Imagine sitting across from a dear friend, the air filled with the warm glow of trust and understanding, as you both engage in a deep, meaningful conversation. I find myself drawn to the power of language—not just the sounds of spoken words, but the profound commitments they can convey. Today, I want to explore how the essence of language, especially our expression and gathering of commitments, forms the bedrock of peaceful coexistence within communities.
Let's start with a linguistic nugget that Megan Murphy reminded me of: the word "Abracadabra." Often associated with magical incantations, it traces back to the Aramaic phrase "Avra Kehdabra," which translates to "I create as I speak (or through word)." This idea resonates deeply with the concept of creation through speech and ‘giving our word’ as a promise —a theme reverberating through many cultural and religious traditions that recognize the word as a manifestation of intention and an act of creation - a fundamental force of the universe, capable of manifesting change and reality.
In Christianity, for instance, the concept of "Logos" in the Gospel of John introduces the Word as not only a divine agent of creation but as the essence of God itself.
In Hinduism, the universe is believed to be created through the divine word "Om."
In the Kabbalah, words and letters are considered the building blocks of creation, each containing a spark of divine energy.
Commitment Pooling: The Language of Peaceful Resource Coordination
Imagine a community where every spoken commitment, like seeds sown into fertile ground, grows into fruitful collaborations that sustain and nourish its people. Drawing from the notion of the word as a creator, as well as a form of promise (“I give my word”) let's delve into how the structured communication of intention, promises, commitments, and "Commitment Pooling," acts as a communication protocol for fostering peace and cooperation within communities. In this protocol, just like words in a language, each commitment carries a distinct meaning and intention, collectively forming a dialogue that guides socioeconomic interactions among people.
Here’s how the elements of Commitment Pooling align as linguistic elements – where we collectively give our word to develop and create peaceful community dynamics:
Words: Voucher act like words in a language, each representing a specific commitment or promise, making expectations tangible and understandable.
Grammar: The Commitment Pool is like the grammar, structuring how resources are combined and utilized within the community, thus preventing misunderstandings and misallocation.
Vocabulary: Curation of Assets relates to vocabulary, listing available resources and services, enabling members to understand what is accessible and needed.
Syntax: Limiter functions like syntax rules in language, defining the limits or maximum contributions to prevent over-commitment and ensuring sustainability.
Semantics: Quoter is akin to semantics, providing meaning and relative value to each commitment, ensuring that exchanges are perceived as fair and equitable.
Pragmatics: Exchange Mechanism resembles pragmatics, focusing on the practical use of commitments in real-world contexts, facilitating appropriate and timely resource distribution.
Dialogue: Transparent Governance is similar to dialogue, where open communication and participatory decision-making processes build transparency, fostering trust and cooperation.
Trust: Trust Building through fulfillment of commitments sends trust signals, similar to reliable actions in communication, which reinforce social bonds and community resilience.
Each of these components plays a critical role in establishing a transparent, fair, and supportive community. For example, vouchers (formalized commitments) in Commitment Pooling represent more than mere promises; they are imbued representations of each person's commitment to contribute specific resources or services. These vouchers, much like words in a sentence, interact within the commitment pool's grammar to facilitate mutual support and resource sharing.
Each commitment is quantified and formalized as a voucher within the community’s Commitment Pool. When a need arises, members can exchange their own commitments in-order to draw other commitments from the pool using the vouchers, which are accepted based on the established relative values. This way, each member’s offering is respected and reciprocated, fostering a harmonious and supportive community dynamic.
In a practical example, imagine a community where a farmer, a teacher, and a carpenter are members:
The farmer commits to providing 100 kilograms of produce.
The teacher commits to 30 hours of tutoring.
The carpenter commits to building furniture.
The farmer needs training from the teacher and help from the carpenter – he gives his word by placing his own vouchers (IoUs/credit obligations/formal commitments) into the Commitment Pool in order to remove an equal amount of the vouchers of the others, then redeems them to receive those services. His own vouchers left in the pool are a reminder of his obligation and the teacher or carpenter can place back their own vouchers into the pool to remove his.
In scenarios where resources are scarce, this protocol provides a clear framework for negotiation and compromise, settling of disputes and building lasting peace. This system not only enhances economic stability but also reinforces social cohesion by ensuring that everyone’s contributions and needs are recognized and respected. The clarity and structure provided by Commitment Pooling help prevent misunderstandings and conflicts, much as clear communication can resolve tensions in our everyday relationships.
As "Abracadabra" reminds us of the power to create with our words, Commitment Pooling cultivates our promises—our words—to foster a sustainable and peaceful coexistence. This protocol mirrors ancient traditional rotational labor and shows that when we come together to articulate our commitments clearly and support them with structured action, we can transform our communities. It teaches us that peace isn't just found in the absence of conflict but actively created through our intentions and the language of our commitments.
Let us embrace the power of our commitments, and through them, craft a legacy of peace and prosperity for future generations
Let us speak, give our word, commit, and create a world of peace—one word, one promise at a time.
Actually it's interesting you say that! Because these practices were around MUCH longer than what we call money or time banks. It's been really an amazing journey for me to go from a money-centric frame to non-monetary forms of resource coordination.
I'm not against time banks or money - I think of them both as value signaling (yang) and commitment pooling as a space where those signals can come together (yin).
Please give this a read https://ijccr.net/ijccr-27-2023/vol-27-pp-54-79/ and I would love your thoughts.
Seems like you just reinvented money and/or a time bank.