This is from a more extensive email discussion on Global Village strategies, by Swedish advocate Mats Eriksson, who has been recently successfull in linking up to village rejuvenation in Russia.

The key to success, he argues, is to abandon the language and strategy of opposition, and talk about leveraging. Mats uses an interesting analogy from the late feudal age.

Mats Eriksson:

“Interestingly enough, the whole initiative resulted of the fact that I could convince Gleb – like I hope to convince you – to accept the strategic change from “opposition” to “leverage”. GlobalVillages must learn that it fulfills the same function that the upcoming capitalists were fulfilling in the late feudal age: to help the old system to still create wealth in a period of decay, but at the same time spread a new method of wealth creation. It is in the best interest of the existing system to seek leverage – and at the same time this leverage means the chance of entirely new structures developing. Otherwise we risk to be marginalized and defeated – history is full of horrible examples.

Of course the need of late industrialism is not to create wealth per se – but the kind of wealth that is dwindling in our society: basic reconciliation between man and nature, reproductive resources, absorbing overpopulation, providing intellectual and cultural commons – you name it.”