Initiatives waste their time and resources on overcoming mountains of obstacles
Available solutions of the high(est) impact get stuck in the system by default
Our long-standing approaches to solving the growing problems we face failed us
An enormous solution potential is waiting to be unleashed
Bureaucracy and fixed ways of thinking prevent us from unlocking it
Ban Ki-moon, Former UN Secretary-General, The Elders newsletter. March 1st, 2024:
“We need to see an urgent change of direction in global decision-making”
Signed by Ban Ki-moon, 9 former Heads of State and 2 (+ 7) Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. February, 2024
“Calling on world leaders to show long-view leadership on existential threats”
“Our world is in grave danger. We face a set of threats that put all humanity at risk. Our leaders are not responding with the wisdom and urgency required.”
Shocking Facts & Causes
Shocking Facts and Causes
Why People Lose Patience
Many experts in science and innovative networks: The needed solutions are available today
Yet:
- Exponential growth of the problems we face
- Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA)
High-impact solutions require support
Standard responses for 2+ decades
- “This does not fit my responsibility, processes, discipline, expertise or priority”
- “Here is my best practice, model, trend or tool”
- At least one individual stopping available solutions
Caused By
Lost and missing foundations in our long-standing solution approaches
What do decision-makers1 really need to make the problem-solving decisions?
1 Across industries, institutions, public services and communities at all levels
When the matter is complex:
Where is the compliance verification against relevant Laws of Nature during decision-making?
What do innovators and initiative owners really need to get their solutions through the system?
Particularly those with high-to-highest impact possibilities
What do employees really need to do their jobs in healthy ways?
Additional for decision-makers, advisors, scientists, funders, project managers and innovators
Laws of Nature: When the challenge is complex
Where is the education of decision-makers, scientists, funders and innovators in the Laws of Nature relevant to their fields when unchangeable but occurring Laws of Nature …
- from physics, mathematics and engineering cannot be expressed in exact ways1 OR
- cannot be expressed at all in exact ways2?
1 For examples see Manifesto parts 1 and 2 (Tipping Point and Capacity Bottleneck Laws of Nature)
2 For an example see Darwin’s survival law
Innovation & Einstein-Newton-Darwin practices
1.
Where are the innovation and research tracks based on Einstein-Newton-Darwin1 practices and the problem-solving practices of individuals like
- Steve Jobs (iPhone / smartphone),
- Jacinda Ardern (former Prime Minister of New Zealand, compassion and leadership style)
2.
Where is the support and funding for non-technical innovation?
1 See Manifesto parts 1 and 2 and Darwin’s survival law
Priorities
How can we see that urgencies, responsibilities and research priorities are aligned such that the exponential growth of damage created by the existential problems is turned around within acceptable timeframes?
Examples
- Ecuador’s constituion1 and Bolivia’s Mother Earth laws2 give Nature a seat at the table during decision-making processes
- Decision-making processes verify compliances in alignment with relevant Laws of Nature, especially when Laws of Nature …
- from physics, mathematics and engineering cannot be expressed in exact ways3 OR
- cannot be expressed at all in exact ways4?
1 Source: Wikipedia
2 Conflicts with conflicting laws to overcome. Source: Harvard Faculty Voice Podcast. Feb. 6, 2023
3 For examples see Manifesto parts 1 and 2 (Tipping Point and Capacity Bottleneck Laws of Nature)
4 For an example see Darwin’s survival law
Executability
How can we see early on that solutions are practical, executable at the system level and durable?
A Group of Experts With Experience in the Field Took On this Challenge
They found answers and simple solutions. The core of their findings and associated solutions are available through this Manifesto.
Emile van Essen, Founding Chair of World Sustainability Fund:
As far as I know, this is the only initiative worldwide responding to the following at the level required:
- What prevents us from unleashing the available solutions?
- Where and how do we have to intervene to unleash the solutions of high-to-highest impact within the deadlines set by Nature and deadlines agreed on by international treaties?
Based on: What delivered needed results where our long-standing approaches failed us (examples)
The smartphone
While the phone industry tried to re-invent the phone step by step, Steve Jobs ignored the common innovation processes. Instead of marginal improvements, he drove for going beyond the Tipping Point where it delivered what users really wanted.
