David Korten is a former Harvard Business School professor, multiple author, activist, member of Club of Rome. His mission is to build an ecological civilisation, which is frankly impossible as no-one knows how but as he says we have to try. We talk about the Western destruction of Eastern values, sustainability, regeneration of land and community, how most CEOs would be fired if they were truly aligned to their ethics. Why because their values do not represent the demands of shareholders. So it is our collective responsibility to start now as individuals building our community again.

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Talking points:

 

• discussing his two transforming points in life, deep awakening of life  - my assumption and run the family business no sense of what was outside - modern revolution - the origins were poverty

 

• "it is part of human mentality that we buy into stories we are born into……..and can depart from reality" (8)

 

• talking about the purpose of education and university today - leaving Harvard was most intellectually freeing experience of my life ​

 

• talking about life's purpose - what do I want to do with my life and I had that freedom, now it is how can I keep food on my table 

 

• "as a species we are a point where we have to navigate a transformation change between ourselves and earth, where we have to go no human has been before and no one knows what it looks like" (22) 

 

• what is an ecological civilisation - we are consuming 1.7 times what earth is capable of sustaining 

 

• where CEOs applied their ethical values they would be fired (32)

 

• why the Gates Foundation is the most damaging foundation in world history - "I am rich therefore I know the answers” (36)

 

• the implications of Western Individualism - deeper piece is recognising that life exists only in community - "it takes a village to raise a child" - discussing how to build a community ​

 

• the Banja in Bali how to decide who will have child and then - conscious awareness have so much land and that land will support given number of people 

 

• economics as an ideological indoctrination  - in the end you can be marooned on a desert island with gold coins option marooned on a topical verdant island with no money (51)

 

• discussing financial loss and my own journey from wealth to nothing and back again

 

• what steps to take in building and sustaining an ecological civilisation - "to learn to live in a way that supports the healing of earth that also generates the essentials to live a foundationally secure good life - and no one knows how - the transition is impossible if you look at it rationally, you have to assume it is possible …only ultimate barriers are in the human mind ie they can change instantly - shift our understanding and who we are - discussing Ubuntu, "I am because you are are" (67) 

 

• “we are a species with a capacity to choose our future” 

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• waking up to where our happiness and our wellbeing really comes from the foundations to everything that we do

 

To contact David use the links below.

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https://davidkorten.org/

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