Gmp part1
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The document discusses a new approach called the Strategy of Generosity proposed by the Network of Spiritual Progressives. It argues that the traditional approaches of using power and domination to ensure security and peace have failed, as evidenced by the world wars and ongoing conflicts. The Strategy of Generosity emphasizes generosity and caring for others rather than self-interest. It aims to re-establish trust between peoples and prioritize helping all people and protecting the planet, rather than just serving the interests of the most powerful nations. The Network calls for moving away from justifying policies based on achieving one's own goals, and toward a foreign policy that considers the well-being of all people worldwide and environmental sustainability.
Gmp part1
- 1. The Network of Spiritual Progressives - Examine the Plan - Part 1: The Strategy of Gener... Page 1 of 1 Join NSP N Stay Connected your em home get involved join/donate jobs Beyt Tikkun current thinking video poetry contact media Tikk CORE IDEAS OF THE NETWORK OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESSIVES: God Peace All Faiths Global Commons Spiritual but NOT Religious Family Spiritual Wisdom Our Mission Love and Caring Spiritual Covenant with America Environment Social Justice Family Economy The Politics of Meaning GMP Examine the Plan - Part 1: The Strategy of Introduction Why the NSP Version Generosity Q&A After a century of wars and violence, and five thousand years of the pervasive belief Strategy of Generosity that the personal and societal safety can only be achieved through domination of A Rabbi's Thoughts others, it's time for a change. Considering the world wars of the 20th century, the Building Support Vietnam War, and the current Iraq war, the Network of Spiritual Progressives is calling Donate for a fundamentally new approach. This approach emphasizes that generosity and Endorse the Plan genuine caring for others is a far more effective and morally coherent approach to human security, peace and development. The Old Approach What happens when people feel they can't trust others, or suspect that everyone else is only looking out for themselves? They are often drawn to paranoid pseudo-communities offered through extremes of nationalism or through right-wing religious communities. When people no longer believe in the shared humanity and decency of others, they become vulnerable to fundamentalist reactionaries and their campaign to instill "Fear of The Other." But it's not just reactionaries who use this approach-it's embedded in the fundamental thinking of both the Democratic and Republican political parties. The language of "negotiation" and "sanctions," used by both Democratic and Republican administrations, are code words for less extreme forms of using power to get our way. Likewise, "sovereign defense" and "national security" are linguistic devices used by both parties to divert resources away from social spending and toward the military budget. Why? To get our way, both at home and abroad. And "our way" usually means protecting the economic and political interests of the most powerful corporations and their allies in government, economic institutions, universities, and the media. A New Paradigm That's why the NSP calls for a new paradigm, a new way of doing foreign policy. We're not only concerned about the full-scale psychopathology manifested in wars and mass killings, but we're also concerned about the "softer" versions of pushing the world around to achieve our own ends without concern for the well-being of others. Even the most courageous liberal elected officials often justify their policies as less violent ways to achieve "our" goal. And what goal is this? The goal of getting the world to do what the most powerful forces in the U.S. want them to do. The key to our alternative method, the Strategy of Generosity, is our commitment to re- establishing trust and hope among the peoples of the world. By doing so we might begin to reflect. And in reflecting, we might act coherently to end world poverty in our lifetime and save the global environment from destruction by giving highest priority to protecting the earth. Instead of asking, "What best serves the interests of American economic and political geo-power?" we want a foreign policy that asks "What best serves ALL the people on this planet and best serves the survival of the planet itself?" http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/article.php/gmp_part1 7/17/2011