More in Manifesto Part 3.4.4 (in review for approval)
A nationwide project: From stuck in endless discussions to up and running three months later & extraordinary results
In the Netherlands, a potato disease became resistant to chemical treatments. It threatened the country’s yearly harvest and added ever more unwanted substances to our food.
20,000 farmers, trade organisations, scientists, and government organisations were stuck in endless discussions and finger-pointing.
A combination of two old methods was brought in.
Results:
- Finger-pointing quickly changed into listening and helping each other
- After a few workshops, the project was up and running three months later
- The project organization: 1.5 full-time employees only
- Budget needs: tiny
- Goals: Achieved quicker than planned
More in Manifesto Part 3.4.2 (in review for approval)
Seven mental and physical health matters in one family: From Health Services giving up to available therapies delivering the needed results for all matters
Two Laws of Nature showed the way to highly effective treatments. Examples:
- ADHD: Daily emotional outbursts disappeared for 17 years
- Dyslexia: After simple interventions, learning to read happened within six weeks and 10-minute exercises per day
- Weeks of severe back pain: With signs of it coming again, a few 1-minute exercises are sufficient to prevent it
Many others found effective treatments after official Health Services gave up
Possibility: From exponential growth of problems in Health Services and their consequences elsewhere to ‘Flatten-the-Curve’ of:
- People suffering
- Costs of Health Services
- Structural capacity bottlenecks
- Violence and crime, jurisdiction and imprisonment from mental matters
- Countries undermining their competitive positions
More in Manifesto Part 1 and 2
What, compared to our longstanding but failed solution attempts, Einstein, Newton and Darwin did differently
Practices which enabled Einstein, Newton and Darwin to make their discoveries are well known or visible to us. However, where are the research, innovation and decision-making processes applying them?
In this Manifesto
- Highest-impact practices of Einstein, Newton and Darwin (no mathematics needed)
- These practices confirmed and extended by an Einstein-Newton-Darwin researcher, Prof. Michael Fitzgerald
- Various examples of how these practices were applied to make this Manifesto possible
Result
- This Manifesto as applying Einstein-Newton-Darwin practices was one of the foundations making it possible
More throughout the Manifesto tutorials and Manifesto Parts 1 and 2 in particular
When relevant elements of the Manifesto were applied
1st pilot project: From high project failure rates, resistance and bureaucracy to interest, bureaucracy reduced at its root cause & delivered on time
In a specific field of service management, known for high project failure rates since the 1990s, applying relevant elements of the Manifesto led to the following results:
- Lack of interest and resistance changed into interest, support and demand
- A structural reduction and prevention of bureaucracy and complexity by resolving it at its root cause
- Delivered on time, without escalations and costly corrections
More in Manifesto Part 3.1
After 2+ decades: The Only Solution Left May Be …
Law of Nature Manifesto: SUMMARY
What Experts with Experience in the Field Found to be of the Highest Impact
That is in particular experts who have found effective solutions where our long-standing solution approaches failed us
We have lost the ability to apply relevant Laws of Nature when they cannot be expressed in exact ways ...
Nature does not allow overwriting hard Laws of Nature. The damage from overwriting relevant laws is colossal.
Missing relevant Laws of Nature undermines:
- Our efforts to unleash the power of solutions available today
- Our potential in surviving by intelligence, whilst being in harmony with Nature
Laws of Nature typically relevant but missed in complex environments:
- Tipping Point law
- Capacity Bottleneck law
- Health law
Root cause and intervention point of the highest impact
The same lessons are learned, lost and relearned again and again ...
For over two decades
Large groups have learned to recognise when initiatives give insufficient or no attention to
- Common lessons learned
- Relevant Laws of Nature
- Core Human Values & Essential Behaviours
Consequences
- Lack of interest
- Giving up
- Opposition
- Conflict-creating behaviours
Root cause and intervention point of the highest impact
These root causes guide us to where interventions need to take place
A few Laws of Nature provide the core guidance to solve complex problems ...
