Well-being and Systemic Thinking: A path to Peace and Harmony in the World. http://www.pitt.edu/~super7/54011-55001/54511.ppt original ppt file Dr. Francois W. Sauer

The context: an interdisciplinary network of networks

The “Research Methods of the Library of Alexandria” RMLA What is the Practical Future with RMLA? Where do we want to go? How do we plan to get there? What is Systemic Thinking? What are the requisite Values of Science? What is Wellbeing? What is the challenge in Social Sciences? What is RMLA value added? What actions will we take now? How will we measure RMLA success?

The “Research Methods of the Library of Alexandria” RMLA Vint Cerf, one of the initial developer of the Internet, proposed that RMLA is: “Science for Scientists to build Interdisciplinary Science”. Dr. Ismail Serageldin in “The Challenge” said: “There is a need to have a sense of a credible future vision that maps a path to a future where we are better off, socially, economically and politically. That vision, which the French refer to as a “Projet de Société” must be of a practical future as opposed to a utopian ideal, and must also be perceived as attainable.”

What is the practical future with RMLA? The Library of Alexandria asserts that: “Access to Knowledge is a fundamental right and its sharing is a fundamental duty” RMLA, in practice, is: How to Think about Social Science Research, building interdisciplinary Science.

Where do we want to go? RMLA is about accessing, developing and sharing interdisciplinary knowledge through: The building of a scientific network of networks to create synergy between top minds in research, in applied research, and in technology. Dr. Ron LaPorte and his team are committed to facilitate this interconnectivity. The digitalization of knowledge using available IT technologies within the context of, what Dr. Ismail Serageldin describes as, the “Meta Web” that connects intelligences.

How do we plan to get there? The building of a scientific network of networks offers the opportunity to leverage cultural and scientific diversity within a shared ethical context: “In a social network, people are empowered by being connected to the network. Power as empowerment means facilitating this connectedness.”* To add value to the World Community, scientists share the Values of Science. The digitalization of knowledge includes two opportunities, which are to: Go from the “papyrus” to the “digital” Tame the complexity and chaos of the available data, information and knowledge Ref*: Capra, Fritjof; Luisi, Pier Luigi (2014-04-30). The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision. Cambridge University Press. Kindle Edition.

Go from the “papyrus” to the “digital” By: Dematerializing, Democratizing and Demonetizing the sharing of knowledge RMLA offers to the scientists access to additional knowledge any time, from anywhere and for free.

Tame the complexity of the available data, information and knowledge With technologies including: semantic, system dynamics, AI and “deep learning”, we are speaking about the “intelligent” digital processing of data, information and knowledge. RMLA offers to scientists a mass-personalized access to: Useful information and knowledge, as well as Experts to help. “Science for Scientists to build Interdisciplinary Science” is a very tricky task because we need to create one interdisciplinary vocabulary and syntax shared by all scientific disciplines to identify and understand meaningful relationships, patterns, and context! This is where Systemic Thinking becomes useful

What is Systemic Thinking? It is a holistic approach focuses on the way that system’s parts interrelate and how they behave over time, within the context of larger systems. Within this systemic perspective, the system defines the behavior of its parts. This systemic thinking view is in sharp contrast with the lineal and mechanistic thinking view where the presupposition is that the properties of the parts define the behavior of the system. Systems thinking therefore is a shift in the focus used to perceive the world. Mechanistic thinking focuses on the material objects and their structures Systemic thinking focuses on the nonmaterial processes and their organizational patterns

Mechanistic vs. systemic thinking Whole Relationships Multi-disciplines Mapping Qualities Processes Epistemic Approximate knowledge Mechanistic Parts Objects One-discipline Measuring Quantities Structures Objective Cartesian certainty Ref: Capra, Fritjof; Luisi, Pier Luigi (2014-04-30). The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision. Cambridge University Press.

share the Values of Science. To add value to the World Community, scientists share the Values of Science Scientists, committed, within RMLA, to illuminate the world of Interdisciplinary Sciences, also share the Values of Science. If Science is: “The organization of our knowledge in such a way that it commands more of the hidden potentiality in nature.” J.Bronowski And the perception of “nature” is changing over time Then the scientific knowledge needs to be constantly validated and refined through experiments. This validation demands the use of the requisite Values of Science.

