image by RBerteig

Maybe we are involved in the start of a whole new kind of democracy.

Obama has won the election using digital tools in the most extensive and brilliant way ever and almost overnight there is a new spirit of possibility—maybe a new way for the people to rule.

Change.gov is one of the ways in which the incoming administration wants to harness the uplifting, inspiring and empowering momentum generated in this campaign, a momentum that actually gets things done. Obama, that much is clear, will need a lot of support on all levels. On Change.gov, you can apply for a job in the government, vent your ideas, or signal your interest to volunteer in a range of areas from supporting schools to environmental work.

For a dyed-in-the-wool individualist, the thought of ‘what contribution can I make’ can easily be either overwhelming or demoralizing. We are used to having to locate ourselves and our own place in the bigger picture. And no doubt that is important. But thinking about this website it occurred to me that something altogether different might be beginning to manifest on a very large scale.

Years ago, in an issue of What is Enlightenment? (now EnlightenNEXT) magazine, I read an article by Craig Hamilton, in which he describes the increasingly common and increasingly intentionally directed experience of collective intelligence. One of the driving insights of this new way of working and thinking not just together, but almost as One, is the realization that the whole is more than the sum of its parts, and that, given relatively few conditions and agreements, it is possible to access a level of intelligence, width of perspective, and most of all creativity, that exceeds that of the individuals involved.

These experiences have been unfolding in business (see consultant’s Peter Senge’s work or Brian Robertson’s Holacracy), spirituality (spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen and EnlightenNEXT), sports and metaphysics (The Intention Experiment). All over the cultural map little lights are beginning to blink, raising our view to a larger and very exciting picture. Increasingly, I am beginning to understand that whatever we do and wherever we do it, IS part of this bigger picture and larger unfolding, driven by humanity’s and maybe even the Universe’s need to evolve for the better.

Last week, at a MoveOn party here in Lenox, MA, close to forty people came together to speak about how they would like to ensure that the momentum built during Obama’s campaign continues. These people came from Lenox, Pittsfield and Lee, very tiny towns, but the thought of a thousand of these parties all over the country gave me goose bumps. Even if there were many differing opinions about which were the most important issues to pursue, the overarching sense was that of wanting to come together to help move things forward. Every single time a larger, more encompassing view was expressed by anyone in this group during our discussion, everyone went with it, away from smaller concerns. It seems that in our desperation for change, we are willing to put aside long held cynicism and attachment of what we think we know for sure.

As exciting as it is that Obama wants to keep using the internet and provide a structure for his supporters to get involved, it will be even more exciting to see how we will use the latest technologies to work with him, to make sure that government stays transparent, to make sure the most important things are being dealt with, and maybe to communicate with each other across the different reasons we voted him into office for, to evolve this country past division and fear.

And keep an eye on The Sunny Way—we will be launching our new activism stream soon!