Dawning of the fifth world

Welcome to 2012, the conclusion of the 13th B’ak’tun of the long count of the Olmec / Mayan calendar, and perhaps the end of the world (Dec 21st 2012). But don’t panic this is simply the fourth world, which began back in 3114 BC; there is undoubtedly a fifth yet to come.

Or perhaps 2012 is the end of Kali Yuga, the degenerate age of vice, which began back in 3102 BC, when Krishna left the earth, and it’s going to be a year of climate impacts, before the rebirth of the golden age.

When flowers will be begot within flowers, and fruits within fruits, then will the Yuga come to an end. And the clouds will pour rain unseasonably when the end of the Yuga approaches." Then Lord Vishnu in the form of infant Krishna on a leaf will come to earth and again everything will start producing from the beginning

For me 2012 is the year that I can put some of these new ideas for online and offline activism into practice. It’s been several years since I’ve felt that I’ve been at the cutting edge of campaigning innovations – not since the days of the Big Ask, and if those ideas work, then perhaps that hope will return.

Equally so much lies outside my control. Inspiring offline activists to do more online, while safe, tried and tested, takes time, and lacks the Chutzpah the powers that be respect. Online to offline activism, looks like a shining path, and the idea of campaigning hubs is sound, but the process of moving more online activists offline, may be futile without the campaigns to mobilise them. Finally the new world of deepening online activism, of campaigning bloggers, raiders and online organisers is new, may well fail, but could just about possibly herald in a new (fifth?) digital world of activism.

In any case, I’ve been at the campaigning grindstone for a solid six, or nine years now, so I need to reconnect with why I’m doing this. A Mesoamerican sabbatical to explore ancient sites, rainforests, new cultures, and to wait for the return of Quetzalcoatl may well be the inspiration I need to build these new ideas. Or the rehabilitation plan to while away some redundancy money if they fail.