What We Do

Currently, Navigating Our Future (NOF) is attempting to launch an initiative to establish a nationwide, trans-partisan, community-based, participatory democracy framework and supporting infrastructure. This framework and infrastructure will make it possible to effectively bring together the diverse perspectives and capabilities of the American people; discover the inspiring power of what unites us; and engage together in a respectful, co-creative process to envision, strategize, and take action to bring about the bright future we desire for ourselves and our children.

Navigating Our Future's founders and associates have invested substantial time and resources in developing an effective, realistic, and sustainable "whole systems" model for trans-partisan participatory democracy. This model provides:

The means to attract, engage and sustain the engagement of Americans nationwide;
The framework and supporting infrastructure for the participants, together, to move from vision, to strategy, to action in working together to transform America from a nation in crisis to a nation where all Americans have fair and equal opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We have tested individual components and vetted this model and have received solid support for its content. We are now seeking prospective sponsors, funders, and leaders from business, government, not-for-profits and civil society that are working to address the various complex challenges facing America and that may be interested in becoming partners in an innovative strategic endeavor. The members of the Consortium will work together to envision, strategize, plan, and implement a nationwide initiative to engage Main Street America in a meaningful, results-focused process of dialogue, deliberation, problem solving and consensus building that will result in well-informed strategies and actions for addressing our national crises and creating a bright future for America.

We realize what we are proposing is audacious. We also know from our research that, though they have not been integrated together in the way we suggest, nearly every aspect of what is being proposed has been tested and proven to be successful in large arenas. The complexity and size of the crisis of crises facing America today is unprecedented. Our current frames for working together are insufficient to the task at hand. We need new ways of thinking and engaging.

Our nation's founders also faced unprecedented challenges that inspired them to come together as an extremely diverse group, to trust in their vision, and to tap into their combined strengths in order to achieve something far greater than what each could accomplish alone. We hope that, like this nation's founders, the Consortium members may sense a moment of greatness in what they are undertaking and see in their work together a microcosm and model of the kind of engagement we hope to foster across our nation, and, perhaps, across our planet. As Margaret Mead reminds us:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world." Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."