ Process Projects ] [ Process Steering Committee ] [ Rebuilding Civil Society ] [ Resource Partners ] [ Shared Vision ] [ Systemic Process ] [ Systems/Systems Thinking ] [ Sustainability ] [ Transformational Learning ] [ Wired ]

 Glossary of Terms
Capacities For Transformation

There are five capacities for transformation:

  • Create an environment for transformational change by understanding the impact of future trends.

  • Create an Institute of the Future.

  • Train Process Leaders

  • Create an electronic infrastructure

  • Develop a network of citizens at the neighborhood level who are trained in 21st century skills

  • Develop an environment of mutual caring

  • Establish a "council for the common good."

Chaos/Complexity Theory

Finding patterns of evolving order from apparently "chaotic conditions". Principles underlying the development of 21st century communities based on chaos theory are:

  • Building networks of individuals and groups who are trained in thinking about the future

  • As these people relate to and work with each other, new concepts will emerge that cannot be predicted.

  • Emergence based on the integration of new ideas and diverse people

  • Self-organizing concepts, projects and ideas as a result of many actions taken simultaneously in a community

Citizens Congress

The second phase of a three phase "direct consensus democracy" concept. The citizen congress emphasizes the creation of a framework for understanding complex issues over a two day period. Multiple teams of twenty diverse people identify key factors and strategic issues, and set priorities within which specific strategies can be developed to resolve complex issues.

Citizens Forum

A network of diverse citizens in all the neighborhoods of a community who are trained in 21st century capacities and who offer opinions when asked as a part of systematic community questionnaires.

The Common Good/The Common Best

The common good and the common best emphasize balance between the needs of individuals and the needs of a community. The common good focuses on how individuals work to create viable and healthy community institutions. The common best assumes that teams of individuals will need to help each other be successful to create viable and healthy institutions in a constantly changing interconnected, and increasingly complex society.

Community-Based Process

A process (of dialogue, creation or decision making) which incorporates the inclusion of as many diverse people and groups as appropriate.

Community Buy-In

The level to which diverse people and groups are involved with and support the ideas, concepts, processes, and projects of community transformation.

Community Information Infrastructure

A dual network of people, computers and other tele-communication capacity focused on providing the community with information and knowledge necessary to help it support continuous transformation as it deals with the issues of preparing for the 21st century.

Community Transformation

The ability of any local community to renew its base of institutions (economy, educational system, governance, nonprofit) in changing conditions--The focus is systemic, adapting both the quantitative and qualitative nature of each institution as appropriate.

Connected Individuality

The concept of linking diverse individual talent into appropriate teams as the basic unit of society--Individual identity is developed by the successful "connection" made with other diverse people in the context of resolving issues or creating innovative ideas.

Consensus Democracy

The innovative system of building consensus and shared vision from the diversity of any community. It focuses on the following key principles:

  • Broadening citizen participation

  • Expanding the role of elected officials to one of strategic facilitator

  • Utilization of a "community information infrastructure"

  • Creation of a "three phase" direct consensus process

Core Group

The nucleus of those people/organizations who are most important to any process from the perspective of creativity, representation, authority and power.

Demonstration Process

A specific type of process which illustrates an important aspect of community transformation (ie., a network of diverse citizens involved in demonstrating electronic response to community issues.

The Knowledge Economy

The concept of economic activity based on the commercial use of the Internet and the continuous application of knowledge to products and services in the development of wealth and value.

Edutainment

Software specifically developed for computer learning which combines the characteristics of educating and entertaining at the same time. The focus of such software is to make learning fun.

Futures Context/Framework For The Future

Creating an umbrella of ideas which are based on trends of the future (with experience as a backdrop) as a context within which to think about issues and to make decisions.

Futures Downtown

A downtown area which is designed to provide the following:

  • Multiple style units providing living space for diverse ethnic, age and income groups

  • Greenspace

  • Boutique retail

  • Restaurants

  • A futures center

  • All spaces wired for telecommunications: ie., telemedicine

Infrastructure For The Future

A 21st Century Infrastructure will include:

  • Interconnected electronic networks

  • An emphasis on continuous learning

  • Staffing for strategic and tactical consensus building

  • An ability to build "capacities for transformation"

  • A properly developed physical environment

Institutionalize

To take new ideas, approaches, concepts, methods and techniques and integrate the innovative "capacities" into every facet of the organization, community or society.

Integrated Synthesis

The ability to interconnect apparently dissimilar elements/ factors/questions into a new way of looking at key issues/situations and developing new and innovative concepts to prepare for "systemic thinking."

Interactive Futures Conference

A community or statewide conference which uses interactive communications technology and several sites to introduce new ideas about the future especially future trends and their impact on present problems.

Learning Community

The capacity of any organization or local community to renew its ability to be viable and successful as a result of continuously learning new ways to educate, do economic development, govern, lead and work with each other.

Multimedia

Combining audio, video, text, graphics and imaging technologies into one system of communication. Multimedia is especially suited for providing information when learning complex ideas.

Paradigm

A pattern or model of how we see the reality of any idea, situation or strategy. New paradigms introduce new ways of seeing or thinking which challenges cherished beliefs or ideas.

 
 
Process Leader

A leader trained to build shared vision among diverse groups and people. Emphasis is placed on knowledge leading to an under-standing of the impact of future trends, skills for developing consensus, and individual growth.

Process Projects

The initial concept of preparing a community for transformation. A specific project of transformation designed by targeted organizations in a process of dialogue to create new and innovative ideas.

Process Steering Committee

A structured group of key people in any organization/community identified to develop a "process strategy" for building consensus -usually represents appropriate departments, organizations and community sectors depending on whether the process is issue/project oriented or community-based.

Rebuilding Civil Society

Rethinking and retooling now diverse people work together for the good of our democratic society. An emphasis on the value of caring for others, ethics, and purpose and meaning for the community will be the cornerstones of rebuilding civil society.

Resource Partners

A collaborative group or consortium of people/organizations whose complementary capabilities form a partnership of funders, facilitators and capacity builders to support systemic community transformation.

Shared Vision

An analysis, decision or new idea made as a result of a process of dialogue among diverse people or organizations, facilitated by a process leader.

Systemic Process

A process of involvement which integrates multiple numbers of people, issues, ideas and concepts. Any systemic process attempts to identify all key factors and then determine how these factors relate to and impact one another.

Systems/Systems Thinking

Identify all factors important to a process or issue with the purpose of understanding the correlations of the factors and their interdependent relationships, "pushing all parts simultaneously." This is compared to a linear approach where factors are considered one at a time, trying to find the one things which is the controlling factor.

Sustainability

The capacity to maintain and sustain the health and productivity of a group, community or economy without destroying important attributes necessary to the continuity of the overall, supporting environment.

Transformational Learning

The concept of life-long learning which uses the integration of new knowledge to create new ways to "transform" people and institutions as they prepare to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.

Wired

Linking individuals, offices and homes in an interconnected electronic infrastructure using fiber optics, T-1, and other appropriate telecommunications technology.