Some details about the Mandala (Lotus Flower)
In my last blog I included the Mandala that I created from Dr. Ewing's white board drawing in November 2007. As I have contemplated the diagram and its larger metaphorical, and metaphysical meaning, it represents a nuclear reaction, or the birth of a cell, or any other natural growth system.
Some time ago while considering this image I wrote "when a critical mass of knowledge and energy is reached, the results can touch the world."
For most of my life one of my major criticisms of science is that it dissects the word. With the scientific method the world has been cut up into pieces by our scientific and human-oriented (separatist) perspective. Depicting the general categories of disciplines (environmental, social, cultural/historical, political, economics) in the five inner circles in the Mandala image will allow us to re-cognize the integral relationship of these pedagogical domains, providing a new context for re-aligning our educational systems. I recognized that we usually take things out of a comprehensive context while I was working on my Forestry degree in 1990. I was introduced to "systems thinking" at that time. While writing my Thesis I was assigned to conduct an economic analysis of an alley-cropping agroforestry system. Even at that time I couldn't leave well enough alone. I understood that for really understanding the potential of this innovative approach, we would have to look at the environmental, social and political context.
In adapting the Mandala to the World Reverence for Life University(www.worldreverenceforlifeuniversity.com) project, we are developing a core set of courses to address each of these areas, and yet we recognize that the lines drawn between these “disciplines” are only a functional, or organizational delineation. In fact, as stipulated in Systems Thinking, there is a desperate need to re-examine and recombine these perspectives into a comprehensive whole after study or examination.
The “petals of the flower” in the Mandala or Lotus depict the “outreach-service” delivery mechanism that I believe should be a part of all of our educational systems and endeavors. My emphasis on Outreach-Service (extension) has developed from the Land Grant University System that was so powerfully transformative in the United States. However, I agree with John Campbell’s critique of the limitations of the Land-grant system as it has matured, mainly that the “Outreach” has not been properly expanded and utilized. FYI my father was an agricultural Extension professor at Iowa State University for 28 years. I, inadvertantly, followed his footsteps and became and Extension professor at Texas A&M University.
The Mandala depicts a “nuclear reaction”, which is my vision to powerfully extend learning and research, to re-connect education to the world, which is depicted in the outer ring of the Diagram.
It is beyond the scope of this document to discuss all of the benefits of revitalizing the land-grant model while empowering it with information communication technologies (ICT), however, in brief, this approach will re-vitalize the educational experience for students. It will also help to connect education to the mainstream of society, delivering a multitude of benefits: essentially creating a recursive flow of ideas, information, people and business to a world that is clamoring for these outputs of our educational system. The outer ring of the Mandala Diagram shows the original vision of the Land-grant model which framed the educational system on three legs (Education, Research, Outreach). We add to the model the ultimate outputs of this inspired model – Learning, Development, and Service.
Look for Part Three of this blog soon. Sorry for the delay, I've started a new job, which has had a pretty steep learning curve.
All the Best! - Andy
Showing posts with label land grant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label land grant. Show all posts
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Synchronicity and Solomon
Interestingly enough, I received a message from my friend John Campbell about the new Web site. It was sychronistic because I had referred to John in yesterday's blog, and I haven't heard from hum in nearly a year. He sent me a very kind message and some suggestions.
I'd like to share with you my response to his second message of the day. It might help explain why I chose the name Solomon Source.
John said: "The word "Solomon" suggests wisdom. Remember the wisdom of Solomon...it is Biblical."
And my response . . .
John,
Thank you for your kind words. I am absolutely honored to have you communicating with me. I still remember very fondly you driving through a snow storm last year to meet with me at my hotel. And what you said about being honored for my visit - I am the one who is tremendously honored to have you as a friend.
Solomon is an interesting story. Our family name was Solomon before it changed to Skadberg when my grandfather moved to the Skadberg farm as a young man in Norway. Then my grandfather ventured over to the U.S. at age 17. He did not like the mountains and ended up becoming a farmer in Carrington, North Dakota. The place is the second flatest place in the world I have been, the 1st, I think, is Levelland, Texas.
