I’ve been blessed in my life to have the opportunity to travel to amazing places, meet amazing people and develop on-going supportive and creative relationships with these amazing people. I learn from these people and value these connections. One of these teachers, John O’Brien, recently posted this YouTube clip on FaceBook and I immediately thought to share it here on this blog. The person responsible for this video is Edgar Cahn, creator of time banking concept. In this piece, “The Parable of The Blobs and Squares”, the concept of co-production is highlighted. In our society, as currently structured, all too often well-intentioned governmental systems and institutions try solving problems with “imposed solutions” rather than seeing people for what they can be…citizens capable of creating solutions by simply utilizing the gifts and talents we already possess.
Take the time to watch this brilliant piece. It is 6 minutes well spent! Thanks for sharing John!
Come In From The Cold 
very creative way of telling this story! Thank you for sharing this. I love the way institutions are presented without judgement but also without glorification…. also love the storytelling voice.
i do have a few points of confusion /hesitant critique
– are the blobs representing people, community, or problems? if “both” (which seems to be the case), I’d say it might be better to keep those things separate… in my view at least the “problems” in our community are in our ways of thinking and are in situations often resulting from institutional ‘solutions’ to problems… not really in ‘the people’ or ‘the community’ in the way this video seems to suggest. I have a feeling that wasn’t the intended message, but that’s how it comes across to me nonetheless.
– are institutions really best at “process”? processes I’ve seen that many institutions try and stick by are often barriers to getting at the root of things and to getting real change. I definitely agree that our best hope is to stay focused on the strengths — of institutions, of citizens, and especially as people as wholes beyond our roles in either institutional life or civic/personal/family life.