Report (from the International Labour Organization): “The world faces the ‘urgent challenge’ of creating 600 million productive jobs over the next decade in order to generate sustainable growth and maintain social cohesion, according to the annual report on global employment by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

“The Global Employment Trends Report also said the world faces the additional challenge of creating decent jobs for the estimated 900 million workers living with their families below the US$ 2 a day poverty line, mostly in developing countries.

“‘Despite strenuous government efforts, the jobs crisis continues unabated, with one in three workers worldwide – or an estimated 1.1 billion people – either unemployed or living in poverty,’ said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. ‘What is needed is that job creation in the real economy must become our number one priority.’

“Global Employment Trends 2012 says 74.8 million youth aged 15-24 were unemployed in 2011, an increase of more than 4 million since 2007. It adds that globally, young people are nearly three times as likely as adults to be unemployed. The global youth unemployment rate, at 12.7 per cent, remains a full percentage point above the pre-crisis level.”

My Comment: There is no solution in the creation of new jobs; on the contrary, production is expected to fall. The solution is to revise the entire economic policy, to train people to exist in the new world with limited employment, and to provide training and education for the entire population to live in the new social conditions, in which people’s participation in training and education is considered their work and is paid at the level, necessary for their existence.

Accordingly, a society that will gradually change under the impact of new integral education will be ready for a more equitable distribution of income.
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Opinion (from The Independent): “The British people are becoming less honest and their trust in government and business leaders has fallen to a new low amid fears that the nation is heading for an ‘integrity crisis.’

“Lying, having an affair, driving while drunk, having underage sex and buying stolen goods are all more acceptable than they were a decade ago. But people are less tolerant of benefits fraud…

“The ‘integrity problem’ is likely to get worse because young people are more tolerant of dishonest behaviour than the older generation. The new centre will look at issues arising from recent scandals such as phone hacking, MPs’ expenses and the banking crisis.

“Trust levels in MPs from all parties slumped by 36 points to 4 per cent after last summer’s riots. People also lost confidence in the young and the police. Only 29 per cent of people believe the Government is doing the right thing, while 38 per cent trust businesses and a surprisingly low 42 per cent trust non-governmental organisations.”

My Comment: Obviously, only education can change society! A person is a product of the society in which he lives and develops. The only way to effect change in the world is to create a correct environment.
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Opinion (George Soros, billionaire investor): “‘The measures introduced by the European Central Bank … have relieved the liquidity problems of European banks but they did not cure the financing disadvantage from which the highly indebted member states suffer.

“‘Half a solution is not enough. It leaves the weaker members of the eurozone relegated to the status of third world countries that become highly indebted in a foreign currency,’ he added.

“Germany he said was now acting as the ‘taskmaster,’ instead of the IMF imposing tough fiscal discipline.

“‘This will generate both economic and political tensions that could destroy the political union,’ claimed Mr Soros who was speaking at the annual press lunch at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“‘There is a real danger that the euro will undermine the political cohesion of the European Union.’

“Mr Soros said he was not sure whether European authorities had ‘deliberately prolonged the crisis atmosphere in order to maintain the pressure on these countries or if they had been driven to their course of action by divergent views which they could not reconcile in any other way.’

“‘Either way it is Germany that dictates European policy because at times of crisis the creditors are in the driver’s seat,’ he added. ‘The trouble is that the austerity that Germany wants to impose will push Europe into a deflationary debt spiral.’”

My Comment: Only an understanding of universal dependence will lead to the solution at a round table, as in a family, where we need to take into account the needs and abilities of all members as a whole. But for this, you must destroy all the barriers. The EU should unite fully. The risk of destruction promotes this. It requires the will and desire, explanatory work and education of the Europeans in the spirit of unity. Otherwise, Europe will collapse and become reduced to the state of a third.
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Question: Can questions related to the integral nature of society or news on current events serve as a topic for discussion in the courses on integral education for adults?

Answer: It all depends on the group of people and the degree of their preparation: to what extent their understanding has ripened, how well they have mastered the tools for analysis and synthesis of their knowledge and attitudes, and how objectively they can rise above themselves and distance themselves from their personal interests.

But generally, we should certainly explore such questions. We should “dissect” democracy openly before everyone and demonstrate what an absolutely egoistic structure it is, that it is nothing to be proud of. At one time, one king reigned, and everyone submitted to the will of a single person, regardless how foolish or smart and sensible, still just one. And now it is clawed apart by different parties that want to “gnaw” everyone else to death. This is not the kind of parliament that should exist. In other words, there are obviously many problems here.