I didn't remember my family name story interestingly enough until I came to Colombia this January to pursue a project with a large gold mining company that wanted to manage impacts on the nearby agricultural community. The project (rumored to be the 2nd largest discovery in history) has been shut down by the government for several months due to concerns about environmental impacts.
Finally, your reference to Solomon takes me back to a conversation with a boss, Jack Carls, who when I was 26 got me promoted from a custodian to become the maintenance supervisor at the North Grand Mall in Ames, Iowa. It was a very proud time for me, although I realized I wasn't cut out for mall management. It didn't have much meaning for me.
Jack told me two very important things that I will always remember. He was a wise and kind man. First, he taught me to always keep the restrooms clean. And second, he told me about the wisdom of Solomon - his genius to surround himself with the best advisors. And I suspect, what I have learned in the last few years, Solomon probably knew to keep harmonious relationships with them.
I don't know if I am a decendant of Solomon, but I have strangely enough collected elephants, which I understand is one of the symbols of Solomon. It is the only thing I collect. Surprisingly I didn't make this connection until I was meeting with another wonderful friend Desmond Green for our project in Jamaica a few months back, after reading one of his treasured aphorisms about an elephant.
I concluded the message to John with my gratitude for his taking the time to send me a message. He also approved me to feature his paper that he presented about Land Grant and Education in India here on Solomon Source. Look for that article soon.
To conclude my thoughts for the day, I have been almost haunted with synchronicities in my life. It is a wonderful thing to be haunted by. It is gratifying to experience the magical connections, that I think pervade all things. But sometimes it is perplexing, to figure out their meaning and the subsequent actions I am to take. I'm still trying to figure this out, the larger meaning of synchronicity (from the great Carl Jung). At this point, I have come to the conclusion that they act as "signposts" showing me that I am headed in the direction of my desired destination.
I am grateful to my friends and to the opportunity to be sharing my experience with ya'll ( a Texas remnant).
All the best! - Andy
I'd like to share with you my response to his second message of the day. It might help explain why I chose the name Solomon Source.
John said: "The word "Solomon" suggests wisdom. Remember the wisdom of Solomon...it is Biblical."
And my response . . .
John,
Thank you for your kind words. I am absolutely honored to have you communicating with me. I still remember very fondly you driving through a snow storm last year to meet with me at my hotel. And what you said about being honored for my visit - I am the one who is tremendously honored to have you as a friend.
Solomon is an interesting story. Our family name was Solomon before it changed to Skadberg when my grandfather moved to the Skadberg farm as a young man in Norway. Then my grandfather ventured over to the U.S. at age 17. He did not like the mountains and ended up becoming a farmer in Carrington, North Dakota. The place is the second flatest place in the world I have been, the 1st, I think, is Levelland, Texas.
I didn't remember my family name story interestingly enough until I came to Colombia this January to pursue a project with a large gold mining company that wanted to manage impacts on the nearby agricultural community. The project (rumored to be the 2nd largest discovery in history) has been shut down by the government for several months due to concerns about environmental impacts.
Finally, your reference to Solomon takes me back to a conversation with a boss, Jack Carls, who when I was 26 got me promoted from a custodian to become the maintenance supervisor at the North Grand Mall in Ames, Iowa. It was a very proud time for me, although I realized I wasn't cut out for mall management. It didn't have much meaning for me.
Jack told me two very important things that I will always remember. He was a wise and kind man. First, he taught me to always keep the restrooms clean. And second, he told me about the wisdom of Solomon - his genius to surround himself with the best advisors. And I suspect, what I have learned in the last few years, Solomon probably knew to keep harmonious relationships with them.
I don't know if I am a decendant of Solomon, but I have strangely enough collected elephants, which I understand is one of the symbols of Solomon. It is the only thing I collect. Surprisingly I didn't make this connection until I was meeting with another wonderful friend Desmond Green for our project in Jamaica a few months back, after reading one of his treasured aphorisms about an elephant.
