The overall time frame for reaching the goal is 20 years. The chief actors include representatives and leaders of stakeholder groups, of government, and of groups/individuals already interested in the sustainability of Earth (e.g, funders). The steps to reach the goal are: (a) alignment on project goals and the steps to achieve them among those involved in the NLP community; identification of potential partner groups & resources. (b) identification of stakeholders and associated groups that have attained health and sustainability within their environments, (c) data gathering on beliefs, values,capabilities,and behaviors associated with health and sustainablility (d) an international conference to review results and experiences, (e) on-going modeling of life-sustaining cultural patterns appropriate to various sectors and parts of the world, (f) communicating results, benefits, and "how to's" via school curricula, a media campaign using electronic and print media, workshops, NLP facilitation teams to assist community decision-making, and via the research community, and (g) empowering actions by individuals and groups to implement the "how-to's" in their own communities.
Effective, on-going feedback that we are moving towards our goal will be the following: partnerships expand; questionaires & interviews are completed, and other feedback received; NLPer's work with politicians and other stakeholders; world leaders ask us to promote the project in thier arenas.
We will know that the goal has been reached when: world peace exists; books and curricula include health and environmental balance principles and examples; seminars on world health & planetary balance are in demand; clean air and water are easily available; species diversity increases; and other existing and new environmental and human health indicators show definite, sustained positive trends.
The people initially most effected by this plan will likely be: Industrialists, politicians, nationalists, financially richer people, scientists, the NLP community, agribusiness, big business generally, and in some cases natives, pioneers, local farmers and merchants - essentially everyone. Their needs are diverse: business needs to maintain or improve market position, service, and profit; politicians want to preserve their power or ability to act on behalf of their constituents; scientists want to develop new theories and processes; NLPer's want to develop and apply more effective change strategies to empower well-being and productivity; and individuals want to live a satisfying life.
Objections to this plan might include questions such as: "Who pays for the changes?"; "Can this be done cost-effectively?"; "Can we make such hugh life style changes given the usual human inertia?"; " My life is fine as it is...what do we need to do this for?"; "Sharing resources and power is threatening -- who will risk this?"; "Is there a risk of homogenity in the resulting society?".
Positive aspects of the present: global communication and exchange; protecting and maintaining freedom of choice and diverse life styles (including a style of life for the well-to-do); democracy and representation of diverse viewpoints; positive intention -- people want to do the right thing; true cultural diversity; and scientific discovery.
Positive gains resulting from this project will be preserved by involvement of stakeholders in identifying values worth saving, and in creating new choices and benefits. Scientific discoveries will assist the evolution of this project and achievement of the project vision.
We would not want this plan implemented in locations where human and ecological balance already exist, or when citizens reject the plan, or when disaster strikes (e.g., volcanic eruptions, floods). In the latter case, taking care of immediate, important items to recover from the disaster should proceed attempts to implement ideas contained in this project.
What is currently needed or missing from the plan is initial funding for the project, a project management structure, continued project funding, the adoption of effective models for achieving project goals, and strategies for initiating participation in tightly controlled political systems. A possible solution to the initial funding requirement would be to propose specific projects in line with funding priorities from sponsoring groups, both private foundations and governmental organizations. In-kind support and participation would be sought from interested NLP individuals, groups, and institutes, including groups associated with the NLP Community Leadership Project. Funding and in-kind solicitation can be implemented by each participating NLP individual or institute through their local, national, and regional funding organizations. Proposals should be consistent with the general project design, via communication with the group acting to faciliate the project.
Regarding continuation of funding, it is clear that results (as measured by project indicators of progress and accomplishmen) must be determined and communicated to project staff, partners, sponsors and the general public.
Regarding initiating participation in localities where governmental restrictions may be high, we will work through friends, colleagues, and officials to build the requisite level of trust, respect, and rapport, which should be a hallmark of interactions in all aspects of our work.
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