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What is the mission of the Council of Wisdom?
Our mission is to do the following things:
• Bring people together from a wide variety of religious, cultural, ethnic, national and geographic backgrounds for networking, discussion, learning, and the promotion of wise and inspired ideas, causes, works and activities.
• Provide a convenient way for people to discover and donate to organizations, individuals, and projects that have been researched, discussed, and approved through a multi-stage process involving both expert analysis and democratic referendum.
• Provide recognition, publicity, grants and awards for deserving organizations and individuals and their work.
• Celebrate the lives of the most praiseworthy persons and the greatest works and creations throughout history.
• Influence society and its institutions by issuing and spreading petitions and resolutions seeking positive effects and results.
• Educate and inspire people through media, conferences, and other events and productions designed to draw attention and raise awareness among the public for ideas, activities, cultural paradigms and innovations that can promote beneficial change.
• Encourage the formation and flourishing of local meeting groups for interfaith spirituality, social fellowship, and constructive discussion and action to help communities, the world and its people.
What are the guiding beliefs and principles of the Council of Wisdom?
The Council of Wisdom and its members will act in accordance with our Affirmation of Principles, as follows:
We, the Council of Wisdom, affirm
• the spiritual essence of being and the magnificence of creation;
• the discoveries of science and the ongoing revelation of truth and wisdom through numerous individuals, institutions, works of art and literature, and systems of belief and religious practice;
• the inherent worth and dignity of every person regardless of race, creed, gender, economic condition or other distinctions;
• and our shared responsibility as members of the interdependent web of existence.
We
• renounce hatred and violence;
• support unprejudiced, empathetic dialogue leading to intelligent, humane, environmentally sound solutions to conflicts and problems in our world;
• and together reach toward a vision of global communion in peace and prosperity for all.
Why is the Council of Wisdom necessary?
The non-profit sector is the lifeblood of progress of human civilization. Non-governmental organizations and individual creative workers and leaders are at the forefront of making our world a better place — fighting poverty and injustice, promoting better education, health care, scientific research, spirituality, the arts and humanities, and a healthy environment. However, there are so many organizations and individuals doing these things that it can be hard for people to find the ones which are doing the best work and are most worthy of support.
The Council of Wisdom provides a unique and revolutionary way of discovering and vetting non-profit organizations, projects, leaders, and creative works and their creators, to help people channel their support to those that deserve it most — even if they are relatively unknown to the general public. Furthermore, the Council of Wisdom will help to make the best of everything (organizations, thinkers, inventors, activists, art, music, literature, ideas, etc.) more widely known according to true merit, without the need for celebrity endorsements or costly advertising.
Why does the Council of Wisdom combine so many different things into one organization?
The Council of Wisdom is a spiritually progressive organization dedicated to improving the world by bringing the strongest humanitarian, intellectual and cultural resources together online and forming powerful human, organizational and financial alliances. Combining charity, activism and culture into one organization encourages people to think of all these things as part of one big, transcendent thing: their commitment to a positive vision for the future of civilization. Having this "big vision" is what will enable the Council of Wisdom to have a major effect on people's minds and lives. In an era of over-specialization and fragmentation, the Council of Wisdom is thinking holistically and attempting to become a unifying force not only for diverse people, but for diverse fields of thought and action.
Is the Council of Wisdom open to people of all religions, nations, political parties, cultures and lifestyles?
Yes, the Council of Wisdom welcomes the diversity you bring into our community! We enthusiastically accept members of all religions (or of no religion at all), all nations, all ethnic groups, all political persuasions, and all types of cultures, philosophies and lifestyles — as long as you agree with our overall worldview described in our Affirmation of Principles.
We do not accept members who believe in hatred, prejudice, racism, sexism, violence in the name of God, the limitation of truth and wisdom to only one religion or sacred book, or anything else which conflicts with our stated values.
The Council of Wisdom does not endorse political candidates, parties, or explicitly political organizations.
Can I join the Council of Wisdom if I don't believe in God?
