Crowd Power in the Age of Human Potential

By Joy Case

The world is changing at a faster pace than at any other period in time, and although many of us are doing quite nicely, thank you very much, too many of us are suffering from malnutrition, a lack of adequate shelter and clothing, a scarcity of work, poor or non-existent education and ill health. On top of that, the actions of humankind have brought us to a point where the very host upon which we all depend for our existence is being abused and poisoned to such an extent that at a time when we should be toasting our prosperous future, we are continually racked with doubt and worry about how it will all end.
But does it have to be that way? Think about it. If something isn’t working, what do you do? You try something new. And that is what this book is all about. We’ve already stated that we’re not here as harbingers of catastrophe and ruin, although we will have to touch upon certain happenings in the world to illustrate our points, rather we are here as prophets of joy and light, to demonstrate how not just you, but everybody, can become involved in the prosperous future of our beautiful planet.
This book explains what An Idea Nation is all about. It tells you why it exists, how you can become involved and make a real difference to not only your life, but also to the lives of people you’ll probably never ever meet. And that’s to say nothing of the widespread benefits such action can bring to the whole of humankind for generations to come. It isn’t a crusade or a charity, more a self-help program for a brighter future. It’s a new way of thinking. It’s a new way of tackling today’s problems in a positive manner. As such, this book is an important statement, a jumping off point for our future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joy Case
• Release date: May 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310263439

Joy Case

Joy Case M.Ed. is the Founder of Case Global Media Inc., a media company dedicated to building innovative, engaging platforms for companies to showcase their mission, vision and values and to amplify their message through strategic video marketing. Prior to her focus on video marketing and social media, Joy has over thirteen years experience as an educational leader in public schools and has taught K-12. She received a Masters of Education from the University of British Columbia (2002) and a Real Estate License from the Sauder School of Business (2005). As a real estate consultant, educator and investment advisor, since 2005, she has worked with clients across Canada in commercial and residential real estate. This book is an expression of her vision for co-creating a brighter future through empowering the entrepreneurial spirit latent within. Concepts in this book are meant to inspire, rejuvenate and enlighten the hearts of those who want to make a real lasting impact for a better world.

Book preview

An Idea Nation Global Think Tank presents:

Crowd Power in the Age of Human Potential

Creator: Joy Case, Masters of Education from University of British Columbia

Collaborative Editor: Brian David, B.Sc in Economics and International Relations from University College, London University

Crowd Power in the Age of Human Potential

Smashwords Edition

© Copyright 2015, Joy Case

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be produced or utilized, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the author or publisher.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Section One: Living in the Past

Section Two: Change is A-Coming

Section Three: An Idea Nation

After Thoughts

Appendix

Foreword

Open your mind to the power of co-creating our best future. With the global growth and success of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing, it is becoming clear that the power of human potential is realized when we accept that many small contributions from a large number of people really add up.

The World Bank report ‘Crowdfunding’s Potential for the Developing World’ stated that crowdfunding is expected to overtake venture capital in the finance markets within 10 years; this is evidence that the power of human potential in collaborative groups is real. There is global acceptance of this means of raising capital to fund all kinds of ideas and projects.

Now, importantly, as a result, we can make agile commitments to innovation when coupled with the instant effect of online connectedness. This book helps readers to not just visualize that but to walk away with an understanding of how they might play a significant role in co-creating the future.

As co-founders of the Crowdfunding Investment movement, CCA uses its unique perspective and methodology to help professional investors and institutions (local, state, national governments and NGO’s) build crowdfunding ecosystems to support innovation, strengthen businesses and create thousands of new jobs.

Sherwood Neiss, Principal

Crowdfund Capital Advisors, LLC

Miami.San Francisco New York Washington D.C. Hong Kong Dubai

Web: http://www.CrowdfundCapitalAdvisors.com

Preface

Welcome to An Idea Nation, and thank you for taking the time to stop by and see what we are all about. Yes, that’s correct, what we are all about, because An Idea Nation includes everybody. Nobody is excluded. Whether you like it or not, you’re a part of it because we all live on the same planet and we all have to get along together if we are to thrive and survive. Now, before you run away with the thought that An Idea Nation is just another in a seemingly endless stream of well-meaning books that’s going to preach gloom and doom about our future, STOP! Pause for a few moments to consider why you are reading this at all. What made you decide to select this book and turn back the cover? What exactly attracted you to the book? Was it the imagery on the front? Does the title intrigue you? Or perhaps you’ve previously heard of An Idea Nation and want to learn how you can be a part of the difference An Idea Nation is making? Whatever your reason, it has led you to a book that will not only ignite your innermost feelings, but also inspire you, and change your life and the way you view your everyday existence.

