Developmental Spaces - Cultural incubators for a time of transformation

Motivating context

Humanity is entangled in a polycrisis; an escalating set of interwoven crises from ecosphere degradation to economic fragility and political polarization. Crucially, these crises share a common root, a metacrisis in how we envision ourselves, our societies and our civilization.

Efforts simply to ‘fix’ external systems will therefore continue to reproduce crisis. Our metacrisis calls for entirely different ways of seeing and being in the world: this is the terrain of inner development.

Transformational research

Recent decades have seen a revolution in our understanding of human inner development. A growing body of evidence now supports three crucial principles. First, development is multi-faceted; spanning psychological, spiritual, biological and cultural dimensions. Second, it can be lifelong, continuing well into adulthood. Third, it is neither guaranteed nor straightforward - and sustained effort is often required, especially later in life.

Conditions for an inner revolution

Mainstream institutions and culture have barely begun to integrate this revolutionary understanding or its potential. The challenges of our time demand new kinds of educational and communal space; explicitly informed by this knowledge, and designed to support sustained, multidimensional growth - personal and collective. These spaces can take many forms, from online communities to co-living environments; evens new kinds of of monastery or university.

A far-reaching ambition

This can’t be a niche project. It represents a radically inclusive ambition: to uphold commitments to redressing deep and long standing social injustices, whilst collaborating to address a deeper crisis which underpins and transcends them all.

As such, from eighteen to eighty, everyone should have access to environments explicitly designed for multi-domain inner development. We do not lack the research, ideas, methodologies and tools. What we need is the will: urgent investment and creative support - to help individuals and communities grow in depth and resilience; to navigate the complexity and challenges of our time.

Founding signatories

• Oren Slozberg – Commonweal
• Rufus Pollock – Life Itself
• Tomas Bjorkman – Ekskäret Foundation
• Kam Bellamy – Springboard

Help shape the emerging field

Sign the Manifesto