Yes. Our Affirmation of Principles does not mention belief in God. However, we do believe that spirituality and religion have great meaning and are significant and valuable aspects of the human experience — indeed that being is not just about the material life, but about the life of the spirit. You are welcome in our organization if you share this view, regardless of what you may believe about whether or not there is a Deity.
What are the requirements for membership in the Council of Wisdom?
All members of the Council of Wisdom must be at least 18 years of age and must affirm our Affirmation of Principles and accept our Membership Agreement as specified on the registration page.
What is an Associate Member?
An Associate Member is a person who has joined the Council of Wisdom but is not eligible to propose bills or vote in the organization. Associate Members have the right to post messages in the Council Forum and to have their blog syndicated and autoposted there if they wish.
What is a Councilor?
A Councilor is a member of the Council of Wisdom who is eligible to propose bills and vote in the organization, in addition to posting in the forum.
Councilors must donate at least US$100 per year to the Council of Wisdom (or its equivalent in other major currencies). $50 of this membership fee goes into the organization's general fund (for staff salaries, website and office expenses and other administrative needs). The other $50 goes into the Councilor's personal account, to be used as that member wishes for making earmarked donations to any recipients approved for appropriations or endorsed by the Council.
In order to remain a Councilor, one must vote on at least half of all bills that come before the Council each year (i.e. bills that make it through the sponsorship and Committee review/recommendation process and appear on the ballot). If a Councilor fails to do this, one's membership will be temporarily downgraded to Associate Member status, pending further review by the Membership Committee. This is called probation.
Can I upgrade my membership from Associate Member to Councilor in the future?
Yes, you can do this at any time. The only exception is members who are on probation, in which case it would require review and approval by the Membership Committee.
Will my application for membership be automatically approved?
It will be reviewed by the Membership Committee and approved quickly in the vast majority of cases. Applications may be denied if the Committee finds a problem in your application or believes your motivations for joining the Council are incompatible with our organization's principles and purposes — but this would be very rare. If your application is denied, you may appeal the Committee's decision to the Board of Directors, which will make the final decision.
What is the Board of Directors, and how are its members chosen?
The Board of Directors is the highest leadership body of the Council of Wisdom, responsible for overall governance of the organization. Please see the Board of Directors section of the leaders page for information about how the Directors are chosen, and to read short bios of the current Directors.
What are Committees, and how are their members chosen?
Much of the work of the Council of Wisdom is done in Standing Committees. There are 16 such bodies, each of which deals with a particular field or type of issues (e.g. Poverty & Disaster Relief, Environment, Science & Technology, Literature, etc.). The Membership Committee deals with membership issues and moderating the forum. The other Committees study and consider bills.
Please see the Committees section of the leaders page for a list of all 16 Committees and for information about how the Committee members and Chairs are chosen. In the future this page will also have short bios of the people who serve on each Committee.
What is the Council of Advisors, and how are its members chosen?
The Council of Advisors is a group of people who serve as consultants to the Board of Directors and Committee Chairs. They have no official duties in the organization, but may be asked to give their advice about issues on which they have knowledge and expertise. Please see the Council of Advisors section of the leaders page for information about how the Advisors are chosen.
Who is eligible to serve in these leadership positions?
Any Councilor is eligible to serve on the Board of Directors and Committees. Any member is eligible to serve on the Council of Advisors.
Currently we are looking for candidates and applicants for these positions. Please see the leaders page if you are interested.
What are the special titles I see next to people's names in the forum?
• Councilor-Director — The person serves on the Board of Directors.
• High Councilor-Director — The person serves on the Board of Directors and a Committee.
• High Councilor — The person is a regular member of a Committee.
• High Councilor-Chair — The person is the Chair of a Committee.
• Advisor — The person serves on the Council of Advisors but is not a Councilor.
• Councilor-Advisor — The person serves on the Council of Advisors and is a Councilor.
• High-Councilor Advisor — The person serves on the Council of Advisors and a Committee.
