Most important goals for the world: The results

Earlier this month, I asked you what the most important long-term goals for the world were. Thank you to the 53 people who completed the survey so far. Thank you for playing along! Here is a visual representation of the results. The larger the font, the more votes that item received.
Click on the map to see a larger version of the image. To see the full results, click here.

Of course, all of these possible goals are interrelated. In a comment to a previous post, Tom Jablonski said, "It seems like so many of the problems that plague our world today, the poverty and homelessness, are symptoms of a world view based on production and consumption, where a few people profit at the expense of many."

I agree with Tom. One way I would describe the foundation that links all of these goals is the need to move from ego-centric to eco-centric ways of being, so we can act on behalf of the whole. This shift in our worldviews is needed to support the Great Turning, the cultural transformation from unsustainable industrial growth to cultures that sustain life.

What do you see as the foundation that links all these long-term goals? How do you discern your role in contributing to these goals, individually and as communities?

What long-term goals for the world are most important to you?

This month I'm turning 40. I'm using this as an excuse to reflect on the last 40 years and the next 40 years in the world and in my life. As a part of that reflection, I made up this survey, to ask you what you think are the most important long-term goals for the world. It is meant to be a reflection exercise, not a scientific survey.

I'm making a more detailed list of projections, visions, and goals for the next 40 years. I welcome your help adding to that list on this editable document. I'm also making a similar list of historical events that have shaped my world in the past 40 years. You can also help me edit that document.

Living in the tension between presence and vision

I'm feeling a tension between two dynamics:



To be faithful and live with integrity, we need to honor both sides of this tension.

I'm currently working as the Interim Executive Director for City House. We connect folks in the mainstreams and the margins for spiritual friendship. As we're discerning ways to take the organization to its next level, we're affirming that the practice of being present and loving without trying to change people is central to our work. At the same time, I think we're being called to do our work in service of the broader goal of "building the spiritual muscle to end homelessness and poverty." That goal pushes us into risks and partnerships that I think we need.

How can we do both of these things--be present and open without an agenda, and also commit to bold goals that inspire results?