NOTE: It is advised that the following post and its ideas are considered theoretically and it be understood that we have to make shifts at the level of intent and thought processes, rather than shoving populations around — which would be a problematic and potentially f.a.scist (mis)application of the ideas. The better way is to renew contracts and vows and shift to more cooperative mindsets, through processes of negotiation, dialog and cooperation. That is the way forward.
The Salaam Matrix began as lecture in a business class: at first it was a simple template that showed MBA students the various “roles” that people play in their daily lives. The invitation was to figure out what “role” could they facilitate the playing of, with their products and services. It was a tool for generating ideas to create products and services.
Over time, the implications, “readings” and applications of this model became complex, and generated a multitude of insights. One thing that I foresaw little at the time of the creation of the tool was its political and leadership application — how the Salaam Matrix helps leaders understand their polities and constituencies. And also, how citizens, analysts, and various arms of the state including media and even intelligence agencies can employ this tool to understand People.
Aside: By the way, when I mention intelligence, I am aware that traditionally, intelligence (the agencies) has not been a friend of the people. I would take some time, separately, to talk about the potential reimagining of intelligence agencies for the 21st century.
In short, how about intelligence acting as a helpful tool organizing and distributing useful, actionable information for the people, rather than acting in the traditional role of a hostile adversary? Now that is something to think about!
Back to applications: A benevolently inclined state could and would use The Salaam Matrix to understand its people. Arms of the state including intelligence and media can utilize the tool to begin to comprehend people, instead of manipulating and controlling them.
This tool compels seeing things as they are, which in itself solves a number of challenges and dissolves mental roadblocks.
We are currently witnessing, for instance, a rise in nationalist governments worldwide. While this has been frightening to some to a degree (because control and delimitation is frightening!), in my view this emergence is happening because these nationalist leaders are able to see their polities and articulate the issues of their people, putting their own people first, and pulling back from engagement or even generosity towards other nations. This is shocking for the world which has long been used to extensive intermingling of the nations, but I will argue that not all globalization and mingling was healthy, well-intentioned, well-sorted out, or, as we say in the world of spirituality and character-building, mindful.
In fact, we have called some of “interaction”, colonization and imperialism (by developed nations), which it was; or aid-seeking and dependence (from the developing nations), which it also was — and then there is a subset of healthy exchange and interactions. I am using the past tense already since I see that the wheels have long been in motion and the world is reverting to “Me First”, which is a double-edged sword: Interpreted one way, this is selfishness and withholding. Interpreted another way, this could be centering and gathering of a Self/Nation, which is also necessary as nations begin to rethink their alignments, directions and purpose in a new world order that is emerging through a confluence of organic and not-so-organic forces.
I spoke a long time ago that the Internet is the new government of the people in that it will alter power structures and allow people to organize and reorganize. Through the Internet, grounds-up, inclusive and democratic decision-making has been possible for the first time in human history. People are rendering and imagining their own future, for good or bad. I also believe that Nature becomes the benchmark of decision-making and alignments: what isn’t fundamentally good or true or natural doesn’t stand the test of times. In other words, I believe the new order is emergent (coming about on its own), but emergent does not exclude control and manipulation where and when it exists.
This order is turning nationalistic because people and nations do need to look within, restructure and reorganize based on all lessons of history, and their best interests going forward — and then I would also remind that cooperative attitudes do serve our best interests in an interconnected world! So cooperation is the best interest of each player on a board where players are balancing each other out!
The other reasons may include fears and concerns related to climate shift, and a need to align resources within to combat with the very real risk of depletion of and damage to resources.
A third reason is gathering people around powerful and charismatic leaders in order to reorganize, uplevel and re-skill people so that the people may carry on ably and well-prepared into the very demanding 21century and beyond. The more local and rooted and relateable the leader, the faster the transmissions of organization and energy.
Mind you, it is critical to note that this is the first tier of organization in which the Game Player is focusing on and organizing themselves, in order to able engage with other players who are in the world arena and also, partially in each other’s countries. This is a situation that cannot be reversed amicably, it can at best be audited, with some reversals, and some renegotiations.
A good deal of this chaos is to do with the remorse of a late awakening and realizing that the Game Players (nations) have not been very alert about their own values and practices, thus allowing themselves to engage in less-optimal interactions. A trade of give and take will take place, and global contracts will be updated. In the best-case scenario, Takers will have to siphon back resources to those whom the resources belong to rightfully; also malicious and ill-intentional characters will need to come clean.
This is not very different from how people, as persons, have been cleaning up their act, and tightening their values and practices around the world after a long era of enlightenment and global spiritual and cognitive, ethical, moral and social awakening.
I suppose I can summarize this part of the Accountability Era (which it is) as: Tightening up the act.
Opinions may differ about how it should come about and look like, which values must carry on and which must abolish. Each choice will bear and reveal its own consequences, naturally. I am not favoring any one policy or the other (not in this place and not at this time), I am simply describing what is happening.
How does The Salaam Matrix help?
At the basic level, in several ways:
✔ Basic reading of the population’s new values and roles — the reading can be dynamic, showing a before/after shift or the journey of transitions. A very basic reading would be static.
✔ Using the model to detect new areas of skilling and reskilling for a new job and employment market.
✔ Defining the new values as part of a political charter. Using the “roles” as checkboxes.
✔ Use of the tool by Player A to study Player B (and C, D, …..). it is about time that we begin to know and see each other, and remove the fright that we experience from simply knowing that another, possibly unlike us, exists. I would urge going further ahead and using the model to detect areas of cooperation and similarities, where points of interconnection and cooperation can occur. I do however predict at least a sevenish-year period of nations going hermit and quiet, sorting and organizing their own values before they are open to cooperate with each other again. I also predict that the world economy will shrink due to conservatism and fear in this while. It will not swell back if things go right. If “things” are improved and brought in alignment with the
I would caution against rigid and closed systems, however I ruefully recognize that this may be a risk arising from the ground conditions themselves and not from this model or its guided usage.
In my view I would advocate using the tool to encourage the population to participate in creating new opportunities and solutions for their challenges; meanwhile the tool can also be used to identify the challenges themselves! Solving basic problems will create common ground and allow breathing space and peace for the people of the world, whose needs are piqued in this era of acute political, social, economic and climate stress and distress.
More on this will be published over time. Stay connected.
The current human civilization seems to define humans as predominantly consumers or, in other instances, as victims. There is a polarization: of the colonizers and the natives. This polarization is also the divide between those who are actively consuming planetary resources, and those who are serving those needs off their land. Another way the division runs is workers versus those who employ them. Another way the split runs is government that appears to “rule” the citizens. And yet another way this division runs is the exploitative and abusive (and not natural and benevolent) dominance of the Masculine over the Feminine, that has moved away from being supportive, loving and kind as it ought to have been. 
The world is waking up, they say. Everywhere, everyone, all at once. Finally, the era of reckoning and awakening and connection and calibration is here. What is taking place right now is a mass divestment movement — people are moving away from the Empire and its evil, an event well anticipated by aspiring workers and citizens in the world.