Background
The Human Organising Project was set up in January 2015 by Patrick Andrews to explore what it means to be human in this age, and what that means for the way we organise the institutions that run our societies.
Patrick spent many years working as an international corporate lawyer in the UK, France, Canada and Russia before taking an interest in organisational structures and how they shape people. His work is around revealing the links between organisational structures, individual behaviour and wider impact on society and the environment. Patrick worked for many years with eco-car company Riversimple creating a unique multi-stakeholder governance model designed to serve both people and planet.
Patrick’s book, drawing on his rich experience in organisations of many sorts and provisionally titled “Human Organising”, is due out in late 2017. You can reserve a copy by entering your name and email address below:
About the project
The Human Organising Project was formed out of a desire to bring together a community of people interested in learning from old ways of organising and exploring new ways of organising, ways that are more participatory and life-affirming. It has so far given life to a blog and also to a festival – the Festival of Human Organising.
Principles
The Human Organising Project is not owned by anyone, and doesn’t employ anyone. it is more of an organising (a verb) than an organisation (a noun). What holds it together is the commitment of a few people and some principles.
1. Radical participation. We are committed to a radically participatory ethic. Life is not a spectator sport. Everyone is invited to join in.
2. Radical inclusion. Anyone may be a part of HOP. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.
3. Have fun. There will be no prizes for taking things too seriously. Being playful and having fun bring their own rewards.
4. Minimise negative ecological impact. Western society presents many obstacles to those desiring to live a truly sustainable life. Rather than pursuing zero impact, we encourage a heightened awareness of our impact and the adoption of all reasonable measures to minimise waste of energy and resources.
5. Service. Service to others, including the non-human world, is a way of showing love and is one of the most profound actions we can take as a human being.
6. Self-empowerment. The only person who can empower you is yourself.
7. Communal Effort Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect spaces and methods of communication that support such interaction.