Hi all, I have been working on this framework as an integral approach and now have a number of published academic articles that incorporate it. Lots of encouraging global interest in what I have been up to!
Introducing the ESF Framework - Flourish Project, August 2025 .pdf (6.7 MB)
In general, this is quite strong. An excellent jumping off point for further discussion on the many themes integrated here. I especially admire section 8, which brings welcome self-reflection on possible criticism and limitations of the model. Several of these critical issues (e.g. the spiritual in the secular and cultural relativity) have occupied my attention quite a bit over the past several years.
I’m curious what sort of process you visualize for the further reception or implementation of this work? I’d love to explore a variety of subsections, but to do it properly would require the equivalent of a graduate seminar or thereabouts. Terse comments about specific content elements cited in the piece in this current forum strike me as not equal to the gravity of your fine work.
Hi Robert,
I have a number of possible partners expressing interest across different disciplines e.g early years education, schooling systems, intergenerational wellbeing, spirituality, flourishing cities, bio-regional regeneration etc
My challenge is how I can lift this from being one of my own key areas of focus to how best it can be shared globally without me personally having to develop and oversee a core team - as I am so heavily involved in other global projects
I also want to ensure that it is available to the many, rather than the few - so I am not interested in monetising the resources, but would rather find innovative ways of sharing them (such as a Flourish Commons) - and we are redesigning the website with this in mind
Until now I have personally funded the development of the Flourish Project though, so realistically it needs to move (hopefully through identifying aligned partners) to something that is more solidly resourced.
I’ve read many of the sources you cite and worked with a variety of authors and initiatives with similar conceptual scope. Through all that I’m evolving a post-retirement project for myself of translating systems like yours into commonsensical terms and actionable scopes of work. Given that most of the people I hang with are visionary architects of social change, I’m working to complement that by becoming more of a building contractor whose forte is figuring out action pathways in detail.
If you want to take this conversation in fully detailed directions, we should probably set up a DM exchange through whatever channel you prefer. Meanwhile, for general 2R Forum consumption, I’d like to offer a few quick thoughts on your section 8.
8.1 - Empirical validation. My recommendation is small scale pilots to get results, then try for replication and amplification.
8.2 - Translational complexity. Balancing the pragmatic and ideal is my core approach. I know how to make ideas like “interbeing” very down to earth and commensensical.
8.3 - Spirituality in Secular Contexts. My approach extends and applies the work of Brendan Graham Dempsey and others on what might be termed a cognitive theory of world religions. In practice at the adult education level, I’ve figured out how to derive and apply the notion of the “spiritual” within content areas such as computer science.
8.4 - Cultural Relativity and Global Adaptation. My students originate from all continents, including heavy Asian, African, and Islamic representation. If I have a bone to pick with developmental theory in general, it’s that much of it leans too heavily on western patterns (what Joseph Henrich calls WEIRD). Too much to summarize here, but let’s just say it has been a central concern for me for a good long while.
8.5 - Implementation Capacity. Similar to 8.1 above, it’s all about bootstrapping, piloting, startup, etc., followed by strategizing scaled adoptions built on early wins.
8.6. - Risk of Idealism and Complexity Paralysis. Huge risk. I’m a practitioner through and through. Idealistic vision without a building plan has no legs at all. Give me a high level concept - I’ll figure out how to operationalize it.
To sum up, your ESF Frameworks strikes me has having a lot of pragmatic potential. Basically, it looks like you require something like “product-market fit” analysis to figure out what to do with it.
Interesting Robert - as I too am committed to bringing complex thinking and ideas down to be made more accessible to a global audience - for example, the resources that we made freely available to schools are now being used in more than 30 countries - SDGS for KIDS - FLOURISH PROJECT
Looks very good. Is education the main vertical your group is aiming at?
no, only one of the ecosystem of future possibilities 
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Well, I’m asking because I’m exploring what success metrics might look like for the ESF Framework. Do people need to speak that specific language? Does the goal involve certain sorts of behavioral change? If the ESF Framework penetrates culture, how will we know? What differences that make a difference would be observable due to the ESF Framework?
that’s the kind of thing that I am interested in as our next step 
I just now reread the entire piece again (several times) to get a “gut” reaction. What surfaces as my primary question is - what does a community of practice for the GSF Framework look like? Who participates in that community? What is that community of practice trying to be and trying to do? How does it relate to other communities of practice? What is the community’s ecosystem? What sorts of symbiotic matter/energy/information flows are swirling about it?
The gist of all those questions above is that I don’t put much stock in cultural artifacts (like position papers) detached from their experiential roots. Where this is coming from says quite a bit about where it may be headed.