Overview

Within the Initiative Netzwerk Dreigliederung (Initiative Network Threefolding), individuals, organizations and institutions are working for a societal structure, in which cultural freedom and plural-ism can be united with a cooperative solidarity economy on the basis of democracy and human rights. It was founded in 1989 and publishes the quarterly Social Impulses - Threefold Social Organism Newsletter (print run about 1500 copies). We are a loose Network without formal membership, but with an allocation of cost between people who take part. 

The Initiative cooperates with Institut für Soziale Gegenwartsfragen (The Institute for Social Pre-sent-Day Questions) which conducts training and research on these questions. We are also partner of  GlobeNet3 (Global Network for Social Threefolding).

Interview

Can you give examples for events you are involved in?

In 2006, our institute started a 2-year extra occupational study course, “Social Development”: social threefolding as a way of understanding and shaping social processes. One study group has now finished, a second course started in February and is still going on. Since 1991 we are offering training seminars on social questions. The next seminar in November in Frankfurt will deal with questions of self administration of free schools and other free institutions. In April we held a semi-nar on the crisis of the global financial market. Unfortunately we were right with our analysis.

Besides our own seminars we take part in many big events of civil society. The latest event was the basic incomes congress in Berlin at the end of October.
The seminars and courses we are offering are normally in German language. On events like the World Social Forum or the ESF there were also Workshops from us in English.

For dates and details of the seminars please check www.sozialimpulse.de, also for any other com-prehensive information about our work and the persons involved in it.

What deep or profound questions about life and the world are currently influencing the work of your organization? What draws people to the organization?

Above I have mentioned, in general, the questions we are dealing with. It’s always about social renewal: how can we make another world, a better world possible? This general approach includes many important questions.

At the moment the question of shaping globalization culminates in some way in the crisis of the global financial system. What is the way to extricate the poison sting from the monetary system and to create and develop new forms of handling money? This problem cannot be solved only within the monetary sphere. We have to change our economy - from competition and corporate power to association and fair economy.

Another problem we are always following is the development of the social security system. How can we avoid that social and cultural needs come under the pressure of global competition? This problem includes questions of financing social security in a new way and to assert a basic income granted unconditionally for everybody.

People take part in the threefolding work because they feel responsible for the future of society. They want to contribute to an comprehensive sustainable development, to freedom of education, to peace and social justice.

How would you define social renewal and what role does it play in your organization?

Social renewal is never only a question of social systems. Social Threefolding means that we have to create social conditions in which human beings can develop, become more independent and so-cially responsible. In our time social and spiritual questions can no longer be separated. The con-cept of homo economicus, for instance, is at last not an economic concept but an anthropological paradigm. Fighting for another world also means that you have to work on yourself, that you have to change yourself. As M. Gandhi said: become a part of the change you want to see in the world.

Describe how your organization strives to make the world a better place. What impacts do you see it making in the world?

Frankly spoken: our impact, including the impact of all our friends around the world, is not strong enough. We have to grow! At the moment we are a really small, but at the same time a pretty ac-tive movement. One of our consummate goals is to strive always for cooperation with other peo-ple, with many various partners in civil society as well as cultural and creative people in other social spheres. It’s important that we take part in countless initiatives and that we push the dis-cussion on alternatives with our research and our contribution to discussions. For instance we have made proposals for the Fundamental Rights Charter in Europe, for a modern land reform and many other issues.

What and where is the future beckoning your organization to move toward?

If you look at the world - there is no alternative to fighting for alternatives. Our vision of a society with a human face is not simply the vision of a distant goal. It is a real power, a real possibility inspiring us right now, each and every day.

How does the organization maintain the integrity of the mission when faced with difficult world ethical and moral issues that run counter to your values?

If we want to change the world, we must first see how the world is realistically. To deal with posi-tions that run counter to our values is a normal part of our work. We are discussing all the time and we believe in the soft power of dialogue!

Please share any further information that you think is important to your organization and the work you do.

One thing which would strengthen our impact are translations of articles into English. We are working hard at this. For instance, at the moment we are finishing a translation of the very impor-tant and topical book of Udo Herrmannstorfer, “Scheinmarktwirtschaft,” into English (Pseudo Market Economy. Labor, Land, Capital and the Globalization of the Economy). But we could use some help in these endeavors!

To learn more about this organization please visit: www.sozialimpulse.de