At one time scientists and philosophers ruled people, or at the very least they were valued and served as advisors to the kings. A king had an army and money, all in one set of hands. But in order to control the treasury and the army, he had a few smart people. And it was much simpler and easier, there was no embezzlement, and mistakes were kept at a minimum. Everything was in a single set of hands, a king had nobody to rob—everything belonged to him. And for making certain decisions, he had a couple of smart advisors. That’s all. Small struggles behind the scenes still existed, of course, but only in minimal doses. That’s why everything was much more stable and survived for centuries, in contrast to today’s parliament.

All of our freedom today is just maximum freedom from responsibility. Overall, understanding freedom is a big problem.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” #5, 12/13/11

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Question: Let’s say there are elections in Russia, I am watching the news and receiving information about who won, who lost, and so on. How can I make this information integral so that it completes the overall picture?

Answer: The integral picture can help you draw a conclusion that society is separated, that it doesn’t see a corrupt system in democracy or its absence (which, essentially, is the same thing), and not only in Russia but in America and all the other countries as well.

If we can’t arrive at a common understanding of where we are and what we should be moving towards, then this speaks of a lack of connection between people in society. Imagine that a large number of societies is forced to exist on one territory and live under one “roof,” which they currently divide into an enormous number of parties or mafia structures. Each of them, naturally, desires to increase its influence at the expense of others, to snatch a piece of the common pie (it doesn’t matter for whom and for what, whether it brings benefit or harm), that is, each of them only takes his own interests into consideration.

And this is called a “democracy,” when I’m only thinking about how to be victorious and crush everyone else? Yet this is what everyone else is thinking about. They are not united by one common idea, everyone simply has their own opinion about how to lead towards it. Yet they can all be working in harmony. What kind of a government will it be if it is once again built on fighting? Is this what we call democracy? Where is this democracy?

Democracy can only exist when the public is educated, when it has an understanding of the next degree. And this next degree isn’t the kind that can be seen one way by one party and differently by another; it is the kind that is leading us towards unification with nature, towards an integral society.

The agenda of all parties should be the study of integral society. We need to lead people towards this. Then we will feel comfortable and achieve the most optimal state in our health, studies, family life—in everything because it will correspond to nature.

Hence, let us agree that this is our goal. But our current state is bad, and everyone understands that more or less equally. How can we bring ourselves towards this goal, to draw to it as close as possible? What opportunities, theories, and foundations do we have for that? And here we will work constructively with one another, complete each other. We will argue, but our goal will be becoming an integral society, and we will be working only for the sake of achieving this goal.

If we are not going to act accordingly, we will see how all that destroys the state. The government shows us an example of protectionism within each part of society and between governments in relation to each other.
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From a “Talk on Integral Education” #5, 12/13/11

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If the term “force of nature” is not completely clear, we can explain the stages of development to a regular person looking for a real good, with empirical evidence. It’s clear to all of us that a positive attitude to one another is good, absence of crime is good, and serenity and safety are also good. If we help each other and everyone will have what the others have, this will be better than our present miserable life! Everyone would agree with this.

Great! Now let’s acknowledge the affect of the environment on us since it can be seen at every given step in life. Any group can manipulate its members through persuasion. A person can be forced to think in a completely opposite way if there are 20-30 people around him who say that black is white. This is a proven fact that can’t be denied.

Therefore, if the environment does in fact influence an individual, we can create an artificial environment where everyone will treat each other well. We will oblige everyone to behave in this manner, and every transgression will be answered with polite criticism at first, and then with stiff denial.

There is no other choice. After all, we wish to live having everything that a human being requires: a home, food, family, health, pension, vacation, and so on. All this in normal proportions and not in the form of many zeros in our bank accounts, meaning in accordance with one’s natural needs.

If you desire this, you have an opportunity to create this environment, where everyone will care for everyone else. And this will happen only by changing our attitude to one another. In addition, even if we treat each other well out of desperation, artificially by accepting the mode of behavior and acting as in good environment, thereby we acquire a habit, which becomes our second nature. We actually become like that!

Until now we were savages, ready to swallow up everything around us. By joining this game, we literally turn ourselves inside out like a glove. And then over the course of some time, everyone will change and from being a savage, everyone will turn into a human being.

As a result, we become a completely new humanity: We reveal additional opportunities. By acquiring balance with nature, I begin to feel it, and then I reveal new abilities in me with the help of which I create progressive mechanisms and turn worlds upside down, literally. I know all the laws of nature because I am similar to nature.

What’s unreal about this? Let’s play and build such relationships. We have no other choice! Everything depends on education, meaning the influence of the environment. We are sufficiently mature, experienced, and intelligent people. We see a threatening future and we provide a piece of advice that lacks any mysticism.

