We as a people have the right to collectively determine and pursue the values and goals that we consider worthwhile. The American philosophy of government is based on the simple idea of self-government by the people. Through collective action we can determine social goals and the practices to implement them. There is no set structure or organization a society must conform to. We are free to imagine and pursue new social possibilities together.

When working with complex concepts, an illustration can often help promote understanding. The diagram "A Simple Model of Social Change" is a useful aid to help visualize and understand the process of social change. Our perspective is from that of an individual person which we place at the center. In truth, individuals and groups of individuals are the only entities that exist. Communities, business organizations, government agencies, etc, are created by individuals and groups of individuals.

Culture includes our knowledge, ideas, beliefs, values, aesthetics, and philosophy. People create culture - it is defined by our shared experience. Creativity helps us perceive new directions and strategies which can make all the difference in the conception, planning, and execution of new ideas. Culture creates ideas.

Progress revolves around how we understand the world around us. Constructve dialogue and deliberation with others leads to more accurate understanding and perception. This is how we learn and grow together. Collective intelligence refines ideas.

Through collective action people collaborate together to implement ideas through new procedures and practices. The formation of new relationships and interactions is the social fabric that we weave with others. The social fabric tests ideas.

To meet our shared collective needs we develop institutions designed for the production of common goods. The best practices are adopted through the establishment of rules and organizations. Institutions formalize ideas as social structure.

Social change is an ongoing, dynamic process. The process of social change eventually starts over with the next big idea which brings improvements in the existing social system.

On a personal level, every person should take charge of their own life. The attainment of well-being consists of personal human development and finding and pursuing one's life calling in the social world. Personal values serve as guiding principles for self-fulfillment of hopes and dreams. They motivate us to discover and pursue our true calling through the creative expression of our unique individuality. Consider your own values, what is it in life that resonates with your innermost being?

As a member of society, understand that personal wellbeing and the social environment depend on each other. Therefore, it is imperative that everyone realize that their true interest lies in uniting together with others. This is the means whereby people attain power. Freedom entails a moral responsibility to others. Foster a respect for human rights and strive to act with dignity, honesty, and friendship in relation to family and community. Consider the many ways that you interact with others. Endeavor to practice mutual trust and tolerance and strive to be open-minded. Friendship can be an active engagement to assist one another's efforts for self-actualization. Develop effective communication skills to improve understanding in interactions with others. Through the simple act of altering our personal interaction with others in accord with the principles of well-being and community we can make a positive contribution to revitalize the social environment.

The type of community we are concerned with is a supportive social environment that promotes personal and social well-being. Such a community would have the following characteristics.

First, the members would share a common purpose to guide community development and provide meaning for the existence of the community. Second, the members of the community would have a shared sense of identity concerning their way of life. Third, the community would exhibit collaborative social networks of mutual support to facilitate the exchange of resources and services for common welfare. This supportive social fabric consists of positive interpersonal relationships that promote cooperation and inclusive participation of all members. The community would serve as a support network, an extended family, for the growth of each person and the community as a whole. Fourth, the community would have a means for constructive public dialogue for informed collective decision-making. Fifth, the members of the community should have unobstructed access to resources. These resources include social capital (described in item three above), human capital (the skills, knowledge, and talents of community members), cultural capital (knowledge is a shared resource), economic capital (primarily vocational opportunities), and physical capital (natural resources and manufactured products). Each person is empowered by those resources embedded in their social network. And finally, the community should proactively oversee the development of an institutional framework supportive of the members common lifestyle. This includes those products and services that fulfill common needs and interests such as food, clean water, shelter, energy, sanitation, security, health services, and environmental quality.

All of the above promotes social coherence and builds trust. One to another, each member's relationship to another should be one of integrity, honesty, and reliability.

Communities may exist locally as a neighborhood, virtually as an online community, as coworkers at a business, and in many other forms as well. Even though traditional forms of community have changed dramatically, new forms of community are emerging to accommodate new lifestyles.

Community is the only means to collective well-being. Personal well-being and community should complement each other. Each one depends upon the other and enriches the other. In essence, we all share responsibility for each other.

We encourage the formation of local groups in your community to develop and implement campaigns adapted to your own local situation to further the Spirit of '26 vision. Contact us and let us know how you are building new community. Share your ideas on how we can all grow together. The Spiritof '26 website will add new resources to support individual group efforts on an ongoing basis. Reach out to others with these ideas. Collaborate and devise new programs that enable us as a people.

We have an ethical responsibility to the natural world. Humanity has lost its relationship with Nature. Nature follows an orderly process that society must align itself with. Human existence is entirely dependent on the wellbeing of our planet. In addition, Nature is the source of the transcendent and the sublime. Environmental stewardship is the responsible use, management, and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices. We should work together to ensure we have clean air, protect water resources, generate clean energy and use it efficiently, support ecologically-sensitive land management, consume less, reduce waste and improve disposal methods, recycle, shift to environmentally friendly materials, and minimize risks to prevent pollution. We emphasize that without a healthy planet there will be no story of humankind to tell. The Earth is our home, let's take care of it.

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