At the Tällberg Forum 2008, David Wasdell encouraged us to tap into our options for greater adaptability in the face of runaway climate change. He used my new favourite metaphor, the behavior of a shoal of fish. I adopted this metaphor right away as representing my work on how a new culture of positive news media will accelerate learning, replicate solutions and empower everyone in the best sense of Ashoka’s slogan: ‘Everyone a changemaker.’

“Our traditional human institutions are like supertankers–inert, dinosaurs, difficult to change. What we have to do today is deconstruct these supertanker; we must move from supertanker rigidity to dynamic shoal-like flexibility. Shoals can respond to threat very quickly. Signals between the fish are almost instanteneous, allowing them to work together for the common good. We must move from rigid systems of command and control to the resilient flexibility of complex systems. New algorithms must emerge of multiple parallel processing, of distributed intelligence, of people power, to enable us to respond to crises quickly and globally. We can do it! We have the support structures and communication strategies to foster lifestyle change. The transition from supertankers to shoals is the imperative transition towards enabling solutions for tomorrow’s world.”
[Conclusion of http://www.apollo-gaia.org/PlanetEarth/index.htm]

But the question is, how? Some practical examples below will begin to fill these big visions. If we recognise the true potentials in many innovations blooming around the world, we will realise that there is no reason to be sceptical, but to start putting all our influence into supporting innovation!

In 1980, long before the bloom of the internet and civil society, futurist Buckminster Fuller said,“Think of it, we are blessed with technology that would be indescribable to our forefathers”. Since then, the developmental pace of communication technology, civil society, education, citizen media, governance, open source, open conferencing formats has exponentially accelerated, and all fields have gracefully complemented, if not eclipsed, more archaic methods.

Did anyone predict Yunus, Ashoka or Obama? Eco-tipping point approaches? Youth leadership movements like Yes! and MeToWe? (Don’t miss their online video of MeToWe Day. I guarantee you have never seen anything like it!) Amazing potentials are unfolding around us. I think that they show that the popular eco-tech masterplans of Lovelock, Lester Brown and the Global Marshall Plan Initiative, while laudable in their respects, have ignored many essential aspects of reality that will make a true civilisational shift.

Shoal behavior can teach us about the nature of a sustainable civilisation moving and acting as a whole. First, educating a few earth-literate leaders is not enough. Everyone needs to be a Fair Global Citizen, making holistic decisions based on the best knowledge available. This need makes effective, unbiased, and efficient communication essential. We cannot wait until school children learn about our best knowledge for sustainability and changemaking from history books. It will be critical to include everyone’s creative potential to maximise innovation and efficiency. We must connect everyone with our best up-to-date knowledge and action wisdom and provide supportive and collaborative networks for consultation. Finally, as a shoal of fish do not swim blindly, we must know exactly where we are heading—together.

At the heart of acting in concerted global action is the need for a new communication culture. Around the globe, we find ingenious ventures in new media, communication formats and strategies interconnecting and empowering the individual and the collective for new thinking and positive action. These are inspiring examples enticing our imagination of a fascinating civilisation glittering through the waters ahead of us–like shimmers from the shoal.

Fair Global Citizens. A New Benchmark for Learning and Education

We all agree that climate change makes ecological and social resilience an immediate priority. In Wasdell’s terms, this implies that we shift from monolithic institutions to a flexible shoal that will cooperate, not dissipate, panic, loot or prey on another. Such citizenship will require compassion, empathy and many practical competencies, which I like to call ‘literacies.’

Literacy is far more than alphabetisation. It is the application of language in different contexts of people and purposes, such as writing a love letter, a poem, an article, a novel, making a scientific presentation or holding an inspirational speech for youth leadership. Who is literate in democracy, who has competence in co-creative decision-making for the common greater good? Who is literate in peace-making? Who is literate in sustainable production, consumption and lifestyle? These are just a few of more than 16 interrelated literacies that I consider indispensable for all citizens of a global, peaceful, just and sustainable civilization.

From this point of view, the practical effects of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) hardly go beyond eco-tech alphabetisation. Teacher education and curricula tend to ignore neuroscience research findings, the learning cultures of model schools, and spectacular breakthroughs in sustainability strategies, transformational learning and youth empowerment. Fortunately, UNESCO advocates collaboration across the school fence. We can and need to amplify cooperation between educators, students and parents. We must provide all of them with the best that the changemaker community has to offer.

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Positive News : Learning from Positive Examples

Where do changemakers learn? Where do we find inspiration and build network relations? Yes, we use websites, newsletters, books and films. But our most inspirational experiences are live encounters with outstanding innovators from which we learn about their original motivations, strategies and thought processes, and the challenges towards success. The next best thing, however, is to learn of changemaking strategies, processes and outcomes through inspired second-hand reporting. The new field of positive news journalism is committed to this kind of work. In the new world of affordable multimedia internet collaboration and citizen media, this journalism provides powerful solutions to get the message out to the people.