Humanity has no chance of escaping this development, and we are offering a remedy that prevents illness. All the negative impacts of nature are brought about by our incongruence with it. Therefore, any blow that I experience indicates imbalance with nature. For example, if it’s cold, I need to turn on the heat or put on warm clothes; if it’s noisy, I need either to install a noise reduction system or close my ears. In other words, I must carry out some action in response to every phenomenon.
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From KabTV’s “A New Life” Episode #4, 1/1/12

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Opinion (from WND Money): “‘With no existing government or financial institution solvent enough, respected enough or feared enough to lead the required re-balancing in peace, we believe the world will experience a painful re-calibration of economic strength and geo-political standing during 2012 in the midst of widespread civil insurrection and cross-border war,’ writes Charles Ortel, a managing partner with Newport Value Partners, LLC in New York City.

“‘The transformation of a contented and silent Majority into an irascible and vocal Majority will break many conventions in the United States and in other developed nations as incontrovertible evidence piles up weekly and perhaps daily over coming months that the status quo is broken for young and for old, as well as for workers and investors alike,’ he warns.

“Ortel foresees that civil unrest will intensify in the United States and in other developed nations…

“‘Some will manage to contain their activities to peaceful protests. However, we believe the far more likely scenario is that violence will result, especially in the United States where the wider population has more ready access to weaponry and where mobs have proven impossible to restrain.’”

My Comment: Many of my students are economists, and I see how difficult it is for a person to accept a new vision of society, world, family, and his, his family’s, and national sources of income. It is necessary, as Baal HaSulam points out, to create an example of a small town, which had undergone bankruptcy, plant closures, and revived itself in a new integral style.
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Opinion: (Richard Quest, CNN Anchor and Correspondent): “On Monday, Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum’s founder and executive director, told me he was disappointed with the progress made by leaders during 2011. He had been ‘hopeful that the economy would grow again. That is not the case.’ Schwab admitted he was ‘irritated by an increasing lack of willingness to deal with global issues.’

“Klaus Schwab is not a man noted for hyperbole or exaggeration. So when he told me of his worries about a ‘bunker mentality’ or ‘burnout’ in voters who ‘cannot cope anymore,’ then it’s probably time to worry.

“The reason this is so worrying is that there are still so many problems to be solved. Some, like Greece, are in danger of getting worse. There is still no solution, and the politicians are miles away from agreeing on the future direction for the euro crisis.”

My Comment: There are plenty of possibilities to delay the decision. Perhaps, this is useful and necessary. After all, it takes time and courage, developed due to the feeling of gradual suffering, to realize the hopelessness of the situation and the inadequacy of the previous models.

In the meantime, the method of integral global education (the transformation of the individual and society) and the new economic model of an integral society begin to emerge. Time will reveal “a time to cast away stones….”
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In the News (from BBC News): “Companies around the world are getting gloomier about the economic future again, according to an annual survey of global chief executives.

“For its survey, PricewaterhouseCoopers interviewed 1,258 chief executives in 60 countries during the last three months of 2011.

“Nearly half of bosses interviewed by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers are forecasting that the global economy will decline this year.

“The number of business leaders that are ‘very confident’ their firms will grow has also fallen, from 48% to 40%.

“The survey was released as the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain resort Davos got under way.

“With the eurozone crisis still unresolved, it is no surprise that chief executives of Western European companies are most pessimistic.

“But even Asian bosses are feeling economic pressures. Overall, just 42% are very confident, a fall from 52% a year before

“Most surprisingly, even in China – where year-on-year economic growth still runs at 8.9% – only a smidgen over half of the number of bosses surveyed expects to grow this year. That’s down a massive 21 percentage points from last year, when 72% were bullish about their business.

“Indian business confidence has plummeted as well, down from 88% to 55%.”

My Comment: Evidently, they have not fallen completely yet to admit that the new laws of the world are in effect now, which must be studied and obeyed. And therefore, the decisions of the Forum will be based on the old paradigm and will result in the decline of all economies, the growing number of the unemployed, homeless, hungry, and…those who protest. The latter will shake up society and lead to freedom from the control of the rich.
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Opinion: (Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum in Davos, from ntv.ru): “2012 is extremely important. We must do everything possible to prevent the crisis of the euro.

“It is important to hear the voice of the young generation, but they have big problems today, and the greatest of them is unemployment. We need to create about six million jobs. This is the question of social and political stability.”

My Comment: Unfortunately, they bet on the wrong horse. Who will speak there on behalf of the “young generation” and to whom? What a pathetic show of concern for the unemployed! The leaders have not yet realized that they no longer have time for PR.
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