I have joined many clubs in Clubhouse, including the European Union club, with 3,600 members. In the European Union club, I have started rooms with topics such as (1) What do all human beings have in common? (2) Is love for the world the best patriotism? (3) Can the European Union be a model for a World Parliament? and (4) Should UN ambassadors be elected by popular vote?
I have talked in Clubhouse rooms about globalization, the future of the world, and the Great Transition with people in Siberia, Ulaanbaatar, Kathmandu, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Jakarta, Bangkok, Mumbai, Tehran, Riyadh, Cairo, Lagos, and Istanbul, as well as with people in lots of places in Europe and the Americas. Many of the people I talk with are in their 20’s, so they may well be alive in 2084. Because club members can recommend new members, club membership can expand rapidly. The Creative Executive Officers club has 75,000 members, the Tech Talks club has 70,000 members, and the Community Club has 31,000 members.
Recently, I started a new club on Clubhouse called “Great Transition.” As of June 7, 2021, the club had the following description and 71 members:
The World in 2084: A Brief Summary of Paul Raskin’s New Paradigm Scenario
Paul Raskin’s 2016 Journey to Earthland presents six possible scenarios for the world in the latter half of the 21st Century. His most hopeful scenario, the New Paradigm, may be possible, but only if humanity successfully and significantly changes its current direction.
Commitment to the New Paradigm requires understanding what it is, why it is much better than the alternatives, and what we can do today to help realize it. The purpose of this summary is to introduce the scenario, provide an initial basis for discussing it, and encourage people to read Journey to Earthland. Here is a link to download a free pdf of the book or to purchase it: https://greattransition.org/publication/journey-to-earthland?
Pages 71 to 108 of Journey to Earthland present a description of the New Paradigm in 2084. (Raskin chose 2084 because it is 100 years after George Orwell’s dystopian future, 1984.) In Raskin’s 2084, people still face real problems, so the world is not a utopia. It is, however, much more sustainable, just, and secure than in 2020. The dominant values have changed from consumerism, individualism, and exploitation of the natural world to quality of life, solidarity with others, and harmony with the natural world.
The goal of accumulating ever more individual material wealth has been replaced by the goal of having a high quality of life in a world where everyone’s basic material needs are satisfied. “Enough is enough” and “enough for all” (page 76). This has led to great reductions in wealth and income disparity through changes in tax policies. It has also led to time affluence through productivity increases, reductions in unnecessary production, and full employment policies. “Workweeks in the formal economy typically range from 12 to 18 hours” (page 97). The desire for money is giving way to the cultivation of artistic skills, personal relationships, and wellness of body, mind, and spirit.
World population has stabilized at just less than 8 billion people, far less than the 10 billion or more peak the UN projected in 2020. Universal education and healthcare, combined with more equitable economic policies, have reduced population growth even while increasing life expectancy.
Raskin divides the Great Transition from 1980 to 2084 into five stages: Takeoff (1980-2001), Rolling Crisis (2001-2023), General Emergency (2023-2028), Reform Era (2028-2048), and Commonwealth of Earthland (2048-2084).
To join Clubhouse and become a member of the Great Transition club, click this link:
