Inspiring social change through print, spoken word, and creative
action.
""Everything that man does in his symbolic world is an attempt to overcome
and deny his grotesque fate.
He literally drives himself into a blind obliviousness
with social games, psychological tricks,
personal preoccupations so far removed from the reality of his situation that
they are forms of madness."
- Ernest Becker
The World Leaders Project:
The World Leaders Project is a multi-year project initiated by Seattle resident
Greg Bennick and Skidmore College professor Sheldon Solomon. The two worked in
partnership with film maker Patrick Shen, who joined the team as a key strategist
and documentarian. Greg and Sheldon wrote letters to every leader of every country
on the planet asking to come and speak on a one-on-one basis in order to discuss
the psychology of violence and why humans are attracted towards destruction. The
conversations were offered as a means of achieving at the highest political level
"a more complete understanding of human aspirations 
towards
power and heroism on the part of leaders, an awareness of the motivations of those
who follow these leaders, and an understanding of what results at the convergence
of these psychological modes of thought." (from the letter written by Greg
and Sheldon).
For an introduction to the ideas behind the project, we invite you to read The
World Leaders Project overview document we prepared as a handout for
the leaders. This gives an overview of the psychology behind the project and
some insight into the concepts that will guide the meetings.
As an additional introduction, I would recommend reading
the clip I have posted from my interview with Nonkonformist Magazine from
Hungary. It will give a good basic overview of the theorist who's work inspired
the World Leader's Project, and it places these ideas in context with current
world events. The World Leaders Project at its core is proof positive that as
an individual, you DO have the power to initiate social change on a large scale.
The project at its core is about empowerment, balance, honesty, and communication,
and will hopefully serve as inspiration 
to
others to get creative and to get involved with pursuing ideas and actions about
which they are passionate.
The first meeting of the Project took place on the 29th of May 2002 with His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana, in Georgetown, Guyana. (Photo from left to right: Greg Bennick, Sheldon Solomon, and His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo President of Guyana discuss human violence at the President's office - photo by Patrick Shen - click on photo for larger image). We have posted a partial transcript of the meeting. Stay tuned for more updates on the meeting and please do spread the word to any media sources, whether mainstream or alternative, with whom you might be in touch. Thanks to all those who keep writing me for information!
Here is the press release announcing the events, meetings made all the more timely and necessary by the events on September 11th in New York and Washington D.C. Please download and print this press release and share it with media sources (print, news, television) who would be interested in carrying the story.
The following link will bring you to the homepage of The
Ernest Becker Foundation (EBF). The EBF is an 
organization
dedicated to exploring different facets of Becker's thought and determining
what happens in regards to these ideas at the intersection of science, the humanites,
social action and religion. We would like to thank them for their financial
support of the World Leaders Project thus far.
Coming soon on Words As Weapons: more photos and a journal from the Guyana trip, and a look into the next stage of the World Leaders Project. (photo to the right: Guyanese schoolchildren, May 31st, 2002 - photo by Greg Bennick - click on photo for larger image)
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