More specifically: Tipping Point, Capacity Bottleneck and Health laws
No rocket science or mathematics needed
Often possible: Integration of such laws in decision-making
Einstein-Newton-Darwin practices show us the way to finding simple rules and Laws of Nature that apply to highly complex matters
In Response to the Shocking Facts & Causes Above
The Manifesto provides
Common lessons learned, root causes, Laws of Nature, and simple solutions of the highest impact
The Manifesto prevents
Analysis paralysis and information overload through focus on the highest impact at the lowest costs and risks
The information overload simplified to a small series of 5 to 30-minute video tutorials
For
Those who want to know where and how to intervene
2:30 hours only
Those designing and executing transformation projects
3:30 hours only
Approach and Structure
Applicability
Whenever an environment or challenge is complex
Industries
Aviation
Business services
Construction
Education
Energy
Health Services
IT
Public services
Manufacturing
Science
Social enterprises
And more
Fields
Agility
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Best practices & Methods
Education
Finance
Health
Human Resources
Indigenous knowledge
Innovation
Knowledge Management
Land use
Management
Natural Earth Systems
Organisations
Politics
Project management
Research
SDGs1
Societal matters
Youth & Children
And more
Challenges
Agile yet reliable decision-making
Artificial Intelligence: Downside prevention
Automation
• Beneficial versus counterproductive
Bureaucracy & Complexity reduction
Cooperation & Co-creation
Circular economies: Making them happen
Education and skill gaps
Fixed ways of thinking & Behaviour
Food security
Health of
• People
• Projects, organizations and environment
• Planet
Innovation:
• High(est)-impact getting stuck by default
• Out-of-the-box, social and organizational
Marine life
Safety
Security
Trust: (Re-)creating trust
Truth finding
Productivity improvements
Project failure rates far to high
SDGs1
Social and organisational innovation needs
Water security
And more
1 Sustainable Development Goals
A Navigation System For Making Better Decisions
Perspectives
PERSONAL
For personal education, health, work and donation matters
To distinguish those who continue to apply the same practices that created the problems we face versus those solving them
PROJECTS
For making initiatives, projects and movements appealing, practical and executable in today’s world
To distinguish initiatives, research, projects, and movements with too many gaps and conflicts versus those being practical, executable, and durable
DECISION-MAKING
To (re-)create problem-solving decision-making in politics, businesses, public services and institutions
Brief tutorials & Powerful Guiding Questions you can ask
The basics are the same for all perspectives.
Law of Nature Manifesto: The PACKAGE
Part 1: Introduction & the Tipping Point Law of Nature in One Sentence
- Why do solution attempts fail us today?
- How did the Laws of Nature disappear from decision-making?
- How do we reconnect with the Einstein-Newton-Darwin practices?
- Multiple structurally different practices from how we go about tough problems today
- How can we together get started in our own environments to solve these matters?
- How we apply the Tipping Point Law of Nature without realizing it
- The law’s huge solution potential waiting to be unleashed
- Hard-to-ignore guiding questions everybody can ask when decisions are to be made
Part 2: The Second Law of Highest Impact in Two Sentences
- What would Einstein, Newton and Darwin do when faced with differences against standard practices?
- Answers by Prof. Michael Fitzgerald
- What characteristics should decision-makers look for when hiring people to solve tough problems?
- Answers by Prof. M. Fitzgerald
- Why is the second Law of Nature applied for the road system, but not for organizations and mental matters such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia?
- A systemic failure demanding the highest priority now
- Why many are likely to have found effective mental health treatments after standard therapies delivered insufficient results
- The bound-to-be missing Law-of-Nature-based link between identified causes of various mental matters and their symptoms,
- Why urgently needed research with the missing link couldn’t get started
- Hard-to-ignore guiding questions you can ask when managerial, organizational, societal and therapy decisions need to be made
Part 3: Intervening Where the Highest Impact Can be Made At the Lowest Costs & Risks
- Why do simplification projects in a box create more bureaucracy and complexity at the system level than is saved inside the box? How can this be prevented?
- Why is a package of (simple) solutions required to solve complex problems?
- The extended Manifesto structure with five subsections identifying intervention points of the highest impact and solutions having shown their value across industries and fields
- Hard-to-ignore guiding questions you can ask when attempts are made to solve complex problems
Part 3.1: Practices Which Break Trust Versus Practices Which BUILD Trust
- Why do communication practices that worked (well) before now trigger disbelief, resistance and opposition?
- What type of communications, practices and activities should be avoided?
- What communications, practices and activities turned the previous situation into interest, support and demand?