I concluded the message to John with my gratitude for his taking the time to send me a message. He also approved me to feature his paper that he presented about Land Grant and Education in India here on Solomon Source. Look for that article soon.
To conclude my thoughts for the day, I have been almost haunted with synchronicities in my life. It is a wonderful thing to be haunted by. It is gratifying to experience the magical connections, that I think pervade all things. But sometimes it is perplexing, to figure out their meaning and the subsequent actions I am to take. I'm still trying to figure this out, the larger meaning of synchronicity (from the great Carl Jung). At this point, I have come to the conclusion that they act as "signposts" showing me that I am headed in the direction of my desired destination.
I am grateful to my friends and to the opportunity to be sharing my experience with ya'll ( a Texas remnant).
All the best! - Andy
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Building Bridges of Service
Today the idea that has been bubbling around my head is of building bridges. There is this desperate "reality" of locked-up systems - of money and encumbered bureaucratic entities. Dealing with these "apparent" obstacles and entities is exhausting if one finds oneself falling into the trap of frustration and resistance - as per the amazing quote from Carl Jung "What you resist, persists".
However, during this very reflective time, since the beginning of 2008, I have come to believe, and now know, that this "reality" of systems is only as real as we believe. We human-beings made it this way - we can change it.
In the past year I have been exposed to people who are spiritually and consciously advanced so far that I have to stretch myself beyond my current thinking paradigm to grasp a small portion of their message. And yet as I make the effort, I find my problems and struggles melting away like ice in summertime. These beings (and there have been beings through the ages who have been similarly enlightened) show me that there are dramatic changes happening in the world and the "Golden Age" is coming.
And yet, on the other hand, I work and see and meet people who are so far away from this "new reality"- many people walking the streets, working at their jobs, struggling with their families and lives. They cannot comprehend much beyond their day to day existence. How are we to assist these people?
I think this is about building bridges. We need to bridge the gap between these two, apparently, disparate realities. Another idea along these lines would be one of an "interpreter". Since I began my professional career in the early 1980's, I have found myself in positions where I can see both sides of situations. I won't bore you with examples, but the most distinct is between "scientists" and people who needed their knowledge. It has been my observation that most scientists are not very interested in "interpreting" what they learn down to the level of the lay person. In fact, it seems that often the various disciplines actually encourage their science to be more and more obscure, complex and incomprehensible to us "regular folks". And yet when this new knowledge can get into people's minds and hands, sometimes astounding changes are brought about. Two acclaimed scientists who were the exception to the rule are Albert Einstein and Carl Sagan. They both saw that the contribution they could make to the world was dependent upon "the masses" understanding what they had discovered. I believe both of these enlightened individuals made their respective sciences meaningful to everyone. And their influences continue even after their deaths.
So, what does this all have to do with Solomon Source? Well this is a Blog, and so it can be based on random thought, and yet these ideas have been in my mind since my Leisure Studies degree began in 1984. I am not suggesting that I am in the league of these great scientists, but I see that there are important "gaps to fill", or "bridges to build".
I see that we need to start connecting the dots of the fragmented "reality" that science has helped create. We need to put the pieces of the "puzzles" together (in context) and communicate applied, pragmatic solutions to people who are struggling day to day with survival. In language that they can comprehend. This was the vision of the Land Grant University system (an idea signed in law by Abraham Lincoln) - and Extension was to be the vehicle. However, this area of Service has fallen way short of its intended goal, in my opinion. For more great thoughts on the role of the Land-Grant, look into John R. Campbell's (past president of Oklahoma State University) work "Reclaiming a Lost Heritage: Land-Grant & Other Higher Education Initiatives for the Twenty-First Century"
Additionally, we need to be building bridges between the great spiritual truths that are being broadcast globally on a scale that is mind-boggling. Not just as a "get rich quick" scheme, but as a solution to people's day to day struggles. Introduce to people that life is not just a series of problems and obstacles to be overcome, but one of abundance, joy and true freedom. One that is guaranteed since the beginning of human experience on this planet, it's all a matter of our thoughts and conscious awareness. We can deliver a message that will allow people to understand that they can create their own individual "new reality" based on what is truly valuable. As Earl Nightengale suggested - the BEST things in life are free - family, friends, love, life!
