F.A.Q.

Q: What is the Ark movement?

The Ark movement is a diverse set of people and groups who take a common stance of readiness towards global change. A growing number of groups have put minor political and ideological differences aside, comprising a grass roots network of co-operation, dialogue and mutual inspiration.

We envisage the dominant approach to the possibility of catastrophic change as represented by David and Goliath – the idea that we may prevail against overwhelming odds through faith or luck. We prefer to present a vision inspired by the story of Noah – careful and sustainable preparation to confront the challenges of the future head on.

The common thread that ties these individuals and groups together is the knowledge that it is more productive to a build sustainable life than to make piecemeal changes to a system that is in essence self-destructive.

Q: What global change?

A: It’s likely that you will already be familiar with issues such as climate change and resource scarcity. To gain a full understanding, we would encourage you to talk to one of our representatives, visit our Scenarios/Evidence[?] section [link – I moved the brief breakdown from this section to Scenarios section] or do some research of your own. We would suggest recent writing by James Lovelock and James H. Kunstler as a good starting point [link to Resources section]

Q: So what does all this mean?

A: In short, this will mean the end of life as we know it. If that sounds dramatic, it isn’t a reason to panic. The end of life as we know it represents the opportunity for a new life, based on different circumstances and principles.

Q: If all this is true, what can I do about it?

A: First we would like to reassure you that there is no reason to panic. Even though these events will happen in one form or another, a disaster is not an event itself but the impact that the event has.

By adjusting to forthcoming events now, you will be prepared to change as the world does. ARK Inc. can help facilitate that adjustment now [link to Get Involved]

Q: What is ARK Inc.?

A: ARK Inc. comprises the representatives of the Ark movement - practitioners, facilitators and elected representatives from many Ark collectives.

Our primary purpose is the promotion and progression of the Ark movement and the values it holds. As such we act as intermediaries between registered collectives and potential members. For those who are new to Ark, we can offer a number of products and services to help your integration into Ark, raise your intrinsic value as a member, and facilitate your investment in the future [links]

Q: What is the Ark movement’s attitude to value?

It is important to restate the fact that a disaster is not the event itself, but the impact that the event has. The impact hence depends upon the attitude we take towards the event.

Early thinkers tended to describe objects, services etc. in terms of their utility – those intrinsic characteristics that allow a thing to fulfil a basic human need. Karl Marx suggested that with the advent of the modern capitalist system, ‘exchange value’ - an abstract notion of value based upon the implication of the object or service within a monetary economy - became more dominant. Think of a banknote, in actuality just a piece of paper, but in a more abstract sense, a guarantee on the behalf of the custodians of the economy to honour its ‘exchange value’. Many will specifically bear the promise ‘to pay the bearer on demand...’ If this system collapses, you’re left with a wallet full of promised with nobody to honour them.

Ark takes a different approach. Unlike Marx, we do not see the value of an object as the intrinsic ‘solidification’ of the labour used to create it, but recognise that the utility of products changes depending upon the circumstances of their use. In short, many things which are valuable now will not be valuable in a radically different future, and many things which are not valuable now may well take on a new resonance in the years to come. Think of an electric lamp – it’s of little use if there are no sockets to plug it into!

Q: How on earth can I invest in the future if we are all doomed?

At Ark we believe that instead of designing products and creating solutions with the aim of sustaining our current way of life, we need to think with a clear idea of what challenges we may face in the next few decades.

Ark Inc. will help you to invest in those opportunities which will retain, or even gain value in a post-collapse society.

[don’t know if you still want to keep the whole abstract vs. Intrinsic thing??] When you recognise this you can begin to invest in your intrinsic value, and we can offer a number of products and services to help you do this.]

Q: How do I track my value?

A: You can track your intrinsic value against the paradigm index. To fully understand this index and how to track your value against it, we would recommend a consultation with one of our representatives or a look at the book “From Abstract to Intrinsic: Calculating Value Shifts in the 21st Century and Beyond” (Ark-Inc Publications).

The paradigm index is way of rating a series of global factors according to an index between 0 and 10; 0 being complete sustainability and 10 being complete global collapse. You can track your value against the paradigm index by investing in products and skill sets that are designed for a specific index rating. As you track the progression of the index towards that paradigm rating, the value of your products and skill sets increase.

We hope this brief overview of ARK Inc. and the Ark movement has been helpful. If you would like to know more, we invite you to explore our website further to find out more, or contact one of our representatives for a consultation.