What are the different types of bills?
There are eight types of bills that may be proposed in the Council of Wisdom, as follows:
• Appropriation — A bill of appropriation designates an individual, organization, institution, project or program to receive a grant or gift of funds from the Council of Wisdom.
• Endorsement — A bill of endorsement designates an individual, organization, institution, project or program to be eligible to receive financial gifts through the Council of Wisdom from members of the Council and other people who wish to donate to said recipient. Endorsements lapse after three years and may be renewed.
• Commendation — A bill of commendation is a statement of praise for an individual, group of people, organization or institution, intended as a public honor to draw attention to their exemplary life, works or activities.
• Celebration — A bill of celebration is a high public honor for a person or work, which may only be proposed after at least 30 years have passed since the person's death or the work's creation.
• Petition — A bill of petition is a request to an individual, group of people, organization or institution to do something, refrain from doing something, or stop doing something. Approved petitions may be signed by members and registered supporters of the Council of Wisdom.
• Resolution — A bill of resolution is a statement encouraging or discouraging some action or taking a position on some issue. Approved resolutions may be signed by members and registered supporters of the Council of Wisdom.
• Amendment — A bill of amendment is a change to another bill that was previously approved.
• Repeal — A bill of repeal is a cancellation or abrogation of another bill that was previously approved.
Two or more types of bills may also be proposed in combination, as a single multi-part bill, if the combination makes sense.
What is the appropriate format for a bill?
What is the difference between an author and a coauthor of a bill?
A bill in the Council of Wisdom must have one or more authors and may also have one or more coauthors. Authors are those who are primarily responsible for researching the issue and writing the bill. Coauthors are Councilors who made a lesser but significant contribution to the bill — whether in the process of writing, editing, or research. It is not necessary for an author of a bill to seek additional authors or coauthors to help, but this may be desirable in situations where a bill is long, complex, or about a very important issue.
Can I propose a bill about the same subject as another bill that has already been proposed?
Yes, if your bill would add anything different and original on the subject (e.g. in the explanatory or reference section). If multiple bills on the same subject are proposed in the same quarter, Councilors may cosponsor any or all of them as they choose. If more than one go to Committee, the Committee will probably combine them into one bill, and all authors and coauthors will be listed in the combined bill.
Can I propose a bill that would benefit my own organization?
Yes. However, you must disclose your role or position in the organization in the reference section of the bill. We recommend that you try to find another Councilor to author/coauthor the bill with you, if possible, as this will make it seem less self-promotional. The forums are a great place to find likeminded Councilors who might be interested in working with you to propose a bill for your organization.
We don't have a rule against proposing a commendation for yourself either (if you have created or achieved something of public note), but be aware that if you do this, your bill may be viewed as simply an exercise in blatant self-promotion, and therefore may be less likely to be approved than if somebody else authored it.
Can I propose a bill written in a language other than English?
Not at this time. However, we will allow this in the future, when the Council of Wisdom has enough funds to hire translators. Eventually we plan to operate in several major languages of the world (e.g. Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, etc.), enabling the majority of human beings to propose and consider bills in a language they speak and understand.
When can Councilors propose bills?
Starting on September 22, 2009, Councilors will be able to propose bills at any time.
Keep in mind, however, that the Council of Wisdom divides the year into four quarters. Bills proposed from September 22 to December 21 will be considered in Committee in January and voted upon by the whole Council in February (first quarter). Bills proposed from December 22 to March 21 will be considered in Committee in April and voted upon by the whole Council in May (second quarter). Bills proposed from March 22 to June 21 will be considered in Committee in July and voted upon by the whole Council in August (third quarter). Bills proposed from June 22 to September 21 will be considered in Committee in October and voted upon by the whole Council in November (fourth quarter).
We strongly recommend that you do not propose a bill near the end of each of the three-month periods for bill proposal — unless it is a major issue related to current events that most people are already familiar with — because few Councilors would have time to find, read, and consider your bill to decide whether or not to cosponsor it. If your bill does not receive enough sponsors, it will not go to Committee, and you would have to try proposing it again during the next quarter's period for bill proposal and sponsorship.
