AGATHON MANIFESTO
Edward Pittman
March 22, 2004
I. PURPOSE AND
MISSION
The purpose of
this document is to provide a foundation for the coming into existence
of a charitable trust or foundation that will be known by the name
of AGATHON, meaning "The Good". This GOOD is the advancement
of the quality of Individual Life, and will be realized in the world
by the direction of attention and resources to key areas as specified
in the Mission Statement.
MISSION
STATEMENT
The mission of
the Agathon Charitable Trust/Foundation is to promote the mentoring
of youth, the creation of prosperity and the stewardship of the environment
by identifying, acknowledging and funding productive efforts rooted
in the principle of Individual Sovereignty.
II. COMMENTS ON
THE MISSION STATEMENT
The foundation
of Agathon is clarified and strengthened by the following comments
on some terms and phrases from the Mission Statement:
INDIVIDUAL
SOVEREIGNTY
The principle
of Individual Sovereignty asserts the primacy of the Individual
as the
essential and paramount unit of society and whose well-being
and advantage is an end in itself. Individual Sovereignty is expressed
through Self-ownership, Self-determinism and Self-reliance. As
understanding and recognition of Individual Sovereignty
vary within political and cultural environments, it
is acknowledged that operational compromises may need to be made
in the
execution of the Trust/Foundation's stated mission. Regardless,
the Individual is the touchstone, and so the aim is to always benefit
the
real lives of real Individuals in ways most compatible with the
principle of Individual Sovereignty.
PRODUCTIVE
EFFORTS
The phrase "productive
efforts" refers to efforts
that produce concrete results. This means a recognizable difference
in the life of a young Individual, the creation of quantifiable wealth
for identifiable Individuals or tangible improvement of environmental
quality. Education plays an important part but the primary view is
always to be toward ACTION, action that produces results that can
be SEEN and TOUCHED.
MENTORING YOUTH
Mentoring
is to act in the role of a trusted counselor or teacher. This includes
one-on-one personal and occupational mentoring as well as other activities
aimed at providing youth with the knowledge and character to become
sovereign and empowered adults.
CREATING PROSPERITY
The aim here is
the creation of real, new wealth rather than mere charitable redistribution.
This is to be achieved by focusing on Self-reliance and Entrepreneurship.
STEWARDING THE
ENVIRONMENT
In the role of
stewardship, the focus is on private conservation and market solutions
to environmental issues, avoiding and reversing the "Tragedy
of the Commons".
III. CONCERNING
FUNDING
In accord with
the principle of Individual Sovereignty, the operational philosophy
of the Agathon Charitable Trust/Foundation is rooted in voluntarism.
For this reason, the Trust/Foundation is to be funded entirely by
private money and shall not receive funds from governments. Furthermore,
the Trust/Foundation shall not contribute funds to any government
program or project.
IV. IDENTIFYING
SYMBOL
The identifying
symbol or logo of the Agathon Charitable Trust/Foundation shall be
a blue circle (voided) inside a blue square (also voided), where
the circle fills and touches the square.
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