Mission Statement
Even in today’s polarized political world, society faces problems that require solutions in directions that can be universally agreed upon. Such issues stem from the fact that while individuals possess an important stake in the solution, only select individuals and/or governments bear the burden of the solution. More recently, such issues have been categorized as “collective action problems.” Collective action problems often revolve around public goods, goods that are non-excludable and non-rival in consumption. The world faces collective action problems within the environment and nuclear proliferation. Meanwhile, the United States faces several collective action problems such as dwindling infrastructure, the expanding budget deficit, and a deteriorating education system.
There exists widespread belief throughout America that the solutions to such problems are too complex to be put into action. The BIG will prove that realistic solutions to America’s, moreover, the world’s toughest problems do indeed exist. While such solutions may not be the politically “correct” choices, the BIG will emphasize pragmatism and bipartisanship while not sacrificing the central goal of solving the actual problem.
Spei is the Latin word for hope. Spei Society, as the discussion arm to the BIG, symbolizes the desire that while people possess different perspectives and backgrounds, society can in fact come together to agree on a solution that while fair still captures a holistic solution. The hope that even in the face of immense adversity and an ever-changing world, individuals can indeed produce and nurture a positive impact for future generations. Most important, Spei Society stands for the conviction that however small an idea or group is we can without fail, believe in the slightest and often seemingly imaginative ideas that have continuously formed and shaped the better days that will always be ahead of us.
“Omnium rerum principia parva sunt” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero.
The beginnings of all things are small.