Kaa mnyenyekevu. Kaa karibu na dunia. Huo ndio msingi wa uwepo huu, niliambiwa.
Na kwa hivyo, kwa miaka mingi, nimeshindana na kuishi maisha ya "chini-ni-zaidi" katika ulimwengu ambao unaonekana kusumbua - kwa kila njia - kifedha, kimwili, kisaikolojia.
Hisia hizo huelekea kupotea katika mipango ya "zaidi-bang-for-your-buck", matoleo ya wawili kwa mmoja.
Kuna haja, inaonekana, kupata na kupanua. Na si tu katika maisha yetu ya kibinafsi na ya kimwili. Wanaoanza wanataka kuongeza kiwango - hiyo ndiyo hatua muhimu zaidi kwao. Je, tunapanuaje? Je, tunaifanyaje roboti ili tuweze kuharakisha mchakato?
Mashirika Yasiyo ya Faida yanahitaji kukusanya data ya ripoti za "athari", inayoonyesha jinsi mawazo yao sio tu ya ubunifu, lakini yanayoweza kuongezeka.
Ni mchezo wa nambari kukua na, ikiwezekana, kukua kwa kasi. Hiyo ndiyo ishara ya mafanikio - ukuaji wa nambari.
Kila kitu kinahitaji kuwa na kiwango. Scalability ni kama uendelevu sasa - dhana nyingine rahisi iliyofanywa kuwa ya kufikirika sana na ngumu.
Walakini, kile ambacho kilikuwa endelevu hakiwezi kuwa hivyo tena kwa sababu tunaishi kwa kasi ya kasi. Wafanyabiashara wa miji midogo wanapambana dhidi ya majitu kwa sababu hawawezi "kupunguza" au, labda, hawataki. Kwa hivyo, kama watumiaji, inabidi tuamue tuende kwa "chapa" ya ndani au ya ushirika? Ni moja au nyingine, inaonekana.
Kwa hivyo, uboreshaji unapaswa kuwa lengo kubwa kama hilo?
Maisha endelevu ni maisha madogo. Ni maisha ambayo yanawiana na jumuiya, na dunia, na kila mmoja. Maisha ya hatari yanatuhitaji tujiendeleze zaidi ya sisi wenyewe.
Siku hizi, ili shirika lisilo la faida lipate ruzuku kubwa, ni lazima ionyeshe kwamba muundo wake hautumiki tu kwa wakazi wa eneo hilo, tuseme, 250,000, lakini una uwezo wa kufikia mamilioni. Haifai tu kwa jiji la ndani la Los Angeles, lakini pia Detroit. Haiwezekani tu katika eneo lililokumbwa na ukame la Sahel barani Afrika lakini pia katika nchi kavu za magharibi mwa India.
Biashara inafanikiwa ikiwa ina njia ya kwenda zaidi ya jamii, ikiwa ina uwezo wa kuathiri mamia, maelfu, ikiwa sio mamilioni ya maisha. Biashara inaitwa mafanikio wakati ina matawi.
Kiwango ni kitu ambacho sote tunapaswa kutamani. Hicho ndicho wanachotafuta wawekezaji, ndicho wanachotafuta watoa ruzuku, ndicho ambacho wajasiriamali wanakitamani.
Lakini, tunapaswa kujiuliza, je, kuna kikomo kwa haya yote? Je, scalability kweli kutatua matatizo yetu? Je, haiwezekani kuwa na aina mbalimbali za biashara za kijamii, zinazoshughulikia matatizo ya ndani kwa njia yao ya kipekee? Je!
Je, hatuwezi kuwa na biashara ndogo ndogo zilizoigwa badala yake kote nchini? Badala ya kuwa na kitengo kimoja kikuu cha uzalishaji na huduma, je, hatuwezi kuunda mifumo ikolojia midogo, inayojumuisha zaidi?
Kwa mfano, katika safu iliyotangulia, niliandika kuhusu Bicycle Coffee Co. huko San Francisco. Iliamua kuchoma kahawa yake na kuipeleka kwa baiskeli. Hiyo inamaanisha inaweza kwenda mbali zaidi - kadiri ndama wao watakavyowaruhusu.