- A guiding question you can apply yourself to get people on board
Part 3.2: Intervention Points of the Highest Impact
- Why have our long-standing approaches to
- unlocking the available solutions &
- reducing the crippling bureaucracy &
- reducing the overwhelming complexity
failed us?
- What are intervention points of the highest impact we have missed?
- Eight executable intervention points of the highest impact
- Hard-to-ignore guiding questions you can ask when decisions are to be made
Part 3.3: One Word to Make Better Decisions and Reduce Bureaucracy Drastically
- What is the most impactful intervention possibility to
- Flatten-the-Curve of the exponentially grown bureaucracy and complexity drastically?
- Avoid practices and ways of thinking that worsen matters and select those that solve the tough problems in our environment and beyond?
- Re-create trust?
A single word, derived from the Tipping Point Law of Nature
- How can we utilize the existing bureaucracy to get this intervention possibility into decision-making?
- How do we prevent waiting decades until the regulations, processes and the like are adjusted?
- How does this intervention align with popular models and science?
- Hard-to-ignore guiding questions you can ask when decisions are to be made
3.4.1 The Complexity Navigator (10 minutes)
3.4.2 From Solution Possibilities to Executable Solution Frameworks (25 minutes)
3.4.3 A Skillset for Solving Complex Problems (15 minutes)
3.4.4 A Complementary Innovation Process (11 minutes)
3.4.5 A Law-of-Nature-Based Research Model For Complex Matters (12 Minutes)
Part 3.5: Core Human Values and Essential Behaviours for Decision-Making
Part 4.1: Calls for Pilot Projects and Educational Needs
Part 4.2: Overcoming Transformational Obstacles
Part 4.3: Collection of Hard-to-Ignore Guiding Questions
The Law of Nature Manifesto: A Fresh Approach
Intervention
Intervening where the highest impact can be made at the lowest costs and risks
+
Practices and solutions that facilitated the delivery of needed results after standard approaches failed
+
What delivered the needed results across industries, fields or subjects
+
Across industries, fields and subjects, the same Laws of Nature, often available from Physics, Mathematics and Engineering, emerged as the primary intervention possibilities
Implementation
Keep what works well
+
Let go of the long-standing approaches that failed us
+
Complement what works well with what has demonstrated needed results after our long-standing approaches failed us
The Manifesto's Co-Creators
Core Team
Netherlands, Germany
Initiator of the Manifesto
Bridgebuilder, Analyst, Inventor, Polymath
Arti Ahluwalia
India
Coordinator of Publications UN Commons Cluster NGO Major Group
Ecocivilisation Country Chair India
Director at Dimex India
John Scholtz
Netherlands
Program Manager
Passion for sustainability
James N. Rose
United States
Biologist (retired)
General Systems Analyst
Developer of Integrity Paradigm
Marion van den Eijnden
Netherlands
Avatar Master
Former Occupational Therapist
Elly Rijnierse
Netherlands
Senior Advisor
Civic Leadership and democratisation in Integrated Area Development
Contributing Co-creators
Emile (Glans) Van Essen
Netherlands
Founding Chair WORLD SUSTAINABILITY FUND
Many sustainability projects across the globe have received (large) funds. Emile became a co-creator when he discovered that the Law of Nature Manifesto was addressing many of the obstacles undermining the projects funded and he didn’t see anyone else doing this.
Stephanie Barnes
Germany, Canada
Creativity for doing things differently
Margie Charpentier
Netherlands
Background support and out-of-the-box contributions
Ukpeme Okon
United States, Nigeria
Ambassador for Peace
Barrister
Catherine Schoendorff
Germany, France
Former CEO
C-Suite Coach
Serene Seng
Singapore
Executive Coach
Speaker
Dr. Mahendra Shah
Indonesia
Director
Co-author UN-IIASA climate change report 2002
Former IIASA scientist
Adina Tarry
United Kingdom
Organisation & Leadership Development, HRM Strategy, Quality & Process management, Business & Consumer Psychologist, Mentor, Master Coach & Supervisor, Lecturer, Author, Speaker
Harry van der Velde
Netherlands
Holistic analysis and visualization of organizational issues
Owner, ZICHT Visie en Verbeelding
Sponsors
Cooperatieve Vereniging AiREAS U.A.
A value-driven co-operative organization: Together for clean air and health in local environments
Website maintained by ComDyS
Experience and knowledge contributions