Why This Book Is Important

The world is changing at a faster pace than at any other period in its four and a half billion year existence, and although many of us are doing quite nicely, thank you very much, too many of us are suffering from malnutrition, a lack of adequate shelter and clothing, a scarcity of work, poor or non-existent education and ill health. On top of that, the actions of humankind have brought us to a point where the very host upon which we all depend for our existence is being abused and poisoned to such an extent that at a time when we should be toasting our prosperous future, we are continually racked with doubt and worry about how it will all end.

But does it have to be that way? Think about it. If something isn’t working, what do you do? You try something new. And that is what this book is all about. We’ve already stated that we’re not here as harbingers of catastrophe and ruin, although we will have to touch upon certain happenings in the world to illustrate our points, rather we are here as prophets of joy and light, to demonstrate how not just you, but everybody, can become involved in the prosperous future of our beautiful planet.

This book explains what An Idea Nation is all about. It tells you why it exists, how you can become involved and make a real difference to not only your life, but also to the lives of people you’ll probably never ever meet. And that’s to say nothing of the widespread benefits such action can bring to the whole of humankind for generations to come. It isn’t a crusade or a charity, more a self-help program for a brighter future. It’s a new way of thinking. It’s a new way of tackling today’s problems in a positive manner. As such, this book is an important statement, a jumping off point for our future.

Why The Book Has Been Written

Quite simply, An Idea Nation has been written because the time is right. We live in a fast-changing world, a global society that has outgrown its governing institutions and systems. Instead of the patchwork piecemeal top-down reactive approach adopted by today’s world leaders, where big is good, we need a new bottom-up approach, where small is beautiful, to make the most of the opportunities and exploit the resources of planet Earth in a sustainable manner that gives everyone the opportunity to not only live a comfortable life, but also to fulfil their potential.

We live at a time when humankind is altering earth’s natural cycles, and the relentless pressure exerted by us on our planet may well lead to irreversible destabilization. Unless we apply ourselves to finding a safe and sustainable way forward, life will deteriorate for everyone, and as for future generations.

Likewise, too many people are being denied the right to exploit their skills, to the detriment of self and the wider society. The wastage of human resources is one of the most appalling features of today’s world. An Idea Nation not only draws attention to it, but also proposes how to overcome it and make everyone feel that their life is worthwhile. An Idea Nation illustrates how hope can be created for even the currently most disadvantaged and despairing sectors of world society, and how from that hope will spring accomplishment and achievement for the benefit of all.

How This Book Has Been Written

An Idea Nation is passionate about its cause, and wants you to share that passion and carry it forward. To that end, this book has been written in accessible language. An Idea Nation has an important message to send, and we want you to read it and spread it further. To make our mission easier to comprehend, the book has been divided into three sections.

Section one looks at where we are today, living our lives through systems and institutions that were devised in a different era for a different time. The world has changed and is changing faster than we realize, and what served us well (ish) back then, no longer meets the needs of the majority of people.

The pattern of life is dictated by governments, narrow national political systems (republican vs democrat, conservative vs labour), financial institutions, big business, corporate media, and legal systems laid down for the advantage of the few (the rich and powerful) to protect vested interests and positions of power. Just as history is always written by the victors, so societal and political systems are always devised by those in positions of power. While what we have has served part of the planet arguably well to date, countless millions of others have suffered. They have been left behind and subjected to wastage through a denial of opportunity and the chance to exploit their true potential.

Old battles, for which the system was set up, have been fought and won, fought and lost, or are still being fought with no end in sight, which suggests to us that the old machine needs replacing.

Section two looks at how things are already changing. Technology, in particular, has catapulted change to the top of the agenda. The inter-connected world means that everyone can now be more aware of what everyone else is doing than at any previous time in our history. Everybody can now not only see the pie, but also the size of the pie and the size of the slices others are taking for themselves. The pie tastes good and they all want to share.

This is occurring because of the Internet and social media, which are democratizing communication and media. No longer are we dependent upon our TV network and daily paper for news. We can communicate instantly and, as is now often the case, the traditional media are actually behind in gathering stories etc., and their role is changing to one that sums up events rather than ‘breaking’ them. To fill their airtime and space, they resort more to opinion pieces etc., which allows more points of view to be aired, and not just those of the elected, the celebrity and the so-called expert.

Everyone has something to contribute and is being allowed to do so. However, we must guard against complacency, as there are those who would sabotage this new found freedom. Prominent among them are the current but fast-being-outdated political order, religious groups, corporations, banks and lawyers, all of whom have done very well out of the current system and may fear for their advantageous positions in the future.

