Introduction
In January 2012, I launched the 12 Projects in 12 Months initiative. This project is a road-map for spreading the Our World message and taking active steps to making this world a better place. Because, at the end of the day, writing alone can never compare to taking direct action.
The 12 Projects
Some of these are big, some of them relate more to me on a personal level. Each is selected with a view towards making a small difference towards the world we live in.
1: Write the One World/One People Manifesto, a guide to living life true to the philosophy of Our World, that this is Our World to live, Our World to design, and Our World to share.
2: Commit to writing at least one article for Our World each week during 2012 touching on the themes of Humanity, Personal Development, and Economic Development.
3: Continue to make loans through Kiva.org (see article here), and develop a $1,000 One World/One People community lending fund.
4: Eliminate all household waste through recycling and smart purchasing.
5: Research and locate sustainable clothing manufacturers/sellers from whom to purchase new clothes. (For example, see the work being undertaken by the ladies over at All of Us Revolution.)
6: Identify, and undertake, 50 different methods of helping out and making a difference in my local community.
7: Develop an online forum to debate ideas relevant to the One World/One People kaupapa (mission) and to generate action at the local level.
8: Develop and further experience meditation as a way of achieving inner peace and removing any potential negative energy that I might generate from the shared consciousness.
9: Open my home to couchsurfers and share in this great tradition of meeting new people and experiencing new cultures.
10: Learn to speak Maori so as to better serve my clients and help bridge the divide that sometimes exist between Maori and non-Maori in New Zealand.
11: Learn to speak German, the native language of my girlfriend and her family. Language can be the doorway to a deeper understanding of people and communities.
12: Establish a community lending organisation to assist Maori landowners in unlocking the economic potential of their land. This project has long been a passion of mine and this is the year to set about making it happen. For a brief background analysis of the problem, see my comments over at Maori Law and Politics. And for an overview of my research to date, you can download this paper.
