In an unprecedented show of jubilation, and with simultaneous celebrations taking place in Cape Town, Geneva, London, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo and New York this weekend, gatherings of like-minded people from all walks of life, hosted jointly by NGO's, government, Philanthropy and large development agencies gathered with leading activists including 26 year old Greta T, Robby Novak and others, with happy dancing and laughter the dominant energy everywhere.
Prominent speakers from communities led the celebrations, relishing in their new found freedom from poverty and exclusion. Noticeable in each of the gatherings was the mix of young and old, men and women, all leading by consensus in seamless groups, each sharing stories of how their lives and those of their neighbours, friends and families had changed dramatically.
And the shift has been swift and dramatic.
From minimal litter, to self-sufficient food supply, to new systems of business and taxes - with full inclusion of tribal and indigenous approaches to money supply and management, including relevant pay for vital service careers - communities across the spectrum have eagerly participated in developing their own communal dreams and requirements for themselves, relevant to their own situation.
Underpinned by a growth in consciousness and awareness of the fragile systems of Nature, previously unmanageable elements such as pollution free rivers, litter free cities and overuse of water have been radically improved. Even issues around racial and gender harmony have all but disappeared.
These remarkable events were brought about by a gathering of individuals in the town of Bellagio in Italy in May 2019 who looked deeply and honestly at the state of development in the modern world, and who realised that the methods used to enable individuals, education institutions and communities were out of touch and in the main unrealistic, and generally unsympathetic to the actual needs of each situation.
The Bellagio 18 as they have become known, set about rectifying the situation, and agreeing to Ignite a Revolution in Development, the group has worked tirelessly to shift paradigms and methods of engagement, shifting their own veils of understanding and beliefs, and engaging deeply with people across the spectrum in each country and region directly. After the initial meeting, the group grew to over 90 committed leaders of large development, NGO and Philanthropic groups before the end of 2019, all committing to shifting the outdated paradigms in place.
The group, who initially gathered to look objectively at the approaches and styles of leadership then in existence, voiced their delight at the receptivity of people across the spectrum to work together to ensure that the needs and perspectives of all were heard. Bound previously by the prevalent system of Western style Eurocentric Capitalism and outdated top-down external development methods, and linked to ego and a conviction of the knowledge gathered by highly trained but out of touch people limited by their system driven training and lenses of belief, the sense of achievement and delight is palpable.
And with the successful implementation of 90% of the 2030 SD Goals, the next phase of the initiative will be focussing on co-developing new approaches to government and democracy, already planning to access the global networks of 500,00 leaders in the eco-system to consult widely and gain on the ground insights from people across the spectrum in each country.