But they have no need for that fear. These new changes are not a threat to them; they are an opportunity for all (including them) to increase the size of the pie so that not only can they retain and increase the amount of pie they have, but also allow those who are currently languishing with little or no hope to carve out a slice of pie of an equal size if they so choose.

Democracy must be preserved and strengthened, and the way to do that is to wean the power away from institutions and those who run them and give it back to the people, in smaller, more manageable units. Of course, there will still be governments (elected) etc. like today, but their role will change, as will their methods of revenue gathering and distribution, which will become more geared to allowing everyone to work in the way they choose and not as society, through government, dictates. British MP Douglas Carswell has written about how British democracy is dying and being replaced by a smug, self-serving technocracy. But Britain is not alone in this. Consider your own government. Carswell points out that the machine now runs the state’s affairs and that ministers are little more than departmental mouthpieces.

While representative democracy was invented to contain the excesses of the selfstyled elites, they have now discovered ways of subverting the democratic process, resulting in big and bloated public administration, noteworthy for its ineptitude and ineffectiveness, which is having a damaging effect on society, particularly in the middle-class and poorer sectors.

The EU frighteningly talks about being in a post-democratic age. How can we change this mindset? How can we have a new democracy a true democracy if we are now post-democratic? What forms can it take? What are its safeguards? How can we bring everyone together to minimize or eliminate terrorism and other threats?

Pressure groups and lobbyists abound, and are now given more credence than they were twenty to thirty years ago, as many eminent people lend their support and are not afraid to be seen doing so. No longer can protesters be dismissed with a few derogatory words like ‘tree-hugging hippies’.

Trust is of vital importance. How can we cultivate it, re-enforce it? How do we keep dissident elements from destroying or hindering the new order through individual or collective greed? We are all human beings. We all have to live together and share. There is enough to go round and more can be created. Is constant economic growth viable? Can we persuade those who ‘have’ to give to those who ‘haven’t’? It’s already happening with people like Bill and Melissa Gates, Bill Clinton etc. The change is definitely a-coming.

Section three examines the new global think tank that is An Idea Nation, a new and powerful force for the change that’s needed.

We look at why we need An Idea Nation and what An Idea Nation can do that other global organizations can’t do or aren’t doing. In other words: What does An Idea Nation bring to the party? What is its purpose and reason for being?

We explore the eight priorities that An Idea Nation has identified as being fundamental to the maximization of human potential and development in the future: distribution, education, energy, environment, freedom, food/water, health and justice. They are elements that affect everybody, no matter where they reside.

And having laid before you our vision, we’ll tell you how it all works. Yes, what you have to do to join in, and how An Idea Nation is structured to help you take full advantage of your own ideas to build a better future for not just you and your loved ones, but also for society in general, through the successful exploitation of your ideas.

You’ll learn exactly why An Idea Nation works, and how it fits in to the bigger picture through the encouragement and promotion of impact investing, social enterprise solutions etc.

What You Will Take Away After Reading An Idea Nation

Your journey through the pages of this book will see you visiting ideas and thoughts you may not have paid much attention to previously. You’ll become aware of a wider society while, at the same time, being posed salient questions. They aren’t questions that demand immediate answers, but questions to make you think; questions that will elicit more questions and drill down into your mind to wake up the slumbering giant within. Maybe you’ll experience some eureka moments, maybe not. It doesn’t matter. But whatever you do experience, it’ll change the way you think and the way you look at the world in which you live. You will truly understand why An Idea Nation is called what it is and what it means. But above all, you’ll come away feeling uplifted and full of hope. Humankind hasn’t got to where it is today by giving up. It has survived as long as it has because it has met challenges head-on, adopting and adapting ideas that have provided the solutions to problems that have faced society at any given time, and overcoming the most horrendous wars and natural disasters.

And it’s going to be the same in the future. As we move into a new era and encounter new threats to our wellbeing and existence, you are being invited to be a vital part of the new solution. It’s not only possible, it’s happening now. It’s all around you, and after reading what An Idea Nation has to offer, you’ll want to play a full and active role in planet Earth’s glorious future.

An Idea Nation is a movement open to all, irrespective of color, creed or race. It assists the use and development of existing knowledge and ideas to help more people flourish. It’s essentially a team of volunteers’ people who are willing to share their expertise and skills with others in return for a financial reward if their idea or innovation is successful. We don’t condone the re-appropriation of wealth from one person or entity to others, or advocate change through any other method than those that are peaceful and legal. To quote John Lennon from Revolution: If you want money for people with minds that hate, all I can tell is brother you’ll have to wait. Ours is an amicable, quiet revolution in both thought and deed.

Harmony and prosperity for all through An Idea Nation.

Section One: Living in the Past

"Our present