Ecologists have their conversations. Politicians have their conversations. Businesses have their conversations. Civil society has its conversations.
We now have a tool for having conversations together.
_My hope is that this simple drawing framework will invite social and ethical considerations into our decision making. There are three questions that are always already answered and are always too small for the situation._ **Who is "We"?** **Where is "Home"?** **How long will we care?**
It may be difficult for me to explain what problem this graphic framework is meant to address. It took me several years to have this tool emerge.
Rather than try to explain it, let's try using it and see what comes up.
**PRINT** this PDF 
before proceeding.
Also print the EIP Diagram Instructions.
Print out these instructions .
Please see CLD website
Before making your diagram, consider looking at Copper Corridor EIP Diagram, Ecosystems Political Systems Interacting, Larry's EIP Diagram. amd Grassroots EIP Diagram. Larry has not used variables, yet.
**Below is a framework and template for you to locate essential institutions in specific contexts:**
digraph G { rankdir=BT fontname="Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif" node [fontname="Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"] edge [fontname="Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"] subgraph cluster_0 { label = "EcoBioPhysical\nWorld"; style=filled; color="#aaf098"; node [style=filled,color=white]; fontsize=18; x [style=invis]; x ->"Aliveness Of Homestead" [style=invis]; "Aliveness Of Homestead" ->"Aliveness Of Landscape" -> "Aliveness Of Ecosystem" -> "Aliveness Of Watershed" -> "Aliveness Of Bioregion" -> "Aliveness Of Earth\n(Gaia)"-> "Aliveness Of Bioregion"-> "Aliveness Of Watershed"-> "Aliveness Of Ecosystem"->"Aliveness Of Landscape"->"Aliveness Of Homestead"; } subgraph cluster_1 { label = "GeoPolitical\nWorld"; style=filled; color="#5ccfec"; node [style=filled,color=white]; fontsize=18; y [style=invis]; y -> "Aliveness Of Individual" [style=invis]; "Aliveness Of Individual" ->"Aliveness Of Household" ->"Aliveness Of Neighborhood"->"Aliveness Of Municipality"->"Aliveness Of County"->"Aliveness Of State"-> "Aliveness Of Nation" -> "Aliveness Of\nMultinational Alliance" -> "Aliveness Of\nUnited Nations" -> "Aliveness Of\nMultinational Alliance" -> "Aliveness Of Nation"->"Aliveness Of State"->"Aliveness Of County"->"Aliveness Of Municipality"->"Aliveness Of Neighborhood"->"Aliveness Of Household"-> "Aliveness Of Individual"; } subgraph cluster_2 { label = " Institutions "; node [style=filled]; color=white; fontsize=30; a [style=invis]; } a->{"Aliveness Of Individual" "Aliveness Of Homestead"}[style=invis]; }
It may be surprising to see the word "aliveness" in this context.
This framework is a template for creation of high level causal loop diagrams to explore causal or influencing relationships among institutions, existing and missing (needed).
An opportunity to explore the ecological impacts of sets of institutions is provided.
>See EcoBioPhysical World and GeoPolitical World. See Institution
The opportunity to explore the level and scale of socio-political influence or interaction is also provided.
**Why do this? I find that grassroots organizations lose connection to power and decision making as the decisions are made more and more remotely.**
The questions (raised by Elinor Ostrom's 7th and 8th design principles) of how to be recognized by higher-level authorities and how to form multiple layers of nested enterprises can be explored with this graphic. This is a much needed cave drawing for every neighborhood on earth.
Enough said. Perhaps too much. Let's use our pens and paper.
And remember, this tool is NOT an engineering diagram, it is an exploratory framing for any institution in the physical-biological world and in the socio-political worlds we inhabit. It is to expand our understanding and widen our horizon--anticipating important effects--so we can take them into consideration.
_This tool and method are developing. Your help will be appreciated._
INSTRUCTIONS
Before using the diagram, make sure that every node is a variable. See CLD instructions to understand how to make Causal Loop Diagrams. **THIS EIP TOOL IS A CAUSAL LOOP DIAGRAM!**
Print out this file or use this on-line diagram .
* [ ] 1-Chose an institution of interest (in this context even individuals with a purpose can be institutions.)
* [ ] 2-Locate it relative to the GeoPolitical World (right side blue list) recursions and place it in the diagram.
* [ ] 3-Connect it to one or more GeoPolitical items with lines. These lines are directed. Start with lines originating from your institution. Label the line with an "S" if the institution supports the aliveness of the selected GeoPolitical level or an "O" if it diminished that GeoPolitical level.
* [ ] 4-If possible connect the institution to one or more EcoBioPhysical World recursions, again using "S" or "O" to note the direction of the institutions effect on the ecological world level.
* [ ] 5-Next, consider which GeoPolitical recursions support or fail to adequately support the institution. Draw directed connections from the particular GeoPoliticals to the institution and note direction of effect with "S" or "O".
* [ ] 6-Next, notice what EcoBioPhycical recursions effect the institution. Make the connections.
* [ ] 7-Consider what other institutions are needed to enhance the viability of your initiating institution. Who has the power, materials, information, access that your institution needs access to to be safe and prosperous?
* [ ] 8-Finally, add a couple of institutions and connect them to your institution and to the relevant recursions (GeoPolitical and EcoBiological).
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