Lakini kampuni hiyo tayari imefikiwa na ubia wa kimataifa, ikiwaalika kwa miji kote ulimwenguni na mtindo wao wa biashara. Kwa hivyo, wanapanda au wanakaa karibu na eneo la Bay?
Mizani hapa inaweza kumaanisha kuunda upya mtindo wa biashara na timu iliyojanibishwa, rasilimali za eneo na kufyonza utamaduni unaouzunguka. Itakuwa juu ya kuunda biashara ndogo ndogo, ambazo huvaa nyuso tofauti huko ziendako. Hakuna chanzo kikuu, hakuna uzalishaji wa kati. Lakini bado una kiwango?
Je, tunaweza kujizuia? Je, tunaweza kujizuia? Hata kama tunaweza kumudu, hata kama ni bure, hata ikiwa imekaa kwenye mlango wetu. Je, tunaweza kugeuka? Je, tunaweza kujenga mizani mpya - mizani ndogo zaidi, nyenyekevu zaidi, yenye vumbi zaidi inayohusiana na ukali wa dunia, na mapambano ya majirani zetu, ndani ya mipaka ya ardhi iliyolimwa?
Je, tunaweza kuwa na ndoto zinazoonekana ndani, zikiimarisha sisi wenyewe na uhusiano wetu na kila mmoja wetu, badala ya kuongeza nje?
Labda hiyo inamaanisha tunahitaji kufikiria upya ukuaji.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
SHARE YOUR REFLECTION
6 PAST RESPONSES
Truly agree with this post. It is time to rethink and look for the scale inwards.
Love this post - I really agree that scale is not always feasible and perhaps should not be so celebrated. Making a true and deep impact in 1 community can sometimes be harder than making a superficial impact on a large scale (which is what often happens). It becomes more about the outputs than the impact.
Under the present condition, it's way to late to SCALE BACK. The world is on a roller coaster ride to bigness. :(
yes only fool makes complex and bigger and violent am also a fool. I think another one is fool if he doesn't understand the efforts paid to apologize.
Well, if sale, it was stopped sometimes ago. so feel respect please and the rest I agree the rest with Deborah harnes.
I think there is a lack of understanding. It was yesterday i said
everything are agreeable. Take that easy and once problem is solved, let
it be solved.
Let us move forward, where is the problem then? Such problems are
easily solved face to face because anything relating with feelings, it
is better to meet formally.
I am more skilled face to face if I don't fear. You just feel something
wasn't meant what it looked and then anger should not make you.
I am naturally happy tonight and would like all so one caller I am sure
if he got a tip from you dailymistrtust or not. I tell you this store
doesn't talk about your cultures and names. Leave us alone pls and pls.
[Hide Full Comment]"Rather than having one central production and service unit, can we not create smaller, more inclusive ecosystems?"
Diversity means an ecosystem is healthy. Diversity in de-centralized small scale enterprises would expand our ability to imagine and create as we are inspired by that which is different and soon bored by replications That would give us humans a chance to grow mentally, spiritually, open our sights and free our potentials.
The sustainable model is smaller but dustier? I think not, this isn't a backwards scaling this is conscious intent. The oversized lumbering corporate model is the dustiest for it is based on old science of compete and dominate. That premise supported "winner take all: attitudes that pushed the growth buttons. Now we have scientific evidence of our errors.
Cooperation, collaboration, whole systems health and welfare connected, interrelated patterns that are designed to expand stimulate possibilities. Instead we appear as stunned by a cancer "we" set loose to control the global economy and it is proving deadly.
The dis-ease is fed by a banking system run like a game of musical chairs, (more lose so fewer can win, until yup winner take all aka a nihilist prospect) So "they who were given the privilege to create money (debt) -have abused the privilege and our blind obedience to the dharma of growth is making us ill and shallow... how sad.
What has real value? Let us concentrate on building that up. Each community, group or person can stand up for that thing, action idea. Make noise, art, sing talk about the real stuff and engage others in the "change." . As we learn to help and trust each other we will start to feel healthier, stronger, more alive. The dis-ease will not thrive without our energy. Putting our energy into alternative paths, building for life, seeking to thrive and nurture everyone's potential will change everything else. We find what we seek, no?
[Hide Full Comment]Nothing wrong with growth, which - to me - seems a natural phenomenon of creation. It's the goals we humans set for our actions that badly need rethinking.