Positive news illustrates ‘living faces, voices and hands.’ It covers the full spectrum of positive evolution and sustainability on a broad range of topics. For many readers, it is their first encounter with innovative solutions and inspiring people like the Right Livelihood Award recipients. Regular readers report that their worldview profoundly shifted in an optimistic way and that they have adopted more solution-oriented thinking. Feeling an inspired part of a global movement across disciplines, generations and cultures, many readers initiate personal lifestyle changes and become more active in (or even found) positive social initiatives. These beneficial cognitions and actions represent considerable jumps in awareness and consciousness!

The most evolved positive news medium to date is Noticias Positivas Radio Magazine in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Originally launched by Andrea Mendez-Brandam as a community radio program, N+ now also includes podcasting, an online magazine, and Positive News Boards in schools. Since April 2008, N+ has been producing 5-minute micro shows and ready-to-air 55-minute radio shows distributed to community radio stations via free internet download. More than 120 radio stations currently air N+ programs, reaching more than 3 million listeners weekly! Now compatible with many media formats, N+ continues to expand to more stations, more countries and more languages, making it the global example of how to use affordable computer technology, internet and radio for reaching urban, rural and poor populations alike. And it is quite simple to replicate.

But beware that this media culture has different protagonists and follows different principles than conventional journalism. As Yunus is not a banker but a transdisciplinary economist, and like Obama is a compassionate community worker on a grand scale, positive news journalists are idealists beaming with the vision of telling people how they can change the world. The very fact that these journalists can identify with the idealism, dreams and feelings of their interviewees makes all the difference!

Positive News in Education

My priority is to create the positive news link into schools. I have found that the best suited medium is an online magazine offering periodic PDF print edition downloads. Within minutes, and for only the cost of some printer ink, a single student or teacher can set up a wall display that reaches the whole school community. Since everyone can add information about local initiatives and groups, this display space triggers class activities and nurtures community-building between classes and grades – it is an Informal Sustainability Learning Environment. Youth organisations use it to inspire schoolmates, promote their own work, develop community and ‘upgrade’ themselves. Adding internet access enables research, online interaction, petitions and campaigning, conference webcasts, and video dialogue with experts, partner schools and groups abroad. Teachers will see great value for their upper classes studying global issues.

The benefits of promoting positive news in area schools are being increasingly recognized within the community. Businesses are supporting the production costs of print magazines for children. Vocational trainers are sponsoring editions on social entrepreneurship. My next personal venture is Youth Leader, an online magazine featuring youth leader portraits and projects, a choice of cutting-edge sustainability innovations, and many interactive features. Building on four years of experience with pnyv!, an online magazine created in collaboration with 300 online volunteers from 70 nations, we are planning to publish Youth Leader in ten languages.

One of my favourite aspects is the high degree of participation for young writers, school media projects, journalism schools, citizen media networks and university departments. To promote this media culture in Europe, we are preparing an international gathering in Berlin, inviting the best representatives in youth leadership, Web 2.0, activism and positive media strategy.

Imagine a nice public square on a market day with a Positive News Board backdrop—perhaps a stand with drinks, cookies and a wireless laptop offering a variety of global online campaigns and petitions. Young people can run such news boards for their communities, involve their teachers and school administrators, and invite local stakeholders for round table dialogues. The encounters of these young people distributing positive news within their communities could yield opportunities for interviews and stories appropriate for local positive news editions.

Be the media – the high end medium, that's You!

I encourage all experienced changemakers and experts to 'get real', to form a circle of colleagues and adopt a local school. Getting involved is a powerful reality check and rejuvenating experience. Can you imagine how uplifting it is to visit interested students and committed educators? I consider it a natural function of the Ashoka network of social entrepreneurs that their fellows inspire the younger generation with their own stories and support youth groups in identifying and solving local problems. The youth are ready. Just like MeToWe in Canada!

A new public communication sphere for change-making

Backed up with rich positive news media resources, we can take new steps in virtual + real world 'interactivity'. Imagine a nice square on a public market day. A Positive News Board, a stand with drinks, cookies and a wireless laptop offering a variety of global online campaigns and petitions. This makes a new kind of meeting-spot for global citizenship. It is perfect for local campaigners, attractive to citizens - and youth can run this. They can involve their schools, invite for Round Tables, and thereby initiate local encounters. This may be the New Agora of the 21st Century. Naturally, this is a space for collecting, interviews and stories fit for Local Positive News Editions. Online, for radio, even television is feasible! Democracy Now!, for example, delivers 'live' to hundreds of community stations around the globe. Imagine such a news show not with investigative journalism but with inspiring solutions! You bet, people will watch this. Wow! Now that's the shoal!