What is the appropriate procedure for proposing a bill?
To propose a bill, a Councilor must start a new thread in the Bills Seeking Cosponsors forum. This thread must be started by one of the authors of the bill if it has multiple authors. The first post of the thread must contain the text of the bill, a poll in which Councilors may vote to cosponsor it, and nothing else. The title of the thread must contain the title of the bill and may also contain a few additional descriptive words if necessary.
After you have proposed your bill, make sure that all authors and coauthors, including yourself, vote in the poll to cosponsor it. Then you may encourage others to do so and may make additional posts in the bill's thread to further explain and argue for it.
How many people must sponsor a bill in order for it to be considered in Committee?
Two percent of all Councilors must sponsor a bill, either as an author or coauthor or as simply a cosponsor who joins its proponents in support of the bill.
This may seem like a very low percentage to weed out bills unworthy of Committee review. However, in the future when the Council of Wisdom has many thousands of Councilors, and hundreds or even thousands of bills are being proposed each quarter, only the best bills will be likely to get cosponsored by many people. The average Councilor won't have time to read all the bills that are proposed, or even to open most of the bill threads to take a look — only the ones that seem most noteworthy or interesting in the thread title.
What do the Committees do with bills?
If a bill reaches the 2% sponsorship threshold, the Board of Directors will assign it to one or more appropriate Committees. If multiple Committees are assigned a bill, they will deal with it jointly as a single body.
A Committee that gets a bill is responsible for reviewing it, studying the issue, editing the bill for clarity or accuracy if necessary, and voting on whether to recommend the bill to the whole Council. Committees may combine closely related or similar bills, divide multi-part bills, and add coauthors to bills if significant additions or edits are made. If a Committee recommends a bill, Committee members who supported or opposed the bill may write majority and minority reports to the Council, explaining their reasons for why they believe it should be approved or rejected.
Research staff of the Council of Wisdom will assist the Committees in their review and study of bills, when we have enough funds to hire such staff. The Council of Advisors may also provide advice to the Committee Chairs about bills being considered, which the Chairs must then share with the other members of the Committee.
Committees may vote to defer a bill until the next quarter, if it requires more time for study and/or editing.
When and how are bills that are recommended by Committees voted on by the whole Council?
Bills are voted on in February, May, August, and November. Each of those four months is a month-long debating and voting period for the bills that were reviewed and recommended by Committees in the previous month. Members of the Council of Wisdom may discuss and debate the bills on the ballot for the quarter in a special section of the forum. They may cast their votes online at any time of the month and may change their votes as many times as they feel moved to do, until the end of the month, when all votes will become final.
If a bill is on the ballot for the first time, Councilors may vote to approve, reject, or defer it. If the result of the vote is to defer the bill, then it will be voted on again next quarter, with only the options of approving or rejecting it.
At least half of all Councilors must vote on a bill, or else it will be automatically deferred. If it has already been deferred before, then it is tabled, which means it will not be considered again unless the Committee decides to send it back to the Council for another vote.
What is voting weight and how can I get more of it?
The result of voting is based on the sum of all voting weight for or against a bill, not a simple tally of Councilors. (This is also true for voting for candidates in elections.) Each Councilor has a certain number of votes, called voting weight. A new Councilor begins with a voting weight of one vote, and may gain more voting weight by authoring and coauthoring bills which are approved by the Council. Two votes of additional voting weight are given to all authors of an approved bill, and one vote to all coauthors of an approved bill. Extra voting weight expires ten years after it is received.
The purpose of having this system of variable voting weight is to encourage Councilors to be active participants in our organization, sharing their ideas in the form of bills, and to give more weight to the opinions of those who have contributed more ideas in harmony with the collective wisdom of the Council.
For questions related to the Council Forum, please visit our Forum FAQ page.
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