About GSm

Mantra

Mission Statement

Vision

Humanity faces an emerging mess of global challenges (often called wicked problems) — such as, climate change, poverty, peak oil, population pressure, water shortages, declining biodiversity, and failing food supply — that are the product of patterns of thinking and behavior that no longer make sense.  We need new tools of thought if we are to adapt to the scale and complexity of these challenges; tools that augment individual intelligence with the structured insights of many minds. We are building those tools.

Strategy

To realize our vision, we are creating a web portal, developing open source software, and fostering international standards to create a scalable, collaborative, deliberative, and global discourse environment (e.g. web-based global sensemaking platforms) for addressing the most pressing problems of our time.

• GSm Portal: a website dedicated to bridging the gap between people, organizations, and tools engaged in global sensemaking.
  
• GSm Software: envisioning and building the tools and glue required to enable global sensemaking.
• GSm Standards: working with international standards bodies to define a set of interfaces to support interoperability between global sensemaking tools.
  

Beginning as an all-volunteer group, we are open to spawning nonprofit and commercial initiatives that advance our vision. The products of our collaboration are issued under open source licenses or otherwise made freely available to all.

Ethos

We adhere to the principles of appreciative inquiry and nonviolent communication—striving to enhance enhance life in word and deed.

Membership

Anyone who agrees with and upholds this charter may become, and remain, a member of the group.

Organization

We are guided at the outset by a voluntary steering committee currently consisting of Mark Aakhus, Mark Klein, Simon Buckingham Shum, George E. Mobus, Jack Park, David Price, Jeff Conklin, Andy Streich, and Mark Szpakowski. Further volunteers are welcome.