We won't necessarily be able to deliver this message from a pulpit or a mountaintop. I think this message will be delivered over the bridge through a true desire to be of Service. A bridge that disregards, and melts the idea of separation, in any form. A bridge that is based on what the greatest teachers have suggested to us in all their messages. That bridge is Love.
All the Best - Andy
However, during this very reflective time, since the beginning of 2008, I have come to believe, and now know, that this "reality" of systems is only as real as we believe. We human-beings made it this way - we can change it.
In the past year I have been exposed to people who are spiritually and consciously advanced so far that I have to stretch myself beyond my current thinking paradigm to grasp a small portion of their message. And yet as I make the effort, I find my problems and struggles melting away like ice in summertime. These beings (and there have been beings through the ages who have been similarly enlightened) show me that there are dramatic changes happening in the world and the "Golden Age" is coming.
And yet, on the other hand, I work and see and meet people who are so far away from this "new reality"- many people walking the streets, working at their jobs, struggling with their families and lives. They cannot comprehend much beyond their day to day existence. How are we to assist these people?
I think this is about building bridges. We need to bridge the gap between these two, apparently, disparate realities. Another idea along these lines would be one of an "interpreter". Since I began my professional career in the early 1980's, I have found myself in positions where I can see both sides of situations. I won't bore you with examples, but the most distinct is between "scientists" and people who needed their knowledge. It has been my observation that most scientists are not very interested in "interpreting" what they learn down to the level of the lay person. In fact, it seems that often the various disciplines actually encourage their science to be more and more obscure, complex and incomprehensible to us "regular folks". And yet when this new knowledge can get into people's minds and hands, sometimes astounding changes are brought about. Two acclaimed scientists who were the exception to the rule are Albert Einstein and Carl Sagan. They both saw that the contribution they could make to the world was dependent upon "the masses" understanding what they had discovered. I believe both of these enlightened individuals made their respective sciences meaningful to everyone. And their influences continue even after their deaths.
So, what does this all have to do with Solomon Source? Well this is a Blog, and so it can be based on random thought, and yet these ideas have been in my mind since my Leisure Studies degree began in 1984. I am not suggesting that I am in the league of these great scientists, but I see that there are important "gaps to fill", or "bridges to build".
I see that we need to start connecting the dots of the fragmented "reality" that science has helped create. We need to put the pieces of the "puzzles" together (in context) and communicate applied, pragmatic solutions to people who are struggling day to day with survival. In language that they can comprehend. This was the vision of the Land Grant University system (an idea signed in law by Abraham Lincoln) - and Extension was to be the vehicle. However, this area of Service has fallen way short of its intended goal, in my opinion. For more great thoughts on the role of the Land-Grant, look into John R. Campbell's (past president of Oklahoma State University) work "Reclaiming a Lost Heritage: Land-Grant & Other Higher Education Initiatives for the Twenty-First Century"
Additionally, we need to be building bridges between the great spiritual truths that are being broadcast globally on a scale that is mind-boggling. Not just as a "get rich quick" scheme, but as a solution to people's day to day struggles. Introduce to people that life is not just a series of problems and obstacles to be overcome, but one of abundance, joy and true freedom. One that is guaranteed since the beginning of human experience on this planet, it's all a matter of our thoughts and conscious awareness. We can deliver a message that will allow people to understand that they can create their own individual "new reality" based on what is truly valuable. As Earl Nightengale suggested - the BEST things in life are free - family, friends, love, life!
We won't necessarily be able to deliver this message from a pulpit or a mountaintop. I think this message will be delivered over the bridge through a true desire to be of Service. A bridge that disregards, and melts the idea of separation, in any form. A bridge that is based on what the greatest teachers have suggested to us in all their messages. That bridge is Love.
All the Best - Andy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