What are the requisite Values of Science? Dr. Ismail Serageldin describes these critical Values of Science to ensure the public welfare and wellbeing as: Truth, Honor, Teamwork, Constructive subversiveness, Tolerant engagement with the contrarian view, Arbitrate dispute by the rules of evidence and rationality, and Freedom. When we look for Science to “command more of the hidden potentiality in nature” one key reason is to improve Health

What is Wellbeing? The WHO definition of Health is: “A complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” In this context, I propose that the definition of Wellbeing is: The individual’s experience of a “complete match” between: his/her desired and currently perceived bio, psycho and social state. To, over time, achieve and sustain this “complete match” the individual needs the capability to successfully adapt to changes Ref CDC: Definition Wellbeing: “There is no consensus around a single definition of well-being, but there is general agreement that at minimum, well-being includes the presence of positive emotions and moods (e.g., contentment, happiness), the absence of negative emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety), satisfaction with life, fulfillment and positive functioning”. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) CDC Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL)

A “complete state of wellbeing” This means that, when adapting to changes, the individual can: Accept his/her past, as it is. Experience, in the present: Peace and Harmony: Preserving the essence of his/her identity and concurrently Incorporating new useful insights or mental models to better survive and thrive, when Implementing his/her current responses to the changes with a systemic thinking perspective Be confident in his/her capabilities to design his/her desired future

What is the challenge in Social Sciences? Today the challenge is to use systemic thinking to manifest the values of Science when identifying: relationships, patterns, and context for building interdisciplinary Science. Complex Societies can have extreme transformations… because as Dr. Ismail Serageldin said: “A society is more than the sum of its economic and financial transactions…” 200 years ago Pierre Simon de Laplace (1749-1827) already said: “Let us apply to the political and moral sciences, the method founded on observation and mathematics that has served so well in the natural sciences.” 200 years ago the mathematics to use systemic thinking, to anticipate the long term and distant consequences of actions in a complex world, were not available

What is RMLA value added? When promoting interdisciplinary Science between scientists, with diverse cultural and scientific disciplines, RMLA value added is, via the Internet, to: Integrate, within a share set of values, the participants’ diversity and Harness their thinking power to, in cooperation, work on difficult problems. The integration of this diversity is critical for developing: “learning, scientific mechanistic and systemic thinking, humility, tolerance, dialogue and understanding”. These interdisciplinary attributes are the foundations for: Peace and Harmony in the World

What actions will we take now? In summary RMLA is: a “scientific network of networks” including top minds in research, in applied research, and in technology. a “grid integrating the cultural and the scientific diversity of participants” from more than 150 countries and trained in natural or social science research. an “open system” capturing, storing and sharing knowledge and also a “closed system” with a unique RMLA identity with the sharing of the Values of Science that need to be sustained over time. an “advocate” to further expand the Science for Scientists to build Interdisciplinary Science.

In the context of: afn.bibalex.org/GeneralPortal.aspx

What actions will we take now? Today RMLA may develop additional communication, cooperation and coordination to include academic and research communities with programs such as for example: SHINE at the Harvard School of Public Health or ESSENCE on Health Research, specially in Africa. The URL for these programs are: For SHINE (The Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enterprise): http://www.chgeharvard.org/category/corporate-sustainability-and-health-shine-0 For ESSENCE(Enhancing Support for Strengthening the Effectiveness of National Capacity Effort): http://www.edctp.org/forumblog/presentations/Forum_2009_-_Plenary_session_VI_-_ESSENCE.pdf For SHINE (The Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enterprise): http://www.chgeharvard.org/category/corporate-sustainability-and-health-shine-0 For ESSENCE(Enhancing Support for Strengthening the Effectiveness of National Capacity Effort): http://www.edctp.org/forumblog/presentations/Forum_2009_-_Plenary_session_VI_-_ESSENCE.pdf

How will we measure RMLA success? The quantitative measures for RMLA success may include metrics such as: # of people coming to RMLA with Research methods questions, # of people train in research methods with RMLA, # of research papers published in scientific respected journals, # of patents issued, # of active links within the RMLA network of networks, # of active participants connected to the RMLA network and # of times RMLA is quoted in scientific publications. The global RMLA success is when scientists manifest to the fullest their talents and concurrently contribute their best to Peace and Harmony in the World, finding "Net Positive Solutions" to improve "Sustainability and Health”.

Closing quote “Yet we are but human, subject to human frailties, against which we must fight with all our human might. God help us in all our endeavors.” Ibn Al-Haytham, (965–c.1040) Kitab Al-Manadhir