Is your imagination vivid enough to follow? A Virtual Reality animation may be useful to illustrate the unfolding potentials. Speaking of VR - let's get serious at applying our technologies meaningfully.

Learning in New Virtual Realities

The ideal informal learning environment would blend long-term expositions—similar to how Expo 2000 and Aichi 2005 mixed the best features of the Tällberg Forum, Bioneers Conference, Vision Summit and the World Social Forum—with festivals organised by young people, such as Dreamtime Festival! I would like to see the best features combined in a permanent world exposition on positive changemaking, a new global gathering frequented by the young people of the world.

It is not possible to host such a permanent gathering in reality. Unfortunately. But we can easily replicate real-life environments in attractive 2- or 3-D online environments! There exist many popular virtual online worlds that allow users to explore the virtual environment while interacting with people and projects. Realistic world environments leave vivid images in our minds that help us to contextualise and better remember what we have previously encountered. Virtual world environments can be explored individually or in a group (even an entire school class), then participants can share their technology discoveries and encounters with experts’ avatars, and discuss their explorations of experimental sustainable villages. Students could embark together on an online LearnScape tour, sent with a mission to seek out the avatars of experts and interactively learn from them. It can be a magical experience, just as real as seeing Hobbiton or Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School for magicians. Indeed, this could be a real Hogwarts! Youth learning to wield the magic that will transform the world!

We can imagine thematic online virtual learning environments covering traditional cultures or focussing on the world renowned sustainability scientists. An environment to experience the world’s best examples in education and learning would have magnificent value for parents, educators, teachers-in-training and principals.

Production would be less costly than it may first appear because most of the necessary content is already available, scattered across the internet. Pulling together and synthesizing the information in innovative and compelling ways will need to be done by creative directors who are experienced in cross-cultural and inter-disciplinary environments, who can identify solutions and set different approaches in context, and who will, with the artistic spirit of discovery, offer practical advice for integrating outstanding new models with conventional school realities.

I am the latest fan of Jane McGonigal, a brilliant designer of online mass roleplaying games. Establishing an exciting bridge between future sciences and the online gaming crowd in which hundreds or thousands of players strategize together, Jane sets her games in near-future crisis settings like a world without oil, or facing pandemics or mass migration. Players develop solutions together. In this way, Jane enables collective imagination. Maybe she opens the visionary ‘third eye’ of the shoal. Players not only devise ingenious solutions, what they experience often keeps ticking in their minds over months, changing the way they perceive the real world around them. New online games are being conceived that infuse gaming with the goals of real-world projects.

Can you sense the precious potentials in youth's inclination to dive into imaginary worlds? Mike Munro Turner has examined how transformational learning can be potentiated by role models—Gandhi, Mandela, and colleagues, but also myths (like Lord of the Rings) and now epic video games. I know exactly what he’s talking about: my personal career in changemaking started when I realised that I can live Lord of the Rings for real.

Futurist Heiner Benking addresses how global online communication can become truly profound, truly global. Not short-wave superficial twitterings. Not a beeping sonar trying to detect new scenarios as they start to unfold. More like the long-wave, deep, reverberating songs of whales that can reach from pole to pole. Like the whales, humans must begin to use every means of communication that will enable large-scale orientation for our common journey ahead. Maybe what Anthony Judge calls the 'Songlines of the Noosphere':

"A song, for the Aborigine, is both a map and a direction finder. Knowing the song, enables a person to move across country, from sacred site to sacred site, on seemingly unmapped territory, through language-barriers, regardless of tribe or frontier. Those encountered on the songline nevertheless share the traveller's worldview (Dreaming)."

Benking reminds us of the need to develop a new mental architecture that will help us make sound decisions in harmonised global governance, taking into account the needs and benefits of all that currently live and the next generation that will live within the physical limits of the biosphere. He hints that this Embodied Global Covenant will be 9-dimensional, and suggests envisioning it as a World House with three rooms. Creating this house means uniting the brightest of humanity and bringing together their very best ‘mental jewels’ like bricks to a new cathedral of humankind. This omnicultural, omnidisciplinary endeavour will require the scholars to sit, listen and learn for mixing the alchemic mortar to connect the bricks and take us beyond this dark age.

Will 21st century scholars pack their rucksacks to meet on the mountaintop? Will cross-cultural navigators join with a young generation of visionary gaming freaks? Or both? I sense it is really important, indeed very close to the Great Spirit. The Pulsing Heart of the Shoal is the next big thing.

Eric Schneider eric +/at) zauberhand.org